Posted: April 15th, 2015

Report on Employment Relations

Objectives
This assessment item relates to course learning outcomes numbers, 1, 2, 3 and 4 as stated in the course profile.
Purpose
The primary purpose of this assessment is to assist students develop skills in use of human resource management (HRM) principles, theories and models in the analysis of HR practices in organisational issues related to employment relations. The assignment requires students to analyse the current situation, identify organisational issues and suggest practical solutions related to the organisation’s employment relations management. The second purpose is to give students the opportunity to further develop skills related to research, analysis, critical thinking, problem identification and academic writing.
Before starting this assessment, please read the marking criteria (at the end of this document) and refer to http://www.cqu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/28578/5ReportWriting.pdf for the guidelines regarding writing academic reports.
The Moodle course website also provides useful information in regard to the development of this assessment task. You should always check the course website for course-specific instructions, which may be updated continuously.
Description
Assessment task 2 requires the writing of a business report. The report should be designed as a management document that can be used to implement recommended changes. It should include a comprehensive analysis of the current situation using HRM theory, models and frameworks. The report should clearly explain the various options available and analyse the consequences of these. Students are expected to engage in extensive research within the academic literature relating to human resource management.

Details
The assessment item is based on the case study titled Constructive Relations at Top Trucking Company (pp. 169-170) of the textbook: Human Resource Management in Australia (5th Ed., 2014) by Kramar, Bartram, De Cieri, Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright, McGraw-Hill Australia). For your convenience, scanned copy of the case is located in Moodle site. You should read, and carefully analyse, the case and respond to the issues presented in, and hidden behind, the case scenario within the context of a professionally developed business report. You are required to support your arguments with appropriate theoretical discussion and references.
This assignment MUST be a properly constructed business report. It MUST contain headings and sub-headings. The introduction should introduce the report, thesis statement (main objectives of the assignment) and include your argument. The main body of the assignment should present the evidence you have collected to support your arguments for the questions you are required to research. The conclusion section should restate your arguments, summarise the evidence and make a conclusion from all previous discussions.
The assignment should contain a coherent, but necessarily restricted review of the academic literature on HRM topics in question. The literature review should be integrated into the assignment and not be a separate section. A reference list formatted in the prescribed Harvard style is compulsory. Further information regarding formatting of assignments and other information is available at http://www.cqu.edu.au/about-us/service-and-facilities/referencing
This assessment item involves researching your assigned topic to enhance your understanding of and utilisation of academic literature. Whilst you should AVOID using only textbook, the prescribed textbook for the course should be cited in regard to broad HRM principles. You will be expected to present information and evidence from, and cite, at least twelve (12) relevant peer reviewed journal articles (absolute minimum requirement). These do not include other academic references such as books, conference papers, and book chapters and so on. Although you can cite these other academic references in your report, they will not be counted as part of the 12 journal articles. Refer to your recommended readings for examples of academic journals. While you can cite these recommended references, it is expected that you find twelve (12) peer reviewed journal articles not listed in the course materials. The quality and number of citations will demonstrate the breadth and depth of the literature used to support your arguments. Your marker is interested in the analysis that you have developed from YOUR review of the literature and how well you use the literature to discuss the topic.
AVOID presenting a descriptive account ONLY of your readings. What is required in this assessment is a critical evaluation of the academic literature as it relates to the specific details of the case study. Your marker is also interested in the conclusions that you reach by evaluating the literature and the case scenario.

Tasks
Case Study: Constructive Relations at Top Trucking Company (Pages 169-170 of the textbook)
Based on the case scenario, answer the following questions in business format. You MUST answer all questions listed here:
1. How do the new workplace practices introduced by the new yard manager complement one another?

2. What are the risks to sustaining these changes if George or the yard manager moves on?

3. Do you think tough blue collar unions like the Transport Workers Union are more of less likely to engage in workplace changes like these than public or service sector unions? Why? How would you find out if you are right?