HR4052QA - Managing People in Organisations - July 2021 Workbook

This individual student workbook for the module HR4052QA: Managing People in Organisations, July 2021 intake, provides a reflection on learning from seminar activities and class discussions across ten weeks (Week 2-11). It addresses questions related to recruitment methods (rational approach, job descriptions, diversity), selection methods (reliability, competency frameworks), equality, diversity and inclusion (diversity training, alternative interventions), skills, training and development (Covid-19 impact, coaching), performance management (review practices, weaknesses), academic writing, referencing and plagiarism, and motivation and rewards. Each week includes one or two questions with answers around 100 words, supported by relevant theory and Harvard referencing. The workbook aims to enhance understanding and application of key concepts in managing people within organizations.

INDIVIDUAL STUDENT WORKBOOK
Module Code: HR4052QA
Module Title: Managing People in Organisations
Student ID: ________________
Name of
Seminar Tutor: ____________________________
1

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................3
Week 2........................................................................................................4
Week 3........................................................................................................5
Week 4........................................................................................................6
Week 5........................................................................................................7
Week 6........................................................................................................8
Week 7........................................................................................................9
Week 8......................................................................................................10
Week 9......................................................................................................11
Week 10....................................................................................................12
Week 11....................................................................................................13
Reference list............................................................................................14
Appendices................................................................................................15
2

Introduction
This workbook provides a reflection upon the learning developed from the
seminar activities and class discussions.
The workbook includes ten (weeks 2-11), each includes one or two
questions with each answer in the region of 100 words per question.
3

Week 2: Recruitment methods
1. Explain why line managers adopt the rational approach to
recruitment?
You should cite relevant theory to support your points and
illustrate them with empirical evidence using Harvard
referencing.
In order to recruit the best and talented candidate for the company various approaches are
followed by the managers. It helps in recognising the ability of the candidates. The rational
approach is effective for various line managers because of the comfort factor of this approach
(Geetha,. and Bhanu ., 2018). The purpose of the manager is to avoid any confusion and
ambiguity in the working environment of the company. This approach is useful for the
managers as it helps in focusing towards common goals of the company and also selecting
best candidate for achieving the objectives and goals of the company
2. Describe the differences between a job description and
person specification?
You should cite relevant theory to support your points and
illustrate them with empirical evidence using Harvard
referencing.
 Job description refers to the overall description of the role and the main task
related to it whereas person specification highlights the description of the
qualification of the skills, knowledge and experience of an individual.
 Job description evaluates the task and responsibilities associated with the job
whereas person specification highlights the
 capabilities of the candidate that is required to perform the job(ELLIS , 2019).
 Job description points out the various information regarding the nature of work to
be performance and defining the training that is required for an employee on the
other hand person specification allows the applicant to analyse whether they are
eligible for the respective job role or not.
4

3. List three ways to encourage diversity when recruiting
candidates?
You should cite relevant theory to support your points and
illustrate them with empirical evidence using Harvard
referencing.
Workplace diversity is increasing rapidly and it is observed that diversity recruitment provide
more additional benefits related to the productivity. Three ways to include diversity when
recruiting:
 Offer internship to the candidates: Various companies have included internal diversity
by offering internship to the candidates that encourage the candidate to get better
experience in their job role.
 Audit the jobs advertisement: It is important for the company to recruit diverse
candidate is to make audit related to the past recruitment ads and by evaluating it
make various modifications in the present format(Swartz, and et.al, 2019).
 Formulate the policies that invite diverse candidates: In order to recruit diverse
candidates while recruiting create strategies in order to accomplish the task and
implement effective company policies in order to appeal diverse candidates.
5

Week 3: Selection Methods
1. What are the problems with using selection interviews to
identify the best candidate in relation to reliability and
validity as a selection tool?
You should cite relevant theory to support your points and
illustrate them with empirical evidence using Harvard
referencing.
Various problems while using the selection interviews are :
 Inconsistency between the candidates: Sometimes it is observed that there is
inconsistency with the candidates for example scheduling the interviews etc which
creates a problem while selecting the efficient candidate(Scherpenzeel, , 2018).
 Interviewer bias: It is observed that due to biased nature of the recruiters it becomes a
problem in selecting and recruiting the eligible candidates for the job role.
 False information by the applicant: Sometimes it is observed that wrong information
id filled by the applicant which makes it difficult to recruit right candidates for the
job role.
It is very necessary to adopt for the specific tool and method for selecting relevant candidate
for the job role.
2. What are the advantages of using a competency framework
to design selection interview questions?
You should cite relevant theory to support your points and
illustrate them with empirical evidence using Harvard
referencing.
6

Various companies use competency framework to define the selection criteria in order to
improve the performance. These framework helps in identifying the and also designing the
competency based tools for evaluating the candidates and making relevant and reliable
decision and select the best candidate for the specific job profile. The advantage of this is
that
 It provide valid and job related standard against the applicant and their competencies
in performing the specified job role(Oberländer, , Beinicke, and Bipp, , 2020).
 It also helps in improving the transparency in the selection process by effectively
communicating with the employees in order to know their behaviour.
 It also helps in creating effective and efficient recruitment and selection process.
7

Week 4: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
1. A friend suggests that George should implement mandatory
diversity training. Based on your reading of the Dobbin and
Kalev (2016) article, do you agree with George’s friend?
Provide specific examples from thearticle to back up your
point why you agree/why you do not.
I do not agree with the George for the purpose of implementing the mandatory diversity
training. This is so, because, after reading the Dobbin and Kaley (2016) article, I have
identified that the positive impact of the diversity training lasts only for a day or two (Lee,.
and Kim, 2020). For example, a research from University of Toronto states the biases
behaviour of people towards the black people. Another research states that a that managers
are discriminating between the black and whites by tagging the blacks with fail and whites
with promoted.
2. Please recommend to George twoalternative diversity
management interventions, that academic research has
proven to be effective.
You should cite relevant theory to support your points and
illustrate them with empirical evidence using Harvard
referencing.
8

Equality :
One of the most important diversity management intervention is treating each and every
candidate within the organization with equality irrespective of their age, caste, gender,
cultural background or any other basis for that matter. This helps the employees within an
organization to gain confidence and develop a feeling of importance among themselves
(Wisniewski,Zierer,. and Hattie, 2020).
Organisational culture
The other alternative is that develop an inclusive organisational culture and also creating the
effective diversity management and also build the best leadership team that helps the
organization to grow and with the application of effective leadership skills it helps to build
favourable working environment and enhance the communication at the workplace
9

Week 5: Skills, Training and Development
1. What are the challenges which Covid 19, has created for
adult learners’ employability in the labour market?
In several countries, the teachers have temporarily suspended their teaching classes due to
lockdowns. Various educational institutions faced the challenges of organising online courses
and classes ensuring that every student can access to the educational facilities provided by the
institutions (James, and Thériault, 2020). For example in Ireland, teachers have struggled in
setting up online classes due to high cost of infrastructure and complex provisions of learning
due to the emergence of Covid-19. The other challenges faced by the teachers were staffs
were regarding the infrastructure and funding facilities and also struggled to the online
training capacities of the staff and teachers. Due to lack of funding they did not have
necessary equipments that are required for digital leaning for adults
2. Why is coaching by line managers important for the
performance of their teams?
What benefits does conducting induction for new joiners
have for organizations?
10

Coaching is considered as a useful approach that enables the team members to move forward
in an appropriate direction by generating awareness and also responsibility towards the
company which helps in effectively achieving the objectives of the company. There are
several benefits of coaching that is conducted by the line managers as it helps in
strengthening the relationship between the line managers and team members which also acts
as a motivator resulting in improvements in the performance of the employee. The support
from their line managers helps in boosting their skills. The main purpose of conducting the
induction is to ensure that the new employees integrate and gets familiar with the new
organisational culture (Hsu, and et.al, 2019). The induction program covers all the aspects of
the company associated with the goals and vision of the company and at the same time
ensures that the employee understand their job role effectively.
Week 6: Performance Management
1. Please copy and paste a fully completed table assessing the
performance review practices that you have experienced in
your current job role.
Performance review practices Solution
Feedback In my current organization, the performance
feedback is the most used performance review
practice which helps the employee in identifying
the areas in which there is a scope of improvement
within the organization. If the feedback involves a
negative comment it helps in determining the areas
which needs to be improved (Gomez, and Bernet,
2019.). While if an employer provides the
employee with positive comments, it helps in
inspiring them to work hard and contribute towards
the goals of the organization. Feedbacks serves as a
guide to the employees in my organization and
helps them in formulating different strategies which
can help in improving the productivity and
performance of the employees.
11

2. Identify one area of performance review in your current job
role that is weak and explain why this is a problem.
You should cite relevant theory to support your points and
illustrate them with empirical evidence using Harvard
referencing.
Communication is the one area which I have identify and assess from the
performance review and this is one of my weakest skills. The lack of
communication createslots of issue for me in the term of completing the
group work on time. I am unable to express my idea and thoughts in from
of crowd which reduces my image in the front of higher authority. This is
one of the biggest problems for me (Kantareva and Veselinova, 2021).
Week 7: Academic writing, referencing and plagiarism
1. What have you learnt about academic writing that will do
differently as a result of your learning from today’s
lecture/seminar?
12