You are expected to specify and justify the aspects of the national environment which you consider to be the most important. We would also like you to recommend which strategic option is most appropriate for expanding into the new country. For example, discussing whether an ethnocentric, polycentric or regiocentric approach etc would be most suitable, justifying your choice.
You will carry out your research as a member of a cross cultural group and will, with the other group members, present your findings in a 20 minute presentation before the class and tutors. The presentations will take place week of 17th November in the seminar class.
You will be given further briefing about the assignment requirements and how to approach it during the module.
This assignment will assess the skills you have developed related to the collection and use of secondary data sources, analysis and evaluation of national business environments and your ability to apply and evaluate theory and approaches to human resource management.
This assignment aims to assess the following learning outcomes:
• Collect, use, interpret and evaluate secondary data and literature relevant to thmangmenet of people
• Analyse and evaluate features of national business environments and identify implications for the management of people
• Apply and evaluate a range of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to the management of people in an international context
• Design and deliver a presentation based n an investigation
• Work effectively in cross cultural groups
Assignment 2 An Individual Paper (weighted 70% of the total)
The second assignment consists of 2 sections:
The first section of this second assignment is an investigation into a contemporary issue in global HRM. This involves researching the issue and then writing an individual paper of approximately 2,500 words in total which sets out and debates the main issues related to your topic. Some suggested contemporary issues that you could base your work on are detailed below.
You are required to submit an outline draft of this first section in the seminar class week of 8th December. This draft contributes 20% of the assessment grading for this first section.
The second section (guidance 1,000 words) requires you to evaluate how you worked together as a cross cultural group in preparing for the first assignment for this module.
Both sections (total word limit 3,500 words) should be submitted to SHIP by Monday 16th January 2011
The first section assesses your ability to synthesise and evaluate current research by investigating a contemporary issue in global HRM. The second section asks you to reflect on the group processes utilised when working towards the presentation delivered for the first assignment and implications for cross cultural management.
This second assignment therefore aims to assess the following learning outcomes:
• Analyse and evaluate features of national business environments and identify implications for the management of people
• Apply and evaluate a range of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to the management of people in an international context
• Synthesise and evaluate current research and provide a critical account of a contemporary issue in global HRM
• Work effectively in cross cultural groups
Examples of the contemporary issue in HRM you may choose are as follows:
Global rewards
One possible area you could focus on for example is to discuss the proposition that a global policy on rewards is desirable for transnational/geocentric organisations.
Local Managers
Again a possible topic is an evaluation of the case for employing local managers (host country nationals) as opposed to expatriates in multi-national companies.
