Current Issues in HRM
RESEARCH PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS (100 POINTS)
Research some of the HRM topics listed below in a real world organization (AT&T or Raytheon). You can study the organization in which you work or you can select a company you are familiar with and/or a company in which you can readily gather a lot of information regarding their current HRM practices. After you have determined what your selected organization currently does in terms of some of the topics listed below, you should search the peer-reviewed journal literature to identify what researchers have found with respect to these identified topics. You should explore the classic as well as the most current research on the topics. You should also consider some of the organizational theories that apply to certain HRM functions. Based on the research you read, you need to evaluate whether the organization that you studied is doing a good job with respect to the various HRM functions and make recommendations for how this company could make improvements regarding these functions. Please use 12-point Times New Roman font and double space your work. There is no page limit for this assignment. The more thorough you are however, the better your grade will be. I understand that you may not be able to find company-specific information on all of the HRM topics I have listed below, but the more topics you can address, the better. Likewise, reference support is very important and the more references that you use, the better your grade will be. Include a reference page (or multiple pages) listing all of the references that you used in alphabetical order and in proper APA format. A grading rubric for the project is included at the end of this document. The project is due December 6th (Tuesday) by 1:00 PM. Please submit it to the appropriate dropbox.
(1) The Legal Environment: What are the main laws that influence the way in which HR functions (i.e., selection, training, performance appraisal, pay, etc.) at the selected company? Are there any areas in which this company could make improvements from a legal standpoint?
(2) Analysis and Design of Work: What is the company’s organizational structure? How does work flow at this company? How are different jobs analyzed and designed? How could the company do a better job of analyzing and designing jobs within the organization?
(3) HR Planning and Recruitment: What concerns/issues must be considered when planning and recruiting for different positions at the company you selected? Where should this company focus its recruiting efforts? Why?
(4) Selection and Placement: What concerns/issues must be considered when selecting individuals for different positions at the company you selected? What types of selection methods does this company currently use? What methods should they use? Why?
(5) Training: What types of concerns/issues might you face when training an individual to perform some of the different jobs at the company you selected? What type of training does this company currently offer? What additional types and methods of training do you believe would be effective? Why?
(6) Performance Management (Appraisal): Are the current performance appraisal methods used at the company you selected effective? How could they be improved?
(7) Employee Separation and Retention: How does the company you selected manage voluntary and involuntary turnover? How could they manage it more effectively? What are the main reasons why employees stay with or leave the company?
(8) Employee Pay: What pay/incentive strategies are currently being used at the company you selected (i.e., base pay/salary/wages, bonuses, etc.)? How could they be improved? Make sure that you discuss satisfaction and a variety of motivational issues and theories when discussing pay.
(9) Employee Benefits: What types of benefits do employees of the company you selected enjoy (i.e., health, wellness, stock options, retirement, etc.)? How might the current benefits program be improved? Make sure that you discuss satisfaction and a variety of motivational issues and theories when discussing benefits.
(10) Other topics discussed in the text chapters may also be addressed.
