Unit Assignments
Unit I Article Critique
For this assignment, you will read an article that discusses
interviewing techniques, and you will then apply what you have learned by
creating your own set of interview questions. To begin, navigate to the
Business Source Complete database in the CSU Online Library, and locate the
following article:
Oliphant, G. C., Hansen, K., & Oliphant, B. J. (2008). A
review of a telephone-administered behavior-based interview technique. Business
Communication Quarterly, 71(3), 383-386.
Part I: After reading the article, summarize the purpose of
the study, and then answer the questions below.
What are the authors’ main points for conducting the study?
Do you agree with the authors’ findings?
What evidence from additional sources supports your opinion?
What are the reasons employers use the employment interview
to fill job openings?
How effective do you think behavior-based interviews that
are conducted via telephone are?
Briefly describe the main features of equal employment laws,
and tell how this article demonstrates these features.
Part II: Using the knowledge you have accumulated throughout
this unit, develop a minimum of five (but no more than eight)
non-discriminatory interview questions that you would ask when conducting a
telephone interview. These questions should be listed on the last page of your
critique.
Use the guidelines below to prepare your article critique.
Parts I and II combined must be at least three pages in
length. Summarize the article on page one. Identify the main topic or question.
Identify the intended audience.
Think critically about the article and how it applies to the
course when answering the questions. Organize the material logically by using
smooth transitions and by grouping similar material together.
Submit Parts I and II as a single document. Format your
article critique using APA style. Use your own words, and avoid plagiarism. At
least one source other than the article must be used. All sources used must be
referenced; any paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying
citations in APA format.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit II Case Study
Read the following article from Unit II’s Required Reading
(located in the Unit II Study Guide):
Lytle, T. (2015). Confronting conflict. HR Magazine, 60(6),
26-31. Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=bth&AN=103708484&site=ehost-live&scope=site
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After reading the article, analyze the scenarios provided
below, and choose one to discuss in your case study paper. In your case study,
be sure to address the following items:
Begin the discussion by identifying which of the scenarios
you chose.
Include a brief statement that identifies your style of
conflict management.
Use the information provided in this unit to develop a
process to resolve the conflict.
Describe how you would handle the workplace investigation
for the chosen scenario.
As a result of a merger, the organization decided to
decentralize its human resource management (HRM) functions and create area
human resource (HR) generalists across the United States. One of their
responsibilities is to handle all employee relations issues. You report
directly to the senior vice president of HRM in the corporate headquarters in
New York, and there is a dotted line reporting relationship to the vice
president of field operations in your area, which is located in the Midwest.
You just arrived at your new location for this position about six days ago.
Armed with the information you have learned in Units I and
II and aided by your own experience and ability to research, please read the
scenarios below, and select one for this assignment. Please answer the
questions, and follow the guidelines presented.
Scenario #1:
It is Sunday evening, and you receive a phone call from an
employee, Ellen, who lives several states away. However, she lives and works in
your area of responsibility. Ellen is emotional and states that she can no
longer tolerate her young coworker being sexually abused by the manager in
their three-person office. She gives you the coworker’s name and phone number,
and she tells you that the young woman wants you to call her later that evening
when her husband will be asleep. As requested, you call the coworker, Tammy,
and she states that she is afraid of losing her job. Tammy is emotionally upset
and says that she fears that if her husband knows about what the manager is
doing, he will confront him at the office, and there may be violence. Tammy
informs you that the manager has a violent temperament and is prone to
explosive outbursts.
Based on your knowledge of employment law, conflict
management, and investigation procedures, what would be the best way to handle
this situation? For example, what laws are involved? Where do you start? Who do
you notify? When do you start? What do you tell the coworker (Ellen) and the
employee (Tammy) who made the complaint?
In this situation, you are the employee relations
representative for the organization. What is your role in the investigative
process? Describe the steps you will take to investigate this employee
complaint.
Scenario #2:
While conducting HR audits in the offices throughout your
area, the newly promoted area director catches up with you to see how his
offices are doing, and he invites you to lunch. While at lunch, he confides in
you that he feels very uncomfortable with a certain highly regarded branch
manager because she is always touching him inappropriately, and she does this
in private as well as in front of her staff and vendors. He has politely asked
her in private to stop this flirtatious behavior, explaining that it was
unprofessional and that it makes him uncomfortable. Her response was to laugh
it off, and she told him he was just too uptight.
She is a top performer, and he does not want to lose her or
fire her; however, he asks you to talk with her to reinforce his request to
stop the behavior.
What is your response to the area director? Based on your
knowledge of employment law, conflict management, and investigation procedures,
what would be the best way to handle this situation? For example, what laws are
involved? Where do you start?
In this situation, you are the employee relations
representative for the organization. What is your role in the investigative
process? Describe the steps you will take to investigate this employee
complaint, and explain how you will resolve the conflict.
Scenario #3:
Your senior vice president (SVP) of HRM has received a
complaint from two branch managers in your geographic area. They are separate
but similar complaints concerning Robert, the SVP of Area Operations. Both
managers say Robert touches them and other women in the office inappropriately
by rubbing their shoulders; the managers also report that Robert makes remarks
about their alluring attire and comments that he is in love with them for the
great job they are doing. Knowing you are housed in the same area office with
this SVP, your boss asks you if you can objectively investigate this complaint.
You talk it over with your boss and know he will support your efforts, and you
agree to do the investigation.
Almost as soon as you give your answer to your boss, you
receive a phone call from the area SVP’s wife, who somehow already knows you
will be interviewing her husband for a harassment complaint. She is irate and
states that the charges are ridiculous. She becomes belligerent and begins to
degrade the female managers.
Based on your knowledge of employment law, conflict
management, and investigation procedures, what would be the best way to handle
this situation? For example, what laws are involved? Where do you start? Who do
you notify? When do you start? What do you tell the area SVP’s wife?
In this situation, you are the employee relations
representative for the organization. What is your role in the investigative
process? Describe the steps you take to investigate this employee complaint.
In your response to the scenario you have chosen, follow the
guidelines below:
Be sure to include academic sources to support your
positions/conclusions. You are required to use at least two outside
MHR 6451, Human Resource Management Methods 3
sources beyond the required reading for this unit.
Be sure that your analysis is highly relevant, thorough, and
remains on topic. Accuracy should be strong, with close attention to detail in
all parts of the assignment.
Writing should be clear and concise with solid sentence
structure and should be free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Your paper should be at least three pages in length.
All sources used must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted
material must have accompanying citations in APA format.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit III Essay
Imagine that you are a director of performance management.
With this role in mind, briefly compare and contrast the traditional annual
evaluation method of performance appraisals with the new real-time feedback
coaching format. State which method you support, and explain why. How do you
think Frederick W. Taylor would respond to the real-time feedback coaching
system? Explain.
Be sure to follow the guidelines below.
Your paper should be at least three pages in length (not
counting the title page and reference page). Writing should include proper
grammar, sentence structure, and writing mechanics.
Organization should be logical, clear, and appropriate. You
should provide strong evidence of critical thinking. Paragraphs should contain
strong topic sentences.
The essay should begin with an introduction to the topic.
You should make use of logical transitions.
You must find at least two additional references in addition
to any of the required readings that you use for a total of five references.
All sources used must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted
material must have accompanying citations in APA format.
Your paper should be formatted in accordance to APA format.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit IV PowerPoint Presentation
Compensation Strategy for Knowledge Workers
To prepare for this assignment, review Waring’s article
about employee compensation, which is also listed in the required reading
section of the Unit IV Study Guide. Note: both links contain the same
information; only one needs to be reviewed.
Waring, D. (2013). How to design an employee compensation
plan [SlideShare slides]. Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/FitSmallBusiness/how-to-design-a-compensation-plan-dave?
ref=http://fitsmallbusiness.com/how-to-pay-employees/
Waring, D. (2013). How to pay employees – The ultimate
guide. Retrieved from http://fitsmallbusiness.com/how-to-pay-employees/
You are the director of compensation for a midsized
organization. Prepare a PowerPoint presentation that justifies the
implementation of a new compensation strategy that will support the
motivational needs of knowledge workers and reinforce the real-time performance
appraisal system that the organization has embraced. While your goal is to
retain, motivate, and grow the current workforce of multi-generational
knowledge workers, you must also justify to your senior management that this
compensation strategy is competitive in the marketplace.
Your presentation should describe a compensation program for
knowledge workers. The title of the knowledge worker’s position is entirely up
to you (e.g., sales executive I, systems engineer III, etc.). You may use
various sources (including the lesson materials), but you must use at least one
additional resource from the CSU Online Library. Include a reference slide, and
cite any sources used in proper APA format. Your presentation should be a
minimum of 12 slides in length—not counting the title and reference slides. You
may also use the slide notes function to explain slide contents as necessary,
but this is not required.
Be sure to address the questions below in your presentation.
What is the compensation strategy being proposed? Did
employees provide input?
Who else provided input?
What incentives are included in the plan? How will it
motivate the employees? How will employees determine fairness of the pay
structure?
Why do you believe the employees will be satisfied with this
plan? Justify the compensation strategy that supports the motivational needs of
knowledge workers.
What is your communication plan for rolling out the new
program?
If you have never created a PowerPoint or need to brush up
on your skills, click here to watch a how-to presentation created by the CSU
Writing Center. To learn PowerPoint best practices, click here to watch another
presentation created by the CSU Writing Center.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
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Unit V PowerPoint Presentation
Imagine that you have been tasked with creating a training
and development program for midlevel business managers in an organization (you
can use your actual organization or one that you create). A midlevel manager is
defined as a manager of managers. You have to present your proposed training
program to your supervisor. To do this, you must decide on a training model,
conduct a needs analysis, write learning objectives, and create the content of
the training. For your assignment, you will create a 12- to 14-slide
presentation (not counting the title and reference slides) that includes
specific information as outlined below.
The topic of the training can be any subject relevant to a
midlevel manager that we covered in the course, such as how to deliver
real-time coaching feedback, how to communicate unfavorable news to employees
(e.g., compensation status changes), or how to communicate that a complaint has
been made against an employee concerning harassment. If you are unsure that
your topic is appropriate, contact your professor for approval.
Be sure to include the information below in your PowerPoint
presentation.
Discuss your selected training process model, and describe
why you recommend this model. Explain the steps you would have taken to conduct
a needs analysis.
State how this training links to the organizational
objectives.
Provide a sample of two measurable course objectives (from
input objectives through impact objectives).
Present one of the program’s completed modules. For example,
this should be one or two of the objectives that inform or engage the
participants in an activity.
Be sure to cite any sources used in a reference slide with
proper APA style. In addition, a minimum of one academic source that was not
used in the Unit III Lesson or listed in required reading must be used, cited,
and referenced. If you need assistance, the CSU library staff can help you with
your research for this assignment. You may also use the slide notes function to
explain slide contents as necessary, but this is not required.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit VI Article Critique
Locate the following article in the Business Source Complete
database in the CSU Online Library:
Hurd, R. W. (2013). Moving beyond the critical synthesis:
Does the law preclude a future for US unions? Labor History, 54(2), 193-200.
This article is a reflective essay that assesses the
strength of comments made by Christopher L. Tomlins in his book The State and
Unions (1985), which looks back over the past quarter century. Various
predictions were made concerning union decline and failed revival efforts as
well as counterfeit rights offered to the U.S. working class.
Using all of the knowledge accumulated in this unit and in
previous units, write a critique of the article. You may use other academic
resources to support your points as necessary. Your critique must be at least
three pages in length.
Your critique should address the questions below.
What are the author’s main points?
Do the arguments presented by the author support the main
point?
What evidence supports the main point? For example, if
Tomlin’s thesis that the New Deal offered only a counterfeit liberty to labor
is true, what effect does that have on employee morale?
Briefly describe two collective bargaining strategies
companies use when dealing with unions. How can these strategies affect
employee morale?
What is your opinion of the article?
What evidence, either from the textbook or from additional
sources, supports your opinion?
Be sure to follow the guidelines below.
Accurately identify the premise and supporting points from
the article.
Provide an insightful and thorough analysis of the
information from the article, including using evidence as well as reasonable
and compelling interpretations.
Link material to course content and real-world situations.
Organize the material logically by using smooth transitions
and by grouping similar material together.
Cite all sources used; paraphrased and quoted material must
have accompanying citations in APA format.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit VII Case Study
Review the case study below, and answer the questions that
are provided. Provide complete and detailed responses to each question. Your
paper must be at least three pages in length.
The Closing and Relocation of a Call Center
In this case study, you are the regional human resource
director for a Fortune 500 company. You receive an unexpected visit from your
vice president of human resources (VP of HR), who informs you that there is a
reorganization taking place within your company. He starts by explaining that
the president of the company has decided to retire after 28 years, and the new
president has decided to move the current headquarters from the Northeast to Texas.
No business reason was provided. There will be almost 1,000 employees
redeployed since the company has existed in the Northeast for more than
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5
75 years. This information will be released to employees
within the next week. The call center—with more than 500 employees, including
your office that is located within it—will also be relocated to another
southern state. All employees will be offered their current positions and a
relocation package if they wish to move. Those who do not want to relocate will
be given a severance package with outplacement services provided.
Mr. Davis, your VP of HR, is aware that you hired most of
the individuals working in the call center and that you are very familiar with
the culture and employee status. This news will be devastating to the employees
because they have made this the most productive and efficient call center
within this global corporation. Mr. Davis came to get your advice on how to
best handle the communications plan for announcing this news in your region.
Mr. Davis has taken care of notifications to the state and
federal government (i.e., the 60-day notice required according to the Worker
Adjustment and Retraining Notification [WARN] Act, which announces that the
business is relocating and that employees will be redeployed). From previous
experience, Mr. Davis shares with you that you will be contacted by the state
to set up meetings so that the state may address all of the employees
concerning the state benefits and services available to the employees.
Mr. Davis shares two important messages from the new
president: (1) Although this news may be unsettling to many employees, business
must be conducted in the same professional manner as always, with the least
amount of disruption; and (2) whether the employees decide to relocate or not,
while they are employed, they must maintain productivity levels, and their
metrics will be monitored as usual.
Mr. Davis informs you that Mr. Woods, senior vice president
(SVP) of the region, who is responsible for the call center, is being told of
this reorganization via a conference call with his boss on the West Coast and
the president of the company. Mr. Woods will be joining you and Mr. Davis to
plan the communications shortly. Mr. Davis wants to get a head start on
planning with you because he has a flight scheduled back to headquarters that
afternoon.
You begin to outline a plan for the communications strategy;
for example, you include information that will assist Mr. Woods in preparation
for his meeting with his direct reports where he will deliver the news. Other
questions you think about during the development of the outline are as follows:
What information will Mr. Woods give to his direct reports this afternoon, and
what will he give them to share with their managers and employees? Mr. Davis
sees your outline, and he encourages you to develop your outline into a
communication plan/plan of action and to continue to share it with Mr. Woods.
Before Mr. Davis leaves for the airport, he asks you to
report back to him with any issues or difficulties you are experiencing with
employees. Mr. Davis also asks that you report the following information to
him: How many employees do you think will want to relocate? What do they want
to know about the new location? What can he do to help answer these questions
for the employees? What can he do to assist you with the communication plan or
any activities you plan within the next 60-day period? Mr. Davis gives you all
of his contact numbers and reminds you that he is available to you for
questions and concerns at any time.
Analyze the information presented in this case study,
present your communication plan, and answer the questions below. Your case
study paper should be at least three pages in length and should follow APA
guidelines.
Your communication plan should address the following
questions:
What are your concerns? For example, how will you motivate
the employees to stay throughout the 60 days if they have other job offers? How
will you motivate all employees to maintain their productivity levels?
In the article “Semper Fidelis! A Recipe for Leading
Others,” which is part of your Required Reading for this unit, Aubrey Daniels
describes how a person earns leadership status and explains the importance of
positive reinforcement. How will your plan help you to establish yourself as a
positive reinforcer?
What leadership style does Mr. Davis exhibit?
Propose at least three leadership theories that could be
applied to this situation. How will these theories advance or affect employee
motivation?
You are required to incorporate information from at least
three sources in the required reading for the unit as well as two additional
sources in your response. All sources used must be referenced; paraphrased and
quoted material must have accompanying citations and references. Your paper
should be formatted in APA style to include a title page and reference page.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit VIII Essay
For this assignment, you will write an essay that assesses
the role of culture in human resource management practices within a global
organization. Give examples of how cultural differences may affect at least two
human resource (HR) functions. Examples of these functions may include
recruitment and hiring, employee and/or management development, performance
reviews, promotions, compensation, and benefits, but you are not limited to
these functions.
Your essay should follow the guidelines below.
Writing should include proper grammar, sentence structure,
and writing mechanics.
The organization of the paper should be logical, and you
should include an introduction section with a clear thesis statement as well as
a conclusion section.
Your paper should be at least three pages in length.
You must use a minimum of two outside sources.
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All sources used must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted
material must have accompanying citations in APA format. Your paper must be
formatted in APA style to include a title page, running head, and reference
page.
There are two additional references identified below that
you may find helpful when completing this assignment, but you are not required
to use them.
In order to access the following resources, click the links
below:
The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited. (2015). What’s
next: Future global trends affecting your organization: Engaging and
integrating a global workforce. Retrieved from
http://futurehrtrends.eiu.com/report-2015/executive-summary/
Von Glinow, M. A., Drost, E. A., & Teagarden, M. B. (2002).
Converging on IHRM best practices: Lessons learned from a globally distributed
consortium on theory and practice. Human Resource Management, 41(1), 123.
Retrieved from
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=bth&AN=13641428&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
