HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

Academic Year 2024: July – December

Formative Assessment 1: Strategic Human Resource
Management 3 (HBMN334-1)
NQF Level, Credits: 7, 12
Weighting: 20%
Assessment Type: Short & Essay Questions
Educator: Tich Musikavanhu
Examiner: Remaketse Makateng
Due Date: 13 September 2024
Total: 100 Marks

Instructions:
• This assessment consists of four (4) questions.
• It is based on Units 1-4 of your prescribed textbook.
• All questions are compulsory.
• Your assessment must be typed using:
o Font: Arial
o Font size: 12
o Line spacing: 1.5
• A Copyleaks Report will be issued via ColCampus once the assignment is
submitted. Please ensure that you follow the correct steps when uploading
your assignment, to ensure that the Copyleaks Report is correctly issued. If
the incorrect document is uploaded, or if no Copyleaks Report is issued, a
mark of zero (0) will be awarded. If the Copyleaks Report indicates that a 30%

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 similarity/plagiarism score has been exceeded, 25% of the assessment total
will be deducted from the final grade.

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 The following Learning Outcomes (LO) are assessed in this assessment:
• Explain the impact of globalisation on organisations, work and strategic
human resource management (SHRM).
• Discuss how human resource management (HRM) practitioners might
develop strategies to take account of these changes.
• Critically evaluate the link between strategy and HRM.
• Weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of adopting electronic HRM (e-
HRM).
• Explain the process, content and implementation issues of an HR strategy.
• Outline the differences between personnel management, HRM and SHRM.
• Critically evaluate the usefulness and limitations of the RVB as a framework
for theorising in SHRM.
• Appreciate the contribution made by new institutionalist and resource-
dependence perspectives to extending the RBV.

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Question 1 [23 marks]

The Alva Consultant Pty Ltd. Company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) had a press
brief and stated that in today’s interconnected world, a robust global human resource
management strategy incorporating diverse approaches is crucial for multinational
corporations aiming to thrive in various markets using global staffing.

Source: Fictitious scenario developed by the examiner.

1.1 You have been appointed as the new head of the Strategic Human resources
committee for Alva Consultant Pty Ltd. Identify and explain using your own words
to the CEO of Alva Consultant Pty Ltd the approaches organisations can use to
attract and ensure efficient global staffing. (8 marks)

The CEO of Alva Consultant Pty Ltd. further mentioned numerous implications of
service work that HR management encounters.

Source: Fictitious scenario developed by the examiner.

1.2 As a newly appointed head of the Strategic HRM committee, lists the five (5)
characteristics of service work that have implications for the management of HR.
(5 marks)

Furthermore, the Alva Consultant Pty Ltd. CEO highlighted that in today's fast-paced
world, organisations realise the importance of a flexible workplace.

Source: Fictitious scenario developed by the examiner.

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1.3 Therefore, advise the CEO on the related complications associated with
implementing flexible workplace strategies. Your answer must be in your own
words. (10 marks)

Question 2 [25 marks]

2.1 As an appointed head of the Strategic HRM committee, you are tasked to identify
and explain in detail the ways in which organisations categorise employees
according to their strategic value and how unique they are to the organisation.
Your answer must be in your own words. (15 marks)

2.2 Explain why organisations in the 21st century see Electronic Human Resource
Management (e-HRM) as a necessity for succeeding and staying competitive. In
answering this question, you should explain in detail the impact of e-HRM on the
HR department and the five (5) factors influential in the successful achievement
of e-HRM goals. (10 marks)

Question 3 [38 Marks]

3.1 The development of a strategy involves making decisions about managing risk.
Risks to consider include people issues that may hinder an organisation's
strategic objectives, as well as crises that could threaten the organisation's
survival. Other than that, identify the top five HR threats highlighted by Kushner
(2011). (5 marks)

Read the scenario below and answer the question:

Company Meta-Logi Ltd, a medium-sized manufacturing firm, decided to

decentralize its HR functions by assigning certain responsibilities to line managers.
The intention was to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and foster a more
integrated approach to people management. However, the implementation faced
several challenges.

Source: Source: Fictitious scenario developed by the examiner.

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 3.2 From the perspective of an HR professional and with reference to the content
covered in your prescribed textbook, identify any eight (8) potential issues that
may arise from delegating HR responsibilities to line managers and explain in
detail using your own words how these can be mitigated. Make use of the rubric
on page 9 to guide your answer. (24 marks)

3.3 Strategic human resource management (SHRM) is a fundamental aspect that

encompasses a number of human resource strategies. Define what SHRM is.
(1 mark)

3.4 Wright and Boswell (2002) identified four (4) distinct approaches in HRM
research, which positions SHRM within a larger context of managing people at
work. Identify and recommend (4) approaches and discuss their focus.
(8 marks)

Question 4 [14 Marks]

Why Core Competencies Are Important

Core competencies allow a company to better understand how to allocate its

resources. For example, it may make sense for a company to outsource certain
tasks if it does not care to develop those tasks into company strengths. This also
includes stronger direction on the staff to hire and what training to incur.

Core competencies also reduce a company's market risk. By being exceptional or

proficient in specific areas, a company can rely on these areas to maintain
consistency and reliability in operations. For example, companies with strong
internal cultures will experience less employee turnover, training expenses, product
deficiencies due to lack of knowledge, or unhappy workers.

As companies determine what they are best at, customers may often recognize and
associate the company with that core competency. Therefore, core competencies
help a company develop a stronger brand image or market presence. For example,

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 many consumers associate Apple products with being the most cutting-edge and
innovative.

Last, core competencies may help create stronger relationships between a company
and its employees or customers. Both employees and customers may associate
with a company better, knowing its strength or identity; in the example above,
employees may take pride in creating the most innovative products, while customers
gain satisfaction knowing they possess the most creative solutions.

Source: Twin, A. 2023. Core Competencies in Business: Finding a Competitive

Advantage. Investopedia, 30 August. [website]. Retrieved from
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/core_competencies.asp [Accessed 22
March 2024].

4.1 Focusing on certain capabilities allows organisations to streamline their

operations and eliminate unnecessary tasks. Read the above scenario and
identify two (2) capabilities Leonard (1998) highlighted and provide an example
of each capability from the scenario. (2 marks)

4.2 Read the statement below and answer the required

The Alva Consultant company CEO Statement

Dear Team,

As we navigate the complexities of today's business landscape, it's imperative that

we adapt our approach to human resource management (HRM) to reflect the
principles of complexity theory. Our success as an organization hinges not only on
our ability to set and achieve goals but also on our capacity to embrace uncertainty,
learn from our mistakes, and foster continuous growth.

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 First and foremost, we must recognize the necessity of pursuing multiple goals in
our HRM strategies. While maintaining a clear vision and direction is crucial, we
must also acknowledge the diverse needs and objectives of our workforce and
stakeholders. By balancing competing priorities and adapting our strategies to
accommodate various goals, we can ensure that our HRM initiatives are
comprehensive and inclusive.

Furthermore, we must cultivate a culture where errors are not only tolerated but
honored as valuable learning opportunities. Mistakes are inevitable in any dynamic
organisation, and it's essential that we create an environment where employees feel
empowered to experiment, take risks, and learn from their experiences. By
embracing our errors and leveraging them as catalysts for growth and innovation,
we can propel our organisation forward with confidence and resilience.

In our pursuit of progress, we must also embrace the concept of growing by

chunking. Rather than overwhelming ourselves with overly ambitious objectives, we
should break down our HRM initiatives into manageable, actionable steps. By
focusing on incremental progress and celebrating small victories along the way, we
can maintain momentum, build confidence, and achieve our long-term goals more
effectively.

Finally, we must commit ourselves to cultivating increasing returns in our HRM

efforts. By identifying and amplifying successful practices, processes, and
behaviours, we can create virtuous cycles of improvement and capitalise on our
strengths. Through continuous iteration and refinement, we can unlock exponential
growth and sustain our momentum over time.

As we embark on this journey of embracing complexity in HRM, I am confident that

we have the talent, resilience, and determination to overcome any challenges that
lie ahead. Together, let us pursue multiple goals, honour our errors, grow by
chunking, and cultivate increasing returns to drive our organisation to new heights
of success.

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 Sincerely,

Elliot Rakhomo
CEO of Alva Consultants PTY Ltd.

Source: Fictitious scenario developed by the examiner.

Required
Identify and tabulate the discussed principles of the complexity theory for HRM from
the above scenario and align them with relevant HR applications found in your
prescribed textbook. (12 marks)

Total: 100 MARKS

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Question 3.2 rubric: Evaluating the use of knowledge in identifying challenges associated with delegating HR tasks
Criteria Description Adequate Limited Poor
information information information
Ability to identify potential
The student shows the ability to identify a range of
issues
potential issues that may arise from delegating HR
responsibilities to line managers and;

provides detailed explanations for each issue.

9-7 6-4 3-1
Understanding of delegation in The student shows the ability to demonstrate an
HR understanding of delegation in HR, including its
purpose, benefits, and potential pitfalls.
8-6 5-3 2-1
Strategies for mitigating The student can present effective strategies for
identified issues mitigating the identified issues, showing insight into
how to address each challenge. Offers practical
solutions and demonstrates an understanding of
best practices in HR delegation. 7-5 4-3 2-1

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