BUS 4373 - Strategic Human Resources Management

BUS 4373

Strategic Human Resources Management

Assessment 1 – Reflection Paper

Spring 2017

Week of Assessment – Week 4

Weightage – 15%

Submission on - BB Learn using Safe Assign

Based on below Newspaper Article, write a reflection paper. Your reflection paper should be 2-3 pages long (Times New Roman, 12 font size, 1.50 line space)and should dig deeply into this experience to reflect on your learning. It should connect to academic concepts and critically examine your own development through this learning. You will be graded based on the reflection rubric provided at the end of this document.

Scope of Reflection:

1. Identify the challenges your business will face and how it will affect your HRM strategies.

2. Design HRM strategies to address these business challenges.

Steps in Writing a Reflection Paper:

Reflection papers will allow you the chance to reinforce what you have learned through coursework, lectures and personal experience. Although reflection paper focus on your personal feelings and experiences, they often require multiple sources and frequent use of concrete examples. Learning how to write a reflection paper helps you organize your thoughts methodically and gain more from practical experience.

Step 1

Provide a brief summary of the article

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Step 2

Identify the challenges your business will face. Scan both internal and external environment.

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Step 3

Evaluate the effects these challenges will have on your HR Strategies.

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Step 4

Design HR strategies for each challenge identifies in Step 2.

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MARKING RUBRIC

Criteria Superior (21-25 points) Sufficient (16-20 points) Minimal (11-15 points) Unacceptable (0-10 points)

Depth of Reflection Response demonstrates an in-depth reflection on, and personalization of, the theories, concepts, and/or strategies presented in the course materials to date. Viewpoints and interpretations are insightful and well supported. Clear, detailed examples are provided, as applicable. Response demonstrates a general reflection on, and personalization of, the theories, concepts, and/or strategies presented in the course materials to date. Viewpoints and interpretations are supported. Appropriate examples are provided, as applicable. Response demonstrates a minimal reflection on, and personalization of, the theories, concepts, and/or strategies presented in the course materials to date. Viewpoints and interpretations are unsupported or supported with flawed arguments. Examples, when applicable, are not provided or are irrelevant to the assignment. Response demonstrates a lack of reflection on, or personalization of, the theories, concepts, and/or strategies presented in the course materials to date. Viewpoints and interpretations are missing, inappropriate, and/or unsupported. Examples, when applicable, are not provided.

___/25

Required Components Response includes all components and meets or exceeds all requirements indicated in the instructions. Each question or part of the assignment is addressed thoroughly. All attachments and/or additional documents are included, as required. Response includes all components and meets all requirements indicated in the instructions. Each question or part of the assignment is addressed. All attachments and/or additional documents are included, as required. Response is missing some components and/or does not fully meet the requirements indicated in the instructions. Some questions or parts of the assignment are not addressed. Some attachments and additional documents, if required, are missing or unsuitable for the purpose of the assignment. Response excludes essential components and/or does not address the requirements indicated in the instructions. Many parts of the assignment are addressed minimally, inadequately, and/or not at all.

___/50

Structure Writing is clear, concise, and well organized with excellent sentence/paragraph construction. Thoughts are expressed in a coherent and logical manner. There are no more than three spelling, grammar, or syntax errors per page of writing. Writing is mostly clear, concise, and well organized with good sentence/paragraph construction. Thoughts are expressed in a coherent and logical manner. There are no more than five spelling, grammar, or syntax errors per page of writing. Writing is unclear and/or disorganized. Thoughts are not expressed in a logical manner. There are more than five spelling, grammar, or syntax errors per page of writing. Writing is unclear and disorganized. Thoughts ramble and make little sense. There are numerous spelling, grammar, or syntax errors throughout the response.

___/10

Evidence and Practice Response shows strong evidence of synthesis of ideas presented and insights gained throughout the course. The implications of these insights for the respondent's overall learning practice are thoroughly detailed, as applicable. Response shows evidence of synthesis of ideas presented and insights gained throughout the course. The implications of these insights for the respondent's overall learning practice are presented, as applicable. Response shows little evidence of synthesis of ideas presented and insights gained throughout the course. Few implications of these insights for the respondent's overall learning practice are presented, as applicable. Response shows no evidence of synthesis of ideas presented and insights gained throughout the course. No implications for the respondent's overall learning practice are presented, as applicable.

___/15

Total Marks

__/100

Newspaper Article to reflect on:

Labor market: HR to the fore as businesses hit ‘reset’

Author: GeorgiGyton

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Oil price spurs rethink in organizational structures, as companies bid to remain competitive

Shaky economic confidence has led to fears for the health of the GCC recruitment market, and sparked layoffs at a number of organizations. But for some HR departments, the falling oil price has ushered in a much-needed opportunity to restructure and refocus.

Oil exporting countries in the MENA region lost more than $340bn in revenue during 2015 and, while there are signs of a slowly stabilizing market, workforce investment remains low.

Organizations are frequently turning to HR to respond. According to Deloitte’s recently published Global Human Capital Trends 2016 report, 40 per cent of Middle Eastern businesses are currently engaged in a restructuring exercise, and they are focusing on three key areas: nationalization, efficiency and budget optimization.

Bharat Gupta, senior director at management consultancy Alvarez &Marsal Middle East, dates this trend to the immediate after-effects of the global financial crisis, when companies looked to expand both product offerings and geographical reach on the back of easy credit and improved business sentiment. “However, the sharp correction in oil prices since September 2014 has resulted in a domino effect of reduced liquidity and a slowdown in demand,” he says. “As a result, the organizations that over-extended themselves are now adjusting their strategy to focus on their core businesses, or segments with better cash return ratios.”

Gupta says there have been several notable implications for organizational structures, including the strengthening of certain capabilities – such as hiring mid-to-senior managers and retraining employees – as well as the downsizing of some teams, and the boosting of support functions such as IT, finance and procurement, which may have been overlooked in the past.

One area that hasn’t seen much focus so far is middle management, he adds: “Strong and empowered middle managers carry the burden of the organization – [they] deliver the strategy and free [up] senior management to focus on strategic matters.”

Source: http://www.cipd.ae/people-management-magazine/feature-articles/hr-businesses-hit-reset#

Gupta suggests that HR can bring itself to the fore by helping offset the time it takes to develop experienced managers through an empowerment of more junior managers, as well as investing more in learning and development and other career development practices.

The macroeconomic disruption has spread beyond oil and gas to affect hospitality and tourism, as well as retail and manufacturing. Abu Dhabi’s GDP, for example, is likely to fall from 4.4 per cent to 1.7 per cent this year, and successive surveys have shown recruitment remains sluggish.

But governments, as well as individual businesses, are refreshing their strategies in response. Saudi Arabia, for example, has unveiled ‘Vision 2030’, which aims to diversify the country’s economy. Deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has said he wants to reduce overall unemployment from 11.6 per cent to 7 per cent by 2030 by expanding the private sector, promoting enterprise and improving education.

The plan includes the sale of 5 per cent of Saudi Aramco to create the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, and follows the announcement of broad economic rebalancing strategies from the UAE and Bahrain.

Trefor Murphy, managing director for MENA at Morgan McKinley, says such moves – at both a national and organizational level – are leading to pockets of opportunity: “There has been a noticeably huge increase in the demand for consultants and consultancy firms – organizations specializing in lean process improvement or anything that makes a current process more efficient, whether that’s someone with expertise in reducing discrepancies in a retail bank, or bringing new technology to improve the [operational] efficiency of any organization,” he says.

In many sectors, and at various levels, pay freezes are likely – for the first time in a generation in countries raised on a diet of ever-increasing rewards. Mosley points to construction, healthcare and the public sector as areas where pay has taken a downward turn in recent years (banking, insurance and real estate, by contrast, are still on an upward trajectory). But a wider tightening of belts could also drag oil and gas, petrochemicals, technology and telecommunications, among others, into the red.

Source: http://www.cipd.ae/people-management-magazine/feature-articles/hr-businesses-hit-reset#

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