Assessment Details

Report
Use a company you are familiar with this could be the company you currently work
for or a company that you have some knowledge of, however you need to use a
company that is already or is considering operating internationally.

The task is to provide a report that considers opening a new venture in

another (not the country the company originates from) region or country.

INTRODUCTION ( and first half of the report)

1. State the industry sector in which the organisation is operating, the service/
product the organisation sells/ provides, to whom it targets its products, the
country in which the organisation is headquartered, the country in which it is
seeking to establish a ‘subsidiary’ and the nature of the subsidiary/ branch/
overseas unit/ division/ office (for example is it marketing, sales, production,
an off shored support facility, a joint venture or wholly owned)
2. Identify and justify the key driver/s for the organisation’s internationalisation
strategy, and why, in particular, it has chosen to locate in the country/
countries in which it is establishing the subsidiary. The strategic advantages
of this venture and the implications to your current HR strategies (with
significant focus on the resourcing strategies and policies) and how this would
need to be adjusted regarding the international context the company is now
entering. Including cultural, legal factors and international bodies may impact
on the development of a new HR strategy. With sufficient detail on the impact
of that countries legislation with particular reference to resourcing and any
cultural issues that may arise and how to effectively manage cross culturally
and across borders.

As the consultant, you have been asked to:

Compare and contrast:
The people management styles in the country where the organisation’s
headquarters are located and in the country of the subsidiary e.g. identify and
describe the typical people management mechanisms in the organisation’s
headquarters’ country and in the subsidiary’s country (e.g. for recruiting and
selecting staff, motivating staff to work effectively in alignment with the goals of the
organisation, through ‘reward’/ punishment, performance feedback, negotiation,
consideration of their needs as human beings finally for this section recommend,
with justification: if / why/ how various of the headquarters’ country’s people
management practices and processes should be adapted for the subsidiary

SECOND HALF : you would need to critically evaluate;

1. HRP and outline in brief the people requirement you would need for the start
up and run the enterprise for the first three years operation e.g. numbers of
staff and roles and taking into account turnover.
2. How you would go about the recruitment process such as; reaching you
intended labour market, the mediums you may use to attract different groups
of employees (regarding only one of the positions you will require a
significant number of staff for). Produce an example job description and
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person specification of the key role/position in question to be included in the

appendices.

All of the following should then be done in relation to that one role/position:
A detailed discussion of the selection method or methods you intend to use with a
rationale specifically focusing on the validity and reliability of the methods. Time,
costs and training needs should also be discussed in relation to the use of these
methods and how you will ensure fairness in the process.

Marking criteria.
The following will be taken into account in the marking:
Has the student answered every part of the remit?
Are the key drivers logical and feasible?
Is the rationale for establishing in the chosen country convincing?
Have the people management styles been compared and contrasted?
Has the nature of the typical people management mechanisms in each country been
explored?
Have the recommendations about adoption/ adaptation been justified?
Has the HRP been justified?
Has the recruitment strategy been justified?
Has the selection strategy been justified?
Is the work well written, logical and in clear English ?
Has the student used theory/ models and fully referenced points taken from
literature, using quotation marks where appropriate?
Is there a comprehensive list of references at the end of the work?
Is the coursework written in grammatically correct English?
Is the coursework meticulously presented?

Experience of students doing this assignment

Weak points have tended to be:
* inadequate or unconvincing justifications
* not all the remit has been addressed
* insufficient use of theory/ models
* inadequate referencing
* weak English
* too many ‘typos’, lack of proof reading
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Teachers Notes:

Report Format: Break into managaeable easily digestible sections. Use headings
and numbers

TITLE PAGE/COVER SHEET

Executive summary: This is the overall summary of what you are talking about. A
summary of what you find out with the recommendations. It is betweek ¾ of a page
to 1¼ of a page. Around 500 words and outside the word count. It is not an
introduction. It is about what is in the report. This should be written after the whole
report is complete ie the last bit to be written. It should have key points on strategy
plus key points of adjustment plus recommendation

CONTENT
INTRODUCTION
Section 1 : Overview/description of the parent company.
1.1 Give the organisation a name
1.2 What it does
1.3 What product it provides
1.4 Who it sells to
1.5 HQ
1.6 Where is seeking to set up
1.7 Subsidiary
This part should be brief and descriptive

Section2 : Highlight key drivers of expansion

2.1 General drivers
2.2 Drivers specific to the location
2.3 Strategic Advantages
Keep this part brief (no elaborate discussion)

Section 3: Implications for HR Strategy

- Cultural
- Legal
- HRM strategy and style
This is the major chunk
Section 4: Comparative analysis
- HQ environment and new location
-
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1.2 Presentation and Submission of Coursework

The following requirements apply to all this module leader’s modules in which
written coursework is required.

1. Word processed in font size no smaller than 12 nor larger than 14 for the main
bulk of the text (obviously headings can be larger and footnote references and table
or diagram annotations can be smaller) Spacing 1.5

2. The font should be easily readable

3. Page number every

4. Referencing should be in a consistent form, using the Harvard system see

learning resources guidance on the university website.

Warning!
Do not be tempted to plagiarise. Copying directly from texts, the web (or other
students, or even from earlier work you have written yourself) without
acknowledgement is considered as academic dishonesty and will result in official
proceedings from Academic Registry. If proven, the minimum penalty will be outright
failure of the module. Plagiarism includes copying direct from books, journals and
websites. If you aren’t sure, always cite references and use quotation marks. ELLS
can advise.

5. Do NOT enclose any individual pages of your coursework in a plastic cover.

6. Keep a hard copy of the coursework yourself so that you can refer to it when
you read your feedback. You can also copy down the tutors’ comments written on
the coursework text itself, for your subsequent action.
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WHAT TO SUBMIT AND WHERE TO SUBMIT IT

1. Submit one hard copy of your coursework, appropriately bound (see above)
and with a copy of the University cover sheet firmly attached inside the front cover,
to the SCO on or before 4pm on the deadline day.

Coursework can be submitted:

In person, in which case a member of the SCO staff will stamp your receipt and
return it to you on the spot; if the SCO counter is closed leave the coursework in the
coursework posting box outside the SCO and collect your receipt later.

By mailing it to the SCO at Dubai campus. Coursework is posted to the SCO at

your own risk. The University cannot accept responsibility for coursework which is
mailed but fails to arrive. Proof of mailing is not proof of delivery. If using the mail
leave plenty of time for it to get here.

No coursework is accepted by email, tape or by fax. Coursework submitted by

floppy disk is not acceptable.

Your tutors are not permitted to accept your coursework directly from you; it
has to be submitted via the SCO system, please ensure you post it in good time so
that it will arrive before the deadline.

At the tutor’s discretion, you may also be asked to submit your coursework via the
web, or having checked the work yourself using the university’s “Turnitin” software.

Feedback
The module tutor will arrange feedback times when you can request feedback on
both Coursework and exams
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The 20 Point Scale:

The conversion chart is given below.

20 point scale Percentage Post graduate modules Undergraduate

mark range pass/ fail boundaries modules class
1 80% + Distinction 1st
2 75-79 Distinction 1st
3 71-74 Distinction 1st
4 70 Distinction 1st
5 67-69 Merit 2.1.
6 64-66 Merit 2.1.
7 61-63 Merit 2.1.
8 60 Merit 2.1.
9 57-59 Pass 2.2
10 54-56 Pass 2.2
11. 51-53 Pass 2.2
12 50 Pass 2.2
13 47-49 Pass 3rd
14 44-46 Pass 3rd
15 41-43 Pass 3rd
16 40 Pass 3rd
17 35-39 Fail Fail
18 30-34 Fail Fail
19 0-29 Fail Fail
20* Fail Fail Fail
* Fail: did not submit, or work was late, or failed to participate in assessment
necessary to complete all the learning outcomes. Compensation not allowed.
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Reading for Success and Time Saving

The whole of this page is courtesy of Dr Ian Roper, the HRM Department’s Director
of Programmes, who wrote this for module HRM 4118. His words have been used
almost verbatim.

Do not be tempted to rely on generalist texts you may have used for other modules
as they will be too generalist and/or it is likely that the focus will be inappropriate.
Remember: read for a purpose. In most of the titles set for your assignment, you will
need to identify a contested issue. You should use your journal and book research to
direct you to rival arguments. You should also be using reading to find evidence that
may support or refute these various arguments.
Successful understanding of the issues raised in this module is only possible if
attendance at teaching sessions is supplemented with reading. As a minimum,
students should read at least one of the recommended reading materials for each of
the international and strategy elements. For assignments, however, more detailed
reading is essential if a true grasp of the coursework title being attempted is to be
achieved. In addition to the guidance notes for essay writing, you should be aware
that achieving a good mark is not possible if evidence of comprehensive reading is
not demonstrated. The tutors have given general reading materials and may provide
more details on specifics but it is the student’s responsibility to find research/
statistics/ theories relevant to the topics of the coursework.

A list of general texts and specific texts is provided, along with a list of journals and
websites. Obviously you will not need a specific book on managing people in India if
your target assignment country is China. The use of websites and news sources are
recommended for backing up theory with current events, where relevant.
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Generic Coursework Marking Criteria: A Guide for Post Graduates

1-4 5-8 9 – 12 13 - 16 17 - 18 19 - 20
adequate but limited
Very limited. Work is
Comprehensive, up to date but not General, relatively or superficial
Knowledge Limited totally lacking in
broad and deep broad or deep up to date tendency to be
relevance
inarticulate
Thorough with
Exceptional in both
Ability to significant ability to Limited awareness Minimal awareness
awareness of Limited in places None
conceptualise relate theory to of concepts that concepts exist
concepts & ability
practice
Outstanding (may Generally relevant There is little if any
None or few very
Arguments Brilliant be brilliant but not but not necessarily Superficial accuracy or
relevant
always at that level) comprehensive relevance
Little evidence Very few relevant
Reflective of
Independent Clear evidence of Assertion rather description/assertion assertions: No
genuine None
thoughts original thought than argument rather than evidence of
independent thought
argument independent thought
Citation Impeccable Excellent Sound, some lapses Poor None None

Poor, linkages
Spelling and Highly literate, fluent High degree of Sound, some
between paragraphs Poor Exceedingly poor
Grammar and accurate literacy lapses
may be limited

Focus relative to the Clear focus Communication Work is inarticulate

argument and title of maintained Well focused Fairly well focused Lack of focus frequently and/or
assignment throughout inarticulate incomprehensible

Note: This is a guide only