Your final report should be 4,000 words in length (a +10% allowance is permitted) and indicative marking criteria are provided in appendix one. While we encourage creativity within this assignment, and there is flexibility in terms of the structure of your writing, your report must cover the following areas of content;
I chose the topic as Singapore airlines cabin crew training which instructor approved it.
This is my outline
-How is it?
-Is it old style?
-What’s the weakness
-How can it be improved? And give recommendations
And the first draft is uploaded in another file which you can change and adapt it as your style
The topic from the modules has to be used, so I attract it in file pdf which name “learning theory”. However, you can use other theory, but at least it must contain the module content.
I also upload all contents if you would like to adapt it in the report.
- Background information about the organisation and its context
-Background to your chosen organisation – who are they, what do they do?
-What area of HRD have you selected for investigation? Why is that important given the organisation that you have chosen to focus on?
-In essence, provide an academic and practical justification for your focus - A critical evaluation of the literature surrounding your selected area of HRD practice
-Focus your reading and writing on your chosen area of HRD practice
-Investigate a variety of sources – 4 or 5 is certainly NOT sufficient. Aim to cover at least 15-20 good quality academic journal sources
-Focus on current literature; ‘recent’ studies are not from the 1970/1980’s!!
-Be critical in your approach, evaluate the literature, question theories, and critique views – don’t just say “XXX says this, YYY says that…” - A discussion of practice within your selected organisation highlighting deficiencies / areas for improvement
-What is your organisation currently doing within your area of focus (e.g. career management / knowledge management)?
-Your discussion of practice must focus on identifying problematic issues/concerns as these form the basis from which you can produce recommendations for improvement
-You may want to consider what the organisation is doing well (within your chosen area of focus), but the vast majority of your discussion of practice must focus on identifying problems/issues/concerns
-You should link to literature (either that covered in your literature review or new sources) in BOTH your discussion of practice and when justifying your recommendations - Your recommendations for improvement together with both academic and professional justification
-Your recommendations should build logically and clearly from your discussion of practice. They must be practical.
-You MUST provide a justification for your recommendations which links back to academic literature - A costing to support your recommendations
-What will your proposed recommendations cost the organisation? (Very little is ever truly ‘free’)
-You could incorporate a costing together with your recommendations or detail it separately – either approach is acceptable
-You MUST provide a reasonable level of detail to support your costing. In other words don’t simply include final ‘total’ figures against your recommendations, you need to “show your working” and assumptions
-We are not looking for precise accuracy – best estimates and logical assumptions can be made
-Think about whether your costing represents good value for your selected organisation? Do remember to include a justification/discussion to support your costing - Proposals for how your changes/recommendations could be evaluated
-How will you know if your chosen organisation has properly implemented your recommendations / how will you know if your recommendations have been successful?
-What measures of change will you utilise in order to assess progress?
-Citing literature connected with evaluation is important here – this can help you to build a justification for your evaluation proposals. Providing a discussion/justification to support your choice of approach is important
General advice:
• This assignment has been deliberately set up to encourage your creativity and a variety of approaches to presentation are acceptable. We focus on the quality of your content and the depth of your arguments when marking
• I would recommend that you choose an organisation that you know well. Perhaps one that you currently work for / have previously worked for, or one in which a friend/family member works
• If you can’t think of a suitable organisation then perhaps you may want to investigate the University of Exeter, or talk to colleagues in the group who are working at present. Please be aware though that the assignment is an individual piece of work. While it is perfectly permissible to speak to others in the group about their work experiences and organisations, your final submission must be an individual rather than collaborative piece of work.
• Choose a defined area of HRD practice for your investigation. DON’T try to examine all areas of HRD, perhaps choose the design and delivery of learning events, leadership development, knowledge management, career management etc etc…
• Successful titles from previous years have included:
o The On-boarding Programme in Lenovo, China
o Career Discussions at [XXX]: Organisational Career Management in a Small Firm
o The Effectiveness of Management Development within a Small Business
o Critiquing and Improving the HR Skills Workshop at [XXX]
o A Critical Evaluation of the Implementation of Electronic Learning within J Sainsbury PLC
o How can Starbucks use ethics training to protect itself following recent problems with equality and diversity?
o Proposals for the re-design of the MSc HRM degree at the University of Exeter
• Utilise charts, tables, diagrams where/if appropriate, you may include supporting evidence in appendices (but do remember to reference the appendices in the text where relevant)
• Please remember that this assignment is a REPORT, therefore we would expect to see headings and sub-headings, page numbers, contents pages, a title page, and so on. Please refer to the report writing guide posted to ELE for further details and guidance on report format and style
• Ultimately your final report should be something that could be submitted to a board of directors / management team
All Topic contents in the module
Focus: Introduction to the module: What is HRD?
Outline Content:
• Module welcome activity
• Definitions of HRD
• The context and environment of HRD
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Gold et al Chapter 1
McGuire Chapter 1
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 1 and 5
Focus: HRD Strategy and Policy
Outline Content:
• HRD strategy and policy development
• National approaches to learning, skills and talent development recognising the increasingly international and globalised nature of work
• Critically evaluate barriers to strategic HRD activity
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Gold et al Chapter 2
McGuire Chapter 9
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 1 and 2
Focus: Learning Theories and Learning Styles
Outline Content:
• Examine adult learning theory
• Critically discuss the concept of learning styles
• Consider the implications that learning theory / styles have for the design and delivery of learning events
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Gold et al Chapter 5
McGuire Chapter 2
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 2 and 3
Focus: The Design and Delivery of Learning Events
Outline Content:
• Principles of the effective design and delivery of HRD activities
• Exploring various alternative modes of learning delivery
• Learning and training needs analysis
• Transfer of learning
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Gold et al Chapter 6 & 7
McGuire Chapter 6
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 3 and 4
Focus: Evaluating HRD
Outline Content:
• Methods, models and approaches to evaluation
• Critical consideration of the value added through HRD interventions
• Discussion regarding why HRD functions may struggle to evaluate learning provision
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Gold et al Chapter 8
McGuire Chapter 7
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 2, 3 and 4
Focus: Managing the HRD Function
Outline Content:
• Explore links between HRD and other areas of HRM practice
• Consider how we may access resources and manage stakeholder relations
• Critically reflect on challenges in accessing resources, and managing issues connected with power and political activity
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
McGuire Chapter 13
Stewart & Rigg Chapters 2 & 5
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 2, 4 and 5
Focus: Leadership and Management Development
Outline Content:
• Approaches to leadership and management development
• The business case supporting investment in LMD activity
• Characteristics of effective LMD activity
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Gold et al Chapter 11
McGuire Chapter 12
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 2, 4 and 5
Focus: Ethical and Professional Debates
Outline Content:
• Discuss the role of HRD in bringing about ethical behaviour
• Consider how we may deliver effective ethical learning programmes
• Explore how we may facilitate diversity through HRD
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Gold et al Chapter 14
McGuire Chapter 15
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 5 and 6
Focus: Organisation Design and Organisation Development
Outline Content:
• Understand the theories that underpin organisation design and development
• Explore the key factors influencing the design of organisations
• Critically discuss various organisational development practices and models
Optional Preparatory Reading:
Stanford (2013) Chapters 1-3
Holbeche (2015) 3,5,6
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 1, 4 and 5
Focus: Knowledge Management
Outline Content:
• Definitions and the nature of knowledge
• Explore the knowledge economy, and knowledge intensive firms
• Discuss types of knowledge and transmission mechanisms
• Evaluate common KM approaches / solutions
• Critically discuss organisational barriers to KM
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Hislop et al (2018) Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5 (optional!)
McGuire Chapter 11
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 2, 3 and 4
Focus: Organisational Learning
Outline Content:
• Review the concepts of organisational learning and the learning organisation and consider their significance for HRD
• Consider how we might develop learning organisations
• Explore critical perspectives to organisational learning
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
McGuire (2014) Chapter 10
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 2 and 5
Focus: Career Management and CPD
Outline Content:
• Consider career management in the context of learning and talent development
• Explore models of career management
• Examine CPD and how we can facilitate lifelong learning
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Gold et al Chapters 13 & 15
McGuire Chapter 4
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcomes 2 and 6
Focus: The Future of HRD
Outline Content:
• The current status of HRD
• Dilemmas of a critical HRD
• Possibilities for the future of HRD
• An introduction to learning / HRD analytics
Suggested Preparatory Reading:
Gold et al Chapter 17
CIPD Learning Outcome Mapping:
Partially meets learning outcome 5
