Analyse the arguments that relate to a range of issues in contemporary HRM
Assignment Brief
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Unit Name: Human Resource Management
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Unit Code: SHR018-2
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Aim: To analyse the arguments that relate to a range of issues in contemporary HRM
Learning Outcomes:
To be able to
- Critique and debate key and contemporary arguments about the theory and practice of HRM and how ethical expectations are met in practice whilst assessing its contribution to the organisation.
- Evaluate and analyse workplace scenarios relating to relevant business strategies for professional, ethical, effective and efficient HRM within current organisational contexts.
CASE STUDY
Oldbridge District Council (ODC) provides a range of local government services to a predominantly rural population of 75,000 people living in a market town and surrounding villages in the north of England. Chief responsibilities include council tax collection, refuse collection and recycling, the administration of housing benefit, planning matters and the promotion of tourism. The authority employs a total of 250 people, many of whom work on a part-time basis. There is a small HR team which consists of four people: a manager, two officers and an administrator. The HR manager, Lisa Porter, has recently taken up her position, having been promoted from her previous HR officer position.
Like all local government bodies, Oldbridge has had to make very substantial savings in recent years. Pay rises have been restricted to 1% for some years now, while strict restrictions on recruitment have been in operation. When staff leave or retire, they are not replaced unless a very strong business case can be made. The few recruits are being employed on temporary contracts. The financial situation will remain very challenging for the foreseeable future. So far redundancies have been avoided, but this may not be the case in the future as further cost savings are sought.
Soon after taking up her post, Lisa decided it was time to carry out a staff survey to establish levels of satisfaction and engagement among the staff. A confidential questionnaire was circulated with a consultant employed to analyse the results in a report. 75% of staff responded. Key metrics featured in the executive summary included the following:
- 65% look forward to going to work in the morning
- 62% find their work to be rewarding, 13% enjoying it ‘greatly’
- 43% are satisfied with the variety of work they are required to do
- 80% feel valued and supported by their work colleagues, 55% by their line manager, but only 20% by senior managers
- 70% are satisfied with their level of responsibility
- 60% are satisfied with their physical work environment
- 21% are satisfied with their pay and benefits, but no-one says they are ‘very satisfied’
The Chief Executive Officer at Oldbridge Council asks Lisa to draw up some responses to the surveythento present her thoughts to him and his senior management team next week. He is particularly keen that the Council should soon be able to send an e-mail to all staff headed, ‘You Said, We Listened’, summarising management perceptions of the staff survey findings and setting out what practical steps it is intended should now be taken.
Lisa asks you for some written advice. Prepare a set of notes covering the tasks below:
- Which of the key findings from the survey should Lisa be most concerned about? Justify your answer, explaining why these findings are important in leading and managing people at work.
- Using your answers to Q1, choose THREE initiatives which Lisa should develop immediately to improve the more concerning findings. Critically evaluate these suggested initiatives.
- How should Lisa approach the task of drawing up the proposed, ‘You Said, We Listened’, e-mailincluding her main objectives? Justify your answers and include a draft of the email that Lisa should send.
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Task 1
Key findings of major concern
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Identify and explain from the range of findings, those which could cause most concern to the business, prioritising and justifying your choice. Provide brief but clear justification why these areas are problematic to the business and how they can be turned around. You may even determine that some of the statistics are connected and the findings in one area may have an impact or connection with another. Which ones should the Council be really worried about? which ones are common and always tend to appear and therefore not as alarming or surprising?
The best answers should not only focus on employee issues such as staff being less motivated than they might be, but should develop strong business-focused arguments which explain for example why a lack of engagement or a propensity to look for alternative jobs carries significant risks for future service delivery. Simply discussing employee welfare is not sufficient. Credit will be given for citing relevant research findings in fields such as employee engagement, commitment and staff retention.(around 1000 words)
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Task 2
Three initiatives to improve findings
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This response allows for originality. The quality of the justification and the extent to which research is used as part of an effective justification is important. The suggestions must, of course, be credible and appropriate. There must be three of them and these should be clearly distinct from one another – your three suggested priority initiatives must NOT resemble one another. Your response, though expected to have an exclusive focus on HR concerns must also explain why this matters from a business perspective. Thought must also be given to the recognition of resource constraints that might be affecting the Council and expensive courses of action should not be recommended without a clear indication that a good return on investment would be achieved. (around 1,000 words)
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Task 3
Draft email to be sent to staff
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Before writing the email please advise who you would have consulted (if anyone) prior to drafting the email.
The e-mail ‘You Said, We Listened’ should be designed to be positive and forward-looking, authentic and accurately reflecting the concerns which staff have expressed through their responses to the survey. This is always a difficult balance to strike, but could be achieved if the content is honest about the environmental challenges faced by all public sector organisations at present. There may be some positive messages in the survey results which can legitimately be given prominence to achieve a positive overall tone. (around 300 words)
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Closing statement
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A final closing statement to bring your notes to a conclusion, perhaps indicating what should happen next. (around 200 words)
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Reference List
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A list of the third-party sources you have consulted and which are cited directly in the text. All these sources should be properly identified. Harvard style (see the Learning Resources website: lrweb.beds.ac.uk/help/guide-to-ref).
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Sample Answer
Human Resource Management Case Study: Oldbridge District Council (ODC)
Task 1: Key Findings of Major Concern
From the survey results, several findings stand out as particularly problematic for ODC. While some concerns are expected in the current climate of austerity and recruitment freezes, others pose significant risks for engagement, retention, and ultimately, service delivery.
Lack of Trust and Recognition from Senior Management (Only 20% feel valued by senior managers)
This is the most alarming finding. Employees feeling undervalued by senior leadership can foster disengagement, resistance to organisational change, and an “us versus them” culture (Kuvaas & Dysvik, 2010). While line managers are seen more positively (55%), the disconnect with senior management undermines strategic alignment and weakens organisational culture. For a council reliant on discretionary effort to maintain service quality despite austerity, disengaged employees pose a real risk to service delivery.
Business risk: Low confidence in senior managers threatens ODC’s ability to implement difficult changes (e.g., restructuring or redundancies) smoothly. If staff feel unsupported at the top, they may become resistant, lowering productivity and harming service delivery.
Pay and Benefits Dissatisfaction (Only 21% satisfied, none “very satisfied”)
Given public sector pay constraints, dissatisfaction here is expected. However, the fact that no staff expressed strong satisfaction suggests deep frustration. With inflation and cost-of-living pressures, this could lead to turnover, even in a weak labour market. While ODC cannot easily increase salaries, perceptions of fairness, transparency, and alternative forms of reward (e.g., recognition, development) could be improved (Herzberg, 1968).
Business risk: Persistent dissatisfaction may push talented employees to seek better-paid private sector roles. Turnover, especially among skilled staff in areas such as planning or benefits administration, would weaken service capacity and increase recruitment/training costs.
Limited Satisfaction with Line Management Support (55%) and Work Variety (43%)
While colleagues are highly supportive (80%), satisfaction with line managers is middling and job variety is low. Both impact intrinsic motivation. Research on job design (Hackman & Oldham, 1976) shows that lack of variety reduces engagement and innovation. Similarly, poor line management weakens day-to-day morale and productivity.
Business risk: Line managers are crucial to translating strategy into practice. Weak support here risks inconsistent application of HR policy, poor communication, and uneven service delivery. Low job variety may increase absenteeism and “presenteeism” (being at work but disengaged), directly reducing efficiency.
Pay–Engagement Disconnect
The data shows an interesting paradox: although 70% are satisfied with responsibility and 65% look forward to work, pay satisfaction is extremely low. This suggests that employees are intrinsically motivated but could quickly disengage if external factors (pay freezes, lack of recognition) persist. In short, goodwill is being stretched thin.
Findings of Less Concern
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Physical work environment (60% satisfied): While not ideal, this is acceptable given austerity.
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Work enjoyment (62% find work rewarding): Indicates intrinsic motivation remains, which ODC can leverage with low-cost engagement strategies.
Overall Priority Areas for Lisa
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Rebuilding trust with senior management – critical for engagement and organisational change.
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Addressing pay dissatisfaction creatively – crucial to prevent turnover despite constraints.
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Improving line management capability and job design – to strengthen everyday support and intrinsic motivation.
Task 2: Three Initiatives to Improve Findings
Based on the above priorities, Lisa should focus on three distinct initiatives that are practical, cost-sensitive, and directly address the most concerning issues.
Initiative 1: Senior Leadership Visibility & Communication Programme
Rationale: With only 20% feeling valued by senior managers, ODC must improve visibility, transparency, and recognition from the top. Research shows leadership communication is a top driver of employee engagement (Towers Watson, 2012).
Actions:
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Monthly “CEO Update” emails or short video messages, acknowledging challenges but celebrating staff achievements.
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Quarterly “Town Hall” meetings (in-person/online) where staff can ask questions directly to senior leaders.
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Recognition initiatives (e.g., “ODC Champion” awards nominated by peers and endorsed by senior leaders).
Business case: These actions cost little but build trust and transparency. Greater senior leader visibility will reduce resistance to change, increase morale, and align staff with ODC’s strategic goals.
Continued...
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