5. Assessment details

Assignment 1: Individual Minor Paper - Literature Review

Date Due:        Week 7

Word length:    1500 words

Value: 20%

This assessment is designed to test your achievement of Objectives 1, 3, 4, 5 & 6.

Please note assignments will be marked with a grade only.

This paper takes the form of a small literature review on a selected HRM topic (see below). The literature review will contribute to your syndicate presentation and report.

The purpose of a literature review is to critically examine the current writing and research on a HRM topic area. Specifically you are asked to review some of the current literature in an area identifying key authors, current issues and major research. This requires you to identify and examine the key themes raised by writers, identify new or emerging issues in the topic area and identify possible silences or gaps in current discussions and research.

This is a minor assignment and the word limit is 1500 words so your literature review must necessarily be selective, it is suggested therefore that you focus on one aspect only of the broader topic area. For example, you might want to focus on the issue of the retention of skilled workers within the broaderrecruitment/selection/retention topic. Alternatively within the career management topic you may want to look at the HR issues associated with the management of generation X or Y or the management of an aging workforce. It is a good idea to check with your seminar leader that the issue that you are going to focus on is an appropriate area for review.

The 'literature' can include a range of sources:

                Academic journal articles

                 Monographs (books)

                Academic articles on the Library's Databases

                 Conference proceedings

                Empirical studies (usually reported in journal articles and monographs)

                Government reports and reports from other major bodies

                 Historical records

                 Statistical information

 

Your reading list is a good starting point for this assignment

Choose one of the topic areas listed below and critically review the literature published in the last 10 years on your chosen topic. Given that this unit is an Australian-based unit, you may wish to identify literature that relates to Australia and New Zealand, but you may find you need to search more broadly. The task is to identify the key issues in your chosen topic area (or specified aspect of the topic), identify new or emerging issues in the topic area and identify possible silences or gaps in current discussions and research. A critical

2. Resources and Requirements

Unit requirements

As this is a basic unit there are no pre-requisites. Please be aware however that most students who are taking this unit are expected to have work experience. Details can be found by following the links from: http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/

Prescribed text(s)

De Cieri, H., Kramar, R., Noe, R., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhart, B., and Wright, P. 2005. Human Resource Management in Australia: Strategy, People, Performance 2e, Sydney, McGraw Hill Australia (Available from University bookstore).

Students will need to have regular, uninterrupted access to the textbook throughout the semester.

Students may obtain a copy from the bookshop on the campus where the unit is taught. Information about the bookshop can be found on the Monash University website at:

http://bookshop.adm.monash.edu.au/

Recommended readings

The online reading list for MGX9850 can be accessed via the MGX9850 Muso site or via a basic search of the Library catalogue under 'MGX9850'.

The library holds a number of HRM texts, which you may find useful. We encourage you to read beyond the set readings for the course. For further reading on HRM and for preparation of assignments, relevant academic journals held at Monash (electronically and in hard copy) include:

Academy of Management Executive [Clayton Serials: 658.4005 A168]

Academy of Management Journal [Caulfield Serials: 658.4005 ACA]

Academy of Management Review [Caulfield Serials: 658 ACA]

Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources [Caulfield Serials: 658.3005 PER 3]

California Management Review [Caulfield Serials: 658.005 CAL]

Compensation and Benefits Review

Harvard Business Review [Caulfield Serials: 658.4005 HAR]

Human Resource Management [Caulfield Serials: 658.3005 HUM]

Human Resource Management Journal [Clayton Serials: 658.3005 H918]

Human Resource Management Review

International Journal of Human Resource Management [Caulfield Serials: 658.3005]

International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Industrial Relations [Clayton Serials: 331.105 142]

Industrial and Labor Relations Review [Clayton Serials: 331.05 142]

International Journal of Selection and Assessment

Journal of European Industrial Training

Journal of Human Resources [Clayton Serials: 305 J86.3]

Journal of Industrial Relations [Caulfield Serials: 331.0994 JOU]

Journal of Management [Caulfield Serials: 658.005 JOU 4]

Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology [Caulfield Serials: 158.705]


 

 

• Identification of future issues and research directions

(c) Use of References

                 Evidence of wide ranging reading in the chosen topic area indicated by an extensive bibliography and in text citation of references

                References cited in the paper are relevant to the chosen topic

                Paper conveys understanding of the references

 

(d) Technical Issues

                 Clear structure

                Clear presentation and organisation

                Grammar, punctuation & spelling

 

Always retain a copy of your assignment.

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aspect of the review is a discussion of why this topic is important to the study and practice of human resource management.

Literature Review Topics

• Recruitment, Selection and Retention

• HR planning (e.g. issues associated with the casual workforce) ' Reward Management

                Training / Career management / psychological contract

                Managing diversity / work/life balance

                OH&S (e.g. drug testing, managing conflict in the workplace)

 

Your literature review is to be a scholarly paper that surveys and critically reports on the academic literature in your chosen topic area. It must be presented in essay format and should be a synthesis of the literature. You must read widely and draw your literature search from a broad range of sources from the list above. As indicated above, the reading list for this unit is a good starting point for your literature review. The bibliography at the end of the appropriate chapter in your text similarly provides a good starting point.

For specific information on how to write a literature review, look at the information on the MGX 9850 website or visit the Online Learning Support Unit at

http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/sif/sif.htm. Enter the portal headed 'LLS Tutorials' and click on 'Writing'. This site provides you with information about writing for postgraduate study.

Remember to focus on academic literature, that is scholarly books and articles as distinct from journalistic and industry accounts. If you are unsure about what constitutes an academic article, visit the 'Virtual Librarian' on httpV/www.lib.monash.edu.au/vi/scholar/scholcon.htm.

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSING INDIVIDUAL LITERATURE REVIEW

The following criteria will be used to grade your individual literature review and to provide you with feedback about your work:

(a) Identification and delineation of topic area:

                Clear statement of purpose of the literature review

                Relevance and importance of chosen topic area

                 Definition of key terms

                Clear statement of limits of the review

 

(b) Analysis of relevant literature

 

• Inclusion of scholarly literature

                 Critical synthesis and evaluation of the material under review (rather than just descriptions of ideas and listing of points)

                 

• Discussion of HR's role in the management of the issue

 

• Identification of key issues and gaps in research

 

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