2000-word Leveraging Human Capital Essay

Instructions

To complete the essay, you will need to think about the following:

Problem identification – your essay should identify and clearly describe the key organisational, management and leadership problems/theories/concepts indicated by the question.

Theoretical Analysis – your answer should draw on relevant and correctly referenced ideas, theories, models and concepts covered in the module. Please do not overuse quotes.

Practical application – you need to ensure that you include relevant business examples to support LO4.

Theoretical Critique – this essay is to apply and critically review theories/models/concepts to business contexts, as well as link theories and concepts to support business practice.

Structure – a clear structure that provides the reader with a clear narrative route to a robust conclusion.

Presentation – grammatically correct, in an academic style. Please check spelling.

Please note Harvard referencing style is required.

In-text references DO count towards the word limit; end of essay (bibliography) references DO NOT.

Model Answer:

An answer could include some of the following:

 Discussion of what an ‘agile organisation’ is and how, in terms of HR, this can be achieved, its

importance in today’s environment, how this impacts upon, employee engagement, performance

management and workplace culture.

 Discuss this significance of employee engagement, its origins, its purpose and importance in today’s

working environment, how this impacts upon workplace culture and the various types of employee

engagement that may be achieved: for instance intellectual engagement, affective engagement, or

social engagement.

 Identify and discuss methods and initiatives used by HR to engage employees eg an effective people

strategy – for instances this could include coverage of: the cultural context and setting, job design, goal

setting and performance management, empowerment and employee voice, team building, line

manager support, training, coaching and mentoring, recruitment & reward systems and the

psychological contract.

 Discussion of a motivation theory (as covered in the module teaching) to be included and related to the

people management initiatives identified in the point above and linked to the impact this may have

upon employee motivation, engagement and performance.

 A critical review of initiatives that HR and leaders put in place to achieve strategic objectives. This could

be achieved by providing and relating real-world examples of employee engagement activities to

support the more theoretical//conceptual points made.

 Discussion of the impact initiatives may have upon workplace culture and the actions required to

embed initiatives as a norm within the organisations holistically.

 Discuss the benefits of an engaged workforce and problems of a disengaged workforce. Recognition of varying levels of engagement within groups (and the potential reasons for this). For instance: difference between female and male engagement, or those on different contract types, between managers and non-managers, public sector and private sector employees etc. (CIPD)

 A critical review of the leader’s role in developing culture to encourage employee engagement to support strategy – or to maximise commitment and productivity and conversely organisational integrity. Higher level students may find the critical review leads them to discuss the darker side of employee engagement – soft manipulation, control, maximised performance for little reward and burnout.

Please let me know if there is anything you need to know