Human Resource Management Placement: Tasks and Scenario

Task 1 – Meeting with your line manager

You are completing a placement year, as part of your undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management and have secured a placement at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). You work in the Research section, which provides information on all aspects of HR. During your placement you will also have to undertake several assignments for your academic institution.

As part of your induction to the placement, your line manager wants to ensure that you have a firm understanding of how structure, culture and other factors impact on people in organisations. He also wants you to understand the differences between managing individuals and managing teams.

In preparation for this meeting you have decided to produce a file which addresses each of the topics listed below. You will discuss this with him at the meeting. The contents of the file may be used to provide information to new staff, so it is important that it is written in an appropriate style.

An explanation of how organisational structure impacts on people in organisations

An analysis of how organisational culture impacts on people in organisations

An analysis of how organisational policies and procedures impact on people in organisations

An assessment of approaches to managing the performance of individuals

At the meeting you have a very interesting discussion about how structure, culture, and other factors such asorganisational policies and procedures can influence the strategies used to manage staff effectively. You also discuss some of the differences between managing an individual and managing a team. Your discussion draws on live examples from you and your line manager. Following the meeting, your Line manager asks you to send him a paper by email consolidating your learning from the discussion.

Explain the steps needed to create and maintain effective teams

Evaluate the external factors which impact on the management of individuals and teams

Analyse the management of teams and individuals through the process of strategic organisational change

Following a successful meeting and on completion of your introductory period your line manager has been very impressed with your work so far.

He has asked you to submit a draft article for the CIPD website. The purpose of this article is to help CIPD members understand how to develop individuals and teams. Your article should include case studies of business leaders and organisations and should cover the following points:

An analysis of the different training and development approaches used by organisations to attract, develop and improve individuals and teams.

An assessment of the effect of incentives and rewards on the development of individuals and teams

An assessment of the contribution of the application of motivational theories on the development of individuals and teams.