Purpose of the Assessment
To analyse the main internal and external environmental forces that impact upon organisations and the ways in which these affect the management of people and organisational strategy.
To analyse and develop ways in which organisations can seek to respond to such environmental forces and understand the constraints and challenges facing HR professionals in this process.
Assessment Task
You are required to produce an academic report based on the attached case study.
You are a HR and Business consultant. The company have sought your advice on implications of the two investment strategies (Project A and Project B) and have asked you to produce a report which includes:
1 An analysis of internal and external contexts of the case study organisation using recognised analytic frameworks (e.g. SWOT and PESTLE). You have been asked to pay particular attention to factors influencing employment and the management of people.
2 A calculation of the Payback Period, Average Rate of Return and Net Present Value (discount rate 12%) for each investment strategy option with appropriate explanation, comparison and interpretation of the results.
3 An evaluation of findings from both financial and non-financial factors (relating to internal and external contexts) leading to a justified recommendation for one investment strategy. You must choose either Project A or Project B.
Notes:
• Your assignment should be presented in an business report format
• The word limit is 2,500 words (+10%) not including Executive Summary, Contents Page, References,Appendices or Reflective Statement. Any content beyond this upper limit will not be marked and this may affect your grade. Please ensure your word count is displayed on the cover page of your assignment.
Assessment Criteria
The assignment will be assessed against the following criteria:
1. Business awareness – appreciation of organisational context, the environment within which the business operates and the nature and scope of finance within the business context
20%
2. Knowledge of the subject matter – evidence of wider reading and a comprehensive familiarity with the topic reinforced by citations from appropriate sources and relevant literature20%
3. Critical thinking – demonstration of the ability to analyse and evaluate both theory and research and to make objective and impartial judgements 20%
4. Application capability – the development of firm conclusions and appropriate recommendations which are realistic and provide value-added outcomes for the organisation30%
5. Presentation and persuasion skills – the systematic organisation and presentation of the report, coherent, convincing, accurate, reader-friendly and business focused 10%
