BE486 Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management Guidance for Coursework 2 on HRM 2026

BE486 Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management:

Guidance for Coursework 2 on HRM

The question asks you to reflect on the following: 

Critically evaluate why HRM should be understood as a system of interconnected processes and procedures by providing some examples of these activities. 

In your essay, you should cover themes and readings from this part of the module on HRM, along with additional sources that you have researched independently. 

Here are some suggestions on how to develop your essay and approach the discussion, along with recommended readings. This guidance only suggests an idea on how to structure your essay. However, you can also use a different approach and provide explanations from the recommended readings to cover other themes/points related to the assignment question.

KEY PARTS OF YOUR ESSAY

You essay should cover the following elements (no need for sub-headings): 

• An introduction that includes general definitions of HRM
• A discussion on why HRM should be understood as a system of interconnected processes and procedures
• Some examples of interrelated practices, activities, procedures in HRM: models of HR strategy, and/or activities in the performance management process, and/or learning and development strategies
• A general conclusion on the implications of considering HRM as a holistic system (i.e., a system of interconnected functions). 

1. INTRODUCTION (approximately 400 words)

In the first part of the essay you can provide some definitions of Human Resources Management.
You can start with some general definitions of HRM using the explanations in Chapters 1 and 2 of our textbook (Wilton, 2022), without including the history of people management.
Then you can introduce the definition of HRM as a system of interconnected processes and procedures, as indicated in the assignment question: see, for example, the last part of Chapter 2 of our textbook (Wilton, 2022) on “A conceptual framework for understanding how HRM can contribute to improved individual performance”.  

2. DISCUSSION (approximately 1700 words)

Your discussion can begin by providing further explanation of the concept of HRM as a holistic system (i.e., a system of interconnected functions) and underlining why it should also be considered from this perspective.
You can use, for example, the Employee Life Cycle model that explains HRM as a system that aims to attract, develop and retain workers by following their career stages to guide their management: see the article of Gladka O., Fedorova V. and Dohadailo Y. (2022) Development of conceptual bases of the employee life cycle within an organization, Business: Theory and Practice, 23(1), 39-52. 
Another good reference here is the Systems perspective of human resources, which provides a useful framework for examining the human resource inputs, processes (practices), and outputs that can lead to sustained competitive advantage. Helpful articles on this theme are the following: 

• Ferguson, K. L., and Reio, T. G. (2010). Human resource management systems and firm performance. Journal of Management Development, 29 (5), 471- 494.  
• Alsabbah, M., and Ibrahim, H. (2014). HRM practices and employee competence: A general system perspective. International Journal of Business, Economics and Law, 4(1), 11-17.
  As indicated in the assignment question, you should now provide some examples of interconnected processes, procedures, activities in HRM. 
  Some models of HR strategy can offer examples in this sense, such as the Best practice approach or the Resource-based approach. Good readings on this theme are the following:
• Chapter 3 of our textbook (Wilton, 2022)
• Pfeffer, J. (1998) Seven practices of successful organizations. California Management Review, 40 (2), 96-124.
• Ahmad, S., and Schroeder, R. G. (2003) The impact of human resource management practices on operational performance: recognizing country and industry differences. Journal of Operations Management, 21, 19 – 43.
• Andersén, J. (2007) A holistic approach to acquisition of strategic resources. Journal of European Industrial Training, 31 (8), 660-677.
  Some activities in the performance management process can offer other examples of interconnected procedures in HRM. Helpful readings on this theme are the following:
• Chapter 7 of our textbook (Wilton, 2022)
• Schleicher, D., Baumann, H., Sullivan, D., and Yim, J. (2019) Evaluating the Effectiveness of Performance Management. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104, 851-887.
• Gruman, J.A., and Saks, A.M. (2011) Performance Management and Employee Engagement. Human Resource Management Review, 21, 123-136.
• Risher, H. (2011) Getting Performance Management on Track. Compensation & Benefits Review, 43, 273-281.
• Schleicher, D., Baumann, H., Sullivan, D., Levy, P.E., Hargrove, D., and Barros-Rivera, B.A. (2018), Putting the System Into Performance Management Systems: A Review and Agenda for Performance Management Research. Journal of Management, 44, 2209-2245.
  The role of learning and development in the performance management process can offer another example of interconnected activities in HRM. Helpful readings on this theme are the following:
• Chapter 9 of our textbook (Wilton, 2022)
• Garavan, T.N. (2007) A strategic perspective on human resource development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 9 (1), 11–30.

Make sure your discussion is well balanced with clear logic, relevance and evidence from readings. You can use just a few examples of interconnected processes and activities (1-2) and discuss them in depth.  

3. CONCLUSION (approximately 200-300 words)

Please extract the main points from the discussion and avoid bringing new ones here. A general conclusion on the broader implications of considering HRM as a system of interconnected functions should be derived from the examples provided in the discussion.

Key readings

Please see the folder with the “Readings for Coursework 2” on Moodle, which includes subfolders with specific readings for each topic (some articles are also in multiple subfolders as they explain different themes/ topics). 
From these readings, you should only take the explanations/ ideas that are important for your essay. You do not need to read all the readings suggested here and understand every part of these articles (in general, the introduction and literature review are the most important sections).
You can also use additional sources that you have researched independently.
Remember that you need to include at least 10 different references in your essay.

Textbook Chapters

Wilton, N. (2022). An introduction to Human Resource Management. London: Sage (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 7, 9).

Academic articles

Ahmad, S., and Schroeder, R. G. (2003) The impact of human resource management practices on operational performance: recognizing country and industry differences. Journal of Operations Management, 21, 19 – 43.
Alsabbah, M., and Ibrahim, H. (2014). HRM practices and employee competence: A general system perspective. International Journal of Business, Economics and Law, 4 (1), 11-17.
Andersén, J. (2007) A holistic approach to acquisition of strategic resources. Journal of European Industrial Training, 31 (8), 660-677.
Ferguson, K. L., and Reio, T. G. (2010). Human resource management systems and firm performance (2010). Journal of Management Development, 29 (5), 471- 494.
Garavan, T.N. (2007) A strategic perspective on human resource development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 9 (1), 11–30.
Gladka, O., Fedorova, V., and Dohadailo, Y. (2022) Development of conceptual bases of the employee life cycle within an organization. Business: Theory and Practice, 23(1), 39-52.
Gruman, J.A., and Saks, A.M. (2011) Performance Management and Employee Engagement. Human Resource Management Review, 21, 123-136.
Pfeffer, J. (1998) Seven practices of successful organizations. California Management Review, 40 (2), 96-124.
Risher, H. (2011) Getting Performance Management on Track. Compensation & Benefits Review, 43, 273-281.
Schleicher, D., Baumann, H., Sullivan, D., and Yim, J. (2019) Evaluating the Effectiveness of Performance Management. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104, 851-887.
Schleicher, D., Baumann, H., Sullivan, D., Levy, P.E., Hargrove, D., and Barros-Rivera, B.A. (2018), Putting the System Into Performance Management Systems: A Review and Agenda for Performance Management Research. Journal of Management, 44, 2209-2245.

Additional readings

Gary, C. (2019) Developing the employee lifecycle to keep top talent. Strategic HR review, 18(6), 258-262.