HRD assignment

Human Resource Development: Q&A for Assessment 1 1

BUSM1139 Human Resource Development

Common Questions & Answers for Assessment 1

Below I compiled the questions that people typically ask in attempting this assessment. Most likely

you will encounter these questions too, so please take a look at all of them.

If your question is not included, then you are welcome to contact the lecturer and ask. This list will be

continuously updated so your question is likely to be included in the list to help other students in

future.

If your question is already answered in the below list, then you may NOT receive further reply from

the lecturer, so please check this list first.

1. What are the requirements of this essay?

Please refer to the instructions provided in the “Assessment 1” folder in the “Assessment

Tasks” tab. The instructions are pretty detailed and should tell you enough information

about the topic, format, referencing and other requirements.

2. Should I discuss all trends in the essay?

No, you should pick ONLY ONE trend, and discuss it in details. You only have 1500 words to

articulate the implication of this trend on HRD and what we should do about it. You only

have the space to discuss this for 1 trend but not all trends.

3. Would it be a problem if I mention more than 1 trend in the essay?

We recognise that some trends can be related to others, so while in principle you are asked

to discuss only 1 trend as the main theme of the essay, you may sometime find it necessary

to refer to other trends. This is fine and you won’t be penalised. However, do bear in mind

that there’s risk when you go too far and too broad – which is a common problem with

many student essays. A good essay is focused, coherent, and succinct. For instance, if you

see some academic journal articles, you will find that the story is actually very simple even

though they can be lengthy. The authors would spend a lot time presenting detailed and

elaborate arguments for ideas that may seem simple. This is what we want to see in your

essay.

4. How to structure my essay? Do I have to write two paragraphs in relation to the two

questions?

No, you do not have to. In fact, we recommend you do not simply developing two

paragraphs to answer the two questions. You are expected to develop an essay that weaves

in your arguments smoothly in answering the two questions.

5. Do I have to discuss both challenges and opportunities?

Human Resource Development: Q&A for Assessment 1 2

No, you don’t have to. Of course focusing on both would enable you to develop a richer

essay, yet you won’t be penalised if you only focus on opportunities, or if you only focus on

challenges. We evaluate the overall quality of your essay as long as you have addressed

relevant areas.

6. Can I discuss the trend at a national level?

Certainly! The question is actually very open-ended. You can either discuss the trend at the

global level – how does it affect all of us internationally, or you can discuss it specifically for

your country’s context (E.g. Singapore, Australia, etc.). Or, you can even use a particular

company as the reference and discuss how the company is subject to the influence from

such trend. As you can see, all of these approaches are fine (and you might find some other

angles too!). The key is not about which angle you take (and there’s no right or wrong

angles), we are only assessing how well you have developed your arguments in answering

these questions. As long as you have made a good case and developed clear, solid, evidence-

based arguments in answering the questions, you will get good marks.

7. What references should I use, and how many should I include?

Obviously the more references you can include the better, as it shows the breadth of your

reading. However, you are required to use at least 5 high-quality academic articles. What is

considered an academic article? It includes publications from below:

 Academic journals, e.g. you can use the journal list I provide in Lecture 3 to get some

idea.

 Academic books, e.g. the textbook of the unit

 Academic conference proceedings, e.g. from Academy of Management Annual

Conference (AOM), Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management Annual

Conference (ANZAM), Society of Human Resource Management Annual Conference

(SHRM), among others.

A good way to tell whether an article is considered an academic article is judging by the way

it does references. Academic articles are supported by solid and broad references – for the

statements they make, they usually have some other sources to back up. This is considered

an academic practice and you should both read these articles and also write your essay in

the same way.

However, you are very welcome and are encouraged to broaden your readings and cite

other useful resources, such as practitioner magazines (e.g. HR Monthly, Forbes, Fortune),

company reports (e.g. from Deloitte, Hay Group, McKinsey).