Human resource paper

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT (100 Points) Topic and Article : Due Monday March 17 by 10 pm

Outline and References: Due Wednesday April 1 by 10 pm Research Paper (100 Points): Due on iLearn Monday May 4 (by 10 pm) and a printed copy at the BEGINNING of CLASS

on Tuesday May 5 (10 points will be deducted if submitted after 9:30 am)

Human Resource Research Paper Instructions

This assignment asks you to select a human resource issue/topic currently faced by businesses that you would like to learn more about and then research about the topic. Once you have gathered information, you will write a Research Paper that: describes the issue/topic, presents a detailed analysis of the issue, and then compares and contrasts the issue from both the manager side and the employee side. There are three deadlines:

1. Select a topic and five supporting articles due Monday March 17 by 10 pm (this is the Weekly Assignment due on March 17). A list of potential topics has been provided but you are welcome to select any topic you like as long as it has some connection to a current human resource issue, our course, AND your area of study (i.e. hospitality, dietetics, management). Make sure your topic is SPECIFIC. After you have picked your topic, you are asked to find one popular press article and four academic articles that describe how this issue is currently impacting a business related to your chosen field. Popular press articles can be found in business magazines or newspapers that are mainstream reputable sources (e.g., New York Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, etc.) You will use your popular press article to investigate the issue in more specific detail and to help you justify that this is a Human Resource issue that impacts businesses.

a. An example: I want to investigate sexual harassment issues in restaurants. I do a search of popular press articles and I find lots and lots and lots of articles. I review many of them and I decide that this article is very interesting to me: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/09/the-pernicious-long-term-effects-of- misconduct-in-the-restaurant-industry/569935/ After reading this article I decide that I want to specifically look at how to encourage employees to report issues of sexual harassment before those issues can negatively impact the overall operation (as the article describes). So – my topic isn’t “Sexual Harassment” or “Sexual Harassment in Restaurants” as that is way too broad and would result in an overwhelming search of more information. Rather my topic is “Ways to Encourage Prompt Reporting of Sexual Harassment Claims in Restaurants”.

b. Once I have my topic, I do more research. I look at the “Link to SF State Resources for Paper” link on iLearn and I search for more articles and references that are related to my specific topic. I review these materials and I start to organize information that helps to explain the topic or issue. I gather the APA citations for each reference I find (for more help on APA formatting I find the “Link to Purdue Owl for APA formatting” link on iLearn. I find at least 4 academic articles (more are ok) that provide additional information about my topic and offer insight on how a business would deal with this issue. (See the HR Article Review worksheet posted on iLearn for more information)

2. Draft an outline and create a reference list due Wednesday April 1 at 10 pm. Create an outline of your

paper with main topics and sub topics clearly organized. You must list at least 6 sources in APA format as well in this submission (See the Outline worksheet posted on iLearn for more information)

a. 1 source should be the class textbook b. 1 source should be the popular press article you found c. 4 sources should be from scholarly sources or academic journals (see the list of scholarly sources for

some options of where to look for articles)

3. Write a detailed research paper and submit an electronic copy to iLearn by 10 pm on Monday May 4. A paper copy is due at the BEGINNING OF CLASS on Tuesday May 5. That means BEFORE 9:30. Papers received after 9:30 am on Tuesday will have 10 points deducted. Assume that the reader of the paper is a business owner or senior level manager. Your paper should present a clear analytical review of the human resource topic you have chosen. Your paper should include:

a. An introduction and conclusion b. A clear description of the issue or topic. Explain why the topic is a something worth investigating

(you can reference your popular press article here). Present a review of the issue/topic and inform the reader of how it came to be. Describe how the issue/topic matters. Why is it an issue or concern?

c. Compare and contrast the issue using specific information or details (with appropriate sources) from both the manager side and the employee side of the issue. Why would this issue/concern matter to a business? To an employee? What impact would this issue have on the business or on the employee?

d. What action should manager or owners take in regard to this issue/topic to resolve the issue? Use sources throughout this section to justify your thoughts. THIS SECTION SHOULD BE DETAILED and should reference Human Resource centered strategies to address the issue/topic.

The purpose of this paper is for you to identify a current issue or topic in Human Resources that a business in your field or discipline would face. Students are expected to research to learn how to stay current on HR related topics as it is a critical need for a manager, as is the knowledge of how to strategically plan for the Human Resources function.

The paper requires you to develop a clear analysis based on current research of a topic or issue in Human Resources. You want to conduct a scholarly review of the literature, and you must have a minimum of four citations from scholarly sources (see the attached list of sample scholarly sources). Your reference page will include at least 6 total references (4 scholarly sources, the class textbook, the popular press article). Keep in mind that this paper is an analysis of the topic/issue and is not merely a summary of the bibliographic list of resources. Your paper must use scholarly references and it must be written in a narrative format synthesizing the research from your citations, which must be in presented in APA format (this means you need both in text citations and a reference page). The paper should be NO LONGER than 5 pages and include at the least the following:

1. Introduction and Purpose of the Paper 2. General Findings of the Research (including definition of the issue) 3. Business Recommendation (with evidence that the solution recommended is a good one) 4. Conclusions 5. Reference Page (this is NOT included in the 5 page limit)

Grading Rubric

Topic / issue description (40%) Does the paper present a clear description of the issue or topic? Explain why the topic is a something worth investigating (you can reference your popular press article here). Present a review of the issue/topic and inform the reader of how it came to be. Describe how the issue/topic matters. Why is it an issue or concern?

Evaluation of the issue (40%) Compare and contrast the issue using specific information or details (with appropriate sources) from both the manager side and the employee side of the issue. Why would this issue/concern matter to a business? To an employee? What impact would this issue have on the business or on the employee? How should companies manage or act in regard to this issue/topic? Use sources throughout this section to justify your thoughts.

Sources (10%) Were the sources informative and relevant to topic? Was the minimum number of sources utilized? Were sources used to describe the issues in clear detail? Were they property cited using APA format (both in text and in a reference page)

Writing Proficiency (10%)

Is the paper free of spelling and grammar errors? Is there a clear purpose? Is the issue described in enough detail to support the analysis? Does the paper have a professional introduction and conclusion that summarize the content?

Guidelines & Specification

The paper which describes the company should be no longer than five pages, double line-spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman or Cambria font, with 1” margins. Any text submitted past the end of the fifth page WILL NOT BE READ OR GRADED. To meet this page restriction, carefully edit and parse your word to maximize meaning in every sentence.

• Include your #SFSU ID in the document header – DO NOT put your name(s) on the written assignment. Any individual that submits a paper with a name will lose 10 points

• You must have page numbers at the bottom of each page • Five (5) page maximum of written text (not including the reference page). All references referred to in the writing

must be properly cited in APA format both in text and in a reference page at the end of the document.

Scholarly Journals The following list of journals is a partial list of acceptable scholarly journals to be used as potential sources for all research papers. The SF State library does not subscribe to all of these journals. Wikipedia is NOT a scholarly source. Please utilize the “Link to SF State Resources” link posted on ilearn as a starting point for your research. Academy of Management Journal Academy of Management Review Administrative Science Quarterly Personnel Psychology Training and Development Journal California Management Review Organizational Dynamics Decision Sciences American Sociological Review Abnormal and Social Psychology Journal of Applied Behavioral Science Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Making Journal of Management Studies Journal of Applied Psychology Personnel Personnel Journal Business Horizons Harvard Business Review Journal of Management Human Relations Monthly Labor Review Industrial Relation H. R. Magazine Workforce

Possible HR areas to Begin Your Research (this list includes many BROAD areas, you may need to narrow your focus once you have researched). Your topic DOES NOT need to be on this list – but it DOES need to be HR related Absenteeism: Cases, Remedies, and Prevention Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, and Work Americans with Disabilities Act: Current Status and Rulings for employees/employers Application Blanks: Creation, Usage, and Legal Obligations Behaviorally-Anchored Rating Scales Behavior Modification Approaches Contingent Workers/Workforce Current Immigration Problems as a Human Resource Issue Discipline and Disciplinary Action Downsizing the Workplace: Problems and Solutions Drug Testing Issues Early Retirement Plans and Methods Employee Assistance Plans Employee Development Methods Employee Handbooks: What You Need to Know Executive Recruiting and Selection Exit Interviews Flex Time Flexible Benefit Systems Gig Workers Grievance and Complaint Settlement Methods Health Care Cost Containment Methods HR Metrics Human Resource Accounting Human Resource Information Systems Independent Contractors vs. Employees Interviewing Methods in the Selection Process Job Enrichment Job Sharing Legal Aspects of Pregnancy and Family Leave Policies Management Development: Planning & Evaluation Marijuana Legalization and Workplace Issues Minimum wage changes: how do companies cope Outsourcing the Human Resource Function Paid Family Medical Leave Peer Method of Performance Appraisal Personality Tests and the Selection of Employees Reducing Job Fatigue, Boredom, and Monotony Privacy Concerns of Employees Unions: Current and Future Status Unlimited vacation as a benefit Proper and Improper Termination in Today’s Economy Reverse Discrimination and Affirmative Action Today Self-Directed Work Teams Status of Employer Liability and Current Trends in Reference Checking Stress and Burnout: HR Solutions Strikes: Management Strategies The Use of the Polygraph (lie detector) in the Selection Process Tipping as compensation: Rules and justice Turnover: How much, How Little? Wage Compression: Problems and Solutions Women and the “Glass Ceiling” Workforce wellbeing programs and employee privacy