Hrm Abe Exam 2012

The Association of Business Executives QCF

Strategic Human Resource Management

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Unit Title: Unit Code: QCF Level: Session:

Strategic Human Resource Management 6SHRM 6 December 2012

STRUCTURE OF PAPER: Answer ALL THREE sections SECTION A: Answer ALL FIVE questions Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Either Q6 or Q7 Either Q8 or Q9 14 marks 14 marks 14 marks 14 marks 14 marks 15 marks 15 marks 100 marks

SECTION B: Answer ONE question SECTION C: Answer ONE question

TOTAL MARKS AVAILABLE FOR THE PAPER

SECTION A Candidates must answer ALL FIVE questions in this section. Each question is worth 14 marks. Section A is worth 70% of the total marks available for the paper. Question 1 Q1 (a) Outline the principal benefits of High Performance Working (HPW) strategies and practices for an organisation, its managers and its workforce. Benefits for the organisation  Reputational advantages with customers  Ease of recruitment for talented people Benefits for managers  Superior productivity  Ease of facilitating continuous improvement and change Benefits for the workforce  Heightened job security  Greater levels of job satisfaction Maximum Marks for (a) Q1 (b) 8 marks

Explain how you would get active support for a HPW initiative from the organisation’s managers and workforce.  The promise of highly-valued rewards in the future – initially for the organisation, but these then to be shared throughout the management team and the workforce. These rewards will consist not principally of financial benefits, but also of job security, a sustainable competitive advantage, the reputational asset of the business as a HPW enterprise, and so forth.  References to other well-known examples of organisations, preferably in the same sector, geographical region, etc., which have become HPW businesses and which have then enjoyed superior levels of profitability, customer retention, and employee ‘engagement’.  For the workforce: some specific benefits linked to an...