HR4S39
Resourcing & Talent Management
Module Booklet
Module Leader
Tony Lewis
Table of Contents
Module Introduction/ Overview: 4
Teaching and Learning Methods. 4
Marking and Return of Marked Coursework. 8
A guide to writing assignments. 10
Sentence structure and punctuation. 10
Bibliography or reference lists. 15
Welcome
Welcome to the module: Resourcing and Talent Management. I hope you will find the module enjoyable and stimulating. The aim of this booklet is to provide you with detailed information about the module.
There are three elements that together make up the core of the module, these are: the lecture and tutorial sessions (one lecture and one tutorial per week), assessment and assigned reading. Each of these elements is integral to your mastery of this topic and if you expect to do well in this module you should apply yourself to these.
Good luck this year.
Tony
Module Contact Details:
| Module Leader
Mr Anthony Lewis Room: H117 Telephone: 01443 482752 Fax: Email: Anthony.lewis2@southwales.ac.uk
|
For Further Info, please refer to ‘Staff Information’ section within the module on Bb. |
Module Introduction/ Overview:
Module Delivery: 8 x (approx) 5 hr Lectures/Seminars/Activity workshops.
Module Overview:
A major and fundamental objective of the human resources (HR) function is the mobilisation of a workforce.
Organisations can only function if they are able to assemble together teams of people with the necessary skills, attitudes and experience to meet their objectives.
A further objective is then to retain effective performers for as long as possible. From time to time it is also necessary to dismiss people from organisations.
This module focuses on these activities, focusing not just on the practical aspects of recruitment, selection, employee retention and dismissal, but also on the strategic aspects to equip learners with the knowledge and skills required for resourcing and talent management within a global context, including :
- The development of a strategic approach to the attraction and retention of staff, analysing their key employment markets and gaining an understanding of their dynamics so as to enable them to compete more effectively, both now and in the future.
- Planning to enable an organisation to meet its future demand for skills
- A recognition that As the skills that employers seek become more specialised, employment markets have tightened, leading to increased sophistication in the area of resourcing and talent planning which is reflected in the increased use of proactive diversity management, employer branding, work-life balance initiatives and innovative approaches to job design,
The module also requires learners to reflect critically on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development.
Learning Outcomes:
Demonstrate an awareness of and a capacity to critically evaluate and reflect upon the nature of, and linkages between key components of a range of alternative resourcing and talent management strategies and processes and their potential contribution to achievement of organisational objectives
Indicative Reading list
TAYLOR, S. (2008) People resourcing. 4th ed. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. (New edition: Resourcing and talent management, due August 2010).
Key textbooks
ARMSTRONG, M. (2009) A handbook of human resource management practice. 11th ed. London: Kogan Page. BACH, S. (ed). (2005) Managing human resources: personnel management in transition. 4th ed. Maldon, MA: Blackwell.
BARBER, A. E. (1998) Recruiting employees: individual and organizational perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
BEARDWELL, J. (2007) Recruitment and selection. In: BEARDWELL, J. and CLAYDON, T. (eds). Human resource management: a contemporary approach. 5th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education.
COOK, M. (2009) Personnel selection: adding value through people. 5th ed. Chichester: John Wiley.
COOPER, D., ROBERTSON, I.T. and TINLINE, G. (2003) Recruitment and selection: a framework for success. Rev. ed. London: Thomson Learning.
DOWLING, P., FESTING, M. and ENGLE, A. D. (2007) International human resource management: managing people in a multi-national context. 5th ed. London: Thomson Learning.
EDENBOROUGH, R. (2007) Assessment methods in recruitment, selection and performance: a manager’s guide to psychometric testing, interviews and selection. London: Kogan Page.
GARRISON-JENN, N. (2005) Headhunters and how to use them: a guide for organisations and individuals. London: Profile Books.
HORN, P., GRIFFETH, R.W. and HOM, P.W. (1994) Employee turnover. Cincinnati, OH: South Western.
ILES, P. Employee resourcing and talent management. In: STOREY, J. (ed). (2007)Human resource management: a critical text. 3rd ed. London: Thomson Learning.
JANSEN, P. and DE JONGH, F. (1997) Assessment centres: a practical handbook. Chichester: Wiley.
KERRIN, M. and KETTLEY, P. (2003) E-recruitment: is it delivering Brighton: Institute of Employment Studies.
LAROCHE, L. and RUTHERFORD, D. (2007) Recruiting, retaining and promoting culturally different employees. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.
MAERTZ, C. P. and CAMPION, M. A. (2001) 25 years of voluntary turnover research: a review and critique. In: ROBERTSON, I. T. and COOPER, C.L. (eds) Personnel psychology and human resource management; a reader for students and practitioners. Chichester: Wiley.
PILBEAM, S. and CORBRIDGE, M. (2006) People resourcing: contemporary HRM in practice. 3rd ed. Harlow: Financial Times / Prentice Hall.
ROBERTS, G. (2005) Recruitment and selection. 2nd ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
SEARLE, R. H. (2003) Selection and recruitment: a critical text. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
SMITH, M and ROBERTSON, I. T. (1993) The theory and practice of systematic personnel selection. London: Macmillan.
SPARROW, P. and COOPER, C.L. (2003) The employment relationship: key challenges for HR. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.
SPARROW, P. (2006) International recruitment, selection and assessment. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
TAYLOR, S. (2002) The employee retention handbook. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
TOPLIS, J., DULEWICZ, V. and FLETCHER, C. (2005) Psychological testing: a manager’s guide. 4th ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
WALLEY, L. and SMITH, M. (1998) Deception in selection. Chichester: John Wiley.
WOOD, R. and PAYNE, T. (1998) Competency-based recruitment and selection. Chichester: Wiley.
WOODRUFFE, C. (2007) Development and assessment centres: identifying and developing competence. 4th ed. London: Human Assets
In addition, students should read the CIPD magazine, People Management and read relevant articles in the online journals – Please see Bb links within resources tab.
Useful web sites:
Teaching Programme:
| Week: | Content: |
| 1 | Introduction & Overview to People Resourcing |
| 2 | Employment Market and Regulation |
| 3 | Human resource planning |
| 4 | Job Analysis & Design |
| 5 | Recruitment |
| 6 | Selection |
| 7 | Flexibility |
| 8 | Induction & Socialisation |
| 9 | Retention & Turnover |
| 10 | Succession Planning |
| 11 | Employer Branding |
| 12 | Strategic Resourcing |
Poster Presentation and Research Article
Overview
We live, and indeed are living, in dynamic and turbulent environment. Organisations are faced with many conundrums; the fast and increasing rate and pace of technology, increasingly volatile global markets and economies, not to mention, having to deal with the most complex and unpredictable of all resources today…people. As managers of course, we not only have to keep up-to-date with these changes, we have to (or should at least) understand where these changes may lead, and what challenges they hold for us and the organisations we represent.
Over the coming weeks, we will be covering topics as outlined above. After discussing these topics in our sessions, you will be afforded the opportunity to undertake research into one of these areas. Your analysis and discussion however, will need to be supported by current thinking from contemporary sources on this subject.
Objectives
Therefore, undertaking this research/presentation exercise will enable you:
- to develop and demonstrate your understanding of the importance of this type of research and how to undertake such an activity – collating, analysing, and synthesising ideas;
- to demonstrate the application of these ideas through formulating new concepts and subsequent strategies that organisations could use to counter potential contextual implications;
- to demonstrate the importance of research data and its application as supporting evidence for your conceptual conjecture and postulates.
- To develop key competencies related to working in groups, problem solving and decision making, communication and influence.
Process
The two assessments are themed, therefore, the work you undertake for the first, can be used to contribute towards the second.The initial assessment for this module will be an individual Poster Presentations and will take place in your scheduled lecture period week commencing (TBA), and the weekly sessions will [include] provide the opportunity to undertake the research necessary to develop their presentations. Once your research has been collected and all relevant information collated you will then prepare a ONE SLIDE PowerPoint presentation to deliver your findings/ideas in the allocated session.
The presentation will be 30 minutes in total, but should take no longer than 15 minutes to deliver as the other 15 minutes will be used to provide feedback and your mark. Handouts, additional notes (for students and lecturers) should be provided for the session, and the group’s portfolio of evidence; comprising journal articles, reports, survey data and other research related information, should be available on the date of the presentation. References should be used appropriately throughout the presentations and in all prepared documentation.
As far as possible, the subject areas will be decided from within the groups themselves, possibly based on a particular area of interest, area of specialism, or by whatever means. However, topic areas will be allocated by the Module Leader (ML) if there is not an appropriately represented spread of presentations. Feedback will be provided by the ML only, however, guest observers observations and advice will also be considered.
This exercise will be extremely useful to all students for assignment 2 preparation.
The topics being covered and researched in-depth for your presentation, WILL constitute areas within the final assessment. Therefore, while undertaking this activity, you will also be collectively accruing invaluable information for one another that will enhance your learning and understanding about various issues within their chosen areas of research.
As stated above, the second assessment will enable you to build upon the initial research activity undertaken for your Poster Presentation, and will expect you to critically appraise and discuss the research topic/issue they’ve previously identified (or a more specific issue extracted from within their topic) and prepare a Research Article of 3000 (+/- 10%). The research should provide a robust discussion of your topic/issue using contemporary sources/references of key theoretical and analytical concepts and frameworks along with contemporary developments and emerging themes, as related to your topic/issue. Therefore, as part of your critical discussion, students should expect to undertake an in-depth literature review critically analysing and reflecting on the nature, scope and use of (in addition to evaluating any contemporary developments and/or future perspectives) by synthesising their understanding and application of their topic (or specific more specific issue) within a people resourcing context.
Assignment preparation guidance will be provided as we progress through the module. However, if you have any further queries relating to this activity, please contact the ML immediately.
Assessments:
Msc Human Resource Management (FT&PT)
People Resourcing HR4 S39
Assignment Info
Overview:
The module will be assessed by means of 100% Coursework.
The assessment of this module will normally comprise of 2 elements:
- Element 1: An Individual 30 minute Poster Presentation (50% of module marks)
And…
- Element 2: An individual Research Article of 3000 words (50% of module marks)
The marks for Element 1 & Element 2are averaged to determine the overall coursework module mark. To pass the module students must achieve an overall minimum mark of 40% in each Element. Students must demonstrate no significant weaknesses (<30%) in either element.
Students failing this module are referred in the failed element / component* of assessment only and carry forward any other grade(s) achieved in any element /component of assessment of the same module already completed successfully.
Students can only be awarded 40% in any reassessed element / component* of this module, but may achieve a greater overall module grade if the already completed part of the assessment has been graded higher than this.
Assignment 1
Assessment date: TBA
The initial assessment for this module will be an individual Poster Presentations and will take place in your scheduled lecture period week commencing (TBA), and the weekly sessions will [include] provide the opportunity to undertake the research necessary to develop their presentations. Once your research has been collected and all relevant information collated you will then prepare a ONE SLIDE PowerPoint presentation to deliver your findings/ideas in the allocated session.
The presentation will be 30 minutes in total, but should take no longer than 15 minutes to deliver as the other 15 minutes will be used to provide feedback and your mark. Handouts, additional notes (for students and lecturers) should be provided for the session, and the group’s portfolio of evidence; comprising journal articles, reports, survey data and other research related information, should be available on the date of the presentation. References should be used appropriately throughout the presentations and in all prepared documentation.
Additional Guidance
- Present, clear, balanced and sufficient (possibly primary) secondary research evidence to support arguments and conclusions.
- Offer critical analysis of the evidence and arguments
- Pay attention to the need for logically constructed statements, conclusions and possibly recommendations
- Use and acknowledge relevant sources and reference to support arguments
- Provide a full list of references used in your text at the end of your assignment – using the Harvard system.
A presentation matrix will be used for assignment 1 and describes the different levels of attainment for each criteria. The overall mark for a piece of work will reflect the different levels of attainment which may achieved across different criteria.
Assignment 2
Assessment date: TBA
The second piece of coursework – an individual essay/article of 3000 (+/- 10%) words accounting for the remaining 50% and submitted late in the module – will provide students to continue and augment their research predicated for their presentations or (with the agreement of the module leader) engage in a different theme covered within the module.
To undertake this assessment comprehensively, students should identify their own research question/title from contemporary ideas related to their topic chosen to be investigated for their poster Presentation. Students will be expected to critically evaluate, synthesis and discuss their research question, including the changing contexts (from within and outside organisations) using contemporary references to support their propositions, thus enabling a robust evaluation and synthesis of current ideas. As part of their critical evaluations/discussions, students should expect to undertake an in-depth literature review critically analysing and reflecting on the nature, scope and use of key theoretical and analytical concepts and frameworks of contemporary developments and emerging themes, as it relates to their particular topic. To further demonstrate their understanding and application reference should be made to personal professional experience using their own company and/or case studies.
Additional Requirements:
The reflection must:
- A research article format must be adopted
- Address the topic under investigation;
- Be your own independent work and free from plagiarism (see below) by including clear indication and referencing where material included is not your own;
- Use extensive elements from theory and research as a basis for explanation;
- Utilise sufficient sources to be academically credible;
- Use Harvard style citation and referencing;
- Be written in an appropriate academic style;
- Be a maximum of 3000 words (not including title page, appendices footnotes and reference lists);
- Be word processed, using 1.5 spacing;
- Have been spell checked and proof-read;
- Be on A4 paper and have black text;
- Be formatted with 2 cm margins on the left, top and bottom, and 4 cm on the right;
- Be submitted via turn-it-in assignment tab by 12 midnight on the due date.
- Be anonymous but have your ID number and page numbers on each page.
Notes:
- Assignments that do not conform to these instructions may be returned to you without being marked.
- Assignments that are late will not be marked (no extensions will be given).
- Maintain a copy of your receipt as proof in case your work goes missing.
- Keep your own copy of your work in case the copy you hand in is lost.
Coursework Extensions:
Extensions will not be permitted and students who encounter difficulties while completing coursework should contact their award tutor to discuss their options. Late submission of coursework without mitigating circumstances being accepted will result in that piece of work being graded as a zero.
Plagiarism
This is primarily defined as ‘copying or paraphrasing another person’s work, be it published, or unpublished, without clearly acknowledging it’.
Regardless of whether it is intentionally or unintentionally done, plagiarism is considered to be cheating and is strictly forbidden and may be heavily penalised.
To avoid accusations of plagiarism, ensure that you:
- fully cite and reference materials you use;
- don’t share your work with your friends, housemates and classmates etc;
- work independently when you are writing up your coursework;
- use someone not on the module to do your proofreading;
- pick your printing up immediately when using the university printers
and if in doubt about this issue ask your lecturers or the staff in the Drop-In Centre at the LRC for assistance.
Marking and Return of Marked Coursework
All assessment at the University of Glamorgan is subject to quality assurance procedures.
This means that while every attempt will be made to return the majority of marked coursework within 20 working days, all ‘fail’ (i.e. below 40%), ‘distinction’ (i.e. 70% or greater) and a few ‘pass’ graded assignments will be retained to form part of the quality assurance sample.
The remaining marked assignments will be handed back to students personally during tutorials or student scheduled appointments.
Grades on any returned coursework remain provisional until such time as they have been quality checked and are accepted by appropriate exam boards.
The following grid will be used for assignment 2 and describes the different levels of attainment for each criteria. The overall mark for a piece of work will reflect the different levels of attainment which may achieved across different criteria.
Additional Guidance [2]
- Present, clear, balanced and sufficient [primary and/or] secondary evidence to support arguments and conclusions.
- Offer critical analysis of the evidence and arguments
- Pay attention to the need for logically constructed statements and recommendations
- Use and acknowledge relevant sources and reference to support arguments
- Provide a full list of references used in your text at the end of your assignment – using the Harvard system.
The marking matricies below will be used for assignment 1 and 2 respectively.
People Resourcing HR4S39 Marking grid – PRESENTATION ASSESSMENT SHEET
TITLE_____________________________________________________________________
PRESENTERS _____________________________________________________________
ASSESSOR ______________________________ TIME ALLOWED/TAKEN ______ /_____
| Area Assessed | Comments |
| Presentation, Delivery (10%)
Volume, speed, intonation, eye contact, familiarity with material, Co-ordination, links, leadership, continuity, handovers, support, response to questions Handling, quality, Powerpoint use, variety of visual aids
Skill: Communications & Working with Others |
|
| Content/Knowledge & Understanding (30%)
Clarity, fluid narrative, structure, relevance, use of humour, response to questions
Skill: Managing and Developing Self |
|
| Research/Critique/Analysis & Sythesis (40%)
Evidence of scope of secondary sources, Comprehensive inter-relation of the theory with the practice Detailed and insightful analysis of the assessment subject area focus. Identification of key issues Critically evaluates theoretical models situationissues discussed
Skill: Managing Tasks & Critical Thinking and Problem Solving |
|
| Conclusion & References (20%)
Threading, logical summary and response to questions. Appropriately formatted references made available.
|
General Comments
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Overall Grade ______%
People Resourcing HR4S39 Marking grid – Assignment 2
| Student Number :
|
Programme: | Module : | Code: | |||
| MARK | 29 or less | 30 – 39 | 40 – 49 | 50 – 59 | 60 – 69 | 70 +
|
| CONTENT:
Has the question been answered
|
The question has not been addressed | Some parts of the question has been addressed but not to a satisfactory level | Some parts of the question have not been addressed appropriately | The question has been addressed but in places there is a lack of depth to the discussions | The questions have been addressed well and in some depth | The questions have been addressed very well with some interesting and appropriate insights |
| TOPIC
KNOWLEDGE Evidence of wider reading and an ability to be able to apply the knowledge to the assessment question
|
No evidence of wider reading.
|
Little evidence of wider reading.
|
Limited evidence of wider reading but in places a there is a lack of application.
|
Some evidence of wider reading and in places an application to the discussions | Evidence of wider reading and in places an appropriate application to the discussions.
|
Very good evidence of wider reading and application to support the discussions
|
| SYNTHESIS
Comprehensive inter-relation of the theory with the practice |
No integration of the theory with the practice | Very little integration of the theory with the practice | Some integration of the theory with the practice but in little depth
|
Good integration of the theory with the practice | Good summary and application of the theory
|
Succinct, effective summaries of the theory. Excellent use of the theory to support the discussions. |
| ANALYSIS
Detailed and insightful analysis of the assessment subject area focus. Identification of key issues |
No analysis of the subject area | Largely descriptive with no identification and analysis of central issues. | Limited insight into the issues. | Some good analytical observations. | Good, detailed analysis. | Comprehensive range of issues identified and discussed fully. |
| CRITIQUE
Critically evaluates theoretical models situationissues discussed |
No criticality | Uncritical acceptance of theoretical models | Some attempt to critically evaluate but in very little depth | Some critical discussions but limited | Good critical assessment. Independent thought displayed. | Full critical assessment and substantial individual insight. |
| REFERENCING
Thorough and accurate citation and referencing |
No referencing | No referencing | Limited/poor referencing | Some inconsistencies in referencing
|
Appropriate referencing | Appropriate referencing |
| PRESENTATION
Logical and coherent structure to argument and effective presentation
|
No structure apparent.
Poor presentation.
|
Poor structure.
Poor presentation. |
Acceptable, but uneven structure.
Reasonable presentation. |
Reasonable structure.
Good presentation. |
Good argument.
Well presented material. |
Excellent argument.
Very effective presentation format.
|
| METHODOLOGY
Methodological principles discussed and inter-related with report. |
No discussion or integration | Poor discussion and integration | Some inclusion but largely descriptive and unrelated | Reasonably discussed and integrated with research. | Good discussion and integration of principles with research. | Excellent and integrated discussion of principles with research. |
| ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
|
||||||
A Guide to Writing Assignments
Assignments are a key component of the assessment of your studies but many assignments that contain good thoughts and ideas are ruined (and get less marks) because of basic preparation and writing errors. The following are some tips on the mechanics of writing assignments. These should always be read in conjunction with other instructions given by your lecturers.
If you are having problems ASK FOR HELP early rather than the day or the week before an assignment is due.
Layout:
For ease of handling for the marker, follow the instructions on page 11 and 12 and ensure:
- Use at least a 12 pt font that can be easily read (Arial or times are usual).
- Spell check your work and proof-read for editing and grammar mistakes.
Sentence structure and punctuation
Some sentence constructions frequently cause problems. These problems are discussed below:
- a) Capitalisation
There is a tendency to use capital letters when they are not required. Only use capitals at the start of a sentence or for the names of people and organisations.
E.g. …the Civil Rights Movement… becomes …the civil rights movement….
- b) Spacing
As a rule, all items of punctuation should have one space after them, except punctuation that ends sentences (for example full stops). These items of punctuation have two spaces after them.
- Note that this spacing rules do not apply to brackets
- The two spaces after full stops also apply in reference lists after the author’s initials.
- c) Exclamation marks (!)
The use of exclamation marks in academic writing is very rare, but when you do use them make sure that you only use one – students often use double exclamation marks at the end of a sentence to indicate intensity but this is unnecessary and generally considered rude by academics.
- d) Colons (:)
Colons are often used to introduce a quote, a list of items, or to separate clauses in a sentence when the second enlarges or explains the first. Remember that colons never end a sentence so you should not capitalise the next word and you should not put a space between the colon and the word ahead of it.
- e) Apostrophes ( ’ )
Apostrophes can be used in two ways – first as a contraction where part of a word is left out or where two words run together to form one word, or second, to denote possession.
As a contraction
It is very rare to use contractions in academic writing, as they are not normally considered to be formal enough for the genre. If you do feel the need to use a contraction, make sure that you have got it right.
E.g.
Do not becomes don’t.
Indicating Possession
Where the noun normally ends with a S you have a choice of either adding an apostrophe, or an apostrophe and a S to the end of the noun.
E.g.
Mike Davis’ desk….
or
Mike Davis’s desk….
Where a noun does not end with a S and is singular, add apostrophe-S to the word.
E.g.
Jane Noon’s bag….
Where a noun does not normally end in a S and is plural, add S-apostrophe to the word.
E.g.
The books’ covers….
Where the noun changes when it is plural, an apostrophe-s is appropriate.
E.g.
The children’s dinner…
Answering an assignment
There may be a number of types of assignment set by lecturers in the Business School. As a general rule, when answering assignments you will need to write in an appropriate academic style. Suggestions about how to approach specific types of assignments are listed on the following pages, but further instruction will be available from lecturers:
Essays:
An essay is a piece of work in which you are asked to discuss and analyse a subject or present an argument. When approaching an essay, it is important that you read the question carefully as many essays often fail to answer the question asked.
If you are uncertain what is required of you, discuss the question with your tutor or marker. As interim assistance, there are common ways that lecturers phrase essay questions that give an insight into they type of discussion they would like to see:
- a) Assignment help – Discuss/Consider:
Explore a range of ideas and points of view on the topic. Note and outline the strengths and weaknesses of the points of view you have discussed. Be thorough in your review of the subject and be as balanced in your discussion as is possible.
- b) Compare/Contrast:
These two words belong to the same analytical process. If you are asked to compare, emphasise the similarities between two things; if you are asked to contrast, emphasise the differences. If you are asked to both compare and contrast, discuss both the similarities and differences with equal weighting.
- c) Assess/Evaluate/Comment:
In this instruction, you are being asked to determine the impact or importance of something. You are required to weigh up the evidence and give a considered opinion or judgement.
- d) Summarise/Outline/Describe/Explain/Define:
You are required to select and discuss the main features or points, to give an overview of events or development and often, to précis something. Give a clear, well-organised account or outline. Attempt to make difficult concepts understandable. You might need to discuss the development of the issue or topic.
- e) Demonstrate/Illustrate:
Using reasoning or statements of evidence, you are required to prove something. You may be required to apply a theory or model to demonstrate an application.
- f) Criticise/Critique/Examine/Critically Assignment help – Discuss:
Inspect closely, investigate and question the multiple aspects of a perspective, statement, point of view, position or argument. Note that for academics to criticise something does not mean looking exclusively at the negative aspects of the issue. You should look at the topic with reasoned inquiry, accepting nothing at face value.
- g) Argue:
Set out a case for a particular point of view. Use reasoning and evidence to set out a discussion aimed at convincing the reader of something. Anticipate flaws in the case and address them before your argument is undermined.
Reports:
Reports are designed to be informative and factual, they are empirical focused rather than creative. They are often minimalist in terms of content and use a specific numbered-sction format, which aids in the presentation of a large volume of material in a small word count.
Book reviews:
For a book review, you will probably be asked to pretend that you are preparing the review for a journal. Look at the journal concerned or others in the same discipline and match the style and approach of the published book reviews published in these journals. Check the style guide included in the back of the journal concerned and match the style that you would be expected to produce in order to be published.
Journal assignments:
In this type of assignment, you will be asked to look at a number of articles from journals. Journals are collections of academic articles that are normally published every two or three months. These types of publication are easy to identify because they normally have the word journal in the title, but if you have any difficulty finding appropriate material there is help available from the librarians.
In a journal assignment you are normally required to discuss several articles using a critical approach. This means that you will need to outline, discuss and critique the point of view presented by the authors in the published items. Remember that critical approaches do not mean looking exclusively at the negative aspects.
Quoting material
Quoting is when you copy or repeat a passage or remark with indication that the part reproduced is borrowed. Quotes confirm some viewpoint or evidence an argument.
How to quote:
- a) Quotes shorter than 40 words:
If the quote is shorter than 40 words, incorporate it into the body of the text. Use quotation marks (“ ”), and cite the source of the quote (citation is explained later in the section on referencing).
E.g.
The history of management is replete with examples of “fads and fashions” (Smith 1997, p. 3) that have hampered the adoption of best practice.
- b) Quotes longer than 40 words:
If the quotation is longer than 40 words, display it as a block of text within the body of your assignment. Indent the entire block from the margins, but do not use quotation marks. Many people differentiate such blocks by changing the font.
E.g.
Numerous commentators have suggested that there is very little academic coherence to Human Resource Management. Academic Paul Blyton notes that:
Much of the confusion may arise because of the ambiguous pedigree of HRM, it can be traced back to the Organisational Development proponents of the 1970s, human capital theory in the 1960s, Drucker in the 1950s or even earlier (1992 p. 17).
Mechanics of quoting:
- To omit material from a quote, use ellipsis points. These consist of three full stops (… ) wherever material is omitted within a quoted sentence. To indicate that you have omitted material between sentences, type the punctuation that ends the sentence previous to the omitted material (usually a full-stop), three ellipsis points and then two spaces (…. ) before continuing with the quote.
- b) To add your own comments within the quote, use square brackets [ ] around the insertion. This method of insertion is often used by writers to acknowledge that the quote included either has an error in it or that it uses sexist language. To make such an acknowledgement, place [sic] immediately after the point in the quote where the error has been made.
Referencing Harvard Style
When writing an academic piece of work you will need to constantly refer back to or acknowledge material written or produced by others to ensure academic credibility to your position. This procedure has two parts to it:
- In the body of your text you will include brackets with an authors’ surname and date of publication to link the point back to the person you have got it from. This is called referencing, citing or in-text citation.
- At the end of your assignment you will include a list of materials relied upon for developing the assignment. This is called the Reference list (if you only list this items cited) or the Bibliography (if you include all the items you read in preparing the assignment).
Why Reference
You must always reference your sources of information otherwise you may be committing plagiarism (the copying of the work or intellectual property of another author – see page 13). In general, all statements, opinions, conclusions etc taken from another person’s work should be cited, regardless of whether the work is directly quoted, paraphrased or summarised.
Often students do not cite sufficiently to add academic credibility to their work because they are afraid the in-text citations will distract the reader. Don’t fall into this trap – academic readers and markers are trained to read sentences without being distracted by in-text citations and will find it more distracting if you don’t include citations, than if you do.
Where do I find the details I need for referencing and citing
When referencing books you will find most of the details you need on the back or front of the title page. When referencing journal articles it can be more difficult to identify the necessary details. Look at the title page or back page of the journal. Ask for help from the LRC Education Drop in Centre if you are unsure.
Electronic sources vary in the amount of detail provided and are part of a changing environment. Always ensure you keep a record of the web address and date when you accessed the page.
In-text Citation:
When paraphrasing, put the key point in your own words and at the end of your statement include a bracket with the citation information:
E.g.
A recent study observed that we have to demonstrate good practices (Harvey 1999 p. 27).
When quoting, copy the key phrase exactly and nearby include a bracket with the citation information:
E.g.
In a recent study Harvey (1999 p. 27) stated “good practices have to be taught”.
The Author’s surname and year of publication plus the page number (if required by the marker) are given in brackets. If the author’s name occurs naturally in the sentence then only the year is given in brackets.
Bibliography or reference lists
Books:
E.g.:
Russell, R. & Taylor, B. (1998) Operations management: focusing on quality and competitiveness. 2nd Ed, Prentice Hall.
- Put the author’s surname first, followed by initial(s) of forename(s);
- If there are two or three contributing names, include them all in the order they appear on the title page;
- If the book is edited, signify this by using ed. after the name of the editor/s;
- Use the year of publication – usually on back of title page;
- Always take the title from the title page;
- Capitalise the first letter of the book title;
- Use italics or underline for the book title;
- Give edition number if it is not the first; and
- Include the publisher’s details – usually on the back of the title page.
Journal Articles:
E.g.:
Cannel, M. (2000) The missing link. People Management, 6 (9), 51-52
- Author – follow the guidelines given for books;
- Use the year of the publication of the journal;
- Use the title of the article given at the beginning of the article;
- Give the full title of the journal in italics;
- List the journal’s volume number followed by the issue number in brackets; and
- Page numbers should also be part of your reference. If one page use p.
Web pages
E.g.
Holland, M. (1999) Guide to citing Internet Sources [online]. Poole: Bournemouth University. Available from: https://monkessays.com/write-my-essay/bournemouth.ac.uk/using_the_library/.html [Accessed 3 July 2000]
- Author/editor (if available and originating organisation if author information is not available);
- Last updated date (use undated if unavailable);
- Title of the web page in italics;
- The text [online] to indicate it is a web resource;
- Place of publication and publisher if ascertainable;
- Address the page was available from: – URL; and
- Access date in square brackets
What do I do if there is information missing from the reference
Authors:
The person or organisation shown most prominently in the source as responsible for the content in its published form should be given. For example, newspaper articles and Government reports are often published without an author so the name of the organisation would be used in the place of the author. For completely anonymous works use ‘Anon’ instead of a name but be very careful about using such sources.
For certain kinds of work, e.g. dictionaries or encyclopaedias, or if an item is the cooperative work of many individuals, none of whom have a dominant role, the title may be used instead of an originator or author.
Dates:
If an exact year or date is not known, an approximate date preceded by ‘ca. ‘ may be supplied and given in square brackets. If no such approximation is possible, that should be stated:
E.g.
(ca. 1750) or
(undated).
Consistency and accuracy are important to enable readers to identify and locate the material to which you have referred. The same set of rules should be followed every time you cite a reference.
