THIS PAPER IS NOT TO BE REMOVED FROM THE EXAMINATION HALLS

University of London
BSc Examination 2015
BA2090

Business Administration

Human Resource Management

Date: Friday 15th May

Time:10.00 - 13.00

DO NOT TURN OVER UNTIL TOLD TO BEGIN

Time allowed: THREE hours

Answer THREE Questions

All questions carry equal marks

No credit will be given for attempting any further questions

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©University of London 2015

UL15/

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1. ‘Even if the rhetoric of HRM is ‘soft’, the reality is almost always ‘hard’, with the
interests of the organization prevailing over those of the individual.’ (Truss et al.,
1997). Critically discuss this statement.

2. To what extent should strategies for managing employees be developed within the
context of the business strategies?

3. Critically discuss the popularity of the strategic partner role amongst HR

professionals, and the neglect of the employee champion role. What if any are the
implications for line managers?

4. ‘Employee involvement and participation systems allow for workers to have a say (or
voice) which potentially allows staff to influence events at work’ (Marchington and
Wilkinson, 2012, p. 346). Discuss.

5. Discuss the factors that may influence whether a multinational corporation adopts an
ethnocentric, polycentric or geocentric strategy in deploying managers to a subsidiary.

6. ‘Whilst the high commitment model does increase worker output, it also raises labour
costs, and if additional costs outweigh increases in productivity or quality achieved it
would be misguided for employers to invest in this approach’ (Cappelli and Neumark,
2001). Critically evaluate this statement.

7. Discuss why the employment relationship is best depicted as being ‘amoeba-like’.

8. Critically evaluate the extent to which legislation contributes towards the achievement
of equality in the work place. Include a discussion of the unintended consequences
and limitations of legislation as a guarantor of equality.

9. To what extent are employers able to ‘seek an optimal balance between functional,
numerical and financial forms of flexibility through segmenting the labour force’
(Legge, 2005)? Answers should be supported with examples.

10. ‘The sight of employees sprinting away from the workplace at the end of the day
suggests many workers are not well-motivated’ (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2012).
Discuss this statement in light of the different ways employees may be motivated
through reward.

END OF PAPER

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