PG Dip/MA HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

MANAGING INFORMATION

2009-10

Module Guide

Tutors

David Robson is the module leader, to whom you should address general questions about the
module – email D.Robson@kingston.ac.uk . Pat Narendran provides you with the Financial
topics - p.narendran@escribe-europe.com

Introduction

This guide provides you with a brief overview of the rationale behind and the structure of the
Managing Information module. It includes an outline of the 11 sessions, with related
references to Chapters in the Core text, and other reading where appropriate. Lecture notes
will generally be provided through Blackboard, a copy of which should be printed off prior
and brought to the relevant lecture session.

The module covers three areas of Information Management: Finance, Information Systems
and basic Statistics. These areas of study might appear at first glance to be alien to the HR
practitioner, who might even suggest that these represent specialisms which should be left to
the experts. It isn’t the intention to make anyone a specialist through this module, nor is there
the time or scope, but all employees these days are faced with a barrage of information and
data, so it is the intention to show you how data might be handled in order to provide a more
effective presentation and meaningful interpretation.

It will provide you with a basic or working knowledge of the three disciplines and allow you
to discuss additional requirements with the experts as and when necessary.

In addition, the module will cover what constitutes Good Customer Service and the basis of
successful Quality Management. Good data management is a key element in both these areas
of business management, so you will get some idea of how the principles of Information
Management can be applied to particular business activities such as Good Customer Service
and Quality Management.

The Assignment

This assignment is designed to assess your ability to analyse financial data and evaluate other
data through appropriate statistical methodology. You will also demonstrate an
understanding of either customer service issues or means of quality control or approaches to
continuous improvement. The source of your data will come from your workplace or the
activities of an organisation with which you are familiar. Your competence and understanding
of these features will be conveyed by means of a report described in detail below.

The output of this assignment will be two reports, which will include:
 • Two statistical components, one being descriptive eg a pie chart, and the other
inferential eg a paired t-test.
• A financial component eg analysis of a company’s accounts.
• A briefing report on one of the factors mentioned above eg how customer service
should be understood or implemented from an HR perspective

The financial analysis will constitute one report and the remaining analysis the other.

The structure of each report will be essentially the same:

• A title page and list of contents

• A brief introduction into the source of your information, including a description of
the organisation being examined.
• The analysis itself, including an explanation of what you are trying to achieve.
• Any recommendations and/or conclusions resulting from the analysis.

The two reports should total no more than 4000 words, which should prove ample as you are
likely to produce tables, charts and figures to support your proposals, etc., and the words in
these do not count towards the total. You are not expected to do a literature review as such,
but further reading and referencing might prove advantageous when you come to do the
briefing report.

Assignment Help

The content matter of this module may be unfamiliar to you and there is the danger that you
panic before embarking upon the assignment. However, once you have collected some data,
the manipulation of that data using the techniques and concepts introduced during the
programme should prove relatively easy and worthwhile. Thus it is the data collection which
is important. The data need not be complex. You are not being asked to restructure the
company or prepare a document for possible takeover by a private equity firm! Discuss the
nature of this assignment with your immediate manager or a colleague who might have some
experience in statistics, finance or managing quality. Consider how you might collect the
data as well as identifying early any possible obstacles to that data collection eg
confidentiality. You can talk to your fellow students or the tutors, although bear in mind we
are pushed for time so can’t discuss an individual piece of work in great detail.

Most importantly, give yourself plenty of time. Start thinking about data collection as soon as
possible as this can be the biggest time consuming factor around this assignment. Statistical
analysis using modern packages is a very quick task to perform, so won’t be a time factor.
Financial analysis might take longer but should still be relatively straightforward in terms of
time usage. Evaluation of the results can take longer and might lead you to go back and
undertake some further analysis, so leave some time for this. Most importantly have a go.
You will be assessed as much on trying techniques (provided they are appropriate!) as on
correct outcomes.

FT programme

For those on the FT programme, who do not have a sponsoring organisation, an alternative
data source will be provided for the statistical analysis.
Data presentation vs Statistical Inference

The methods we shall examine fall into the 2 categories as shown in the table below. You are
expected to use one method from each category in you report.

Data presentation Statistical Inference

Pie Charts z-test
Bar Charts t-tests
Grouped Frequency Distribution and F-test
Histograms ANOVA
Cumulative FD and the Ogive Chi-squared test
Correlation* Signed Rank test
Regression*
Time Series Forecasting * can also be inferential if you make a claim
Index numbers

The module structure

The teaching programme is as follows:

Session Topic Tutor Reading

1 Introduction to the module, Information DR 20,21,24,26,10,11,12.
Systems & Data presentation.
2 Introduction to Statistics. Correlation & DR 13,15,17.
regression. Time series forecasting.
3 Statistical Inference & hypothesis testing DR 14.
4 Non-parametric testing and Index ratios DR 16 & handouts
5 Quality management DR Handouts
6 Good customer service DR Handouts
7 Nature of and reasons for Finance: Balance PN 1,2,3
Sheets
8 The Profit & Loss Account Provisions/ Stock PN 2,3
Valuations
9 Cash flows and Profit flows: Cash Budgets PN 1,2,3,5,7
10 Financial Ratio Analysis: Balance Sheets and PN 4
P&L Accounts
11 Costs and budgets/Module review and PN/DR 5,6
assignment briefing

Key: PN Pat Narendran

DR David Robson

The reading is based on the chapter references of the core text: Managing Information: Core
Management D Bedward & J Stredwick (2004) Elsevier

Reading List
Core text

D Bedward & J Stredwick (2004) Managing Information: Core Management Elsevier

Other texts

R & F Bee (2003) Managing Information & Statistics CIPD

Robert Johnston & Graham Clark (2008) Service Operations Management, 3nd Ed., London,
FT/Pitman

Dale, B.G., van der Wiele, T. & van Iwaarden, J. (2007), Managing Quality 5th ed., Oxford,
Blackwell