HRM2605-Human Resource Management For Line Managers EXAM PACK 2022.

HRM2605-Human Resource Management For Line Managers EXAM PACK 2022. ANSWER ALL THREE (3) OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. QUESTION 1 Read the following scenario and then answer the questions that follow. Remember: your answers should relate to the information provided in the scenario. Coping with demands at work Naledi Lekota is a working mother that hardly has time to relax after hours. She works extremely hard and has been working at the Val-De-Grace Hospital for more than 10 years. Naledi has been the matron at the hospital for almost seven years. The operations manager, David Dlamini, whom she reports to, suddenly passed away and the hospital is urgently looking for a replacement for him. Naledi has all the right qualifications and experience as she has over the years during his absence been acting as the operations manager – a job she has done very well. Despite this, the hospital authorities are not even considering her for the position. The directors of the hospital believe that it is a “man’s job”, and they are not prepared to consider her as a possible candidate. Previously, managerial vacancies were also filled by external candidates, because management felt that “the new blood” introduced in this way contributed to innovation and creativity. Naledi has always tried to make the work environment a better place for the nursing staff. Their wellbeing has been a big priority for her. She recently noticed that because of the numerous vacancies at the hospital, her nursing staff are working very hard to cope with the ever-increasing demands from patients. There has also recently been a worldwide pandemic that has now spread to South Africa. Several people have been hospitalised and placed in isolation wards to stop the spread of the virus and for intensive monitoring. This has worsened the staffing situation as the employees now have to work additional shifts to cope with the increasing number of patients. These employees reported feeling exhausted and as though their efforts and performance are not recognised. Some staff members even said that they would leave as soon as they found another job that offered better working conditions. 1.1 HR professionals should recognise that employees generally progress through different career stages. Identify [½ mark] and briefly discuss [½ mark] the career stage in which Naledi finds herself. Substantiate your discussion with an example from the case study [1 mark]. (2) 1.2 Identify [2 marks] and briefly discuss [2 marks] two problems that Naledi faces in terms of her career. (4) 1.3 The Board of Directors assumed that the operations manager position is more suitable for male employees. Evaluate the legality of this assumption or opinion by referring to the requirements set out in the Employment Equity Act, no 55 of 1998. (2) [TURN OVER] 1.4 Identify the recruitment source that was used to attract suitable candidates for the managerial vacancies at the hospital [1 mark]. Secondly, outline two advantages and two disadvantages of using this recruitment source [4 marks]. (5) 1.5 You have read in an article that internal staffing can be beneficial to an organisation. Convince the Board of Directors to consider an internal staffing strategy that will ensure fairness in the selection and promotion procedures of the hospital. In your answer, you should refer to the advantages of adopting an internal staffing strategy. (5) 1.6 Identify and define the health condition that the employees in the scenario are experiencing because of their situation at work [1 mark]. Secondly, explain what the employer can do to assist these employees in managing this health condition [4 marks]. (5) 1.7 The following snippet was obtained from the scenario: “Some staff members even said that they would leave as soon as they found another job that offered better working conditions.” Evaluate this statement and advise Naledi on the actions that she can take to ensure that the employees do not leave the organisation. (2) [25] [TURN OVER] QUESTION 2 Read the following scenario and then answer the questions that follow. New beginnings at Technology for Africa Amir Naidoo has recently been appointed as the HR manager at Technology for Africa, a company that specialises in the design of global positioning systems (GPSs). The company has a client base throughout the southern part of Africa and the company has been expanding rapidly during the past few years. Unfortunately, due to inexperience, management has made several mistakes in terms of their staffing needs and future requirements, which has led to a reputation of poor service delivery. Amir was asked to advise the directors of the company on the way forward. Technology for Africa has recently formed an alliance with a tour operating company that organises tours for international clients visiting Africa. With this alliance, there is a possibility that the company could experience growth and increase its revenue. Should this alliance realise, they will have to appoint additional staff to ensure that they provide the best possible service to its clients. As Amir starts settling into the company, he starts asking for more information and he discovers that no one can provide him with the new strategic plan for the company. This is concerning for Amir, and he approaches the managing director, Nadja Helgard, for guidance. Nadja informs him that they do have a five-year plan, but that it is not communicated to the employees. Amir also talks to several line managers and employees in different divisions and realises that most of the employees are unhappy at the company. He suspects that the salaries and wages that the company pays are not market related. Several youngsters complained that they did not get any feedback on their work. They also complained that there were not enough training opportunities and only few people got the opportunity to progress in their careers. Several employees resigned because they felt the organisation is not the right fit for them. Besides these concerns, Amir also noticed that there is a general perception that the supervisors are not fair and consistent in the application of rules and disciplinary procedures. 2.1 What action should Amir take to ensure that the company’s staffing needs and future employee requirements are addressed? In your answer, you should identify the HR process [1 mark] and briefly apply it to the scenario [4 marks]. (5) 2.2 What HR function should Amir use to determine if the salaries that the organisation pays are comparable to those of other organisations in the same industry [1 mark]? In your answer, you should identify the most suitable technique used for this function [1 mark] and briefly discuss it [3 marks]. (5) 2.3 Identify at least five (5) HRM problems that Amir is presented with in the scenario. (5) [TURN OVER] 2.4 Explain which HR functions must be put in place to reduce or eliminate the problems identified in question 2.3. In your answer, you should first identify the HR functions [5 marks] and then explain how it will address the problem [5 marks]. Use the table below to structure your answer. Problem identified in question 2.3 HR function How will the HR function address the problem identified in question 2.3? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. (10) [25] QUESTION 3 3.1 Read the following scenario and then answer the questions that follow. Golden Insurance (Pty) Ltd is a large life-insurance organisation in South Africa. The organisation has many divisions, but one department that has been receiving a lot of criticism in the media is its inbound call centre. Customers have been complaining that the call centre agents are rude and disrespectful and that their calls are directed to various departments before they reach the correct one. Simon, the call centre supervisor, has approached you for assistance in developing and presenting a training programme for the call centre agents. He believes both existing and new call centre agents should be taught how to answer incoming telephone calls professionally, listen to what the customer requires and then assist the customer in an efficient and professional manner. Apply the systems approach to training and development (T&D) to the scenario by answering the following questions: 3.1.1 Explain how the first phase of the systems approach to T&D should be applied to address the problems at Golden Insurance (Pty) Ltd [3 marks]. On which level does Golden Insurance’s immediate training needs lie? [1 mark]. Substantiate your answer with an example from the scenario [1 mark]. (5) 3.1.2 Which T&D technique should be used to present the training programme to the call centre agents? [1 mark] Substantiate your answer with a reason [1 mark]. (2) 3.1.3 After you have presented the training programme, it is important to determine the extent to which the trainees have changed as a result of participating in the training programme. Explain the evaluation strategy that should be followed to determine if the training programme was effective. (3) 3.1.4 How may call centre agents’ jobs be redesigned so that they are more satisfied and challenged by their work [4 marks]? Can a call centre agent’s job be enriched or enlarged so that the employee remains satisfied and productive or does it resemble an assembly line [1 mark]? (5) Question 3.1 = 15 marks 3.2 Read the following scenario and then answer the question that follows. On a Friday afternoon, a difference of opinion breaks out between employees A and X about a soccer game to take place on the following Saturday. The argument takes place on a bus provided by the employer to take the employees home. The difference of opinion soon becomes heated, and employee X assaults employee A. Employee A is X’s subordinate.