RESEARCH PAPER TOPICS BA 453 HRM

The primary objective o yo!r paper i" to #o $re"earch% i& a "peciic area o HRM' S!ch re"earch
re(!ire" the ormatio& o a $re"earch (!e"tio&% )ith a &arro) oc!" to aci*itate i&+#epth e,p*oratio&
a&# ote& e&tai*" a b*e&# o ie*# a&# *iterary re"earch' -o! ca& e*ect to #o primari*y ie*# or *iterary
re"earch' Some "!..e"te# topic" are be*o)/ b!t yo! are e&co!ra.e# to i&# o&e )hich e,cite" yo!r
i&te**ect a&#0or i" re*eva&t to yo!r !t!re b!"i&e"" career'
1IE23 RESEARCH re(!ire" co&tacti&. a compa&y or compa&ie"/ i#e&tiyi&. their c!rre&t HR
po*icy i""!e" or HR co&cer&"/ "e*ecti&. o&*y o&e/ #eve*opi&. a *i"t o i&tervie) (!e"tio&" ba"e# o& a
brie revie) o re"earch i& that HR area/ a&# the& co&#!cti&. a& i&tervie) to e,p*ore the matter i&
#epth' It i" 4OT mere*y a report o the co&ver"atio&a* &arrative o the i&tervie)' It i" a thoro!.h
criti(!e )ith recomme&#atio& or improveme&t'
5' Criti(!e a c!rre&t HR po*icy or i""!e i& a "peciic compa&y a&# ma6e recomme&#atio&" or
improveme&t' E,amp*e" o po*icie" are7 recr!iti&./ hiri&./ orie&tatio&/ trai&i&./ "!cce""io&
p*a&&i&./ career p*a&&i&./ team #eve*opme&t/ perorma&ce revie)/ e(!a* emp*oyme&t
opport!&ity/ pay i&ce&tive"/ a "peciic type o emp*oyee be&eit or per6/ corrective0#i"cip*i&ary
actio&/ OSHA comp*ia&ce/ a&# "aety reco.&itio&'
8' 3e"cribe a c!rre&t HR "trate.y i& a "peciic compa&y a&# ho) it e&ha&ce" their competitive
a#va&ta.e i& b!"i&e""' 3i"c!"" "tre&.th" a&# )ea6&e""e" o the "trate.y' E,amp*e" are7 HR
emp*oyme&t p*a&&i&./ perorma&ce ma&a.eme&t "y"tem/ or.a&i9atio& #e"i.&0#eve*opme&t/
compe&"atio& p*a&&i&./ (!a*ity o )or6 *ie :;<2=/ promotio& o #iver"ity/ a&# team b!i*#i&.'
3' I&tervie) a HR Ma&a.er i& a "peciic compa&y a&# i#e&tiy the major i""!e" aci&. him0her a&#
ho) they p*a& to a##re"" them' >e&era**y/ thi" i" a three "tep proce""7 :5= pho&e i&tervie) to
i#e&tiy a& i""!e:"=? :8= "e*ect a& i""!e a&# #eve*op a *i"t o e,p*oratory (!e"tio&" ba"e# o& re*ate#
theory a&# re"earch? a&# :3= co&#!ct a& i&+per"o& i&tervie)/ a"6 the (!e"tio&"/ a&# e,p*ore
po""ib*e i&terve&tio&"'
4' I#e&tiy a&# criti(!e the practice" a#opte# by a "peciic compa&y to comp*y )ith a "peciic
emp*oyme&t *a)' E,amp*e" are7 pre.&a&cy *eave/ 1M2A/ airmative actio&/ "e,!a*
hara""me&t/ #i"parate impact/ A3A/ )a.e+ho!r practice"/ OSHA/ )or6er" compe&"atio&/
!&emp*oyme&t compe&"atio&/ vetera& ri.ht"/ a&# ERISA or <AR4'
5' Criti(!e a perorma&ce ma&a.eme&t "y"tem i& a "peciic compa&y a&# ma6e recomme&#atio&"
or improveme&t' 4ote that thi" "y"tem e&tai*" more tha& perorma&ce revie)' See po"te#
materia*"'
@' I yo! have a compa&y or )hom yo! p*a& to )or6 ater .ra#!atio&/ i&(!ire i&to )hether there
i" a "peciic HR po*icy or i""!e or pro.ram that i" prob*ematic a&# criti(!e it' :or "ome other
HRM &ee# yo! ca& re"earch or them='
2ITERAR- RESEARCH re(!ire" a& i&+#epth e,p*oratio& o the c!rre&t ie*# o re"earch or a
"peciic area? it i" 4OT a& e""ay mere*y e,pre""i&. yo!r opi&io& o it'
5' 1oc!" o& a "peciic a"pect o a& emp*oyme&t *a) a&# e,ami&e the major ca"e *a) )ith
imp*icatio&" or HR po*icy' E,amp*e" are7 re*i.io!" accommo#atio& !&#er Tit*e AII/ vetera&
ri.ht" i& emp*oyme&t/ &atio&a* ori.i& #i"crimi&atio&/ a.e or .e&#er #i"crimi&atio&/ etc'
8' E,ami&e the va*!e/ *e.a*ity a&# ethic" o bac6.ro!&# i&ve"ti.atio&" :actor" to be i&ve"ti.ate#
a&# ho) they re*ate to job re(!ireme&t"=' To &arro) the oc!" o yo!r re"earch/ "e*ect o&e o the
area" commo&*y i&ve"ti.ate#/ e'.'/ "ocia* "ec!rity veriicatio&/ crimi&a* recor#"/ e#!catio&
cre#e&tia*"/ prior )or6 hi"tory/ cre#it hi"tory/ 3MA recor#"/ etc'
3' E,ami&e a "peciic "tream o emp*oyme&t *iti.atio& a&# it" imp*icatio&" or HR po*icy a&#
pract5ce'
4' E,ami&e o&e 6ey macro HR co&cept "!ch a" $Or.a&i9atio& 3e"i.&% or $<or6orce P*a&&i&.% or
$Compe&"atio& P*a&&i&.% a&# it" *i&6 to Strate.ic P*a&&i&. a&# HR po*icy #eve*opme&t'
5' Criti(!e a "peciic type o emp*oyme&t recr!itme&t metho# ba"e# o& avai*ab*e re"earch'
@' Criti(!e a "peciic type o emp*oyme&t "e*ectio& metho#/ e'.'/ per"o&a*ity te"ti&./ co.&itive
abi*ity te"ti&./ i&te.rity te"ti&./ "it!atio&a* i&tervie)"/ a""e""me&t ce&ter"/ etc'
B' Criti(!e a "peciic type o Perorma&ce Eva*!atio& metho# a&# it" it i& a& overa** perorma&ce
ma&a.eme&t "y"tem' I&c*!#e a& e,amp*e o thi" metho# !"e# c!rre&t*y i& a compa&y'
C' Criti(!e a "peciic type o job a&a*y"i" metho# a&# it" imp*icatio&" or HR po*icy'
D' E,ami&e the re"earch !&#er*yi&. the vario!" type" o j!#.me&t bia" i& eva*!atio& :emp*oyme&t
i&tervie)i&./ or.a&i9atio& a""e""me&t/ perorma&ce revie)"/ comp*ai&t i&ve"ti.atio&"/ etc'='
5E' I#e&tiy 6ey a"pect" o the re"earch "!rro!&#i&. perorma&ce mea"!reme&t or more i&+#epth
revie) o the re"earch "!rro!&#i&. a "peciic type o perorma&ce revie) metho#'
55' Criti(!e a& i&&ovative recr!iti&. metho# :i#e&tiy compa&ie" !"i&. it a&# their e,perie&ce='
58' Criti(!e a& i&&ovative emp*oyme&t "cree&i&. metho# :e'.'/ per"o&a*ity te"ti&.= a&# it"
imp*icatio&" or HR po*icy'
4ote o ca!tio&7 So*i# re"earch ta6e" time' Se*ect a topic )hich i" o i&tere"t to yo! or o&e that yo!
may c*ear*y have a& opport!&ity to !"e i& yo!r ir"t job ater co**e.e' Emai* me yo!r re"earch topic
a&# metho# a"ap "o that i a #ia*o.!e i" &ece""ary to c*ariy the i&a* topic/ )e )i** have time to
e,cha&.e i&ormatio&' Topic #ec*aratio&/ 405@/ a&# paper" are #!e at the e&# o c*a"" o&
403E'Samp*e" o $A% .ra#e# paper" rom previo!" c*a""e" are avai*ab*e i& my oice or revie)'