ACADEMIC YEAR 2020 – SUMMER TERM

MBA
(MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION)

HRMT 621 – INTERNATIONAL HRM

INSTRUCTOR: DR. PAURIC P. O’ROURKE

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT BRIEF

15% OF TOTAL COURSE GRADE

SUBMISSION DATE: WEEK 8: SUNDAY

MIDNIGHT – ONLINE VIA STUDENT PORTAL
(MOODLE) TURNITIN LINK

HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 1

 .

Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this assignment the student will be able:
1. To develop efficient and effective individual working skills.
2. To develop abilities to gather, analyse, interpret and evaluate information on an
International Human Resource Management (IHRM) related topic(s).
3. To strengthen conceptual and analytical skills in the study of IHRM.
4. To build tangible links between the theory and practice of IHRM.
5. To heighten awareness and understanding of IHRM in action and gain greater
self-awareness of oneself as a learning individual and as a professional.
6. To develop and present thoughts, arguments and informed opinions in a logical
and coherent way.
7. To demonstrate academic and management research, report writing and
composition skills with academic integrity.
8. To consistently apply the APA style of academic citation and referencing.
9. To demonstrate word processing and IT skills
10. To develop project and time management skills.
11. To develop healthy and functional work habits in progressing confidently and
consistently towards a defined submission deadline date.

Individual Written Assignment– Question

Select any two MNEs (Multinational Enterprises) and evaluate their approach to any one
aspect of their International HRM Cycle as listed below:
1. International Resourcing – Recruitment, Selection and Talent and Succession
Management OR
2. International Learning and Development OR
3. International Performance Management OR
4. International Reward Management

6 Steps to Completing this Individual Assignment:

1. Choose one of the above areas and research the topic of IHRM using academic
and business resources and sources
2. Write up the Assignment using the Suggested Format.
3. Double check the LT assignment against the marking and assessment rubrics.
4. Complete and sign the Academic Integrity Declaration Form
5. Put assignment through Turnitin with a Similarity Score of 20% Or Less.
6. Submit the final assignment online via the Student Portal (Moodle) by the
stipulated deadline.

Step 1. Choose one of the areas below and research the topic of IHRM using
academic and business resources and sources
Select any two MNEs (Multinational Enterprises) and evaluate their approach to any
one aspect of their International HRM Cycle as listed below:
HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 2
 5. International Resourcing – Recruitment, Selection and Talent and Succession
Management OR 2. International Learning and Development OR
3. International Performance Management OR 4. International Reward
Management

Step 2. Write up the Assignment using the Suggested Format.

Writing Up the Assignment: Style and Substance:

Substance and Body of Assignment:

This is not rigid and is only a suggested layout, but the assignment should include the
following:

Section 1: Introduction (a short introduction about the aim and purpose of the
assignment and what you hope to achieve. Signpost what you are going to do in the
assignment and so lead the reader

Section 2: The Nature and Context of IHRM

.
Section 3: The International HRM Cycle and your Chosen Area (e.g. Reward Mang)

Section 4: The Two Chosen Multinational Enterprise (MNEs) and The Industry

Section 5: The IHRM Policies, Practices and Systems of the 2 Chosen MNEs.

Section 6: Discussion and Analysis

Section 7: Conclusion and Reflections

References/Bibliography (at least 6 references)

Assignment Format and Checklist:

Word Count: The assignment should be approx. be

2,000 minimum and 2,500 maximum words/
This excludes any footnotes, references, bibliography or appendices. The word count
should be indicated on the pro-forma cover page.
Format:
The assignment should be presented in word processed format adhering to the following
guidelines:
- Essay style or report style formal structure.
- Word only format, not PDF
- See the APA Template on the Library section.
HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 3
- Clear paragraphing with headings and sub-headings.
- Use of plenty of white space, breaking up the text with visual aids, diagrams,
graphs, etc. If too bulky, put in Appendix.
- Double line spacing
- Numbered paragraphs 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 etc. APA style
- Times New Roman 12
- Pages Numbered
- Table of Contents at front
- Consistent Style of APA Citation Referencing. - see Library Workshops
- Minimum of 6 references
- Proof Read and Spell Checked
- Contain completed Cover Sheet and signed Academic Integrity Declaration Form
(at end of this document) which includes the Assignment Title, Student Number, Year,
Course Part & Program and Word Count and which verifies that you have acknowledged
all references, the work is yours and that you have not plagiarized.

Finding Relevant Information:

- Please explore all the usual sources such as Google Scholar, UCW library
databases
- Industry trade magazines and professional body publications
- MNEs website and HR and career portals
- Best Place to Work - MNEs website and league tables of best MMEs to work
- Ask the UCW Librarian, they are the experts in information finding and retrieval
and are there to help.

Step 3: Follow and Double Check Your Final Work Against the Assessment and
Rubrics and Marking Scheme For This Assignment :

Assessment Rubrics:

To check your critical thinking, following dimensions will be considered: clarity, relevance, depth of
discussion, breadth of discussion, integration and internal consistency.
Assessment Rubrics:

Written Communication Assessment 20%

1 2 3
Did not meet Met expectations Exceeded
expectations expectations
Writing Frequent Few grammatical Free of grammatical
Conventions grammatical errors errors errors
(grammar, word use, and misspellings and misspellings and misspellings
punctuation, inhibit readability (e.g. Effective verb tense
mechanics) Informal language, three or fewer per used
abbreviations and page) Uses phrases and
slang is used

HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 4

 Correct verb tense construction that
used delight as
Paragraphs flow well as inform the
from reader
one to another Active Primarily active
voice pervasive voice
Overall Not formatted to Formatting is Assigned format
Effectiveness of Specifications, generally followed
Piece (professional Lacking professional correct, acceptable explicitly:
appearance, appearance professional Exceptional
expression and appearance. professional
format) appearance

Critical Thinking Assessment 80%

Intellectual Standards
Elements of Reasoning Clarit Relevan Depth Breadt Integratio Consiste
y ce h n ncy
Information 123 123 123 123 123 123
(situation analysis;
important data, facts,
observations for analysis
and decision making)
Concepts 123 123 123 123 123 123
(theories, principles, models
to be applied in the analysis
or exercise)
Points of View 123 123 123 123 123 123
(important stakeholders to
consider in the analysis and
resulting decision(s))
Assumptions 123 123 123 123 123 123
(presuppositions, values or
beliefs that must be
explicitly stated)
Implications 123 123 123 123 123 123
(potential +/- outcomes or
consequences of decisions
or
strategies)
Interpretation 123 123 123 123 123 123
(articulation of conclusions,
interpretation,
recommendation
based on information,
concepts,
POV, assumptions and
Implications)

Critical Thinking and Written Analyses Rubric – Scale Description

HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 5

 Levels
Criteria 1 2 3
Did Not Meet Met Expectations Exceeded
Expectations Expectations
Clarity Writing is not clear. It Writing is generally well Writing is succinct,
is organized and precise,
difficult to understand understood. Transitions effectively organized
points are used to facilitate and
being made. The clarity. Some examples without ambiguity.
writing lacks and/illustrations are used Transitions, explanation
transitions, and few to support explanation or and elaboration are
examples and/or recommendations. extensive to elucidate
illustrations are points. Detailed
provided to support illustrations and/or
explanation or examples are used to
recommendations. support explanation or
recommendations.
Relevance Critical issues/questions Most of the critical All critical
are issues/questions are issues/questions
omitted or ignored in addressed in the writing. are addressed
the completely in
writing. the writing
Depth of Ignores bias; Omits Detects bias; Recognizes Analysis includes
Discussion arguments arguments; insightful
Misrepresents issues; Categorizes content; questions;
Excludes data; Includes Paraphrases data; Refutes bias; Discusses
but does not detect Sufficient detail to issues thoroughly
inconsistencies of support conclusions Critiques content ;
information; Ideas and/or recommendations Values
contain Information
unnecessary gaps, Examine inconsistances
repetition or extraneous ;
details; Sees no Offers extensive detail
arguments and to
overlooks support conclusions and
differences recommendations;
Suggests
solutions or
implementation
Breadth of Omits arguments or Covers the breadth of the Considers multiple
Discussion perspectives; Misses topic without being perspectives;
major superfluous Thoroughly delves into
content areas/concepts; the issues/questions;
Presents few options Thoroughly discusses
facts relevant to the
issues
Integration Fails to draw Formulates clear Assimilates and
of all conclusions or conclusions with critically
Elements of conclusions rely on adequate support reviews information,
Reasoning author’s uses

HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 6

 authority rather than reasonable judgment,
strength of presentation; and
Draws faulty provides balanced, well
conclusions; Shows justified conclusions
intellectual dishonesty
Internal There is little Sections of the paper are All sections of the
Consistency integration across generally well paper are
the sections of the linked/connected. Only linked. There are no
paper. minor contradictions contradictions in the
Several inconsistencies exist. Most of the issues, writing. All issues,
or recommendations and recommendations and
contradictions exist. explanations make sense explanations make
Few of the issues, and are well integrated. sense
recommendation and and are well integrated
explanations make
sense and are well
integrated.
Values: Level 1: 10%, Level 2: 50% and Level 3: 100%

Grade Point and Letter Grades:

DESCRIPTOR GRADE
Exceptional: Normally achieved by a small
minority of students who have 90-100% A+
consistently exceeded performance (4.33)
expectations in all evaluation criteria.
Excellent: Demonstrates a comprehensive
knowledge and understanding of subject
matter and achievement of learning 85-89% A (4.00)
outcomes at high levels of performance in
almost all of the evaluation criteria.
Exceptionally good: Demonstrates a
comprehensive knowledge and
understanding of the subject matter and
80-84% A- (3.67)
achievement of learning outcomes at well
above average levels of performance in
most of the course evaluation criteria.
Good: Demonstrates substantial
knowledge and understanding of the
76-79% B+ (3.33)
subject matter and achievement of
learning outcomes at average to above
72-75% B (3.00)
average performance levels in most of the
course evaluation criteria
Satisfactory: Demonstrates sufficient
knowledge and understanding of the
subject matter and achievement of
68-71% B- (2.67)
learning outcomes at average levels of
performance in most of the course
evaluation criteria.

HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 7

 Pass: Demonstrates acceptable knowledge
and understanding of the subject matter
and achievement of learning outcomes at 60-67% C (2.00)
low to average level of performance in
many of the course evaluation criteria.
Fail: Unacceptable performance in most or
0-59% F (0)
all of the course evaluation criteria

Given the nature of “relative grading” (competition), your grades will normally follow
a normal distribution curve which means Grade A and A+ will be very rare and few as
will Fail Grades.

Step 4. Complete and Sign the One Academic Integrity Declaration Form.
Please fully complete the Assignment Cover Sheet including the Academic Integrity
Form. (a copy is on the last page of this brief.) An electronic signature is acceptable, or
you may physically sign and scan. Attach a signed copy of this cover sheet to the final
document before final submission. Please make a screen shot of the cover sheet as if
you include it as a Word document into the main document it will drive up the Turnitin
similarity score.

Step 5. Put the Assignment Through Turnitin With a Similarity Score of 20%
Or Less.

This course requires you to submit your assignment in electronic form. The electronic
material will be submitted to a service to which UCW subscribes, called Turnitin. This
is a service that checks textual material for originality. Turnitin.com is used increasingly
in North American universities. For additional information please visit:
https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Turnitin_FAQ_Questi
ons_and_Answers.pdf

Having competed the Academic Integrity Certificate previously and you are still unsure
what plagiarism means, then please visit www. Plagiarism.org

The Turnitin Company has recently re-launched Plagiarism.org, an educational and

informative resource on plagiarism and best practices for ensuring originality in written
work. This site, geared toward students and writers in general, offers a wealth of
information specifically about plagiarism, as well as information on how to properly
attribute and cite sources. On Plagiarism.org, you'll also find an "Ask the Experts"
feature, FAQs, and a resource section with downloadable handouts. Also please visit
the UCW Library website.

On the Moodle page for this course part and assignment you will find the location where
you upload the assignment to Turnitin.

HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 8

If you look at the assignment of a previous student who took this course, even just as a
reference, this is still plagiarism and cheating. Always use your own words and your
own voice as its your assignment and your ideas only. Even if your English is not
perfect it is always best to put in your own words rather than risk breaching academic
integrity. During exam, you’re not allowed to look at other people’s work under any
circumstances and the same rules apply for assignments.

Consequences and Penalties of Plagiarism:

• Explicit:
o 1st Offense: Zero on the assignment and one strike on your permanent student
record.
o 2nd Offense: Automatic failure of the course
o 3rd Offense: Expelled from the school
• Implicit
o UCW is a relatively small academic community of faculty and students where
everyone knows each other. Any blemish or damage to your reputation and your
personal and academic integrity will impact your professional standing and future
academic and professional options.
o If you are found guilty of cheating, you will be labelled as a “cheater” and you will
carry this reputation for the rest of your stay in this school and it may appear on your
academic record/transcript when looking for academic references in order to pursue
further studies and or when seeking employment.

Troubleshooting Turnitin:
If you encounter difficulties with your Turnitin submission, try one of these two
strategies (solves it 99% of the time)
1. Wait an hour or two or three and try submitting again
2. Try using a different web browser or computer.
Important: Please note the Instructor has no control or authority over the Turnitin system
so they are unable to help you if you have trouble with submission. You must contact
the IT department. So, allow sufficient time for any obstacles or delays. It is wise to
submit your assignment couple days before the due date, so you still have time to fix it
if you experience submission problems. If you submit your assignment at the last
moment and experience submission problems, there is nothing the instructor can do, and
you will incur a penalty for a late submission. If you email an Instructor on the weekends
with problems, they will not be able to reply to you until Monday. So, resolve issues in
a timely manner before the weekend and during the office hours of the Instructor and
UCW IT Department.

Turnitin Similarity Score 20%:

You may upload your assignment up to three times maximum, before the final
submission deadline so that you are below the 20% comparability score.
An assignment with a comparability score of greater than 20% will be penalized. So
please ensure you have a score of 20% or less before final submission.
HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 9
Between 20 to 30%: A deduction of up to 30% of your grade will be made depending
on the case.
Over 30% is an automatic fail of the assignment and this will be reported to the Head
of Department for review and further action and possible sanctions.
If you use Grammerly as an initial check for similarity score, remember that Turnitin
will add a minimum of extra 15%-20% to the score you get from Grammerly so don’t
rely on it or trust the result.
If you believe you completed an honest assignment but still went over 20%? Then you
need to revisit your refences. If you did an inadequate job of researching for
references, you will end up including many references that other students have already
used, and this will increase your similarity score. There are millions of articles
available to enable you to complete a robust and rigorous literature review and a
systematic research process. Consult the UCW Librarians for help. They are the
experts on finding resources and hey are they to help you and make you a better
researcher.
If you go over 20% regardless of the reasons, penalties will apply and if you exceed
30% you will automatically fail the assignment.

Tips on Lowering Similarity Scores

1. No direct quotes from references (not even one sentence). Always paraphrase
everything and include proper citation. It is only fair that you acknowledge and give
credit to where you got the idea or concept from.
a. In other words, DON’T COPY ANY QUOTES from the references.
b. DO NOT directly copy the assignment questions to your assignment as this will
increase your similarity score.
2. Carry out a comprehensive review in researching so your references are not going to
overlap with other students’ assignments,
a. If it only took you 30 minutes to find a particular reference, chances are very
high that previous students already used those so if you use the same reference, it
will increase your similarity score. That is why Google Scholar should not be your first
port of call.
b. Avoid searching through Google and even Google Scholar and don’t include online
news articles and magazines.
c. Go to the library (not just our school but also other libraries) and search for
books
d. Search for online for peer reviewed journal articles from scholarly portals and
databases such as EBSCO and JSTOR
e. Sign up for “Journal Article Alerts” from such journal article publishers as “Wiley
Online”.

Step 6. Submit the Final Assignment Online Via Student Portal on Moodle
by the Stipulated Deadline.
The stipulated deadline for this assignment is on the cover page of this brief. Please
double check the date and submit on time.
HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 10
Put the date in your cell phone calendar. Please build sufficient time into your planning
to allow for Turnitin submission time. Do not rely on JIT !!!

Submit on the Moodle page for this course section, on the Turnitin link.

Late Assignments will be penalized at a rate of 10% of the final assignment grade, per
day.

Start Your Assignment NOW! - One Step at a Time! Only 10 Steps!

Do not wait until your assessment topic is covered in a lecture, if applicable, as it may
be too late. So, start your essay NOW with planning and information gathering. Work
on it every day, even if only for 15 minutes.

Be pro-active in your planning and not to rely on JIT (Just in Time) or last-minute
syndrome which is often part of the deadline-procrastination doom loop. Please read
these articles below to gain more insight into the psychology of procrastination and the
negatives of a last-minute approach to work. So avoid the stress and start NOW !
1. Thompson, Derek (2014) The Procrastination Doom Loop—and How to Break It?
Delaying Hard Work is All about Your Mood. In the Atlantic August 26th Access full
article at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/08/the-procrastination-loop-and-
how-to-break-it/379142/
2. Jaffe, Eric (2014) Why Wait? The Science Behind Procrastination: After a Long
Delay, Psychological Science is beginning to Understand the Complexities of
Procrastination in Observer-Association for Psychological Science Access full article
at:
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2013/april-
13/why-wait-the-science-behind-procrastination.html

How to Create Instant Motivation and Break the Procrastination Habit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d7hf11XQns

Marking/Grading and Feedback Timeline:

Assuming a class size of 20 students it will take two weeks for the Instructor to grade
your assignment.
Feedback from the Instructor will be posted under the “feedback” section on the course
website.

Help Clinic: Ongoing Help and Support:

If you have any questions or challenges, or are just seeking clarification, please raise
them in class with the Instructor ASAP! The same issue you raise may be the one that
other students are facing. In order to discover and raise such questions, you need to start
the assignment NOW!
HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 11
Instructor, Contact Details and Appointments:
Dr. Pauric P. O’Rourke
PhD, MSc, MBS, LLM, B.A, CTLHR, PGC (Blended Learning), Fellow HEA, CMBE,
CPHR (Canada), SPHR (USA), Chartered MCIPD (UK)

If you wish discuss any issue with the Instructor please speak to them before or after
class. Please do NOT e mail the Instructor if at all possible as face to face
communication is easier, quicker and clearer. If you need to set up an appointment to
meet in person with the Instructor please give adequate notice and indicate at least two
suitable times. Please use the e mail message facility in Moodle if you have to
communicate in writing with the Instructor.

E-Mail Etiquette:
If as a last resort, you choose to contact the Instructor by e mail, please ensure that the e
mail is written in a professional, courteous and business-like manner with proper
business English and format, such as Dear Pauric and Best regards etc. Cell phone Text
English/Slang is not acceptable. Failure to do so, will mean that you will not receive a
reply. Sending of any inappropriate or disrespectful communication, attachments or
commentary via e-mail or any form of social media, such as Twitter etc, will be
automatically reported to the University authorities for further action and possible
discipline and sanction.
When the Instructor answers your e mail and addresses your issue, it is considered
professional courtesy and basic good manners to reply with an e mail of thanks and
appreciation.

*****

HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 12

 STUDENT LEARNING INDIVIDUAL ASSIGMENT SUBMISSION COVER PAGE

NB: Incorporate a screen shot of the signed cover sheet and declaration t into your completed document. Do not
put in as a word document as it will drive up the Turnitin similarity score.

ACADEMIC YEAR 2020 – S TERM

DEGREE PROGRAM: __MBA______________
YEAR/TIER: ________________________________

HRMT 621 – INTERNATIONAL HRM

INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION – 15%

(print for clarity)

1. Name:________________________________Student #: ________________

WORD COUNT: ___________________

(2,000-min to 2,500 words max, excluding references/bibliography and appendices)

INSTRUCTOR: DR. PAURIC P. O’ROURKE

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY DECLARATION:

I fully understand that plagiarism is a serious offence and I have read and understood the University’s
policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. I fully understand the consequences in terms of penalties
and sanctions that may be imposed by the University if I have not identified and properly attributed
sources that have been used, referred to or have in any way influenced the preparation of this
assignment. Furthermore, I fully understand the consequences in terms of sanctions and penalties that
the University may impose if I have knowingly allowed others to plagiarise my work in any way.
I hereby declare that this assignment is solely my work based on my personal study and /or research
and that I have acknowledged all material and sources used in its preparation. I also declare that this
assignment has not been previously submitted for assessment by me or by any other student at this or
any other University or college.

1.Signed: _____________________________ Date: _________2020_

(Electronic Signature is acceptable)

HRMT 621 IHRM – Individual Assignment Brief 13