HRBUS85/101/0/2022

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2022

Research Project (Human Resource

Management)

HRBUS85

Year module

Department of Human Resource Management

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This tutorial letter contains important information about your module. Please
register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail account and make sure that
you have regular access to the myUnisa module website, HRBUS85-22-Y1.

Note: This is a fully online module. It is, therefore, only available on myUnisa.

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 CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 3
1.1 Getting started ................................................................................................................................. 3
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................... 4
2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Outcomes ........................................................................................................................................ 4
3 LECTURERS AND CONTACT DETAILS ......................................................................................... 5
3.1 Contacting the lecturers .................................................................................................................. 5
3.2 Contacting the Department of Human Resource Management ..................................................... 5
3.3 Contacting the university................................................................................................................. 6
3.4 Contacting your fellow HRBUS85 students .................................................................................... 6
4 RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................................... 6
4.1 Joining myUnisa .............................................................................................................................. 6
4.2 Prescribed book .............................................................................................................................. 7
4.3 Recommended books ..................................................................................................................... 7
4.4 Electronic reserves (e-reserves) ..................................................................................................... 7
4.5 Library services and resources ....................................................................................................... 7
4.6 Predatory providers of classes and assessment support .............................................................. 8
5 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE ................................................................................................................. 8
5.1 What does it mean to study fully online? ........................................................................................ 8
5.2 myUnisa tools .................................................................................................................................. 9
6 STUDY PLAN ..................................................................................................................................... 9
7 ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................................... 9
7.1 General remarks ............................................................................................................................. 9
7.2 Compulsory assignments.............................................................................................................. 10
7.3 Submission of assignments .......................................................................................................... 10
7.4 Extension for the submission of assignments .............................................................................. 11
7.5 Feedback on assignments ............................................................................................................ 11
7.6 Final mark...................................................................................................................................... 11
8 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ............................................................................................. 12
9 SOUTH AFRICAN BOARD FOR PEOPLE PRACTICES (SABPP) ............................................... 12
10 IN CLOSING ................................................................................................................................. 12
APPENDIX A – COMPULSORY ASSIGNMENTS FOR HRBUS85 ....................................................... 13

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 HRBUS85/101/0/2022

1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the BCom Honours in Human Resource Management
and, more specifically, to the Research Project (Human Resource Management) module. This
is most likely your first exposure to the practice of academic research. So, in this module, you
will have the opportunity to implement what you have learnt or are learning in the Research
Methodology module (HMEMS80).

You will receive a number of tutorial letters during the year. You have to read all these letters.
A tutorial letter is our way of communicating with you about teaching, learning and assessment.
Tutorial Letter 101 (this tutorial letter), contains information on the tutorial matter for the module,
the purpose and outcomes for the module, relevant contact details, module-specific resources,
student support services, where you will find the study material and module-specific study plan,
how you will be assessed in the module and frequently asked questions. As this module is
offered online, it is important that you read this tutorial letter thoroughly, keep it in a safe place
and then log onto the myUnisa site for this module. Over and above the inventory letter and
other items, you should have access to the brochure, Study @ Unisa, which contains important
information. This brochure is also available on myUnisa. Because this is a fully online module,
with continuous assessment, you will need to use myUnisa to study and complete the
assessments for this module. Visit the website for HRBUS85 on myUnisa frequently. The
website for your module is HRBUS85-22-Y1.

In this module, we will focus on developing an acceptable research proposal that outlines the
what, why, where, when, who and how of your proposed research. A proposal is just that; a
proposal. It is a plan of what and how you are going to do a research project. You will not do
the actual research in this module. You do not need a topic. It will be given to you later. You will
not be doing any field work such as interviews. You will not need ethical clearance as you will
not be doing the research. We recommend that you commence your studies as soon as
possible because this module is not only intensive, but also very comprehensive.

1.1 Getting started

Owing to the nature of this module, you can read about the module and find your study material
online. Go to the website at https://my.unisa.ac.za and log in using your student number and
password. Click on "myModules" at the top of the web page and then on "Sites" in the top right
corner. In the new window, click on the grey Star icon next to the modules you want displayed
on your navigation bar. Close the window in the top right corner. Then select the option, "Reload
to see your updated favourite sites". Now go to your navigation bar and click on the module you
want to open. We recommend that you log onto myUnisa at least once a week.

We wish you every success with your studies!

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2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES
2.1 Purpose

Students who have completed this module successfully will be able to plan a business research
project and write an acceptable research proposal. You will be able to gather, analyse, evaluate
and apply information and knowledge, as well as reason and debate a specific topic. HRBUS85
uses the American Psychological Association’s (APA) method to reference all
assignments and the research proposal.

2.2 Outcomes

For this module, you need to achieve several module outcomes in order to complete the module
successfully and be effective in the workplace. You will have to achieve the following broad
outcomes for this module:

Specific outcome 1

The student is able to conduct a literature review.

Specific outcome 2

Write a literature review (2500 – 3000 words) in Human Resource Management.

Specific outcome 3

The student is able to synthesise an outline for a research proposal, comprising a title, a
background and context to the research in which an information gap is identified, a research
question, and research objectives, based on a review of the literature within the field of Human
Resource Management.

Specific outcome 4

The student is able to write the research methodology for a proposed research project,
describing the proposed approach and intended steps and methods of the study.

Specific outcome 5

Apply key tools, techniques and principles in writing a research proposal (maximum 7000
words).

Specific outcome 6

Conduct research under supervision in a manner that is appropriate to the discipline of Human
Resource Management on honours level.

Specific outcome 7

Report research findings appropriate to the discipline of Human Resource Management in a

clear and coherent manner.

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 HRBUS85/101/0/2022

3 LECTURERS AND CONTACT DETAILS

3.1 Contacting the lecturers

You may address any correspondence concerning the academic content of this module, such
as enquiries about the content of an assignment, to me as your lecturers for this module. The
contact details for the lecturer of this module are:
Ms SD Rajaram

Office number Unisa Muckleneuk Campus, Room 3-18, Simon Radipere (formerly AJH
van der Walt) Building

Telephone number 012 429 4482

E-mail rajarsd@unisa.ac.za (email preferred)

Postal address The Lecturer

Research Project-Human Resource Management (HRD4803)
Department of Human Resource Management
PO Box 392
Unisa
0003

Lecturers will be available to take phone calls and answer e-mails on academic matters and/or
students should schedule online meetings via MS Teams. However, the days and times of
lecturers’ availability will be communicated on the HRBUS85 module page on myUnisa. These
days and times are subject to change from time to time in order to accommodate the lecturer’s
work schedule and other commitments. Students are advised to check the module page on
myUnisa before making phone calls or visiting the lecturer’s office for academic
enquiries/engagements to avoid disappointment. Make an appointment beforehand if you wish
to visit the lecturer personally. Always have your student number at hand when contacting the
university.

3.2 Contacting the Department of Human Resource Management

You may also contact the lecturer via the Department of Human Resource Management’s
helpdesk. The details are as follow:
E-mail: hrmacademics@unisa.ac.za
(Always include your student number and the module code in the subject
line of e-mail messages that you send to this e-mail address)

When you use the above telephone number or e-mail address, your enquiry will be directed to
the appropriate person. Please do not send the same message to the lecturer and the helpdesk,
since this may cause delays when we have to respond to duplicate enquiries.

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3.3 Contacting the university

To contact the university, you should follow the instructions in the brochure, Study @ Unisa,
which you should have received with your study material. Remember to have your student
number available whenever you contact the university and/or your lecturers. This will help the
lecturers to help you.

3.4 Contacting your fellow HRBUS85 students

Under Discussions on myUnisa, a student lounge has been created that you can use to contact
fellow students. We will not monitor this lounge closely – this is your space. To access the
Discussions tool, you must click on the link (shown below) on the left-hand side of the
HRBUS85. module site on myUnisa.

4 RESOURCES
4.1 Joining myUnisa

The myUnisa learning management system is the university's online campus, which will help
you communicate with your lecturers, fellow students, and the administrative departments
within Unisa.

4.1.1 Accessing myUnisa for the first time and claiming your myLife e-mail address
To claim your myUnisa account, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Using an internet browser like Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google
Chrome or Firefox on your computer, mobile phone or tablet, navigate to
http://my.unisa.ac.za.
Step 2: Click on the “Claim UNISA Login” link, which should be near the top centre of the page,
next to the Unisa logo.

Step 3: Enter your Unisa student number in the block provided and click “Continue”.
Step 4:
Enter your personal information as required – make sure to enter it exactly as you did
when you registered. Enter only your South African ID number OR a passport number,
do not enter both; and then click “Continue”.
Step 5:
Read the statements on the new page carefully and then place a tick in each box to
acknowledge that you have read them before clicking on “Acknowledge”.
Step 6:
The final page in the registration process will provide you with your initial myUnisa
password. This password is extremely sensitive so make sure that you write it down
exactly as it is on screen (or if you are able, copy and paste it); the password will also
be sent via SMS to the mobile number that we have on record for you.
Step 7:
Now you can go back to the myUnisa homepage http://my.unisa.ac.za and use your
student number as username and the password to log in. Remember, the password
provided is your myUnisa AND myLife password.
Once you have logged in, you will see the tabs myModules and myAdmin. Click on the “Sites”
tab at the top of the page and look for HRBUS85-22-Y1.

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4.1.2 Accessing myUnisa and forwarding your myLife e-mail address

Step 1: Log in to myUnisa.

Step 2: Click on “myLife e-mail”.

Step 3: Enter your myUnisa username; your username will be your student number
@mylife.unisa.ac.za (for example 12345678@mylife.unisa.ac.za).

Step 4: Enter the password that you have set for your myUnisa account and select “Sign in”.

Step 5: Your myLife e-mail account mailbox will open to the home page.
Step 6: On the top right-hand corner, select the settings icon. You will see a drop-down menu
of options to select from.

Step 7: Select “Mail”.

Step 8: Select “Forwarding”.

Step 9: Enter the e-mail address that you would like to forward your e-mails to and select
“Save”.
For more information on myUnisa, consult the Study @ Unisa brochure, which you received
with your study material.

4.2 Prescribed book

There are no prescribed books for this module.

4.3 Recommended books

The following books are recommended.

• Babbie, E. 2008. The basics of social research. 4th ed. Chapman University: Thomson
Wadsworth.
• Creswell, JW. 2019. Research design, qualitative and quantitative approaches. 4th ed. Sage
Publications: United States of America.
• Salkind, N. 2012. Exploring research. 8th edition. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.

4.4 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)

There are no e-reserves learning materials for this module.

4.5 Library services and resources

The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources:

• For detailed Library information, go to https://unisa.ac.za/library

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 • For research support and services (e.g. personal librarians and literature search
services), go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-
services/Researchsupport
• The Library has created numerous Library guides: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za

Recommended guides:

• Request and download recommended material:

https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request
• Postgraduate information services:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
• Finding and using Library resources and tools: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/research-
support
• Frequently asked questions about the Library: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Services to students living with disabilities:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability
• Assistance with technical problems accessing the Unisa Library or resources:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/techsupport

You may also send an e-mail to Lib-help@unisa.ac.za (please add your student number in the
subject line).

4.6 Predatory providers of classes and assessment support

Please be aware of the existence of multiple fraudulent and predatory providers of classes and
assessment guidance to Unisa students. Please note that Unisa does not have agreements
with any of these agencies/schools/colleges to provide tuition or support to our students. Unisa
does not provide these predators with study material, guidelines or your contact information.

These providers may not have the necessary expertise to assist you and often charge exorbitant
fees. If you receive an invitation from any agency or college, it is best to confirm with your
lecturer if the provider is a legitimate Unisa partner.

5 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE

5.1 What does it mean to study fully online?

Studying for this module may differ from studying some of your other modules at Unisa.

• All your study material and learning activities for online modules are designed to
be delivered online via myUnisa.
• All your assignments must be completed and submitted online. This means that you
will do all your activities and submit all your assignments on myUnisa. In other words, you
may NOT post your assignments to Unisa.

• All communication between you and the university happens online. Lecturers will
communicate with you via your myLife e-mail address and SMS. Lecturers will also make
use of Announcements and the Discussions tool on myUnisa to communicate with you.
You can also use all of these platforms to ask questions and contact your lecturers.
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5.2 myUnisa tools

The main tool that we will use is the Lessons tool. This tool will provide the content of and the
assessments for your module. At times you will be directed to join discussions with fellow
students and complete activities and assessments before you can continue with the module.

It is very important that you log onto myUnisa regularly. We recommend that you log in at least
once a week to do the following:

• Check for new announcements. You can also set your myLife e-mail account so that
you receive the announcement e-mails on your cellphone (see section 4.1.2).
• Do the Discussions activities. When you do the activities for each lesson, we want you
to share your answers with the other students in your group. You can read the instructions
and even prepare your answers offline, but you will need to go online to post your
messages.
• Do other online activities. For some of the lesson activities you might need to post
something in the Blog tool, take a quiz or complete a survey under the Self-Assessment
tool. Do not skip these activities because they will help you complete the assignments and
the activities for the module.

We hope that by giving you extra ways to study the material and practise all the activities, this
will help you succeed in the online module. To get the most out of the online module, you MUST
go online regularly to complete the activities and on time.

6 STUDY PLAN
Given the limited time you have to work through the study material and complete the
assessments, we recommend that you draw up a study plan. At a post graduate level, we expect
you to compile your own study plan.

7 ASSESSMENT
7.1 General remarks

HRBUS85 does not make use of a venue-based examination. Instead, for this module, you will
be required to complete several formative assessments and a research proposal as you work
through the study material. All the assignments will contribute towards your final mark for this
module.

The benefits of continuous assessment include the following:

• You will not be required to write a formal examination.

• You can track your progress throughout the year.
• Each of the assignments will ensure that you work through all the study material.

There will be 7 assignments and 1 research proposal for this module. Each of the assignments
and the research proposal contributes a certain percentage (indicated as a weight) towards
your final mark, so you can manage your own learning throughout the year. Pay attention to the

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 assessment criteria for each assignment as these criteria will help you understand what is
required of you.

7.2 Compulsory assignments

There are seven (7) compulsory assignments for this module. There is one (1) research
proposal for this module.

There are non-negotiable submission deadlines for each of these assignments:

Assignment number Contribution to final mark Type of assessment

(weight)
01 10% Written
02 15% Written
03 15% Written
04 15% Written
05 15% Written
06 15% Written
07 15% Written
08 100% Written
(Research proposal)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because this is an online module, the assignments

are not provided in this tutorial letter. Instead, they will be posted online as
they become due, and you will see them when you go online. All tutorial letters
are accessible on myUnisa. See Appendix A for more information on each
of the assignments.

7.3 Submission of assignments

Submit all your assignments and the research proposal online via myUnisa.

I advise you NOT to wait until the last date provided before you complete your
assignments on myUnisa, as the system might be very busy or down for routine maintenance.
The written assessments can be completed on paper or typed, but they must be submitted
electronically on myUnisa using the “Assessment Info” tool. Please see the below instructions
on submitting your assignments on myUnisa.

PLEASE NOTE: You cannot download the assignment to complete on paper and then
submit via post. It has to be completed online.

To submit a written assignment on myUnisa using the “Assessment Info” tool:

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 HRBUS85/101/0/2022

• Go to myUnisa (http://my.unisa.ac.za) and log in with your student number and password.
• Select the relevant module for the assignment you want to submit.
• Click on Assessment Info in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
• Click on the number of the assignment that you wish to submit and follow the instructions.
• Once you have uploaded an assignment, do not resubmit it. When the due date for a
specific assignment has lapsed, the option to upload it will no longer be available.
• You can check on myUnisa whether we have received your assignments.
• After you have submitted an assignment, print or save the proof of submission page.
• Always keep a copy of your assignments.

PLEASE NOTE: For HRBUS85, we only accept PDF files. Please ensure that the PDF is not
secured or protected, otherwise it will be returned unmarked and you may miss the deadline.

7.4 Extension for the submission of assignments

No extension for the submission of the assignments will be granted.

7.5 Feedback on assignments

Feedback on the assignments will be released online on the HRBUS85 module site and you
will be notified of this in the form of an announcement.

Feedback to assignments 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06 and 07 will be provided in Tutorial Letters
HRBUS85/201, HRBUS85/202, HRBUS85/203, HRBUS85/204, HRBUS85/205 HRBUS85/206
and HRBUS85/207 respectively.

The assignments and feedback on the assignments are an important part of your learning and
should help you to be better prepared for the next assignment.

7.6 Final mark

Your year mark for this module is calculated as follows:

Your final mark for the modules will be a combination of the assignment marks (60%
contribution) and your mark for the research proposal (40% contribution). All the assignments
are compulsory. If you do not submit an assignment on time, you will get 0 for that assignment.
However, you just continue and make up marks with the other assignments. The marks you
obtain in each assignment will add up to your final mark. You need to have an average of 40%
for all the assignments in order to do the final proposal (Assignment 08). Also, you need to get
a minimum of 40% for the final assignment in order to pass this module, even if your year mark
is very high. Of course, your final mark must be 50% or higher to pass.

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8 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Several frequently asked questions and answers also appear in Appendix C of Tutorial Letter
HRMALL6/301/4/2022. These questions are relevant to all the modules offered by the
Department of Human Resource Management.

Before you contact Unisa, read the FAQs, since you may find the answer to your question there.
Also, remember to look at the FAQs regularly as we will add more questions as the semester
progresses – they may even be ones that you have asked. This tool is very useful. Also, consult
Study @ Unisa before you contact the university, since most questions are answered in this
brochure.

9 SOUTH AFRICAN BOARD FOR PEOPLE PRACTICES (SABPP)

The SABPP has accredited Unisa’s human resource management qualifications and you can
read more about the SABPP in Tutorial Letter HRMALL6/301/4/2022. Visit their website at
www.sabpp.co.za to learn more about possible registration with the SABPP.

10 IN CLOSING
Do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail if you are experiencing problems with the content of this
tutorial letter or with any academic aspect of the module. This subject cannot be memorised but
must be understood and practically applied. We wish you a fascinating and satisfying journey
through the learning material and trust that you will complete the module successfully.

Enjoy the journey!

Ms Shamantha Devi Rajaram

Department of Human Resource Management
Unisa

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APPENDIX A – COMPULSORY ASSIGNMENTS FOR HRBUS85

The compulsory assignments for HRBUS85 are summarised in the table below and will be briefly explained in the remainder of this appendix.

REMEMBER: Because this is an online module, the assignment questions are not provided in this tutorial letter. Instead, the assignments will
be made available online. An announcement will be sent each time an assignment is uploaded.

Assignment Contribution to
Type of assessment Feedback What will the assignment entail?
number final mark (weight)
01 10% Written Tutorial letter 201 Conduct and write literature review on the given topic

Provide a background to the study, identify the research

problem and formulate the research questions and
02 15% Written Tutorial letter 202 objectives/ hypothesis

03 15% Written Tutorial letter 203 Conduct and write simulated qualitative methodology
(Population and sample)

04 15% Written Tutorial letter 204 Conduct and write simulated qualitative methodology (Data
analysis and interview guide design)

05 15% Written Tutorial letter 205 Conduct and write simulated quantitative methodology
(population and sample)
 06 15% Written Tutorial letter 206 Conduct and write simulated quantitative methodology
(Data analysis and questionnaire design)

07 15% Written Tutorial letter 207 Explain the quality assurance in a qualitative and
quantitative study, provide the ethical considerations,
limitations and contributions of the study from both a
qualitative and quantitative perspective.
08
Writing a report, consolidating the research report with the
(Research 100% Written No feedback
qualitative and/or quantitative research conducted
proposal)