INSTITUTE OF PEOPLE MANAGEMENT OF ZIMBABWE

ASSIGNMENT BOOKLET

DIPLOMA SUBJECTS

OCTOBER 2024

*n.b. ALL ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE TYPED

Assignments Submission Deadline for students writing October 2024

Examinations are on Tuesday, 16 July 2024.

Payments for annual subscription and the module(s) under study

must be received by IPMZ before assignments are submitted for marking, which
failure to do such will mean that your assignments will not be marked.
 October 2024

CONTENTS

DIPLOMA SUBJECTS PAGE

ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS................................ 4

HRM101 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT................................................ 5

HRM102 RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION...................................................... 6

HRM103 SAFETY, HEALTH, AND WELLNESS................................................. 7

HRM134 PERFORMANCE & REWARD MANAGEMENT................................. 8

LR105 EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS............................................................... 9

HRD106 MANAGEMENT OF TRAINING........................................................... 10

HRD107 TRAINING TECHNIQUES..................................................................... 11

HRD108 MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT....................................................... 12

HRM110 HUMAN CAPITAL PLANNING............................................................ 13

LR111 EMPLOYMENT LAW............................................................................. 14

HRM106 RESEARCH METHODS ……………………………………………… 15

HRM121 MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS...................................... 16

HRM123 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING................................................................. 17

HRM124 INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY............................................................... 20

HRM126 LABOUR ECONOMICS ……………………………………………… 21

HRM130 COMMERCIAL LAW ……………………………………………....... 22

HRM131 ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS ………………………………........... 23

HRM132 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION… ………………………………....... 24

HRM129 BUSINESS STATISTICS……………………………………………… 25

PA137 HUMAN RESOURCE METRICS…………………………………….. 28

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 October 2024

HRA149 HUMAN RESOURCES PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS……… 29

ACLL153 THE AWARD…………………………………………………… 30

ACLL152 CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION……………………… 31

HRA144 DATA VISUALIZATION……………………………………… 32

PA140 EMPLOYMENT TAXATION………………………………… 33

HRA146 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR HUMAN RESOURCES 34

ANALYTICS……………………………………………………

HRA150 HUMAN CAPITAL PLANNING INFORMATION 38

SYSTEMS………………………………………………………

PA141 PAYROLL ACCOUNTING…………………………………… 39

ACLL151 LAW OF EVIDENCE………………………………………… 42

PA142 PAYROLL MANAGEMENT………………………………… 43

PA138 PRINCIPLES OF RISK MANAGEMENT…………………… 44

HRA143 DATABASE CONCEPTS AND FUNDAMENTALS OF 45

PROGRAMMING…………………………………………….

PA139 PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS…………………………….. 46

HRA148 LABOUR ECONOMETRICS………………………………… 47

HRA147 ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ANALYTICS……… 51

HRA145 PEOPLE ANALYTICS AND DECISION MAKING………… 52

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 October 2024

ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please note that the final examination mark will be an aggregate of Assignments and
Examination marks.

• Assignments: Will contribute 30%

• Examinations: Will contribute 70% to the final examination pass mark

• Answer any TWO (2) Assignments questions per subject.

• The assignment should be about 1,500 words in length. Some answers should be brief
where required.
• All Assignments to be typed, Times New Roman font size 12
• Margins: 2 cm

Important Notice to Students

PLAGIARISM OF ASSIGNMENTS
Students, Please Note that Plagiarism of Assignments is not Allowed nor Tolerated.
While students are allowed to study and discuss the study materials/assignment questions with
other students and/or with the tutors, ultimately, the assignment to be submitted should contain
one’s own thoughts, research findings, and understanding of the subject matter. Submitting an
assignment copied word by word with another person is considered plagiarism and
unacceptable.
IPMZ is a professional body, so we cannot condone behaviour entirely at variance with our code
of ethics. We expect our members to behave ethically and professionally as representatives of the
HR profession.
Please be advised that if an Assignment is deemed to have been Plagiarised, the following will
happen: -
A) Suspension from writing the examination/s in the Assignment/s proven beyond a
reasonable doubt to be plagiarised.

B) Forfeiting of the examination fees paid for the subject/s.

ALL assignments submitted will not be marked. Writing of examinations on the other
subjects will be allowed but will be marked out of 70%.
C) Resubmit the assignments in the subject/s if and when one decides to register for future
examinations.
PLEASE NOTE THAT NO CORRESPONDENCE SHALL BE ENTERED INTO, AND
NO FURTHER REDRESS SHALL BE PERMITTED

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 October 2024

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MODULE HRM101

1. With the aid of a diagram, discuss Schein’s Model on the components of organisational
culture, giving examples and illustrations from your organisation. [25]

2. Analyse Quinn and Cameron’s Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument’s four

cultural types and show how these types can be applied to your organisation. [25]

3. Explain the Nudge Theory about managing change. [25]

4. Analyse Beckhard’s definition of Organisational Development. [25]

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 October 2024

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION MODULE HRM102

1. “Without Job evaluation, there is no Human Resources Management”. Discuss [25]

2. Recruitment and selection can be done using various techniques. Discuss with reference to
a company of your choice. [25]

3. Discuss the ethics critical in recruitment and selection in an organisation of your choice.
[25]

4. Discuss the merits and demerits of internal recruitment in an organisation. [25]

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 October 2024

SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELLNESS MODULE HRM103

1. List and explain the four main areas of health management. [25]

2. Using examples, outline the most important aspects of preventive health management.
[25]

3. (a) List the two main roles of a manager in dealing with an employee's problems. [5]
(b) What advantages do (i) psychiatrists and (ii) counsellors or psychologists have over
the line manager in handling problem employees? [20]

4. (a) List and briefly describe the three general welfare principles. [15]
(b) State and briefly describe three motivating techniques. [10]

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 October 2024

PERFORMANCE AND REWARD MANAGEMENT MODULE HRM134

1 (a) Highlight five (5) operational procedures used in the administration of salaries. [10]

(b) Describe any five (5) standards of judgment for effective performance measures. [15]

2 (a) Identify any five (5) primary sources of performance information. [10]

(b) Explain five (5) individual factors that determine the remuneration given to an employee.
[15]

3. Describe the essential rules that must be considered during a job evaluation exercise, as Beach
suggested. [25]

4. (a) Explain any five (5) uses of performance evaluation. [15]

(b) Identify and outline any five (5) non-financial awards used to motivate employees.
[10]

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 October 2024

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS MODULE LR105

1. Examine four (4) factors that may trigger an employee to leave an organisation for another.
[25]

2. Discuss four (4) types of trade unions, highlighting their objectives. [25]

3. ‘Collective bargaining is a complex process’. Discuss using four factors [25]

4. Analyse four (4) effects of a written Employment Relations Policy in an organisation of

your choice. [25]

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 October 2024

MANAGEMENT OF TRAINING MODULE HRD106

1. Discuss the importance of Training Needs Analysis in developing a training calendar in

your company. [25]

2. With practical examples, highlight and discuss any three (3) main competency domains to
be observed by a Human Resources Manager in decision-making. [25]

3. Discuss at least three critical steps a Training manager must know when developing a
training policy. [25]

4. Referring to a company of your choice, discuss at least five (5) key learning areas that an
organisation must observe. [25]

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 October 2024

TRAINING TECHNIQUES MODULE HRD107

1. There is no need for a Human Capital Budget. Discuss. [25]

2. Discuss the relevance of coaching and mentoring in your company. [25]

3. Adult learning is overrated. Discuss. [25]

4. Training programs can be developed without the Training and Learning Needs Analysis.
Discuss using a company of your choice. [25]

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 October 2024

MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT MODULE HRD108

1. Discuss the four [4] levels of learning examined by Watson and their implications on
management training. [25]

2. Outline the approaches for identifying management training needs. [25]

3. Examine six [6] types of trainee characteristics worth considering in planning for training.
[25]

4. Analyse different methods of evaluating the effectiveness of training adults. [25]

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 October 2024

HUMAN CAPITAL PLANNING MODULE HRM110

1. The Human Resources Department must be a Strategic business partner. Discuss. [25]

2. Illustrate using practical examples how a human capital management plan can be aligned
with the organisation’s vision, mission and goals. [25]

3. Discuss the importance of control and evaluation in workforce planning. [25]

4. Explain the measures organisations should take to avoid employment attrition, absenteeism
and low productivity caused by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and COVID-19. [25]

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 October 2024

EMPLOYMENT LAW MODULE LR111

1. Describe the conditions under which the employment contract may be terminated under the
common law. [25]

2. Discuss seven (7) employment law roles relevant to Human Resources Management. [25]

3. Explain how each of the following methods can be used to settle disputes that arise in the
workplace.

(a) Conciliation [5]

(b) Arbitration [5]
(c) Labour Court [5]
(d) Collective Bargaining [5]
(e) Collective job action [5]

4. (a) Outline five (5) areas where an unregistered trade union is not permitted to operate by the
Labour Act. [15]

(b) Identify and explain how two retrenchment procedures operate. [10]

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 October 2024

RESEARCH METHODS MODULE HRM106

1. Explain any five strengths of an interview with practical research examples. [25]

2. Analyse any four characteristics of a research proposal with practical illustrations. [25]

3. Examine any four of the following with practical research illustrations component. A

typical example of each component should support your answer.

a. Research Topic

b. Background to the study

c. Assumptions

d. Hypothesis

e. Research Objective [25]

4. Using practical illustrations, highlight any four types of research designs. [25]

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 October 2024

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS MODULE HRM121

1. Describe the following key terms in database management.

a) Character

b) Field

c) Record

d) File

e) Data dictionary [25]

2. Describe the five functions of an Operating System. [25]

3. a) Specify a named package and describe with examples six features that you consider essential
in a word processing package.
[13]

b) Discuss the various benefits of implementing networks for your organisation. [12]

4. Computers use memory to perform functions. Describe any five types of computer memory,
giving the advantages and disadvantages for each. [25]

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 October 2024

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING MODULE HRM123

Question 1

1a) ABC Enterprises bought a machine on 1 January 2012 for $50000.Depreciation was 20% per
annum on net book value. Its financial year ended on 31 December. Prepare provisions for the
depreciation account for the years 2012 to 2016 and extracts of statements of financial position for
the next 5 years. [15]

b) The following information was available:

1 Jan 2017 31 Dec 2017
Accounts payable $4000 $5200
Accounts receivable 2400 2800
Prepaid expenses(insurance) 180 150
Accrued expenses (Electricity and water) 260 190

The following information was available on 31, 2017: $

Debts are written off 86
Returns inwards 140
Returns outwards 320
Cheques received and deposited 21960
Cash sales 7480
Cheques paid to suppliers 8660
Cash purchase 7720
Cheques payments:
Insurance 1220
Electricity and water 1500
Discounts allowed 420
Discounts received 980

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Other expenses 1086

Prepare
i) Sales Ledger Control Account [5]
ii)Purchases Ledger Control Account [5]

Question 2

2. Discuss the benefits of incorporating a Limited Company rather than operating a sole trader
business or a partnership. [25]

Question 3

Rosina, Serina and Togara are in partnership, s h a r i n g p r o f i t s a n d l os s e s i n t h e

r a t i o o f 2 : 2 : 1 , respectively. On 1 January 2021, their capital and current account
balances were:

Capital Current
Account Account
$ $
Rosina 32,000 2,400 Credit
Serina 40,000 1,100 Debit
Togara 48,000 1,900 Credit

The partners are entitled to interest on capital at 5% per annum.

On 1 July, Rosina increased his capital by paying a further $6,000 into the partnership
bank account. Meanwhile, Serina reduced her capital to $ 26,000 and left the value of
her withdrawn capital in the partnership as a loan bearing interest at 5% per annum.

Partners can withdraw from current accounts at any time during the financial year but
are charged interest on the amounts they withdraw.

Details of drawings made and interest chargeable in respect of each partner for the
financial year ended 31 December 2021 are:

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 October 2024

Drawings Interest on
Drawings
$ $
Rosina 6,900 270
Serina 5,700 220
Togara 8,100 330

Serina is paid an annual salary of $18,000. The trading profit (before interest) for the
year ended 31 December was $56,420.

Required:

(c) Prepare the profit and loss appropriation account for the partnership. [15]

(d) From the above information, post the appropriate entries to each partner’s
capital and current accounts and balance each account for each partner as of 31
Dec 2121. [10]

QUESTION 4

Owen Tradings Ltd deals in commodity X09.

The relevant details are as follows:

2018 Oct
1 Balance 50 units @ $2/ unit $100.00
5 Sales 20 units @ $5/ unit $100.00
10 Purchases 25 units @ $2.05/ unit $51.25
12 Sales 35 units @ $5/unit $175.00
18 Purchases 25 units @ $2.05/ unit $ 51.25
19 Sales 25 units @ $5/ unit $125.00
25 Purchases 30 units @ $2.10 $63.00

Using LIFO, what is the value of inventory on hand on 31/10/18? [25]

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 October 2024

INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY MODULE HRM124

1. explain any five uses of job analysis with practical research examples. [25]

2. Analyse the characteristics of structuralism with practical illustrations. [25]

3. Examine any four of the following with practical research illustrations.

a) Three types of commitment

b) Emotional Intelligence

c) Ergonomics

d) The Person's Approach to human error.

e) Qualitative research methods [25]

4. Using practical illustrations from your workplace, highlight four selection techniques. [25]

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 October 2024

LABOUR ECONOMCS MODULE HRM126

1. Distinguish between the neo-classical and the new economics theories of migration. [25]

2. Discuss the effect of a minimum wage in the labour market. [25]

3. Describe the effects of unemployment in Zimbabwe. [25]

4. Assess the laws in Zimbabwe that combat discrimination and promote gender equity. [25]

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 October 2024

COMMERCIAL LAW MODULE HRM130

1. With the aid of case law, discuss custom as a source of Zimbabwean Law, clearly indicating
the conditions which must be satisfied before Custom is recognised as a source of Law.
[25]

2. “Assuming that all essentials to the contract are present in the agreement, there may
nevertheless be some cause, or flaw existing at the time of the agreement, which makes the
contract voidable.’’

Required

Discuss the above statement with reference to misrepresentation and duress, citing relevant
case authorities. [25]

3. Delivery is one of the most essential duties of the seller towards the purchaser.

Required
Explain the various forms of delivery in the contract of sale. [25]

4. Critique the circumstances under which the employer may summarily dismiss the
employee. [25]

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 October 2024

ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS MODULE HRM131

1. Describe how innovation is an essential dimension of entrepreneurship. [25]

2. Examine major changes that create opportunities for entrepreneurship. Motivate your
answer with examples. [25]

3. Describe the concept of corporate entrepreneurship. [25]

4. Discuss the critical success factors for small businesses. [25]

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 October 2024

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION MODULE HRM129

1. Justify how the Shannon Weaver model suits technological demands to improve
communication in the contemporary business world. [25]

2. Discuss the various networking platforms organisations can use to convey business
messages in a competitive environment. [25]

3. With the aid of practical examples, evaluate the use of written communication in
organizations. [25]

4. a)Explain how the Department or Role culture influences communication in organisations.

[15]
b) Explain, in brief, how leadership qualities can bring forth conflict within organisations
[10]

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 October 2024

BUSINESS STATISTICS MODULE HRM129

Instructions
1. Show all necessary workings. Answers should be given to 4 decimal places when necessary.

Question One
1.1 In a survey, a researcher can collect data through face-to-face or postal interviews.

(a) Distinguish between face-to-face interviews and postal interviews. [5]

(b) State four (4) advantages of face-to-face interviews over postal interviews. [4]

1.2 The ages of 15 employees randomly selected from a company are as follows:
53 32 61 27 39 44 45 57 25 28
54 35 36 33 41
a) Display the data on a stem and leaf diagram. Hence, comment on the shape of the
distribution of ages. [5]
b) Calculate the:
i. range, [2]
ii. mean, and [3]
iii. the standard deviation of ages. [6]

Question Two
2.1 A Ministry of Education survey found that 22% of school teachers do not work during
school holidays. In a random sample of 10 school teachers, let X represent those who do
not work during school holidays.
a) Explain why X is (approximately) a binomial random variable. [4]
b) Find the probability that two or fewer of the ten teachers do not work during school
holidays. [6]

2.2 One area of concern in inferential statistics is the estimation of population parameters from
sample statistics.
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 October 2024

a) Distinguish between a point estimate and a confidence interval estimate. What would you
say is the advantage of a confidence interval estimate over a point estimate? [5]
b) In a random sample of 75 employees, 30 revealed they are interested in providing for their
retirement plan. Find a 99% confidence interval estimate of the proportion of all employees
interested in providing for their retirement plan. [10]

Question Three
The table below shows the frequency distribution of annual incomes (in thousands of dollars) of a
random sample of A2 farmers.
Amounts (USD000) 10 - 20 20 – 30 30 – 40 40 – 50 50 - 60
Number of farmers 3 10 14 2 1

3.1 Use the frequency distribution to estimate the following:

a) median [3]
b) mean, and [3]
c) standard deviation of incomes [5]
3.2 Construct a histogram of the data. Hence, comment on the shape of the distribution of farmers'
annual incomes. [10]
3.3 Use the histogram drawn in part 3.2 to estimate the distribution mode. [4]

Question Four
4.1 A study of past participants of an induction program indicates that the time spent on the
induction is normally distributed with a mean of 5 hours and a standard deviation of 30
minutes. What is the probability that a participant selected at random will:
a) complete the induction program in less than 6 hours? [3]
b) take between 5.5 and 6.2 hours to complete the induction program? [5]

4.2 The data shows prices and quantities of commodities purchased by a typical urban family in
Zimbabwe in June 2021 and June 2022.

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 October 2024

June 2021 June 2022

Item Price Quantity Price Quantity
A 1.54 80 1.65 72
B 2.00 35 1.75 40

Use June 2021 as the base, and interpreting your results, determine the following:
a) Laspyeres Price Index [4]
b) Paasche Price Index [4]
c) Fisher Price Index [4]

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 October 2024

HUMAN RESOURCE METRICS MODULE PA137

1. With examples, propose a framework for implementing HR metrics in your organisation.

[25]

2. (a) Define the Human Resources (HR) Metrics. [5]

(b) Give examples of HR metrics for the Balanced Scorecard. [20]

3. (a) Describe broad categories of data collection [10]

(b) Discuss the importance of data collection. [15]

4. Give an outline of the quantitative data collection methods and their advantages &
disadvantages. [25]

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 October 2024

HUMAN RESOURCES PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS MODULE HRA149

1. a) What is benchmarking, and what are its benefits? [5]

b) As an HR consultant, how do you guide management in implementing the phases of

the benchmarking process in an organisation of your choice? [20]

2. As Human Resources Manager, give a presentation to management on how to get started

with HR Performance Analytics in your company. [25]

3. with the aid of illustrations, outline 10 HR costs that the human resources department can
monitor in your organisation. [25]

4. (a) What is an HR task force? [5]

(b) Give examples of HR taskforce projects that can be carried out in your organisation.
[20]

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 October 2024

THE AWARD MODULE ACLL153

1. Illustrate why the UNDROIT principles of international commercial contracts are

considered relevant in the award-making process. [25]

2. Show your grasp of the application of common law in alternative dispute settlement by
discussing significant case law and highlighting the importance of understanding and
applying such legal precedents. [25]

3. Assume the role of a labour officer and explain the procedure you would follow in
attempting to settle a dispute over unpaid wages, overtime, and holidays, underlining the
importance of your role in the process. [25]

4. Using any case law, discuss the principles that should be observed when coming up with
an award in the settlement of a dispute settlement. [25]

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 October 2024

CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION MODULE ACLL152

1. Compare and Contrast Mediation and arbitration as alternative dispute resolution methods.
[25]

2. “For an arbitrator goes by the equity of a case, a judge by the law, and arbitration was
invented with the express purpose of securing full power for equity.” - Aristotle
Concerning case law and statutes, explain the meaning and relevance of the above quote in
light of modern-day Zimbabwe’s arbitration law and practice [25]

3. Describe in detail any five contract clauses. [25]

4. Discuss with examples the benefits to the employee of the presence of an arbitration clause
in a contract on employment. [25]

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 October 2024

DATA VISUALIZATION MODULE HRA144

1. Using the HR Dataset_1, create a visualisation to answer the following questions.

a) Briefly describe the data set [5]
b) Place your visualisation of the data (any chart you choose) in the document. [10]

c) Describe the trend, pattern, or relationship you found within your data. How is it
shown within your visualisation? [10]

2. Using the HRDataset_1, develop a possible story or explanation for your described trend.
Make sure to note any assumptions you make in this data interpretation. [25]

3. a) Describe non-numerical data. [15]

b) Discuss any two idioms that can be used to produce visualisations of non-numerical
data. [10]

4.
a) Why is it important to consider data set quality in human resources? [7]
b) Discuss how an organisation can utilise the visualisation dashboard. [18]

HRDataset_1.csv

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 October 2024

EMPLOYMENT TAXATION MODULE PA140

1. a)
i. Give a detailed understanding of the term PAYE. [2]
ii. Give an outline of the calculation of PAYE. Refer to the guidelines of the Zimbabwe
Revenue Authority. [8]

b) Explain the advantages of the FDS over the PAYE system. [5]

c) Give a detailed outline of the types of amounts to be received from services rendered
during the course of employment. [10]

2. Discuss the following terms:

i) Benefits in kind [9]
ii) Suspensive sales [8]
iii) Interest Incurred and Accrued [8]

3. Make use of the appropriate statutes to explain the following Taxation terms:
i) Lump-sum benefits [7]
ii) Non-resident evasion [10]
iii. Fringe Benefits [ 8]

4. i) Define the term Tax credits. [5]

ii) Explain in detail any six tax credits that are within the Zimbabwean tax system. [20]

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 October 2024

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYTICS

MODULE HRA146
QUESTION1

Transaction Effect Action

X started the business with a Cash increased Debit cash account
cash capital of $ 30,000
Capital increased Credit capital account
1. Bought Furniture on credit
from Makumbe Furniture$8 000
2. Withdrew $ 200 from bank
and placed in cash for business
use
3. Bought motor vehicle
Cash $5 800
4. Sold old furniture for cash$ 3
500
5. Paid rates and rent $2 300
cash
6. Interest was earned from the
bank, $1150
7. Bought goods on credit from
Blantyre Stores $2 600
8. Paid in cash for goods
previously bought on credit
from Blantyre
9. The owner borrowed cash
from the business, $100
10. Unsatisfactory goods were
returned to Jabulani for $30

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 October 2024

Required
Complete the table above stating the effects and actions to be taken. [25]

QUESTION 2

AFC Limited Trial Balance as of 31 December 2020

DR $ CR $
Sales 40 000
Purchases 35 000
Sales Returns 5 00
Purchases Returns 620
Opening Stock 10 000
Provision for doubtful debts 80
Wages + Salaries 30 00
Rates 600
Telephone 100
Shop fittings at cash 4 000
Van at cash 3 000
Debtors + Creditors 980 700
Bad debt 20
Capital 17 900
Bank balance 300
Drawings 1 800
59 300 59 300

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Additional Information
i. Closing Stock $12 000
ii. Accrued wages $500
iii. Rates prepaid $50
iv. Provision for doubtful debts to be increased by 10% of debtors.
v. Telephone account outstanding $22
vi. Depreciation shop fittings 10%, Van 20% on cost
Required:
Draw up
i) Statement of Compressive Income for the year ended 31 December 2020 and [15]
ii) Statement of Financial position as at 31 December 202. [10]

QUESTION 3
The information below was obtained from the inventory figures of ABC Ltd.
Exhibit Bought Sold
2020 $ $ 2020 $ $
Jan 10 at $15 each 150 May 8 for $25 each 200
April 10 at $17 each 170 Nov 24 for $30 each 720
Oct 20 at $20 each 400 32 920
720
40

a) Calculate closing stock using the following methods: 31 December using

FIFO, LIFO and AVCO [15]

b) Draw the trading account using the FIFO, LIFO and AVCO methods. [10]
(c) Show the calculation of profits in a trading account

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QUESTION 4
a) What are the key aspects of the three types of inventory count? Explain these aspects.[15]
b) Distinguish between bad debts, provisions for bad debts and debts recovered. [10]

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 October 2024

HUMAN CAPITAL PLANNING INFORMATION SYSTEMS MODULE HRA150

1. Some organisations fail because they do not appreciate the benefits of using technology in
human capital planning. Using an organisation of your choice, discuss the benefits of
information systems in HCP. [25]

2. Human capital is a weapon that drives an organisation’s strategy. Assess how human
capital helps organisations realise their goals. [25]

3. Explain how you would use Ivancevich's (2004) model in workforce planning for the
organisation you are working for. [25]

4. Using relevant examples, illustrate how human capital planning can be used in the
employee lifecycle. [25]

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 October 2024

PAYROLL ACCOUNTING MODULE PA141

Question 1
Outline and explain any five external users of accounting information in a company, detailing
their information needs. [25]

Question 2
a) Briefly explain the following accounting concepts and conversions.
i. The Accruals concept
ii. The Prudence concept
iii. The money measurement concept
iv. iv. The historical cost convention [15]

b) i. Differentiate between the cash basis and the accrual basis of accounting. [6]
ii) Justify which accounting method between the two above is best for keeping track of cash
inflows and cash outflows. [4]

Question 3

Bragg ltd has supplied its set of final accounts for the year ended 2021:
$
Assets Capital and Liabilities
Non-current Assets 57,150 Trade creditors 23,250
Cash 5,700 Accrued expenses 20,900
Inventory 54,000 Net Profit 70,000
Trade Receivables 129,900 Capital 132,600
246,750 246,750

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Sales 394,500

Cost of Sales 273,600

Gross profit 120,900

Operating expenses 99,750

Net Profit 21,150

N.B. Opening inventory for 2020 is $97 000

Required

You are required to calculate the following ratios for the year ended 31 December 2021:

i. Net Profit Margin [4]

ii. Gross Profit Mark Up [4]
iii. Inventory/ Stock turnover ratio; [4]
iv. Current Ratio [4]
v. Acid Test/ Quick Ratio [4]
vi. Outline any five weaknesses that could not be addressed by the use of accounting ratios [5]

Question 4

Bayer Beverages manufactures soft drinks. It works at 40% capacity and produces 2000 crates per
month. The present cost break for one crate is given below:

Materials $3.00
Labour $3.90.
Overheads $1.5 (50% fixed).
The selling price is $12.00 per crate. If the factory works at 50% capacity, the selling price
falls by 10%. At 90% capacity, the selling price falls by 15%, accompanied by a similar fall
in the material cost.

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Required

a) Prepare profit statements for 40%, 50%, and 90% capacities. [21]
b) Calculate the break-even point at 90% capacity of production [4]

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 October 2024

LAW OF EVIDENCE MODULE ACLL151

1. Discuss the different types of evidence recognised in arbitration proceedings. [25]

2. a) Discuss the exceptions to the admissibility of similar fact evidence in arbitration

proceedings [15]

b) Describe the statutory exceptions to hearsay evidence in arbitration proceedings. [10]

3. “In order for evidence to be admissible in arbitration proceedings, it must be relevant.”

Critically discuss the above statement concerning the relevant authorities. [25]

4. a) In relation to arbitration proceedings, discuss the circumstances in which expert opinion

evidence becomes relevant in arbitration proceedings. [10]
b) Describe previous consistent statements and explain the circumstances under which they
can be admitted in a civil court of law [15]

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 October 2024

PAYROLL MANAGEMENT MODULE PA142

1. How wages are determined has been the subject of several theories in Zimbabwe. Discuss
the main elements below theories in relation to your organisation;
(i) Subsistence theory
(ii) Wages fund theory
(iii) The surplus value theory of wages
(iv) Residual claimant theory
(v) Marginal productivity theory
(vi) The bargaining theory of wages
(vii) Behavioural theories [25]

2. Armstrong and Murlis, H (2005) pointed out that differences in pay should be based on
differences in job requirements. Wage and salary levels should align with those prevailing
in the job market and the below factors. Discuss the two statements. [25]

3. Compensation and rewards determination may have one or more objectives, often
conflicting. (Armstrong and Stephen, 2005). Discuss using your organisation's approach.
[25]

4. Kreitner and Kinicki (2010), a fair wage is a product of employee perception. Perception
is reality. If the current system is not working as intended, the organisation has a real
problem. Develop a remuneration policy for your organisation, focusing on all employee
categories and related short to long-term approaches which will help to attract, drive
productivity and retain top talent. [25]

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PRINCIPLES OF RISK MANAGEMENT MODULE PA139

1. Discuss the main features of the enterprise-wide risk management systems practised in an
organisation of your choice. [25]

2. Once risks have been identified and assessed, all risk management techniques fall into four
major categories. Discuss those four categories of techniques which organisations can use.
[25]

3. For managers to successfully manage risks within projects or in their organisations, they
can implement a few tools and techniques as a part of their project management process.
Briefly describe those tools, relating them to an organisation of your choice. [25]

4. Digitalisation of business processes has brought both good and bad threats to the operations
of many organisations. Briefly discuss the good and potential threats businesses have to
deal with in their daily operations. [25]

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 October 2024

DATABASE CONCEPTS AND FUNDAMENTALS OF PROGRAMMING

MODULE HRA143

1. a) Can programming be used to solve all types of problems? Why and why not? [15]
b) Define ‘programming language’ [10]

2. a) Describe how Computational Thinking can be used to solve programming problems [10]
b) Identify THREE (3) advantages offered by high-level languages (HLLs) over low-level
languages (LLLS). [15]

3. a) Machine language is fast but not programmer-friendly. Discuss. [10]

b) What are the most commonly used programming languages and their applications?
[15]

4. a) What is an algorithm, and how is it used in programming? [10]

b) What is the difference between object-oriented and structured programming? [15]

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 October 2024

PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS MODULE PA139

1. a) Explain four functions of price in a free market economy. [12]

b) With the aid of well-labelled diagrams, distinguish between a change in quantity
supplied and a change in supply. [13]

2. Describe the relationship between elasticity of demand and total revenue [15]
(b) Explain the following concepts:
(i) Cross elasticity of demand [5]
(ii) Income elasticity of demand [5]

3. a) Explain three characteristics of the oligopoly market structure using examples from the
fuel industry. [12]
b)Using the oligopoly market structure, describe the concept of a kinked demand curve.
[13]

4. a) Using a two-sector economy model, distinguish between leakages and injections into the
circular flow of income. [10]
b) Describe the four categories used to measure Gross Domestic Product under the
expenditure approach. [15]

Page 46 of 53
 October 2024

LABOUR ECONOMETRICS MODULE HRA148

Instructions
Answer ANY TWO questions. Questions marked with an asterisk (*) require that you use
Statistical analysis software such as EXCEL, Eviews, SPSS or Jamovi. For these questions, you
needed to attach (copy and paste to your Word document) computer output as part of your
solutions.

Question One
A labour economist was keen to investigate how education (measured as the years of schooling)
affected workers' hourly wages in the banking industry. She collected data from a random sample
of 20 workers and saved it in an Excel file named ‘Wages & Education’.
1.1 Identify the dependent variable and the independent variable. [2]
1.2 * Obtain a scatter plot of the data and comment on the relationship between the variables.
[5]
1.3 * Estimate the sample linear regression function to predict a worker’s hourly wage based
on the level of education attained. Interpret the slope coefficient. [10]
1.4 * Does the level of education have a significant impact on a worker’s hourly wages? Justify
your answer using the following:
a) Confidence interval approach. [4]
b) P-value approach. [4]

Question Two

A manufacturing firm intending to scale down its operations asked its employees about their desire
to take up voluntary retrenchment. The four variables analysed in the study were measured as
follows:
• DESIRE – scale ranging from 5 to 25, where the higher the value, the greater the interest
in taking up a voluntary retrenchment
• EXP- number of years of working experience
• JOBSAT – scale ranging from 1 to 10, where the higher the value, the greater the
satisfaction with one’s job
• DEPN – number of dependents
The data for the study is saved in the Excel file titled ‘Voluntary Retrenchment’.
You are required to do the following:
2.1 *Fit a multiple linear regression model to the data. [10]

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 October 2024

2.2 Give a practical interpretation of each of the estimated regression coefficients. [6]
2.3 Which variable's greatest impact dramatically impacts one’s desire for voluntary
retrenchment? Give reasons for your answer. [3]
2.4 * Is the overall model statistically useful for predicting one’s desire to take up voluntary
retrenchment? Test at a 5% level of significance. [6]

Question Three
A labour economist was keen to investigate how CEO compensation is influenced by firm size in
the manufacturing industry. She collected data from a random sample of 29 firms saved in an Excel
file titled ‘Firm Size’.

3.1 State the independent and dependent variables. [2]

3.2* Use the data to construct a scatter plot of compensation and firm size and comment on the
relationship between the variables. [5]

3.3* Estimate the sample linear regression function to predict a CEO’s compensation based on the
firm size. Interpret the slope coefficient. [10]

3.4* Does firm size have a significant impact on CEO compensation? Justify your answer using
the following:
a) Confidence interval approach. [4]
b) P-value approach. [4]

Question Four
A social scientist investigated the relationship between CEO compensation and gender. In his
model, he included firm size and profit as control variables. The data is saved in the Excel file
‘Gender & CEO Compensation’.
The figure below shows a scatterplot of residuals versus predicted values.

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 October 2024

3.1 Does the pattern suggest the existence of heteroscedasticity? Justify your answer. [5]
3.2 * Run the regression; hence, conduct a formal test for heteroscedasticity at a 5%
significance level. [10]

3.3 Determine whether multicollinearity is a problem in the data using the following:
a) R2 value and significance of t-ratios. [5]
b) Variance inflation factor (VIF) scores. [5]

Wages & Education Data

Education (years) wage
($)
11 2
13 2
17 8
15 5
22 12
14 3
20 9
19 10
13 4
22 15
17 9
19 12
11 4
15 5
17 8

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 October 2024

19 11
16 7
17 6
13 5
15 7

Gender & CEO Compensation & Firm Size Data

Firm Size Compensation
Gender Profit($m) ($m) (000)
0 3100 34128 12350
1 3900 38096 13984
0 297 12450 3742
1 235 15320 5750
1 947 15208 6955
0 231 9706 2970
1 747 14802 5271
0 1793 28765 11027
1 135 14390 6763
0 -190 8597 1607
1 3610 20452 10084
1 1550 26459 11824
1 246 12580 2499
0 2694 24306 10091
1 1592 34287 12017
1 4180 42318 15420
0 980 22115 10086
1 4280 36265 20228
0 189 8980 1779
1 1212 28876 10049
0 406 16896 5516
1 -412 16764 4027
1 1075 14672 4377
0 2912 38432 16413
0 -583 5608 913
0 105 15320 6595
1 5605 49764 29701

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 October 2024

Voluntary Retrenchment Data

DESIRE EXP JOBS DEPN
AT
11 5 5 5
18 20 1 2
9 3 10 8
16 19 3 1
12 4 8 4
10 2 9 4
6 2 10 8
24 28 1 1
20 25 1 1
12 4 4 3
11 6 8 4
23 21 2 2
15 15 4 3
19 10 4 2
11 6 8 4
10 8 8 4
8 3 10 6
17 15 3 5
14 17 5 4
21 24 2 2
16 18 4 5
11 8 7 4
9 4 10 7
18 26 2 3
20 20 1 2
20 12 5 1
15 10 6 4
13 9 5 4
11 12 4 5
18 19 2 2
12 6 5 4

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 October 2024

ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ANALYTICS Module HRA147

1. Outline any five data sources for organisational development analytics in an organisation
of your choice [25]

2. Explain the impact of PESTEL analysis in organisational development analytics at your

organisation. [25]

3. Discuss any five benefits of using flexible work design. [25]

4. Explore any five benefits of organisational development metrics in your organisation.

[25]

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 October 2024

PEOPLE ANALYTICS AND DECISION-MAKING Module HRA145

1.
a) Describe the different stages of people analytics, giving examples of the insights produced at
each stage. [5]

b) Using a company of your choice, identify a business problem you intend to solve using human
resources interventions. Describe the process you would use to decide on and recommend the
most impactful interventions. [5]

c) c) Give the sources of HR data and discuss how you would ensure that the data you gather is
usable in a people analytics project. [15]

2.

a) Conduct a comparative study of 4 analytics tools. In your list of tools, include one spreadsheet
of one statistical software and ultimately recommend the tool you would use. [15]

b) Give the formulae of 4 measures of dispersion and describe when and how you would use these
when analysing HR data. Include in your response both absolute and relative measures of
dispersion. [10]

3.
a) Describe how you would quantify the benefits of staff retention and make recommendations to
improve it. [10]

b) Describe staff retention's impact on succession and provide the other factors you would
consider when creating a succession plan. In your response, create a sample dashboard of the
metrics and KPIs you would use to inform management when developing the succession plan.
[15]

4.

a) Describe how you would create a people analytics project team to tackle a diversity problem. [10]

b) What metrics and KPIs would you use to ensure a diverse and inclusive organisation? Provide an
example dashboard to illustrate the metrics at work. [15]

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