Sample Questions for your reference: April & July 2013 Part 1 1.

Critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of best practice models of HRM strategy? 2. Outline and discuss the main obstacles hindering or preventing HR departments from delivering strategic HRM 3. What should organisations consider when developing a reward strategy? 4. How can recruitment and selection processes contribute to strategic HRM? 5. Discuss the main features of a Learning Organisation. Why is it important in a strategic HRD approach to organising development? 6. Which mechanisms of employee involvement would you recommend using as part of your employee relations strategy and why?

Part 2 Question 1 Critically evaluate the role that performance management systems play in the delivery of SHRM. Discuss the main mechanisms used in PMS and explain the different options that can be used within them. Use organisational examples as appropriate to support your answer. Question 2 For developmental activity to be deemed strategic organisations need to shift the focus from a training to a learning approach. Discuss this proposition in the context of development activity supporting individual and organisational change. Question 3 Critically evaluate the use of competency based approaches in modern HR strategies. Explain in detail how they may be used in one specific area of HR such as performance management. Use organisational examples as appropriate to support your answer. Question 4 Critically evaluate ONE of the following a) In what ways can HR strategies provide the level of organisational flexibility required by modern organisations? OR b) Should reward strategies always include an element of performance related pay. Justify your answer in relation to both theory and practise?

Section A

Answer FOUR questions Each question is worth 10 marks 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What do we mean by the terms best fit and best practice to describe SHRM. Use any short case examples to illustrate your discussion? How are Human Resource Departments responding to the challenge of SHRM? Outline the main principles of human resource planning. What are the main features of Lawlers model on strategic issues in reward management? Discuss the main features of a Learning Organisation. Why is important in a strategic HRD approach to organising development? Outline the main features of the organisational development process as laid down by Beckard?

You should allow no more than 15 minutes to answer each of these questions Section B Answer two questions Section B is worth 60 marks (30 marks for each question) Question 1 You have been asked to address a regional audience from a management institute on the subject of Getting the most from your Human resources function A cost effective value added service for the 21st Century prepare a briefing discussion paper as to what you would recommend and how you would go about this acknowledging the challenges you might face. (30 marks) Question 2 For developmental activity to be deemed strategic organisations need to shift the focus from a training to a learning approach. Discuss this proposition in the context of development activity supporting individual and organisational change (30 marks) Question 3 In what ways can organisations develop strategically useful performance management systems? What is the nature of the link to SHRM thinking? (30 marks) Question 4 Why is reward management potentially so problematic for SHRM? In what ways can organisations integrate reward management in to the HRM strategy? (30 marks) You should allocate no more than 60 minutes for the Part B questions