Human Resource Research Paper
This assignment asks you to select a human resource issue/topic currently faced by businesses that you would like to learn more about and then research about the topic. Once you have gathered information, you will write a Research Paper that: describes the issue/topic, presents a detailed analysis of the issue, and then compares and contrasts the issue from both the manager side and the employee side. There are three deadlines:
1. Select a topic and find a supporting article due Monday March 12 by 8 pm (this is the Weekly Assignment due on March 12). A list of potential topics has been provided but you are welcome to select any topic you like as long as it has some connection to a current human resource issue, our course, and your area of study (i.e. hospitality, dietetics, management). After you have picked your topic, you are asked to find a popular press article that describes how this issue is currently impacting a business related to your chosen field. Popular press articles can be found in business magazines or newspapers that are mainstream reputable sources (e.g., New York Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, etc.)
2. Draft an outline and create a reference list due Monday March 26 by 8 pm (this is the Weekly Assignment due on March 26 – NOTE this is the Monday AFTER spring break!) Create an outline of your paper with main topics and sub topics clearly organized. You must list your 6 sources in APA format as well in this submission
a. 1 source should be the class textbook b. 1 source should be the popular press article you found c. 4 sources should be from scholarly sources or academic journals (see the list of scholarly
sources for some options of where to look for articles)
3. Write a detailed research paper and submit an electronic copy to iLearn by 10 pm on Monday April 30. A paper copy is due at the BEGINNING OF CLASS on Tuesday May 1. Assume that the reader of the paper is a business owner or senior level manager. Your paper should present a clear analytical review of the human resource topic you have chosen. Your paper should include:
a. An introduction and conclusion b. A clear description of the issue or topic. Explain why the topic is a something worth
investigating (you can reference your popular press article here). Present a review of the issue/topic and inform the reader of how it came to be. Describe how the issue/topic matters. Why is it an issue or concern?
c. Compare and contrast the issue using specific information or details (with appropriate sources) from both the manager side and the employee side of the issue. Why would this issue/concern matter to a business? To an employee? What impact would this issue have on the business or on the employee? How should companies manage or act in regard to this issue/topic? Use sources throughout this section to justify your thoughts.
The purpose of this paper is for you to identify a current issue or topic in Human Resources that a business in your field or discipline would face. Students are expected to research to learn how to stay current on HR related topics as it is a critical need for a manager, as is the knowledge of how to strategically plan for the Human Resources function.
The paper requires you to develop a clear analysis based on current research of a topic or issue in Human Resources. You want to conduct a scholarly review of the literature, and you must have a minimum of four citations from scholarly sources (see the attached list of sample scholarly sources). Your reference page will include at least 6 total references (4 scholarly sources, the class textbook, the popular press article). Keep in mind that this paper is an analysis of the topic/issue and is not merely a summary of the bibliographic list of resources. Your paper must use scholarly references and it must be written in a narrative format synthesizing the research from your citations, which must be in presented in APA format (this means you need both in text citations and a reference page). The paper should be NO LONGER than 5 pages and include at the least the following:
1. Introduction and Purpose of the Paper 2. General Findings of the Research (including definition of the issue) 3. Synthesis of the Findings 4. Conclusions 5. Reference Page (this is NOT included in the 5 page limit)
Grading Rubric
Topic / issue description (40%) Does the paper present a clear description of the issue or topic? Explain why the topic is a something worth investigating (you can reference your popular press article here). Present a review of the issue/topic and inform the reader of how it came to be. Describe how the issue/topic matters. Why is it an issue or concern?
Evaluation of the issue (40%) Compare and contrast the issue using specific information or details (with appropriate sources) from both the manager side and the employee side of the issue. Why would this issue/concern matter to a business? To an employee? What impact would this issue have on the business or on the employee? How should companies manage or act in regard to this issue/topic? Use sources throughout this section to justify your thoughts.
Sources (5%) Were the sources informative and relevant to the topic? Was an appropriate number and variety of sources utilized? Were sources used to describe the issues in clear detail? Were they property cited using APA format (both in text and in a reference page)
Writing Proficiency (15%) Is the paper free of spelling and grammar errors? Is there a clear purpose? Is the issue described in enough detail to support the analysis? Does the paper have a professional introduction and conclusion that summarize the content?
Guidelines & Specification
The paper which describes the company should be no longer than five pages, double line-spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman or Cambria font, with 1” margins. Any text submitted past the end of the fifth page WILL NOT BE READ OR GRADED. To meet this page restriction, carefully edit and parse your word to maximize meaning in every sentence.
Include your #SFSU ID in the document header – DO NOT put your name(s) on the written assignment. Any individual that submits a paper with a name will lose 5%
You must have page numbers at the bottom of each page Five (5) page maximum of written text (not including the reference page). All references referred to in the
writing must be properly cited in APA format both in text and in a reference page at the end of the document.
Scholarly Journals The following list of journals is a partial list of acceptable scholarly journals to be used as potential sources for all research papers. Wikipedia is NOT a scholarly source. The SF State library does not subscribe to all of these journals. Academy of Management Journal Academy of Management Review Administrative Science Quarterly Personnel Psychology Training and Development Journal California Management Review Organizational Dynamics Decision Sciences American Sociological Review Abnormal and Social Psychology Journal of Applied Behavioral Science Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Making Journal of Management Studies Journal of Applied Psychology Personnel Personnel Journal Business Horizons Harvard Business Review Journal of Management Human Relations Monthly Labor Review Industrial Relation H. R. Magazine Workforce HRM 560 Possible Research Paper Topics
Absenteeism: Cases, Remedies, and Prevention Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, and Work Americans with Disabilities Act: Current Status and Rulings for employees/employers Application Blanks: Creation, Usage, and Legal Obligations Arbitration Costs and Benefits in Settling Labor Relations Disputes Behaviorally-Anchored Rating Scales Behavior Modification Approaches Contingent Workers/Workforce Costing Behaviors Current Immigration Problems as a Human Resource Issue Discipline and Disciplinary Action Downsizing the Workplace: Problems and Solutions Drug Testing Issues Early Retirement Plans and Methods Employee Assistance Plans Employee Development Methods Employee Handbooks: What You Need to Know Executive Recruiting and Selection Exit Interviews Flex Time Flexible Benefit Systems Gainsharing Genetic Testing Grievance and Complaint Settlement Methods Health Care Cost Containment Methods HR Metrics Human Resource Accounting Human Resource Information Systems Interviewing Methods in the Selection Process Is Affirmative Action Still Needed in 2018 and Beyond? Job Enrichment Job Sharing Legal Aspects of Pregnancy and Family Leave Policies Management Development: Planning & Evaluation Minimum wage changes: how do companies cope Outsourcing the Human Resource Function Paid Family Medical Leave Peer Method of Performance Appraisal Personality Tests and the Selection of Employees Reducing Job Fatigue, Boredom, and Monotony Privacy Concerns of Employees Unions: Current and Future Status Profit Sharing Plans Proper and Improper Termination in Today’s Economy Reverse Discrimination and Affirmative Action Today Self-Directed Work Teams Sexual Harassment: Prevention and Corrective Actions Status of Employer Liability and Current Trends in Reference Checking Stress and Burnout: HR Solutions Strikes: Management Strategies The Use of the Polygraph (lie detector) in the Selection Process Tipping as compensation: Rules and justice Turnover: How much, How Little? Wage Compression: Problems and Solutions Women and the “Glass Ceiling” Workplace violence
