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Class Project (Papers and Presentations) The class project requires each student to demonstrate their ability to design an HR strategy building on the concepts of internal and external alignment

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Class Project (Papers and Presentations)

The class project requires each student to demonstrate their ability to design an HR strategy building on the concepts of internal and external alignment. The student is to select a company in a specific industry and design an HR strategy specifically for A positions to ensure sustainable competitive advantage given the organizational and environmental challenges facing this firm.

 

Project Paper (300 points)

 

I. Company Strategy

Briefly describe (no more than 1 page) what is your firm’s strategy, competitive

advantage, and A positions by referencing your attached one-page SWOT analysis as Appendix A, and your one-page Mapping Human Capital as Appendix B.

 

II. HR Objectives

Summarize objectives of your HR system (no more than 1 page) including Managing Competencies, Managing Behaviors, and Managing the Work Environment. Ensure you provide the following information:

 

a. Managing Competencies

Objectives: What core competencies are needed in “A positions” for sustainable competitive advantage? Indicate your plans to –Buy, Make/Develop, and Acquire talent. Indicate Where you plan to focus – locally, globally, combination.

 

b. Managing Behaviors

Objectives: What specific behaviors and mindset do you need these employees to demonstrate? Explain Why.

 

c. Managing Work Environment

Objectives: What are your goals for job and organizational design, e.g. to promote efficiencies, innovation, risk management, solutions, teamwork, etc. Explain Why.

 

III. HR Practices

Provide a detailed description of the design of the specific HR practices and programs that must be implemented to achieve each objective of your HR system. Ensure you describe these practices and/or programs comprehensively and how specifically they meet the objectives of the HR system to ensure sustainable competitive advantage. Ensure you answer each component of all questions:

 

a. Managing Competencies

How to acquire, develop, and/or acquire?

What is your Recruitment Plan- what sources (colleges, search firms, etc.), how to implement, who is involved?

 

What is your Selection Plan – what criteria, what methods, who is involved

 

What is your Succession Management Program – how to select employees, what criteria, how to assess, what are the development plans, what is the process for movement into A positions?

 

What is your Training &Development Plan – what competencies need to be developed, how will you design the training, what methods, who will deliver?

 

Acquisition Plan – what external competencies are needed either now or in the future. How will you acquire, e.g. -M&A, joint venture, strategic partnership? Where will you acquire these competencies? Describe the HR due diligence process and integration plan?

 

b. Managing Behaviors

What behaviors and mindset do you want to reinforce? How will you motivate

employees?

 

PM System - Describe the strategic objectives, and measurable goals for A positions, as also noted in your balanced scorecard. Describe how to employees in A positions will be evaluated, what methods, who will provide feedback?

 

Compensation - How will you pay you’re A players – describe base pay, ST and LT pay, and key benefits. Describe your incentive program based on achieving strategic objectives – describe the variance in total compensation, describe the components of incentive pay – cash, equity, etc.

 

c. Managing Work Environment

Job Design – how will these jobs be designed? Describe key tasks, degree of standardization/complexity, amount of autonomy, decision making authority, amount of interdependencies, etc.

 

Organizational Structure – what is the structure of the organization of these positions, hierarchical, flat, cross-functional, networked? Based on what – product, region, function Where /Who do A positions report into?

 

 

 

IV. Organizational Culture /Leadership

a. Describe the type of culture that best fits your company’s strategy including the employees’ behaviors and mindset that need to be fostered. Describe how your HR system shape the organizational culture. Describe other HR practices, policies, benefits, that are needed to further foster this culture.

 

b. Describe what leadership style and characteristics are ideal for this company and why this type of leader is needed. Describe your leadership development program, how you will find and develop leaders.

 

V. Strategic Measures

Summarize the key measures in you Balanced scorecard. No more than one page. Attach your Balanced Scorecard as Appendix C. Note, selected objectives and measures that apply to A positions must be included in your performance management and compensation plans.

 

VI. Executing Strategy

Describe the major implementation hurdles you expect executing your HR strategy. Describe the change management process for overcoming these hurdles and successfully executing your strategy. Indicate HR’s focus when executing the HR strategy.

 

A successful report will:

• Follow the above format (I – VI) labeling all headings and subheadings and thoroughly answer all questions

• Be a professional, properly cited (e.g. MLA, AMA), polished paper of approximately 20 double-spaced pages (12pt font) text (excluding supplement material and appendices). Your report should be concise, well-written, and insightful—good enough to submit to executive management

• Use appendices and supplements to provide supporting details related to various aspects of your report.

• Provide complete references for all sources of information used to prepare the report.

 

Presentations (100 points)

Students will record an upload their HR strategy Power Point presentations. The presentation is intended to “sell” your strategy to the Executive Management of your firm and getting their approval. Your presentation must be tailored to an executive audience and needs to be very concise, and professionally executed. As with any presentation to executive management, you must ensure you do not exceed the allocated time you have to present. Each student’s presentation will be no more than 20 minutes.