Assessment 2: Individual essay (40%)

Overview
Through completion of this assessment, students will learn how to:
Research a contemporary issue in employment relations.
Construct a sustained argument in response to the question.
Utilise and conform to the principles of academic rigour in the production of
an acceptable, formal response to the question.
Each student will submit an individual essay that will be assessed in accordance with
the marking guide included in this learning guide. The marking guide sets out the
criteria and standards against which your essay will be marked. Further assistance
will be provided in lectures and any additional information will be placed on vUWS.

Details
Read the following publicised commitment to diversity in the workplace:

The evidence shows that a diverse workforce enhances business performance as

well as fosters social justiceAt Origin diversity and inclusion is imbedded in our
principles and values and we are committed to creating a rewarding workplace for
our people by valuing everyones contribution, encouraging personal development,
recognising good performance and fostering equal opportunity.

Origin Energy (2012) cited in Stone (2013:577) {unit textbook}

Essay
question Why is managing diversity an essential component of successfully managing
people at work?

Research

However, to answer this question, you will need to conduct

independent research on the topic of managing diversity. Journals are
the most useful source of scholarly material because they contain
contemporary research that has been reviewed by experts in the fi eld.
Some examples include:

DNetto, B.; Shen, J.; Chelliah, J. and Monga, M. (2014), Human resource
diversity management practices in the Australian manufacturing sector, The
International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 25, No. 9, pp.1243
1266.

Houkamau, C. and Boxall, P. (2011), The incidence and impacts of diversity

management: A survey of New Zealand employees, Asia Pacific Journal of
Human Resources, Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 440-460.

Kramar, R. (2012), Diversity management in Australia: a mosaic of concepts,

practice and rhetoric, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 50, No. 3,
pp. 245-261.

Kulik, C. (2014), Working below and above the line: the researchpractice gap
in diversity management, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 24, No.
2, pp. 129144.

Noon, M. (2007), The fatal flaws of diversity and the business case for ethnic
minorities, Work, Employment and Society, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 773-784.

Do not limit your research to journal articles. Academic sources

include statistics, media releases, newspaper reports and textbooks.
Academic
textbooks can help with defi nitions and many of the issues in
managing people
at work are found in a range of areas, including:

Human Resource Management and Human Resource Development

Employment Relations and Industrial Relations
Organisational Behaviour and Critical Management Studies
Psychology and Sociology

It will be crucial for this assignment that you start researching the
topic well before the deadline. It will take time to understand the key
issues and to create a sustained and coherent argument throughout
the essay.

You will not be able to analyse every possible issue, so you will need
to select only a few signifi cant issues for your discussion this is the
nature of critical analysis.

Guidelines Your essay should have a clear introduction, body and conclusion.
for the essay Headings are permitted, but should be used sparingly.
Assignments should be in Arial, 11 point font, 1.5 line spacing
with appropriate margins.
All students must use Harvard style referencing.
The 1500 word limit must be adhered to within the acceptable
range of + or 10%.
All essays must cite at least six academic sources relevant to the
topic.
You must distinguish clearly between your own words and
analysis and those of your sources. You must do this by providing
appropriate citations using the Harvard style referencing.
Failure to provide appropriate citations is plagiarism. See UWS
academic misconduct policy. Your list of references should include
only material cited in the paper.
This is an individual assessment task if a submitted essay is
assessed as not being the work of a single author then academic
misconduct rules apply.
Marking criteria and standards
CRITERIA FAIL PASS CREDIT DISTINCTION HIGH
0 49% 50 64% 65 74% 75 84% DISTINCTION
85% +
Unsatisfactor Satisfactory Above Advanced
y performance average performance Superior
performance performance performance

Topic Unclear or Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates

minimal a basic/clear a developed a an excellent
understandin understandin understandin sophisticated understandin
g of the topic g of the topic g of the topic understandin g of the topic
under under under g of the topic under
investigation. investigation. investigation. under investigation,
Fails to investigation. showing
answer the reasoning,
set question. self-
confi dence
and
originality.

Critical Descriptive. Demonstrates Able to Able to Clearly

analysis and Reproduces an adequate identify accurately demonstrates
research information level of relevant and interpret a high level
from lectures integration of contrasting evidence and of integration
and readings. concepts and arguments. statements. of readings
Over-reliance some Off ers clear Off ers and/or
on quotes consideration analysis, but analyses and alternative
and close of alternate may lacks evaluation of perspectives
paraphrasing. perspectives consistency. alternative into own
Inadequate evident. Goes beyond points of writing.
use of source Requires minimum of 6 view. Utilises Critically
material. further sources. a good range analyses and
research. of sources in evaluates
an original alternative
way. points of
view.

Structure and Disjointed, Basic line of Organisation Able to Able to

argument unfocussed, argument is of ideas is construct a construct a
poorly apparent, but relatively coherent line coherent line
structured a great deal clear, but of argument of argument
argument. of structure and throughout. throughout,
Disconnected improvement development Introduction, and to
paragraphs; is needed to of argument body and eff ectively
no clear line create may require conclusion synthesise
of argument. coherence. further are logically and integrate
justifi cation. developed abstract
and ideas.
integrated.

Clarity of Incomprehens Some A satisfactory Consistent Comprehensi

written ible. Poor inconsistency standard of expression. on enhanced
expression communicatio in sentence expression. Use of by excellent
n of ideas structure. Few spelling advanced written
due to Clarity of and/or language and expression
careless expression grammar HRM specifi c and superior
writing and could be errors. terminology grammar and
lack of proof- enhanced by and spelling
reading. some conventions. skills. Work
Unacceptable revision. has a clear
number of voice.
errors.

Referencing Inadequate, inappropriate or inaccurate referencing that does not conform to

the conventions of Harvard Referencing may result in the essay receiving a fail
grade overall and the possibility of academic misconduct. Marks may be
deducted for poor referencing technique but marks will not be awarded for
appropriate referencing technique.