Literature review

Assignment Overview Description: Write a literature review exploring and analysing the scholarly literature on a contemporary human resource management (HRM) issue. Leverage findings to formulate two recommendations for changes in HRM practices to address the issue. Record the research process, collecting artefacts during the search and documenting them in the final submission. Length: 1900ish-words (+- 10%), excluding references, and artefacts. Submission guidelines: Submit a Microsoft Word document (not PDF) file. Sources of information: You may include only scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles published within the last 5-years for this assessment task.  Referencing style: APA 7th Edition Unit Learning Outcomes  Appraise literature and theories on selected HRM topics and issues. Evaluate the contribution that effective HRM can make to organisational objectives. Assignment Rationale The purpose of a literature review is to explore and synthesise existing scholarly literature related to a chosen contemporary HRM issue. As an essential component of academic research, a literature review not only provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in a particular field but also lays the foundation for identifying gaps, trends, and recommending changes. Conducting a literature review supports the development of a range of academic skills, including information retrieval and source evaluation, critical thinking, and communicating ideas in writing. Instructions In this assessment task, you will write a literature review that explores and analyses the scholarly literature on a contemporary HRM issue. A literature review helps researchers identify and analyse best practices, successful interventions, or effective strategies documented in existing studies. You will use these insights and your evaluation of them to formulate two recommendations for changes in HRM practices to address the issue. When incorporating recommendations derived from a literature review, it is important to clearly link each recommendation to the evidence found in the literature. This strengthens the credibility of your recommendations and demonstrates that they are informed by an understanding of the existing knowledge base. Before attempting this assessment task: * Go through the Attachment example of Business Research Planner on Business Research Planner
. This resource will support the development of your research skills throughout the task. * Understand that there is no 'magic' number of scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles to cite and reference in the task. The adequacy of your literature review lies in the currency, relevancy, accuracy, and degree to which the sources you include are authoritative, rather than a specific quantity. Prioritise selecting sources that contribute substantially to the understanding of your research question, represent various perspectives, and offer a comprehensive view of the current state of knowledge in your field. Quality and depth in your review, coupled with a judicious selection of sources, will contribute significantly to the quality of your work. Step 1: Choose one issue from the report Areas of Focus for HR in 2024 published by the Australian Human Resource Institute (AHRI). 1. Access the report Links to an external site.
on the key issues that HR professionals will face in 2024.  2. Review the issues identified by AHRI. 3. Do a few quick internet searches on the issues. What is being discussed in the media, by other professional associations, industry groups, unions? What questions occur to you as you read?  4. Choose one issue that piques your interest or is directly relevant to your organisation. This could be an issue that you find particularly impactful, controversial, or aligned with your professional interests. 5. Record your findings and key concepts from your initial search in the Business Research Planner. Step 2: Create a research question. 1. Review the Writing a Research Question Guide. 2. Consider what you aim to achieve through your research, using the prompts in the Business Research Planner.  3. Draft an initial version of your research question. You can seek feedback from your peers and teaching team in the Assignment Q&A. External perspectives can provide valuable insights and help refine the clarity and focus of your question.  4. Record your research question in the Business Research Planner. Your research question will guide you in each subsequent step. Step 3: Start your research journey. 1. Use the Business Research Planner to identify sources of information, develop search strings and record the current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate Links to an external site.
scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles you find. 2. Capture screenshots of your search. Include shots of search engine results, database interfaces, web pages you explored, and your browser history during the process. These artefacts not only provide transparency into your research methodology but also offer insights into the evolution of your search, aiding in the assessment of your research skills. These must be included in your final submission.  Step 4: Critical reading and note-taking. 1. Read each selected source critically. Take notes as you read, use highlighting or underlining to mark key information, such as concepts, findings, and any relevant critiques. Start to organise your review around themes and ideas. 2. Reflect on your reading and assess whether you have gathered sufficient knowledge. Consider whether you have a solid grasp of the main concepts, theories, and key findings related to your research question. If you are uncertain or if you sense a need for more information, conduct a further research before embarking on the next step.  Step 5: Organise thematically and synthesise.  1. Build on your notes as you identify the central issues, themes, debates, and trends that emerged during the reading. 2. Synthesise your findings from the literature. Compare and contrast studies, identifying patterns, contradictions, and areas where consensus exists. 3. Organise your notes into themes related to your research question. A table, matrix, or concept map can be used to connect your themes to the issue. Step 6: Draft the literature review. 1. Introduction (100-150 words)     * Include all the elements outlined in the Guide in your introduction.   2. Body (900-1000 words)     * Organise your review thematically, using the themes identified at Step 5 and the best practices, successful interventions, or effective strategies to address your research question.     * Use the TEEL paragraph structure to write a body paragraph on each theme as it relates to your research question. You will need to organize information and synthesize several of your reviewed sources into each paragraph, so that there is a clear connection between the various sources.      * Incorporate credible evidence by citing your current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate sources. Try to use a combination of quoting, paraphrasing, and synthesizing techniques in your writing.  3. Discussion (400-500 words)     * Focus on explaining and evaluating what you have found in the reviewed literature, showing how it relates to your research question.     * Discuss the implications of your findings. Identify gaps or areas where the existing literature may fall short.     * Discuss options, alternatives or responses to your research question.      * Incorporate credible evidence by citing your current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate sources. Try to use a combination of quoting, paraphrasing, and synthesizing techniques in your writing. 4. Recommendations (150-200 words)     * Based on the discussion of your findings, write two specific, practical and realistic recommendations. Each should include a link back to the supporting literature in your review.     * Incorporate credible evidence by citing your current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate sources.  5. Conclusions (100-150 words)     * Review information on Structuring Conclusions.     * Summarise your findings and discussion from sections 2-3, emphasising the importance of the recommendations proposed in section 4 to address your research question.     * There is no new information here since each idea or piece of information should already have been introduced in the body of the review. 6. References     * Use the APA 7th Edition referencing style Links to an external site.
to include a full end-text reference list of all the cited sources on your final page.7. Appendices     * Include the artifacts (screenshots) that provide insights into your search strategy, key discoveries, and the evolution of your understanding of the HRM issue. Step 7: Edit and proofread. 1. Edit your case report before proofreading. 2. Check your in-text citations and end-text reference list.