MODULE INTRODUCTION

Greetings and welcome to the Developing Responsible Professional practice  module (HR6013). This guide is intended to provide you with the key information you need in order to be successful in the module. It tells you what you should expect from the module and provides an outline of module content, assessment and reading.

The team wishes you to have an enjoyable experience on this module. We have gone to some lengths to ensure that the content of the module is interesting, substantial and relevant to the practice of HR Professionals. We hope you will find us to be friendly and approachable and sincerely wish you the best of luck in your studies.

Developing responsible professional practice will be an important feature of your future HR career. This module is designed to help you develop a sound understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by Human Resources (HR) professionals, in line with the CIPD Professional Map and the ‘thinking performer’ perspective. It will cover the competencies needed by a HR professional to function effectively in the role. It will further enable learners to assess their own strengths and weaknesses leading to a Continuing Professional Development plan (CPD) to become a more ethical, business-focused HR Professional. The module will go further in situating responsible professional practice within a stakeholder perspective and introduce you to critical debates on the CIPD map and ‘thinking performer’ perspective.

This module is this not just about theory – it is about you. As this is a third-year module you will be expected to evidence higher level academic writing and referencing skills.  These level-6 skills include those of organising and presenting complex ideas in writing in order to be informative, concise and persuasive. They include finding and using good quality academic sources, putting the ideas of others into your own words and referencing your work accurately and in line with cite them right. It is important not just to show what you know but to show that you can use what you know to good effect.

MODULE AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

Knowledge

1. Demonstrate an understanding of how key HR objectives are delivered to add value in an organisational context.
2. Recognise the attributes, behaviours and attitudes demonstrated by effective ‘Thinking Performers’.

Thinking skills

3. Reflect and understand what is required to be an effective and efficient HR professional.

Subject-based practical skills

4. Demonstrate an ability to carry out appropriate investigation which utilises suitable data collection instruments, sources of information and presents data in meaningful ways.

Skills for life and work (general skills)

5. Show an understanding of HR contribution to organisational performance.

6. Be able to apply CPD techniques to construct, implement and review a personal development plan.

KEY INFORMATION

Teaching Methods Used

In this module we provide materials before the class (prepare), lectures and seminars (engage) and materials after the class to assess learning (consolidate). The lectures are where we introduce some of the key concepts, theories and studies that are important in the study of HR Professional practice. Seminars are smaller groups of around 20-25. Here you will have more chance to discuss ideas with fellow students and with your seminar tutor. A key feature of the seminars is that they are aimed at helping you prepare for your assignments. They should not only help you learn material and help check your understanding, they will also help you see what is expected in assignments – how to do well, and what pitfalls to avoid. They are at least as important as the lectures (arguably more so).

We make extensive use of Moodle to provide materials and activities before the class (the prepare stage), lecture notes and seminar activities (the engage stage), and reflective material and learning checks after the class (the consolidation stage) as well as important information about the module. It is also where you can find information on assignments, submit your assignments and get feedback and marks for your assignments. You are advised to check the Moodle site for the module regularly for resources in the prepare, engage and consolidate sections.

Attendance is important but it is not enough to ensure that you pass the module. You will also need to do extensive reading before and after the class; and not just any reading but reading from good quality published sources (as opposed to anything you happen to come across from a Google search or in Wikipedia). Be warned – you are expected to spend more time on reading and preparing assignments than you do in attending classes. Depending on how efficient you are you might be able to get away with less study than others, but if you get the balance wrong you will surely fail the module. You will probably find that you study a lot more in some weeks than others but if you want to avoid stress then doing at least as much time in private study as you do in class every week is to be recommended. Why not try to establish a routine that you force yourself to stick to?  Planning your use of time to meet all the assignments you have to do in this and other modules is very important. This need not entail leaving everything to the last minute.  For seminars, for example: work steadily at it and you will find meeting assessment deadlines a lot easier.

How to Pass (And How to Fail)

To pass this module you must achieve 40% overall in the assessment. By far the most common reason for not passing this module is not meeting the deadline for the assignment. Note that your tutors cannot grant individual ‘extensions’ no matter how much they might wish to do so. In cases of illness or other serious situations preventing you meeting a deadline you can apply for ‘extenuation’ but any such claims go to a central university committee to be considered and the grounds for accepting them are very exacting. Go to the Hub for information or see the guide on the intranet on The Hub webpages at: https://www.uel.ac.uk/Discover/Governance/Policies-Regulations-Corporate-documents/Student-Policies/Extenuation-Procedures

Of course you can still fail, even if you do meet the deadlines. Common causes of failure include:

• Leaving everything to the last minute and rushing it. How will you make sure the work gets done in a timely way?
• Corrupted files, lost files or submitting the wrong file (yes this does happen!). Make sure you back up your files – but do not get confused over what is the latest version of the assignment.
• Not reading ‘good’ material. Many students have got into the habit of relying on Google to do the work of finding relevant pieces. While this is quick and easy the trouble with this is that it does not work well in academic work at degree level. What we academics consider ‘good’ material is usually published by academic publishers. They subject work to rigorous review and editing standards. This applies both to books and academic journals – most of which a Google search will not give you access to for copyright reasons (the publishers are protecting their commercial interests!).  These days you can get most academic journals online, via the UEL library databases (you have to be a UEL student or member of staff to access these and access is protected by use of your UEL password and email account details). There are also an increasing number of e-books available via the UEL library website. The reading list we supply in this guide is a good starting point for your reading, so make use of it.
• Committing academic misconduct by copying other people’s work and presenting it as your own (plagiarism).
• Not explaining things very well. We do not insist on perfect grammar and spelling (although you may lose a few marks if these are not good) but we do need to be sure of your meaning. If your English is not good do not be tempted to copy the work of others (even published sources). You will only improve your English by working on it. Give yourself time to review and modify your work as well as using others or the spell-checks and grammar-checks in Word to help you (but beware of relying too much on the latter – they are by no means perfect).
• Not understanding what is being read. This is probably the least common source of failure but it does happen. Sometimes this might be avoided if the student spends more time re-reading the material or finding other sources that might explain things in a simpler way.

It is very easy to want to do well; it is harder to achieve it. Students who do very well usually have the following characteristics:

• They were good at selecting good quality, relevant published sources.
• They read widely – mostly the things we recommended, but sometimes going beyond that, too.
• They were good at explaining things, striking a good balance between giving enough explanation and justification, while being concise.
• They did what we asked of them in each assignment – they did not stray off into irrelevancies or fail to make clear the connection between what they said and what the question or assignment asked for.
• They gave themselves enough time to do justice to the work.

Module Specification 

Module Specification

Module Title:                                   Developing Responsible Professional Practice		Module Code: HR6013 Level: 6 Credit: 30 ECTS credit: 15			Module Leader:
Pre-requisite:   None			Pre-cursor:None
Co-requisite:    None			Excluded combinations : None
Location of delivery:  UEL
Main aim(s) of the module: This module is designed to enable the learner to develop a sound understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by Human Resources (HR) professionals, whether in a generalist or specialist role, and as described in the CIPD Professional Map. The module embraces the ‘thinking performer’ perspective and covers the competencies needed by the HR professional in a personal capacity, when collaborating with and working with others, and when functioning efficiently and effectively in an organisational context. It will enable learners to assess their own strengths an identify a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) plan, based on the capabilities required for the ethical, business-focused and interpersonal professional contact.
Main topics of study:   Personal skills audit Introduction to professional competency frameworks, including CIPD’s HR profession map The organisational context: stakeholder theory, cultural and institutional aspects The HR function and HR activity HR and organisational performance Personal and professional ethics Interpersonal and group behaviours Project management HR evaluation and the contribution to change management Drawing conclusions and scoping options for change Continuing professional development (CPD)
Learning Outcomes for the module At the end of this module, students will be able to: Knowledge Demonstrate an understanding of how key HR objectives are delivered to add value in an organisational context. Recognise the attributes, behaviours and attitudes demonstrated by effective ‘Thinking Performers’. Thinking skills Reflect and understand what is required to be an effective and efficient HR professional. Subject-based practical skills Demonstrate an ability to carry out appropriate investigation which utilises suitable data collection instruments, sources of information and presents data in meaningful ways. Skills for life and work (general skills) 5. Show an understanding of HR contribution to organisational performance. 6. Be able to apply CPD techniques to construct, implement and review a personal development plan.
Teaching/ learning methods/strategies used to enable the achievement of learning outcomes: For on campus students: This module uses a variety of approaches to teaching and learning including, tutor-directed lectures and more student-directed and interactive sessions which may include seminars, tutorials, skills workshops and VLE (Moodle) discussion forums.
Assessment methods which enable students to demonstrate the learning outcomes for the module; please define as necessary: Portfolio Part 1: Report on the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by Human Resources (HR) professionals as a “thinking performer” (2500 words) Portfolio Part 2: A skills and competency audit of self in the role of a HR “Thinking performer”. (1000 words) Portfolio Part 3: Identifying a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) plan 500 word count				Weighting: 40%   30%   30%		Learning Outcomes demonstrated: 1, 2 and 5   3 and 4   6
Personal and professional development Bolton, G. and Delderfeld, R. (2018) Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development. London: Sage Megginson D, Whittaker V (2007) Continuing professional development 2nd ed, London, CIPD Pedler M, Burgoyne J, Boydell T (2007) A manager’s guide to self-development 5th ed, Maidenhead, McGraw Hill Winstanley D (2005) Personal effectiveness, London, CIPD Human Resource Management Beardwell J, Claydon T (2017) Human resource management: a contemporary approach 8th ed, Harlow, Pearson Education Bratton J, Gold J (2017) Human resource management: theory and practice 6th ed, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan CIPD (2007) The changing HR function: survey report, London, CIPD CIPD (2008) CIPD code of professional conduct and disciplinary procedures, London, CIPD CIPD (2010) Next generation HR, London CIPD CIPD profession map: http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/profession-map/cipd-profession-map-used-you.aspx accessed 7/05/15 Goos M, Manning A (2007) Lousy and lovely jobs: the rising polarization of work in Britain, The Review of Economics and Statistics, vol 89, 1 pp118-33. Hutchinson, S. (2013) Performance Management. London: CIPD. Purcell J, Kinnie K, Hutchinson S, Rayton B, Swart J (2003) Understanding the people and performance link, London, CIPD Redman T, Wilkinson A (2008) Contemporary human resource management: text and cases 3rd ed, Harlow, Financial Times Prentice Hall Jyothi P, and Venkatesh D (2013) Human resource management 2nd ed, New Delhi, OUP Torrington D, Hall L, Taylor S, Atkinson C (2017) Human resource management 10th ed, Harlow, Pearson Research Anderson V (2018) Research methods in human resource management 4th ed, London CIPD Bee F, Bee R (2005) Managing information and statistics 2nd ed, London CIPD Bryman A, Bell E (2015) Business research methods 4th ed, Oxford, OUP Cameron, E & Green, M (2015) Making Sense of Change Management – A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools & Techniques of Organisational Change, Kogan Page, London Saunders M, Lewis P, Thornhill A (2015) Research methods for business students 7th ed, Harlow, Pearson.
Indicative learning and teaching time (10 hrs per credit):	Activity
1. Student/tutor interaction:   72 hours	Activity and hours (Defined as lectures, seminars, tutorials, project supervision, demonstrations, practical classes and workshops, supervised time in studio/workshop, fieldwork, external visits, work based learning (not placements), formative assessment
2. Student learning time:   288 hours	Activity (e.g. seminar reading and preparation/assignment preparation/ background reading/ on-line activities/group work/portfolio/diary preparation, unsupervised studio work etc):
Total hours (1 and 2):	300hours

 

Assessment Pattern for Unistats KIS (Key Information Sets)	Weighting:
Coursework (written assignment, dissertation, portfolio, project output)	100%
Practical Exam (oral assessment, presentation, practical skills assessment)
Written Exam

JACS Code:
UEL Subject Area:	Human Resource Management

ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Assessment:

Portfolio Part 1 (Weighting 40%)  – You should produce a report critically discussing the CIPD Professional map and the ‘thinking performer’ and what this suggests about the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by Human Resources (HR) professionals (2500 words). In writing this report you should:

and the ‘thinking performer’ in differing business contexts

• Discuss effective professional practice outlined in the CIPD Professional Map. Themes to consider in your report should be drawn from the HR literature and include topics such as:

ü  Professional practice and the HR function,

ü  The relationship between HR and organisational effectiveness,

ü  Interpersonal and group behaviours,

ü  Change management and professional practice,

ü  Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility and professional practice

• You should situate such analysis within a critical discussion of the range of competing roles within professional HR practice – the administrative, business partner and employee champion role and the stakeholder perspective, and critique with reference to the competing HR philosophies of unitarism and pluralism.

• End your report with a persuasive conclusion critically discussing the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by HR Professionals in differing business contexts, including the challenges and differing perspectives on what represents effective practice.

Portfolio Part 2: A skills and competency audit of self in the role of a HR “Thinking performer” (1000 words) (Weighting 30%).

On 3^rd May 2021 you should submit a 1000 word critical self-audit of your strengths and weaknesses as a HR Professional with evidence provided from self-reflection, peer, employer and academic feedback. This should be focused on ‘Thinking Performer’ themes and situated within the wider literature on HR Professionalism.

To complete this component, you will need to reflect on what is required to be an effective and efficient HR professional. You should use a theory of reflection such as Kolb to reflect on your strengths and weakness in the knowledge, skills and behaviour identified in the ‘Thinking Performer’. This may be undertaken in HR6013 seminar activities or in other modules, or within employment. It may also be undertaken through feedback from colleagues, employers and academic staff, or through self-diagnostic assessments.

Portfolio Part 3: Identifying a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) plan 500 word count (Weighting 30%)  

You should use your 1000 word self-audit of strengths and weaknesses to produce a CPD plan of FIVE action points (500 words) to improve your professional practice.  In your plan you should prioritise your professional development needs and select appropriate activities to meet these needs. You should justify your learning and development activities in the plan; in other words, you should explain why you have chosen a particular activity. This might be through the use of technology, coaching/ mentoring, social and collaborative learning, work shadowing or action research etc. You should also explain how you would evaluate the impact of the learning and development activities chosen.  To evidence wider reading on CPD you should ensure references are included in the plan

Weighting / contribution to the module mark (from the module specification)

Please ensure that the due date is Mon – Thurs and not during national holidays or University closures.  Deadlines should be between 0930 and 1600 to ensure the availability of support.

Assessment criteria:

In assessing HR6013 we will use the following criteria:

Component 1: (40%)

1. Critical analysis undertaken within the report on HR Professionalism. (20%)
2. A well-structured and organised report involving cogent argument in line with academic convention (10%)
3. Wider reading in the report involving both seminal and contemporary articles/ books on HR Professionalism (5%)
4. Accurate and effective use of citations and references in the report (5%)

Component 2: (30%)

1. Effective skills audit informed by literature on HR Professionalism (15%)
2. A well-structured and organised skills audit (10%)
3. Wider reading evident in the skills audit (evidenced through use of literature on HR Professionalism) to inform audit (3%)
4. Accurate and effective use of citations and references in the audit (2%)

Component 3: (30%)

9. Application of CPD concepts and models to the CPD Plan (10%)
10. Presentation and organisation of the Plan (15%)
11. Wider reading evident in the construction of the CPD Plan (3%)
12.  Accurate referencing in the CPD Plan (2%)