UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

FACULTY OF LAW AND MANAGEMENT

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS MAY 2011

PROGRAMME

BSC (HONS) BUSINESS STUDIES / MANAGEMENT / MANAGEMENT (MINOR : FINANCE) / MARKETING MANAGEMENT / BA (HONS) LAW AND MANAGEMENT

MODULE NAME DATE May 2011 TIME Hours NO. OF QUESTIONS SET 5

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MODULE CODE MGT 2061Y(3)

DURATION NO. OF QUESTIONS TO BE ATTEMPTED

3 Hours 4

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES There are 2 Sections in this paper : Section A and Section B. Section A is COMPULSORY. Section B consists of FOUR questions. Answer ANY THREE (3) questions from Section B.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MGT 2061Y(3)

SECTION A [COMPULSORY])
Read the case below and answer the questions that follow. FINDING PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO Trilogy Enterprise Inc., of Austin, Texas, is a fast growing software company, and provides software solutions to giant global firms for improving sales and performance. It prides itself on its unique and unorthodox culture. Many of its approaches to business practice are unusual, but in Trilogys fast-changing and highly competitive environment they seem to work. There is no dress code and employees make their own hours, often very long. They tend to socialize together (the average age is 26), both in the offices well-stocked kitchen and on company-sponsored events and trips to places like local dance clubs and retreats in Las Vegas and Hawaii. An in-house jargon has developed, and the shared history of the eight-year-old firm has taken on the status of legend. Responsibility is heavy and comes early, with a just do it now attitude that dispenses with long apprenticeships. New recruits are given a few weeks of intensive training, known as Trilogy University and described by participants as more like boot camp than business school. Information is derived as if with a fire hose and new employees are expected to commit their expertise and vitality to everything they do. Jeff Daniel, director of college recruiting, admits the intense and unconventional firm is not the employer for everybody. But its definitely an environment where people who are passionate about what they do can thrive. The firm employs about 700 such passionate people. Trilogys managers know the rapid growth they seek depends on having a staff of the best people they can find, quickly trained and given broad responsibility and freedom as soon as possible. Founder and CEO Joe Liemandt says, A software company, people are everything. You cant build the next great software company, which is what we are trying to do here, unless youre totally committed to that. Of course, the leaders at every company say, People are everything. But they do not act on it. Trilogy makes finding the right people (it calls them great people) a companywide mission. Recruiters actively pursue the freshest, is least experienced, people in the job market, scouring college career fairs and computer science departments for talented overachievers with ambition and entrepreneurial instincts. Top managers conduct the first rounds of interviews, letting prospects know they will be pushed to achieve but will be well rewarded. Employees take top recruits and their significant others out on the town when they fly into Austin for the standard, three-day preliminary visit. A
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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MGT 2061Y(3)

typical day might begin with grueling interviews but end with a mountain biking, roller blading or laser tag. Executives have been known to fly out to meet and woo hot prospects who could not make the trip. One year, Trilogy reviewed 15,000 resumes, conducted 4000 on-campus interviews, flew 850 prospects in for interviews and hired 262 college graduates, who account for over a third of its current employees. The cost per hire was $ 13,000; Jeff Daniel believes it was worth every penny.
Source : Chuck Salter, Insanity, Inc., Fast Company, January 1999, pg. 101-108

Question 1
(a) (b) (c) To what extent has Trilogys culture contributed to its success? What other HRM issues have led to a greater organizational performance? [15 marks] Evaluate the recruitment and selection methods used by Trilogy. Suggest alternative methods that could have been used by Trilogy. [15 marks] Explain what you understand by an induction programme. usefulness of an induction programme for new employees. Discuss the [10 marks]

SECTION B - ANSWER ANY THREE QUESTIONS Question 2

(a) In order to ensure that employees are more productive, organisations invest massively on training. Discuss this statement with reference to training as a tool to achieve organizational success. [13 marks] (b) Briefly describe the two approaches to knowledge management strategy that have been identified by Hansen et al. [7 marks]

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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MGT 2061Y(3)

Question 3
(a) Critically assess the relevance of the Performance Management System in the proper functioning of the organisation laying emphasis on the responsibility and accountability of the parties involved. [14 marks] Using suitable examples, differentiate between financial and non financial rewards. [6 marks]

(b)

Question 4
(a) You are the HR manager of a large textile company and some unit supervisors are complaining of a shortage of human resources in their respective units. The recent economic recession is not yet over and the company is still facing some financial problems. Information is at hand that some units have more employees than is actually required due to the rescheduling of their activities. Describe, in detail, what actions you would take to ensure that all the productive units of the organization have the right quantity and quality of employees in order to make the company function smoothly to complete the existing orders on time. [12 marks] (b) Compared to the 70s and early 80s, the membership rate of unions have declined considerably in Mauritius. Briefly describe the factors that have caused this decline. Support your answer with relevant examples as far as possible. [8 marks]

Question 5
(a) Discuss why the employment of expatriate in multinational companies is not always a success. Briefly explain how this situation can be improved. [10 marks] Using relevant examples, explain the concept of strategic HRM. [10 marks]

(b)

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