Professional Documents
Culture Documents
hrm3 Memo
hrm3 Memo
TEST 1
MEMORANDUM
HRM306D/PRM310T
TOTAL MARKS: 75
DURATION: 2 HOURS
● The total for the test is 75 marks. You have 120 minutes to complete the test.
NUMBER OF PAGES: 10
COURSE: EXAMINER:
MS N.O.T DUBE
NATIONAL DIPLOMA:
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
(NDIPHR96) MODERATOR:
MS L. NTSIZWANE
0
QUESTION 1 [27]
Read the short passage below and answer the questions that follow:
Laura is the Associate Director of a non-profit agency called that provides assistance to children and
families. She is the head of a department that focuses on evaluating the skill-building programs the
agency provides to families. She reports directly to the agency leadership. As a whole, the agency
has been cautious in hiring this year because of increased competition for federal grant funding.
However, they have also suffered high staff turnover. Two directors have left as well as three key
research staff and one staff person from the finance department. Laura has a demanding schedule
that requires frequent travel; however, she supervises two managers who in turn are responsible for
five staff members each. Both managers have been appointed within the last six months. Manager 1:
Kelly has a specific background in research. She manages staff who provide research support to
another department that delivers behavioural health services to youth. Kelly supports her staff and is
very organised; however, she often takes a very black and white view of issues. Upper level
leadership values Kelly’s latest research on the therapeutic division’s services. Kelly is very motivated
and driven and expects the same from her staff to achieve organisational success. She has also
suggested that management introduces the Fourth Industrial revolution in the organisation.
Manager 2: Linda has a strong background in social science research and evaluation. She manages
staff that work on different projects within the agency. She is known as a problem solver and is
extremely supportive of her staff. She is very organised and has a wealth of experience in evaluation
of family services. Linda is very capable and can sometimes take on too much. MOB-CASE STUDIES
BALAJI INST OF IT & MANAGEMENT, KADAPA The managers are sensing that staff are becoming
over worked as everyone takes on increased responsibilities due to high staff turnover. Staff have
also mentioned that Laura’s “glass half-empty” conversation style leaves them feeling dejected. In
addition, Laura has not shared budgets with her managers, so they are having difficulty appropriately
allocating work to staff. Laura said she has not received sufficient information from the finance
department to complete the budgets. The finance department said they have sent her all the
information they have available. As staff become distressed, the managers are becoming frustrated.
They feel like they are unable to advocate for their staff or problem solve without key information like
the departmental budget.
● Maximise productivity. ✔
● Reduce absenteeism. ✔
● Develop leaders. ✔
● Weak business and investment confidence and issues with the country’s
labour market (SA’s unionisation and rigid labour laws are unconducive to
productivity and unrealistically inflate wages. ✔
● The country’s high unemployment and low economic growth, millions rely on
● Low investor and no business confidence, in turn resulting in the wide scale
1.3 From your knowledge define and explain organisational success and give an
example. (8)
● There are many goals or objectives that different organisations may want to
achieve for example: Coca cola might want to further expand its distribution in
Africa. As expected, almost any outcome can be set as a goal. ✔
● Objectives are the aims that an organisation will want to achieve in a short
span of time. ✔
● The 4IR represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work and relate
to one another. ✔
● The world is becoming increasingly driven by the virtual and not the physical.
✔
technology advances. ✔
● These advances are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in
● The 4IR will change life and work through internet enabled devices that are
● The 4IR changes our personal lives and health for example, wearable
Automation and artificial intelligence will remove large parts of the workforce
but also present us with opportunities to put labour to better use. ✔
Award 1 mark for explaining each point to a maximum of 9 marks
Textbook: Chapter 1 page 14-15
Please use your discretion for any example that represents 4IR.
QUESTION 2 [38]
Read the short passage below and answer the questions that follow:
An example of this is the retail group Woolworths has implemented a set of core organisational values
which has helped them become one of South Africa’s top ten brands. As Woolworths puts it: “Our
values inform and underpin the way we do business across our Group. From values-based leadership
to passionate brand advocacy, we seek to embed our values across all dimensions of our business,
also keeping in mind that there are different generations working at Woolworths.
1. QUALITY AND STYLE – DELIVER THE BEST: It means giving 100%, 100% of the time.
Whether it’s making sure that a supplier is delivering to the standards we set, or preparing a report, it
2. VALUE – A SIMPLE AND FAIR DEAL: Offering real value goes beyond offering our
customers quality at a good price: it also means offering value to each other, from sharing our
knowledge with colleagues and suppliers, to being able to evaluate how the decisions we make affect
the business.
5. INTEGRITY – DOING WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO: Keeping our promises is important to
us, whether it’s maintaining confidentiality, not accepting gifts from suppliers or simply listening to
what others have to say with an open mind.
6. ENERGY – BE PASSIONATE AND DELIVER: When you are passionate about what you do,
when you really care, your enthusiasm and belief rub off on others. At Woolies, you’re part of a 23 000
member team.
7. SUSTAINABILITY – BUILD FOR A BETTER FUTURE: While you may be familiar with some
of our environmental and conservation projects, for us in a South African and African, context,
sustainability isn’t just about being green.
2.1 Explain how the values, attitudes, and beliefs are related to one another.
(6)
● In turn, influence our attitudes toward people, objects, and entities in the
world. ✔✔
behaviours. ✔✔
state exactly what their core beliefs, values and attitudes. ✔✔OR
2.2 Illustrate how values are implicit in the meaning of work at Woolworths.
Substantiate your answer. (14)
● Relates to the value that the individual attaches to work or to work in general. ✔✔
● Work centrality: the degree of importance and work in general rather than
● Work centrality is a normative belief about the value and importance of work in
the configuration of one’s life, and is a function of one’s past cultural conditioning
or socialisation. ✔✔
● This value is not only monetary but includes a sense of pride and achievement, of
● The meaning of work for working women is influenced by the degree of autonomy
they experience, which in turn, helps to create a sense of identity and self-worth,
meet instrumental needs, achieve social relatedness, and be of service to others.
✔✔
relate to the individual beliefs about the nature of people. ✔ For example: you
may believe that people are basically trustworthy or believe that people
cannot be trusted. ✔
various phenomena. ✔ For example: we may believe that the causes of events
in our lives are by luck or that they are controlled. ✔
Award 1 mark for identifying and 1 mark for explaining and 1 mark for an examples for a
maximum of 9 marks
Textbook: Chapter 2:23-24
● Cognitive component: ✔
● Relates to our beliefs and thoughts about an object, person or event and may vary in
● Affective component:✔
● Relates to the feelings and emotions that are evoked by the object, person or event.
● Refers to the tendency to behave in a particular way towards the object, person or
even. ✔
Award 1 mark for identifying and 1 mark for explaining and 1 mark for an examples for a
maximum of 9 marks
Textbook: Chapter 2:29
QUESTION 3
“The current workplace incorporates many generations, each with their own
beliefs, values and attitudes. This age-diverse workforce poses numerous
challenges for managers who have to lead multigenerational teams.
Generational differences in personality, values and job expectations can
negatively affect productivity in the workplace.”
Based on the case study above we learnt that there are different generations
working in this retail. Contrast between the five (5) different generations that could be
found at Woolworths.
(10)
● Traditionalists✔
● Baby boomers✔
● Generation X✔
o Born between 1965 and 1980. Gen X grew up with financial, family,
and societal insecurity, rapid change, diversity and lack of tradition.
This generation was strongly affected by HIV and Aids epidemic and
unstable world economy.
o Gen X is flexible and capable of adjusting to changing situations. Gen
X does not find it threatening to work in a multicultural environment.
o Gen X tends to communicate in a direct manner, enjoy freedom and
the possibility of doing things without strict guidelines. Gen X prefers
free time over other rewards
o They need structure and direction in their working environment and
appreciate feedback from their managers. ✔
● Generation Y-Millennials✔
o Gen Z, the post Millennials are people born between 1996 to 2000.
Gen Z differ from millennials because all they ever known is a digital
world and they grew up amid the war on terror and the global recession
of 2008.
o Gen Z members anticipate being happier and more optimistic than
millennials
o We can expect them to be even more tech savvy and socially and
politically active than Gen Y. ✔
Award 1 mark for identifying and 1 mark for contrasting to a maximum of marks
Textbook: Chapter 3:73-75
TOTAL MARKS: 75
COGNITIVE
QUESTIO DOMAIN
ACTION
N SYLLABUS TOPIC CHAPTER PAGE
WORD MARKS
NUMBER
A B C
An introduction: What
1.1 Outline 1 8 5
is OB
An introduction: What
1.2 Describe 1 12 5
is OB
An introduction: What
1.4 Explain 1 14 9
is OB
Values, attitudes, 2
2.1 Explain 23 6
beliefs
Values, attitudes, 2
2.3 Identify 23 9
beliefs
Personality and
generational
3.1 Contrast 3 773 10
differences in the
workplace
TOTAL MARKS 27 38 10
51
TOTAL % 36% 13%
%