DEPARTMENT OF PEOPLE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

TEST 1
MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT: PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 3

HRM306D/PRM310T

DUE DATE: 17 APRIL 2023

TOTAL MARKS: 75

DURATION: 2 HOURS

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE TEST:

● This is a closed book assessment.

● 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.

Source: Regents of the University of Minnesota (2023)

Organisational behaviour is the study of how individuals and groups interact

with each other and with the organization. An effective organisational
behaviour strategy can help management motivate its employees to perform
well. Achieving collective goals becomes easier and simple when everyone's
on the same page.
1.1 Outline five reasons why we study Organisational Behaviour (OB). (5)

● Maximise productivity. ✔

● Reduce absenteeism. ✔

● Reduce labour turnover. ✔

● Maximise job satisfaction. ✔

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 ● Create organisational citizenship. ✔ OR

● Find the right people for the job. ✔

● Optimise organisational culture. ✔

● Develop leaders. ✔

Award 1 mark for outlining the reasons for a maximum of 5 marks

Textbook: Chapter 1:8-9

1.2 Describe the challenges facing South African organisations. (5)

● The low economic state in SA. ✔

● The long-term maladministration and corruption. ✔

● Moody’s rating agency finally downgraded the country’s investment status to

sub-investment or junk grade. The consequences of the downgrade are that

all three international rating agencies how believe that SA is not worth
investing in. ✔

● The country’s unreliable electricity supply. Eskom remains unable to provide a

steady and reliable supply of electricity, resulting in rolling blackouts. ✔

● 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. ✔

● Large areas of service delivery in the public sector were affected by

widespread corruption. ✔OR

● The country’s high unemployment and low economic growth, millions rely on

social grants and over half live in poverty. ✔OR

● Low investor and no business confidence, in turn resulting in the wide scale

disinvestment in the country. ✔OR

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 ● The country’s economy was in a weak position before covid-19 but the impact

of covid-19 has created an emergency. There is no business as usual. ✔OR

Award 1 mark for describing each challenge for a maximum of 5 marks

Textbook: Chapter 1 page 12-13

1.3 From your knowledge define and explain organisational success and give an
example. (8)

● Organisational success is defined as the degree to which the organisation

achieves what it has set out to achieve. ✔

● 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. ✔

● A goal is a broader target and can be achieved through continuous actions

taken in a particular direction. ✔

● Objectives are the aims that an organisation will want to achieve in a short
span of time. ✔

● Goals are abstract while objectives are concrete. ✔

● Success is then assessed by how well the organisation achieves these

outcomes. ✔

● Management is usually concerned with both the financial and non-financial

performance of the organisation. ✔

● Financial performance indicators include factors such as:

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 o Profitability
o Return on investment (ROI)
o Return on net assets (RONA)
o Future value of current investments. ✔

● There are many other non-financial performance indicators that management

need to attend to as well. Factors related to both operational and human

resource aspects of the organisation such as: ✔OR
o Improving organisational productivity, improving quality and service
delivery, improving turn-around times, responding to globalisation,
improving social integration, ✔ training and development,
transformation and equity, managing diversity, empowering people, ✔
stimulating innovation and change, managing the new workforce and
improving ethical behaviour. ✔OR

Award 1 mark for explaining each point to a maximum of 8 marks

Textbook: Chapter 1 page 11
1.4 In the case study above, Kelly has suggested that management should
introduce the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the organisation-.but staff
does not have knowledge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Help Kelly
to explain the Fourth industrial revolution to staff. Provide an example
from your knowledge. (9)

● 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.
✔

● It is a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary

technology advances. ✔

● These advances are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in

ways that create both huge promise and potential peril. ✔

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 ● The 4IR is a technological revolution that has already brought about profound

change in how we live, work and interact with each other. ✔

● The 4IR is made possible by powerful computers and technological

development. Computers will be everywhere and in almost everything, even

our bodies. ✔

● The 4IR will change life and work through internet enabled devices that are

capable of collecting and analysing vast amounts of data. ✔

● Uses artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and 3D/4D printing technology.

● The 4IR changes our personal lives and health for example, wearable

technology ranging from fitness and activity trackers. ✔

● In an organisation 4IR will change production, management or governance.

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:

Woolworths values the answer to its success

Organisational values that are sincerely felt play a critical role in building successful services brands.
Its particularly important that this is backed up by principle-driven management behaviour based on
the organisation’s values. Employees are much more likely to be committed to the organisation and
act consistently with the organisation’s values when this is the case.

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.

Woolworths have thus adopted seven core values:

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

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all boils down to one thing: there’s no compromising on quality, because good enough just isn’t good
enough.

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.

3. SERVICE – WE ALWAYS THINK CUSTOMERS: At Woollies, we know that we have to go

that bit further to really make a difference. Putting the customer first is what service is all about.
Whether your customer is a shopper in our stores or the store manager who needs a vital delivery,
service is about understanding others’ needs, being willing to do more than is expected and being a
good ambassador for the Woolies brand.

4. INNOVATION – DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE: We do it for our customers. We love

discovering new ideas, new products and new processes. We enjoy thinking out of the box and
finding solutions that benefit 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.

Source: Adapted from Woolworths Holdings Limited (2019)

2.1 Explain how the values, attitudes, and beliefs are related to one another.
(6)

● Values do not exist in isolation, they are influenced by our fundamental

beliefs about the world that we live in, and✔✔

● In turn, influence our attitudes toward people, objects, and entities in the

world. ✔✔

● These values and beliefs, combine and make us capable of particular

behaviours. ✔✔

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 ● Much of who we are is unconscious and that it is often difficult for a person to

state exactly what their core beliefs, values and attitudes. ✔✔OR

Award 2 marks for explaining each point to a maximum of 6 marks

Textbook: Chapter 2 page 23

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

involvement in the present job. ✔✔

● 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

belonging to a meaningful group, and of contributing to the welfare of one’s

immediate family, the community, and even the nation. ✔✔

● Work means different things to different people. ✔✔

● The meaning of work influences key organisational outcomes such work

behaviour, career development, individual performance, and employee

engagement. ✔✔

● 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.
✔✔

Award 2 mark for explaining each point to a maximum of 14 marks

Textbook: Chapter 2 page 31
2.3 Identify and explain the fundamental beliefs and how these beliefs relate to
one another by explaining them (6). Give an example of each to show your
understanding (3) (9)

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● Phenomenological beliefs: ✔

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. ✔

● Causal beliefs: ✔ refers to the cause-and-effect relationships we see between

various phenomena. ✔ For example: we may believe that the causes of events
in our lives are by luck or that they are controlled. ✔

● Normative beliefs: ✔ relates to beliefs about favoured states of nature or how

things ought to be. Normative beliefs shape what we consider to be moral,

correct and even polite. ✔ For example: a person’s belief that everything
should be controlled by rules, while others believe that things should be left to
take their own course. ✔

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

2.4 Show your understanding of the three main components of attitude by

explaining and providing an example of each. (9)

● Cognitive component: ✔

● Relates to our beliefs and thoughts about an object, person or event and may vary in

complexity between individuals. ✔

● Examples: ‘I value the salary and benefits paid’ ✔

● Affective component:✔

● Relates to the feelings and emotions that are evoked by the object, person or event.

● Examples: ‘I am happy about the rewards it offers’ ✔

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● Behavioural component: ✔

● Refers to the tendency to behave in a particular way towards the object, person or

even. ✔

● Examples: ‘I will stay with the Tele-Con digital company’ ✔ OR

Working with colleagues who are friendly and supportive

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✔

o Few members of this generation remain in the workplace, as most

members have retired. Most of them worked hard during their time at
work. Generation before 1945. ✔

● Baby boomers✔

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 o This generation was born between 1945 and 1960. Baby boomers
internationally did not struggle to find work after finishing their
schooling.
o Baby boomers are described as team players who work hard, love
meetings and enjoy teamwork, although they are able to work on their
own. They do not appreciate feedback and consider title and extrinsic
rewards important. ✔

● 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 Y, often referred to as Millennials is the generation born between

1981 and 1995, growing up at a time when everything was
technologically connected.
o The events that have had a great impact on this generation are
globalisation, rapid technological advancement.
o Millennials are able to balance work and family life. They enjoy
multitasking and are considered to be entrepreneurial and goal-
oriented. ✔

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 ● Generation Z – the post-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

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 FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT PEOPLE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

EVALUATION SHEET FOR INDIVIDUAL TEST – 17 APRIL 2023

SUBJECT: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT /PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

LEVEL: 3 QUALIFICATION: NDIPHR19

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 Define and

1.3 1 11 8
is OB Explain

An introduction: What
1.4 Explain 1 14 9
is OB

Values, attitudes, 2
2.1 Explain 23 6
beliefs

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 Values, attitudes, 2
2.2 Illustrate 31 14
beliefs

Values, attitudes, 2
2.3 Identify 23 9
beliefs

Values, attitudes, Show 2

2.4 29 9
beliefs understanding

Personality and
generational
3.1 Contrast 3 773 10
differences in the
workplace

TOTAL MARKS 27 38 10

51
TOTAL % 36% 13%
%

LECTURER: NOT DUBE MODERATOR: MR P.T MPETE

EVALUATED BY: ………………………... DATE: ………2023/03/21……………….

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