University of Westminster, WBS Module: Managing People (5HURM008W)

Module code and title: 5HURM008W Managing People

Academic year and Semester: 2018-19, Referral/Deferral

REFERRAL/DEFERRAL ASSESSMENT ONE BRIEFING:

INDIVIDUAL REPORT – RESEARCH INTO AN ORGANISATION

Submission method: Online submission on Turnitin via Blackboard

Deadline: Monday 24 June 2019, 1pm

Date of feedback: Monday 15 July 2019

Assessment format: Individual Report (2000 word)

Weighting: 50%

Assessment task:

The purpose of this assignment is to gain an understanding of the recruitment process from
an employer’s perspective. Employers are interested in candidates who are able to
demonstrate clearly how they will fit into the organisation and meet the organisation’s needs.
By taking on the role of an employer, you will be able to reflect on the implications of this
assignment for preparing effective job applications. The ability to research an organisation in
the manner set out in this assignment will also help you to be aware of wider issues in the
labour market, which is an important part of career management.

You are a senior member of the Human Resource Department of Starbucks Coffee Company.
Your task is to:

i. Identify and research the sector your organisation is located in.

ii. Analyse the cause(s) of the labour problems, primarily the skills gap outlined in the
scenario below. This will contribute to the rationale for producing a new role.
iii. Propose ONE new role with the aim of solving the problem based on your understanding
of the skills gap outlined in Starbucks.
iv. Propose an appropriate Job Description and Person Specification followed by details of
your recruitment initiative.

Before reading the scenario below, please read carefully the information in the following links:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/19/starbucks-black-men-feared-for-lives-
philadelphia

https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2018/starbucks-ceo-reprehensible-outcome-in-
philadelphia-incident/

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https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2018/starbucks-to-close-stores-nationwide-for-racial-
bias-education-may-29/

Scenario: Starbucks

Following the high-profile incident in one of its Philadelphia stores on 12 April 2018 that
attracted immense negative publicity, Starbucks has embarked on a process of consultation
and assessment to understand how and why the incident had occurred, given the company’s
commitment to equal treatment and the creation of a welcoming third place (‘a warm and
welcoming environment where customers can gather and connect’). Since May 2018,
Starbucks has implemented several operational changes as part of its ambitious and company-
wide initiative to tackle anti-bias issues. Among these initiatives is the rolling out of a series of
‘Maintaining the Third Place’ training programmes for managers and partners (employees) to
address implicit bias, particularly in the context of retail and public spaces.

In October 2018, Starbucks’ Executive Leadership Team, which consists of CEO Kevin Johnson,
COO Roz Brewer and other senior leaders met with national civil rights leaders in the
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (Leadership Conference), a coalition of more
than 200 national non-governmental organisations dedicated to civil and human rights issues,
to discuss the company’s current efforts and future plans. Since then, Starbucks has joined the
Leadership Conference’s Business Council to further develop its relationship with these
influential parties.

As a senior HR manager, you have participated in the roundtable meetings with the Executive
Leadership Team (CEO, COO and other senior executives). The general consensus from the
meetings is: ‘It’s not a question of if another crisis will occur, but when. When it does, we should
be better prepared, act quickly and not make excuses.’ As a result, the Executive Leadership
Team has asked you to propose a new role for an individual to lead and better equip the
company’s partners (employees) in addressing implicit bias and strengthening the company’s
internal and external efforts around diversity and inclusion issues. The individual will play an
important role that reflects Starbucks’ sustained commitment to promote equity, diversity and
inclusion in all aspects of its operations including its partners (employees), customers,
communities and suppliers. These efforts require regular consultation with senior leadership
and a process to design and implement changes across the business. Therefore, the individual
is expected to report regularly to the Executive Leadership Team and the Board of Directors.

Recommended reading: the links below provide an overview of Starbuck’s initiatives to date,
views and media coverage from other parties:

https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/beyond-may-29-lessons-from-starbucks-anti-bias-
training-and-whats-next/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/05/26/starbucks-racial-bias-training-
costly/642844002/

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University of Westminster, WBS Module: Managing People (5HURM008W)

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-
cultural-effectiveness/pages/experts-weigh-in-on-starbucks-racial-bias-training.aspx

http://www.workforce.com/2018/04/19/sending-employees-racial-bias-training-unlikely-
solve-starbucks-problem/

https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2019/01/Covington-Report-to-Starbucks-Jan-23-
2019.pdf
(Entitled ‘An Examination of Starbucks’ Commitment to Civil Rights, Equity, Diversity, and
Inclusion’, this report is commissioned by Starbucks to assess its current and anticipated
policies in practice and identify areas for improvement. You will find pp.30-34 useful).

How to approach the assessment task:

This is a formal report and should be written in the 3rd person. You will need to include
numbered headings and/or subheadings. A suggested structure is as follows:

Executive Summary (excluded from word count)

A concise overview of all parts of the report and the conclusions reached. Key results,
HRM concepts/theories applied and main findings should be clearly stated here.

Table of Contents (excluded from word count)

Headings and subheadings should be numbered and page numbers provided.

Whatever numbering system you use, it needs to be clear and consistent throughout
and matches those in the report. Do not include the heading ‘Executive Summary’ here.

1. Introduction (Suggested word count: 200)

Introduce the purpose and structure of the report.

2. Organisational background and Identification of skills gap (Suggested word count:

1200)
Key background information on the organisation:
(i) Give details about the organisation and sector. Starbucks is a global
company. You can choose to base your background research on Starbucks
in the US or UK.
(ii) What are the skills required for the sector and organisation?
(iii) Explain how the new role you are proposing addresses the skills gap you have
previously identified.

3. Approach to Recruitment (Suggested word count: 400)

How to recruit for this new role. Please remember the distinction between recruitment
and selection - you are required to focus on recruitment (attracting suitably qualified
candidates). It is recommended that you consult the Recruitment Wheel (in the 2012

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University of Westminster, WBS Module: Managing People (5HURM008W)

edition of Banfield and Kay, on p.109). This is a recruitment method, NOT a theory.
The selection process (including for example interviews) should NOT be covered in
your report. The description of the recruitment approach should include:
a. How would you advertise for this post? Make sure that you include relevant HRM
theories and/or concepts. Be specific - how would you attract appropriate
candidates for the role you have chosen?
b. Justify your approach given above. Your justification can take into consideration
the seniority of the role, the type of function it is located in, labour market
conditions and any other relevant factors.

In this section, you may want to examine Starbucks’ mission and values, its ongoing
efforts to promote civil rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion within the company
(including commitment from the senior level) and the communities it serves.

4. Conclusion (Suggested word count 200)

Synthesise main argument and summarise key findings in the report.

5. References (excluded from word count)

Westminster Harvard Referencing System should be applied. Please refer to the
University's 'Referencing Your Work: Using Westminster Harvard' booklet or download
an online version in Library Search and for accurate application of Westminster Harvard
Referencing system. Please note that while references are excluded from the word
count, they constitute 20% of the overall marks (including quality of sources).

6. Appendices (excluded from word count)

Locate a Job Description and Person Specification that will be suitable for the role you
are proposing. Both Job Description and Person Specification should be copied and
pasted into Appendix 1 and must be appropriately referenced. Failure to do so may
constitute plagiarism and be reported to the Academic Standards team.

Below the Job Description and Person Specification, write a short commentary of
approximately 100 words explaining why you think that this particular Job Description
and Person Specification are a good match for your proposed role. You may propose
amendments to the Job Description and Person Specification in order to customise
these documents to your chosen role. Please note that while appendices are excluded
from the word count, they constitute 10% of the overall marks. Failure to include both
Job Description and Person Specification will lead to a deduction of marks.

Note: The Job Description and Person Specification should be customised to fit the
role. It is recommended that you source these from a reputable website such as
Prospects or Indeed. You may, if you wish, include additional appendices in your report
to display information such as trends in the sector, company statistics, online customer
feedback.

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Marking Criteria

Marking Criteria Weighting

Organisational Background, Identification of Skills Gap 30%
Approach to Recruitment, Application of HRM theories and/or 30%
concepts
Job Description and Person Specification 10%
Sources and Referencing (good use of sources, accuracy in 20%
applying Westminster Harvard Referencing system)
Presentation (report format, logical flow, quality of writing) 10%
Total 100%

Learning Outcomes:
1. Identify and plan for the human resource needs of a department, taking into account
labour market analysis.
2. Manage your own career development, including labour market analysis, skills of being
interviewed and managing one’s online presence.

Submission Instructions:

Individual submission on Turnitin via Blackboard.

We strongly advise that you submit your assessment at least 3 hours before the deadline. This
way if there are any technical issues you will have time to sort them out.

Technical Difficulties with Submission:

If you have a financial hold situation, a hardcopy plus electronic version will be accepted via the
WBS Registry Coursework Lobby before the deadline. Please do not email your coursework to
your Module Leader or your Seminar Leader unless you have been asked to do so. The Registry
does not accept such a submission in most cases.

If you are having technical difficulties on the date of submission please contact the Service Desk
(+44 (0) 20 7915 5488). Make sure a ticket is logged for you and note down the reference
number. Please do not request an extension to the deadline from any academic staff.

Penalties for Late Submission:

Any assessment submitted late online will be penalised unless you submit a claim for Mitigating
Circumstances and the claim is accepted by the Registry. There will be penalties for any
coursework submitted even one second after the deadline without an approved Mitigating
Circumstances claim. The penalty for coursework submitted individually online within the 24
hours late period is a reduction of 10% of the mark.

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University of Westminster, WBS Module: Managing People (5HURM008W)

Avoiding Plagiarism:

Your assignment must demonstrate your own work and ideas. You may use graphs and clipart
as appropriate. All written work must be the work of the individual student.
Similarities between the works of students will be reported as collusion.

Presenting an assessment work which you have previously submitted for assessment as part of
the same or another module or course, or at another institution is known as self-plagiarism.
This relates to the principle that a student may not receive credit for the same piece of work
more than once unless specifically required to resubmit work as a requirement of re-
assessment.

Any quotations and references that you include in your assignment will be identified by the
Turnitin programme as being similar to other sources. Therefore, it is vital that you reference
correctly. Any evidence of plagiarism will be reported.

A Turnitin similarity content of 0% will be investigated by the Plagiarism Committee as it is

regarded as being an indicator of an attempt to circumvent the plagiarism software. Since your
document should have several different references the TurnitIn programme should identify
them.