Appendix 3.

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CIPD Certificate in Human Resource Management

UNIT TITLE: Using Information in Human Resources

5UIN

Distance Learning Workbook

Name:

CIPD membership number

INTRODUCTION

This workbook has been developed as blended learning material to provide you with
materials and activities which facilitate your knowledge and understanding of all the Learning
Outcomes for this unit. The workbook will allow you to work at your own pace and is
designed in such a way that it is clear which Learning Outcome and Assessment Criteria the
activity or material relates to and you can then link this easily to the assessment brief you
are working on. The guided learning hours for this module are 20 hours, this is the time you
should plan to spend reading the material in this workbook and completing the activities and
doing your additional reading and research for this module

The activities you are asked to complete will help you to understand the issues and you
should ensure that you complete them all in the order they appear. Your course tutor is
available to help you with anything you dont understand and to discuss the issues in more
detail with you at a mutually convenient time. Contact georgina@beprodevelopment.co.uk,
01642 956970 when you need help or advice with anything in the workbook.

There are tasks within the workbook where you are required to send your completed
material to your course tutor for their comments and feedback. It would be helpful if you got
this feedback before moving onto your next task.

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When you open a PowerPoint presentation open in notes view or presenter view so you can
see the additional notes which offer a lot more detail around the topic and also provide you
with additional reference sources.

The workbooks have been designed in such a way that they fit in with the learning outcomes
of the assessments, this will help you to answer the questions and refer back to the work you
have done in the workbook when you complete the assessment.

Before you start with your workbooks you will have completed your induction and have
received all the unit materials and referencing guidance to help you with your studies.

All additional materials will be available to you via the BeProActive tab/area on the website
so it is important that you have an internet connection to be able to download these
materials, some of the links contained in the workbook will also take you to a live web page.

Unit Title: Using Information in Human Resources 5UIN

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria in this workbook:
Learning outcomes Assessment criteria
The learner will: The learner can:
1 Understand the research 1.1 Summarise the stages of the research
process and different process and compare different data collection
research approaches. methods

2 2 Be able to conduct a 2.1 Identify an area of HR practice for investigation

critical review of information
sources in an area of 2.2 Conduct a critical review of different information
HR/business practice and sources relevant to the chosen area of HR/business
analyse the findings. practice

3 3 Be able to draw meaningful 3.1 Draw meaningful conclusions from the review and
conclusions and evaluate make justified recommendations for improvements in
options for change. practice

4 4 Know how to deliver clear, 4.1 Formulate a business report for identified
business-focused reports on stakeholders that includes an appropriate mix of
an HR issue. diagrammatic and narrative formats

Assignment Brief this is the assessment you will complete for this Unit, download the
document and save it to your computer.

Assessment activity
5UIN.docx

The assessment for this unit takes the form of a report, here are some guidelines to help you
when you are completing your report

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Use a Title page which includes

Name and CIPD membership number
Unit and Assignment title
Word count (excluding appendices)
Introduction
Give overall aim and objectives, what the report aims to achieve by the end
Background information about your organisation keep this brief due to word counts
Findings: (main tasks)
Outcomes from the research conducted what you have found out make sure you refer to
the actual tasks you are addressing in the assessment brief you could use sub headings
to make it clear
Conclusions:
Keep this section concise, link it back to the objectives you stated in the introduction, make
sure if flows logically from the evidence in the findings

Recommendations:
Discuss suggestions for improvements, how they can be implemented, who would be
responsible, timescales and any financial implications.

Bibliography:
Use referencing, ensure entries are listed alphabetically by Surname.

http://www.skillsyouneed.com/write/report-writing.html check out how to structure your report.

Activity 1

Learning outcomes: 1.1 Understand the research process and different research
approaches
(This section should take you 3 hours to complete)

1.1 Summarise the stages of the research process and compare different data
collection methods by way of a literature review commenting of advantages and
disadvantages of differing approaches

Why is Practical Business Research relevant to you? As a manager it is important that you
make sense of what is going on both within your organisation and within its environment in
order to take effective decisions and actions Business Research is about the process of
collecting and interpreting the information needed for this. (Cameron, S. and Price, D. (2009) Business
research methods: a practical approach. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Timely, valid and reliable information is vital to help managers and staff within organisations
to make informed decisions and for organisations to function successfully and remain
competitive. Effective management decision-making is aided by informed research which is
all about evaluating the current situation on a particular issue and identifying and

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determining potential future actions that are required to improve or enhance the position.
Information is critical to any organisation and will enable you to

Plot trends
Analyse customer requirements

Assess how well other organisations are doing (act as a comparator)

Make better informed decisions

Evaluate performance

Operate within the law

Update policies and procedures

Informed research can be seen as a systematic and methodical process of enquiry and
investigation that provides insights into a particular issue in order to make informed
decisions about actions to take.

Types of decisions within organisations can be Strategic focusing on the long term
direction in terms of the scope of its products / services and the geographic markets in which
the organisation operates Tactical focusing on maintaining competitive advantage or
increasing client numbers. For example changes in prices or new ways of getting the product
/ service to the consumer. Operational focusing on the day-to-day decisions that will
enhance efficiency and effectiveness within the organisation, for example the introduction of
new HR Information System

The more informed the decisions are the more likely the organisation is to be successful in
its pursuit of achieving client value and organisational objectives.

You have already looked in depth at the decision making process in the first Unit, review the
different models you identified to recap on your previous learning (this will help you later in
this Unit)

Any decision you make as an HR professional will require some form of analysis and
collation of information to ensure that your decisions are informed and where possible
backed up with evidence of success. General business information that can aid decision-
making includes:

Analysis of sales / market share

Analysis of client requirements
Buying trends
External analysis of key factors (e.g. PEST, PESTLE,SWOT)
Financial and investment appraisal
Demographic trends in terms of client and staff supply

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http://www.smartdatacollective.com/bernardmarr/85871/analytics-google-
great-example-data-driven-decision-making

Follow the link to see how Google use data driven decision making within their company

From an HR perspective Information about employees is an essential requirement for the

successful operation of any business. Management need to know what is happening to the
human resources available to them, just as much as to the financial and material resources
Put simply, information facilitates planning, monitoring and decision making in the
organisation and to meet external requirements such as the provision of statistics to
Government agencies. (Cole, G.A. (1997) Strategic Management Theory and Practice Kogan Page)

An effective HR practitioner will compare and contrast data from different sources and
publications and determine how this data can aid further research and decision-making.

Data collection
5UIN.pptx
Open the presentation and complete the activity, you will need to send your
findings to your course tutor and await their feedback and to agree your next target date
georgina@beprodevelopment.co.uk

The difference between primary and second research collection is that primary research
data collection involves conducting research oneself, or using the data for the purpose it was
intended for. Secondary research data, on the other hand, was collected by a third party or
for some other purpose.

Primary data can be collected by someone in the organisation. This person has to have a
clear plan for conducting research, including specific research questions and methodology.
The data that is collected is used for its intended purpose.

Secondary data might actually be the product of other research, or might have been
collected by someone else. Unlike primary data, secondary data is not tightly controlled by
the researcher. The process has already happened, or the data was collected for a different
purpose. http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/describe-primary-secondary-research-
data-366465 have a look at some questions and answers about primary and secondary data
then read the case study to help you to put the issues into an organisational context.

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food-standards-ag
ency-edition-13 primary and secondary research.pdf

Secondary data

A great deal of this information can be accessed on-line which allows for ease of access,
speed / flexibility, current up to date reports, cross-disciplinary searching (subject areas
within the same database), ability to identify further research and / or correlations. On-line
information provides a great deal of additional opinions and views in various media formats
including blogs, podcasts and RSS feeds.

As well as investigating issues, research can provide solutions, generate new ideas and help
create new ways of working. For example an organisation might identify that its recruitment
and selection processes do not help the organisation to recruit the right type of people to the
organisation. By conducting informed research on this issue the organisation can identify
the current issues and problems with the recruitment and selection processes and identify
workable solutions based on the views of key stakeholders and further research of good
practice within this field.

Research aims to generate ideas and provides the effective practitioner, to some extent, to
test how these ideas can be implemented in reality.

Research design can be based on a philosophy of positivism or phenomenology. While

positivism involves research that is focused on observed facts, phenomenology looks at the
meaning of a certain issue or phenomena where the aim of a researcher is to analyse the
sources to develop meaning. Additionally research can be:

Explorative this is new research that looks for patterns, trends and new ideas.
Techniques used: case studies, surveys, observation
Descriptive describes a current issue. Techniques used: questionnaires, surveys
and focus groups
Analytical expands on descriptive research and tries to determine reasons for the
issue occurring through measurement
Predictive goes one step further and looks at the likelihood of an issue occurring in
another situation / scenario

The actual planning of the research involves:

Identifying a particular area of research

Identifying the aims and objectives of the research
Identifying outcomes to the research issue
Scoping the size of the research
Formulating research questions
Formulating the methodology (i.e. how will the research be conducted)

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Identifying sources for the research (primary or secondary)

Analysing the key stakeholders, their needs / concerns and how these will be
managed
Identifying barriers (e.g. low response rate from questionnaires) and how to
overcome these
Formulating a plan as to how the research will be communicated and presented to
key stakeholders

Activity 2

Learning outcomes 4, 2 Assessment criteria: 4.2 2.1 (Identify an area of HR practice for
investigation, and give reason for your choice (the business driver that has made you
curious to investigate something)

(This activity should take you about an hour)

Taken from the assessment brief: 4.1

Your CEO has asked each departmental head to undertake a critical review of their systems, processes and
practices as part of a major organisational change agenda. You have been asked to review an area of
HR/business practice and present a business report to key stakeholders with recommendations for improving
practice. To provide the basis for your report, you have been asked to conduct a critical review of information
sources relevant to the area of practice. You should:

Select an area of HR/business practice and give the reason for your choice
Think about the area of HR/business practice you are going to select as the basis for
your report. Some suggestions for you:

Improving Sickness absence

Employee Engagement
Management Development
Flexible working policies
Performance management systems

Send your choice to your personal tutor for their comment and ask them if they can
suggest any research areas you could start to look at. Set your next target date.

When determining the research area a number of factors can be taken into account to aid
the you in identifying an area:

Views of stakeholders on what the key issues are

Analysis of organisational surveys to identify key issues
Evaluation of reports / documents e.g. training evaluation
New legislation

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Key business objectives or future strategies

Reading up to date news and specialised professional journals e.g. good practice may be
identified that can be transferred.

Tools and models such as mind-mapping, fish-bone analysis and force field analysis enable
the researcher to identify key issues and the causes of these. In addition these can help the
researcher develop clusters and ideas from a broad starting point and provide further focus
for a research area. Undertaking research will involve:

Determining the subject area

Identifying key sources
Examining good practice
Collecting and analysing the data
Putting in place the proposal

Activity 3

Learning outcomes: 2
(This activity should take you about 5 hours in total)
LO2: Be able to conduct a critical review of information sources in an area of
HR/business practice and analyse the findings

2.2 Conduct a critical review of different information sources relevant to the chosen
area of HR/business practice

You have now selected your topic of investigation and you need to start to do some research
on that topic:

(Taken from the assessment brief 2.2, 1.1, 3.1)

Undertake a critical review of different information sources (at least three) e.g. research digests, academic
and professional literature, online databases, key texts relevant to the selected area of practice.
Start to do some investigations around the topic yourself for example have a look in your Essential reading
text book, what does Armstrong have to say about your area of investigation. Check out the CIPD website
what are the latest reports/findings/surveys around your chosen research area? What about ACAS,
Directgov.uk, google, Managers.org.uk?
In your write up of the literature review you should explain why you selected that particular source and
highlight some of the different research approaches adopted by the authors and comment on the
advantages and disadvantages of these different approaches.
Draw meaningful conclusions from the review of the different information sources.

It is important to identify areas of good practice in your chosen research area. This will
enable you to identify end results and possibilities as to what can be implemented and add
value. This will additionally add substance to your proposal when trying to convince key

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stakeholders who may invest time and resources into the proposal of the benefits of the
research and the return on investment (ROI)

Good practice can be obtained from case studies, research within professional journals, and
networking with fellow professionals. Networking should enhance the quality and quantity of
information received to aid decision-making. A good example of good practice from a case

HMG paints case

study[1] EE.pdf
study could be highlighted, for example, read this case study about how
Employee Engagement strategies have helped HMG paints to grow and meet organisational
strategies. If this were your topic of investigation you would highlight good practice and
reference the case study, this would provide evidence for you, dont forget you will need to
reference your source. Now think about the literature you are using for your report.and
what this means..

A literature review (including analysis of professional reports) is an essential aspect of

research. An awareness of what has been researched on a particular subject area will
provide the researcher with reference points and signposts to further research (for example
references used in the articles / bibliography).

You need to be careful of the fact that when researching a subject area, unless you refine
your research requirements a number of issues could arise. When determining how
appropriate the research / literature is you need to consider:

Relevance
The purpose of the research article / text
Outcomes of the research article / text
Supporting arguments
Generation of new ideas / perspectives
Clarity and persuasiveness of the article / text

Data collated can be in the form of quantitative data (measuring statistical information) or
qualitative (analysis of themes and patterns) As we previously identified Quantitative data
involves collecting, analysing and interpreting information then using the information to
develop further deeper statistical analysis. Qualitative data can put the information in a
nominal form such as words, images and surveys. For example, a report that aims to
analyse the impact of sickness absence and solutions may use the following types of
quantitative information:

Statistical benchmarking with other organisations

Statistical benchmarking across the functions / departments
Statistical benchmarking in comparison with previous months / years
Adoption of a scoring system (e.g. the Bradford Factor) to determine sickness scoring
amongst individual
Analysis of instances in order to determine trends and underlying issues

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Providing detailed financial analysis of costs

Return on investment analysis in terms of improvements in rates following the
implementation of a new process / system
Surveys to gather staff views and ideas summarised into percentage terms

Quantitative data is more user friendly when presenting the information or highlighting
key issues to enhance the business case (in terms of accessible figures, tables and
graphs or charts).

Qualitative information can aid research through:

Providing more in-depth analysis of a research area

Ascertaining more detailed views and feedback from key stakeholders
Making sense of the figures and gaining deeper insights into a subject area to aid
decision-making
Enhancing credibility and the substance of the business case when trying to convince
key stakeholders of a future course of action
Gaining further insights into the reasons for particular areas of concern /
improvement
Obtaining a solutions focus to key issues e.g. feedback from key stakeholders
following an interview
Determining the reasons / rationale to certain statistical analysis
Gaining deeper insights on good practices, the processes and how the outcomes are
achieved

Qualitative and quantitative information used collectively will add substance to the research
and enable deeper insights into a subject area. This in turn can add substance to the
business case, the reasons as to why certain issues occur and the solutions to these.

The information received, no matter what the source is, should be critically evaluated to
prevent misinformed conclusions from being made which may impact on effective, reliable
and valid decision-making. Critical evaluation is about making informed judgements about
the reliability and validity of a particular research text / article. Key factors to determine when
critically evaluating research include:

Detail and comprehensiveness of the research

Qualifications, experience and track record of the author
Is it a known source? e.g. Wiki is not a known source
The extent to which a representative sample has been used
Currency (how up to date is the research)
Gaps in the research (has there been other research not included)
Is there a range of balanced arguments that test the objectives of the research?
Have full and valid conclusions been determined?

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Have all factors been taken into account?

Interviews can enable you to obtain deeper insights into an issue including attitudes and
feelings. Interviews can be:

Structured clear objectives and questions linked to the research

Unstructured no questions prepared and individual speaks freely
Semi-structured some questions identified but individuals are free to develop
further views, ideas and feelings

Questionnaires gather both facts and opinions on a particular subject area or areas. The
data is collected and analysed systematically. Effective questionnaires:

Provide clear questions

Highlight key issues
Avoid asking multiple or leading questions
Provide codes to ease analysis
Start with factual questions
Surveys use a combination of questionnaires and interviews and obtain information
from a defined population of people.

questionnaire
activity.doc

Open the questionnaire document above and complete the activity, highlight the problems
you have identified. This well help you to design the questionnaire you are going to send out
to help you to collect the information you need to gather facts and opinions on your chosen
topic. Send your own questionnaire to your personal tutor before you send this, he/she will
comment on the content and set your next target date.

Now you have designed your questionnaire some factors to consider now are who is your
target audience, what is your population sample, how will you distribute. Do some research
yourself on questionnaire and best practice when designing and issuing questionnaires.

Activity 5

Learning outcomes: LO3: Be able to draw meaningful conclusions and evaluate

options for change

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Appendix 3.2 supported distance learning

3.1 Draw meaningful conclusions from the review and make justified
recommendations for improvements in practice (This activity should take you 2 hours
to complete)

You have now collected your Information from both Primary (your own questionnaire) and
secondary sources (CIPD reports, text books, Managers.Org, google, ACAS, etc). The
raw information (the data) collated by you the researcher needs to be analysed and put into
a useable format and context in order for the recipient to form logical conclusions and
insights into the subject area and aid decision-making.

Data is meaningless unless it can be converted into information that can aid decision-
making. Recruitment, sickness, training and disciplinary figures only become useful when
they are analysed, correlations are identified and benchmarking is undertaken.

Effective practitioners enhance their credibility if they can analyse and interpret trends to aid
decision-making. The interpretation of trends will enable the practitioner to highlight key
underlying issues on a subject area, benchmark issues and determine further insights and
solutions to the issues involved. This can be done through putting in place a range of
statistical and financial techniques that can turn data into meaningful information. Key
statistical techniques include:

Forecasting of future trends

Correlations looking at the relationships between different variables e.g. does
poor induction relate to higher turnover, or poor performance translate into higher
levels of stress-related absences
Sampling using a percentage of representative groups or individuals to determine
trends, views, practices
Investment appraisal return on investment of choices
Index numbers benchmarking figures in percentage terms

In further evaluating options the effective practitioner needs an understanding of how these
statistics will impact on future organisational growth or objectives along with awareness of
the financial implications involved.

Additionally, analysis of the available resources (in terms of costs and value) will determine
the feasibility of the decisions. In identifying both the impact of resource and cost benefit
analysis, a focus should be made on the critical success factors (CSFs) of any key
decisions and future action plans. CSFs are processes, activities and factors that are
required in order to ensure higher levels of organisational performance and effectiveness.

Decisions involve the management of change, which could include retrenchment,

consolidation, growth, new directions, new products or services, new geographic markets,
enhancing product or services etc.

Organisations need to determine their resource capability and competence to embrace any
changes. Additionally choices are based on acceptability of decisions (to key stakeholders),

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feasibility (resources needed), and suitability (to aims and objectives). What is the difference
between data and information?

. Taken from the assessment brief (how your report should be structured)

Main body (headings and sub-headings these could be for each information source reviewed).
Candidates should use a mix of narrative and diagrammatic formats where appropriate to present their
findings.

You need to think about using pie charts or graphs to present some of your information,you
can use power point to do this.

Again looking at Employee Engagement follow the link below from the CIPD website to see
how this has been done within this report.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/research/locus-engagement-understanding-
connect.aspx

Do your own search for quantitative data on your chosen subject.

Activity 6

Learning outcomes 2.3

LO4: Know how to deliver clear, business focused reports on an HR issue

4.1 Formulate a business report for identified stakeholders that includes an

appropriate mix of diagrammatic and narrative formats (this activity should take you
an hour and then you are ready to start your own investigations and write your
assessment brief)

As stated, in order to convince budget holders and key decision-makers, a full stakeholder
analysis is needed to determine which stakeholders may either contribute to or hinder the
research process. Some stakeholders may be very supportive of the process e.g. employees
may wish to contribute fully to research that looks at enhancing rewards or incentives.
However, if stakeholders have little interest in the research or fear that the research will have
an adverse impact on themselves or their working lives they may not contribute or even
obstruct progress on the research. This is why it is important to identify who the key
stakeholders are; what their interests and needs may be, barriers they may pose to the
research and the identification of strategies to overcome any barriers.

Have a look at the video in this link to help you to identify your stakeholders

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https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_07.htm

Stakeholder mapping and analysis is a tool for determining the power and influence of
stakeholders and how key stakeholders can be used and managed to help convince other
stakeholders of the benefits of the research. Key stakeholders include executives,
managers, staff, trade unions, customers, local community, suppliers, government agencies
etc. The level of interest, power and influence will all depend on the organisational context.

Gaining trust, commitment and engagement of key stakeholders is vital to the success of the
research. Not only can stakeholders hinder or advance the research but can provide
specialised or client-focused knowledge and solutions on the research areas and additionally
help identify other areas for research.

Convincing key stakeholders of the importance and benefits of research requires a clear
proposal, with relevant and engaging communication methods for getting the message
across in a media format that is easy to understand and engages the relevant stakeholder
groups. Stakeholders generally will want to know:

The reasons for the research

Eventual outcomes
The impact of the research on individuals and the organisation
Financial implications
Key information / resources required
What is in it for them
How much information / time do they have to commit
Timetable for action
How the results will be communicated

Although all stakeholders will want consistent, detailed and informative information conveyed
to them, different stakeholders will have different needs in terms of the time they have to
digest the information. In addition depending on their level of responsibility stakeholders will
require information in various levels of detail, with some needing more analysis than others.
This will depend on whether they operate at a strategic, tactical or operational level

Executives will need clear, fully detailed analytical reports that are referenced with
page numbers and numbered headings in order to provide reference points. An
executive summary will enable a busy executive to determine what the report is
about, its objectives and key outcomes in a short period of time. Executives wish to
know the value a report will create and the return on investment. Information can be
conveyed through reports, executive board meetings, presentations and statistical
and financial analysis.
Managers will need details on how the issue impacts on them and their staff and
how they can operationalise strategic or tactical decisions. These individuals will be
focused on resources, costs and timescales associated with the desired proposal and
its recommendations. Information can be conveyed through reports, presentations,

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team meetings, intranet / emails and focus groups.

Staff - require quick and accessible information that keeps them updated and
informed of the impact of the proposal on their working lives and own career
development. Information can be communicated through using focus groups,
presentations, team briefings, intranet resources, emails.
External stakeholders may require the basic information in terms of the results
and how these impact on them, the organisation and the people the organisation
serves (other stakeholders)

Determining needs can involve discussions with the key stakeholders to gauge views and
requirements. Generally:

When wishing to gain quick overview of an issue, charts or diagrammatic tools are
useful
Identifying key stakeholders can be conveyed through stakeholder mapping
Progress on an activity can be conveyed using project management tools such as
Gantt charts or Critical Path Analysis
The scrutinisation of data or identification of investment / future trends would require
numerical and financial data
More detailed analysis requires written reports
Scoping ideas can be done by mind-mapping / fish-bone analysis
Key decision-making processes can use decision trees for tracing alternative
outcomes of a decision
Force field analysis helps determine drivers / barriers for implementing an action
such as undertaking new research, implementing change, strategic decision making
etc.

Charts and other graphical forms are very effective methods of presenting information and
communicating key points and trends. Charts are effective as they are attractive to look at,
allow users to graphically illustrate comparisons and trends that can appeal to a wide
audience.

Bar charts highlight frequencies or percentages

Pie charts highlight key issues and provide benchmarks through percentage
Histograms are a refinement of bar charts, but the adjoining bars touch, indicating
that the variable is measured on an interval or ratio scale
Frequency curves connect all the mid-points of a histogram and has these points
smoothed out to make a curve
Scatter diagrams are useful when comparing different sets of data
Time series looks at the behaviour of certain data over a period of time. This
information can be seasonally adjusted, to smooth out unexpected fluctuations
Pictograms use images to represent the data. For example pictures of people to
represent the ethic / gender mix

It is more than likely that key executive stakeholders will require this information in a report
format, where statistical, financial, written, verbal and diagrammatic information is

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consolidated into one report in order to get a complete overview.

Now you are ready to write your assessment, make a first draft and send to your tutor for
their comments.

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