- Executive Summary
250 word maximum summary of your whole report, including key recommendations. (not included in word count)
Contents Page
Include page numbers.
Introduction
Short introduction to the report setting out what the aims and objectives of the report are, what the report will cover and why. You may want to provide a brief overview of your organisation at this stage (approximately 300 words).
Literature Review
(Task 1)
Using third party sources (e.g. academic literature or practitioner-orientated material) for support, analyse the theoretical concept underpinning high performance working, explaining why HPW is such a ‘hot topic’ in HR circles.
What it is, to what extent is it thought to work or not and why it benefits (or not) an organisation. You should make reference to any relevant models, frameworks etc of HPW and include critical viewpoints. You are also expected to include relevant examples of organisations using this way of working (around 1000 words).
Discussion
(Task 2)
Consider the existence and impact of HPW (if any) on your organisation by evaluating how any three of the nine areas mentioned above are manifested in the organisation and so can contribute (or not) to the organisation achieving its goals (around 900 words).
Conclusions
This section should initially answer your report objectives and draw together the main points from your analysis of literature and other discussion about your organisation. It summarises what has been learned from undertaking this research. It should also begin to weigh up the options available to the organisation and what would impede implementation of further action. It should reach an overall conclusion as to the extent and effectiveness of the issues identified on your organisation and based upon option evaluation begin to identify the way forward. No new information should be presented in the conclusions (around 300 words).
Recommendations
(Task 3)
Make a considered list of recommendations for improvement based upon your conclusions, clearly stating how they can add value to the organisation. Include an action plan which addresses these recommendations as an appendix. The action plan should be fully feasible and justified stating clearly costs, priority level, time-scale, resources, who is responsible, benefits and any further implications to the organisation. Your proposals should be actionable (‘immediately implementable’) not just a list of ideas. You can use a table to help structure your action plan (see p.4 below). The recommendations for action should be linked to creating an acceptable level of HPW to enhancing the existing level, or to introducing some new practices and processes to make the current degree of HPW more sustainable in the longer term or if any future threats to the company appear likely to jeopardise an HPW culture. In other words, your recommendations should cover every conceivable contingency, but should also be linked to identified individuals who could be held accountable for their implementation (around 300 words).
