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Spring 2024
Assessment Brief
Managing Performance
through People
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Spring 2024
Managing Performance through People
5HR515
Contents
Module Leader …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Key dates and details …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Description of the assessment …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Assessment Content ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Assessment Rubric ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Anonymous Marking …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
Assessment Regulations …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Formative Feedback ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Appendix 1: Assignment Case study……………………………………………… Error! Bookmark not defined.
Ferdinand Bilstein UK – Logistics Centre (Markham Vale) ………………… Error! Bookmark not defined.
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Spring 2024
Module Leader
Sheena Bevitt
EUBS ML: Oriol Paré
Key dates and details
Assessment Type: Management Report
Word count/Length Your answer must be between 2,000 and 2,500 words
long. (NOTE: 2,500 words is the MAXIMUM word limit.
There is no +10% allowance.)
Learning Outcomes: 2 & 3
Submission Method: Electronic submission through Turnitin on blackboard.
Please go to the ‘Assessment’ section on blackboard
for the submission ortal.
Description of the assessment
This module prepares you to analyse the causes of poor performance within organisations and the
principles and practices of effective performance management. By the end of the module you will be
able to explain how these practices can be integrated into high performance work systems (HPWS)
and analyse barriers to high performance working and the development of high performance
cultures.
You are required to write a management report to demonstrate learning outcomes 2 & 3:
• Analyse the signs, causes, principles and practices of performance management in a modern
organisation, the impact of practices on key stakeholders, and how work and people
performance can be measured
• Outline the concept and components of a High Performance Work System (HPWS) and
evaluate evidence of their impact and effectiveness and barriers to their successful
implementation.
You should apply your answer to the Lakeland Hotel case study. We will work with the case study
during lectures and seminars as a teaching and learning aid.
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Spring 2024
For students on the HRM pathway, successful completion of this assignment is also mapped against
the CIPD core knowledge indicators KO2.02A, KO4.04A and KO4.07A.
Assessment Content
Task
Analyse the indicators and possible causes of performance problems at the Lakeland Hotel. Advise
the senior management team how they could build an effective High Performance Work System to
address the problems you have identified.
Your response should consider:
• The multiple possible causes of poor performance and how this shapes the approach to
managing performance within an organisation
• The concept and key components of a HPWS
• Possible barriers to the successful implementation of the system you recommend
Your answer must be:
• Presented as a management report of 2,000 – 2,500 words (NOTE: 2,500 words is the
MAXIMUM word limit. There is no +10% allowance on these questions.)
• Supported with relevant literature using the Harvard Referencing system. This requires citations
(references to relevant literature) within the answer itself which then must also be listed in full
in a reference list at the end of your work. Work will not be awarded a pass grade at this level
of study without a clear demonstration of this skill
Work will be assessed using the undergraduate marking scale shown in section F3 of the assessment
regulations for undergraduate programmes and the assessment rubric shown below.
Spring 2022
Assessment Rubric
Outstanding 90-
100%
Excellent 70-89% Very Good 60-69% Good 50-59% Satisfactory 40-
49%
Unsatisfactory
<40%
Knowledge
Evidence that the
student has:
Understood the
topic area
Supported their
work with relevant
research and
reading
• Detailed
understanding
of topic area
backed up with
relevant
references
• Research
beyond scope
of module
materials
• Draws links to
other modules
• No further
development of
answer
required
• Wide topic
knowledge from the
module
• Draws different
concepts together
effectively
• Strong use of
relevant theoretical
models and/or
research
• Fully referenced
with wide range of
sources
• Strong evidence of
independent
research
• Draws together some
of the key topics from
the module
• Some use of theoretical
models and/or research
to support answer
• Evidence of some
independent research
but largely guided by
references provided in
the module
• Adequate use of
module topics
• Some gaps in
knowledge or
misunderstanding
of concepts
• Some evidence of
research and
reading but may
be overreliance on
core
textbooks/overuse
of direct quotes
etc.
• Limited use of
topic knowledge
from the
module/lack of
detail
• Some significant
gaps in knowledge
or
misunderstanding
• Limited or poor
evidence of
research and
reading
• Overreliance on
lecture slides and
notes
• No/ very limited
use of topics
from the module
to answer the
question
• No/very limited
supporting
literature
Critical Thinking
Evidence that the
student has:
Questioned their
sources,
• Extensive
critical
evaluation of
arguments and
cited literature
• Fully balanced
argument
• Researched and
answered from
different angles.
• Questions some of
the research
sources used
• Well balanced
argument
• Explores some
alternative arguments,
advantages/disadvanta
ges, pros and cons etc.
• Some evidence
different approaches to
answering the question
are understood
• Acknowledges a
few alternative
arguments to the
answer e.g.
advantages and
disadvantages,
pros and cons
• Very limited
identification of
alternative
arguments
• Accepts reference
sources at face
value
• A one sided
answer with no
consideration of
alternative
arguments
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Spring 2024
arguments and
solutions
Application
Evidence that the
student has:
Pulled ideas
together effectively
to answer the
question
Provided
appropriate
examples where
necessary/helpful
• Thoughtful and
thorough
application of
knowledge,
theory and
research to
case
study/question
throughout
• Tailors information
to answer the
question
fully/explore the
case study
• Illustrates answer
with range of
organisational
examples
• Links in relevant
personal
examples/experienc
es
• Uses some appropriate
organisational
examples discussed
during the module
• Uses personal
examples but may not
always link this back to
theory/literature
• Integration of
theory/research may
still be disjointed
• Examples are
limited or lack
relevance
• Case study is
mentioned but
poorly integrated
into the answer
• Lacks examples
• Very limited
reference to case
study organisation
• No or
inappropriate use
of examples
• No links to case
study
organisation
Evaluation
Evidence that the
student has:
Identified strong
and relevant
information to
• All concepts
and material
fully relevant to
the analysis
and
recommendatio
ns including
materials
sourced from
• All chosen ideas are
relevant to the
answer
• Answers the
question fully
covering all key
concepts
• No evidence of
‘padding’ with
• Uses some relevant
ideas
• Chooses appropriate
concepts and makes an
attempt to answer the
question
• Information is mostly
relevant to the question
• Only minor missing
elements
• Some effort to
answer the
question
• Some missing,
weak or irrelevant
elements
• Links to answer
are unclear in
places
• Key elements of
the question
remain
unanswered/under
developed
• Confused choice
of concepts to
answer the
question
• Largely irrelevant
ideas
• Does not answer
the question that
was asked
• Covers concepts
which are not
relevant to the
answer.
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Spring 2024
answer the
question
Left out weak or
unnecessary
information
independent
research
irrelevant
information
• Minimal ‘padding’ with
irrelevant information
• May ‘pad’ with
irrelevant
information
• Important
concepts may be
difficult to pick out
Communication
Evidence that the
student has:
Put their ideas
across clearly on
paper
• Outstanding,
sophisticated
written
communication
• No significant
areas for
further
development
• Logical organisation
and flow of ideas
• Error free written
communication
• Precise Harvard
Referencing
• An enjoyable read
• Largely well-structured
answer
• Only minor
spelling/grammatical
errors
• Good grasp of Harvard
Referencing
• Mainly easy to read
and follow
• Some
spelling/grammatic
al errors but do not
significantly
interfere with
understanding
• Some attempt to
Harvard Reference
• Difficult to read
and follow in
places
• Repeated
spelling/grammatic
al issues
• Weak Referencing
skills
• Difficult to read
and follow
• Very difficult to
read and follow
• Extensive
problems with
written
presentation
• No or incorrect
Referencing
Spring 2022
Anonymous Marking
Submissions in Turnitin and Blackboard
You must submit your work using your student number to identify yourself, not your name. You
must not use your name in the text of the work at any point. When you submit your work in Turnitin
you must submit your student number within the assignment document and in the Submission title
field in Turnitin.
Assessment Regulations
The University’s regulations, policies and procedures for students define the framework within
which teaching and assessment are conducted. Please make sure you are familiar with these
regulations, policies and procedures.
Formative Feedback
Coursework Planning will be covered in the 2 hour ‘lecture’ session on Tuesday 23rd April, supported
with a planning document. You will have the option to show your seminar leader your planning
document for formative feedback during your seminar session in week commencing 6th May.
Spring 2022
Appendix A: Case Study
Daphne Jones has recently been appointed as HR manager of the Lakeland Hotel, a 50
bedroom, four-star county house hotel, located in beautiful parkland in the Lake District
National Park. The hotel provides conference and banqueting facilities and is a popular
wedding location. It employs a range of full time, part time and temporary seasonal staff
across 5 departments: Events and Banqueting, Rooming and Reception, Housekeeping,
Food and Beverages, HR and Administration. It is owned and operated by the Exclusive
Hotels Group (EHG) which aims to develop each of its hotels to be “the regions number one
venue choice for events and conferencing”. This is delivered through a strategy of
personalised customer service experience, bespoke events packages, competitive pricing
and an outstanding accommodation and restaurant experience.
EHG operates a formal annual appraisal scheme which, as part of a new performance
management system, has been linked to an individual performance related pay scheme. In
2023 each member of staff received a four per cent salary increase irrespective of
performance to take account of the increased cost of living. The hotels line managers then
assessed each member of staff in their team as either Excellent, Good, Satisfactory or
Unsatisfactory based on their individual performance over 12 months and this was used to
determine any additional performance related increases. ‘Excellent’ employees therefore
received a full salary increase of 5.5% (4% cost of living + 1.5% performance) and ‘good’
employees received 5% (4% cost of living + 1% performance).
An interim appraisal review is also conducted after six months. The purpose of this review is
to focus on the career aspirations and learning and development requirements of
employees. These are conducted by the same line manager as the main review who are
then responsible for feeding back relevant information to the HR department which is used to
write the hotels talent development strategy. EHG operate both a graduate and internal
programme to help them develop their future managers and leaders.
Despite these performance management practices, the hotel manager has discussed
ongoing performance problems with Daphne. The hotel has received some poor reviews
from guests concerning levels of customer service and room cleanliness on Trip Advisor UK:
“The staff try hard but lack the professionalism of a 4/5 hotel to compete. I will stay in
the hotel at the other end of the lake next time as much better value for money in my
opinion.”
“Yesterday I forgot my key. After running miles to the reception, they gave me
another key which still didn’t work. No fresh orange juice at breakfast.”
“Booked four nights for a very special occasion but checked out after two truly
disappointing days. Service was not friendly or prompt. Our room had a flickering
bathroom light that was never replaced.”
“I was surprised that standards have slipped so much. Staff are no longer friendly
and ’on the ball’. I couldn’t relax in my room as I was repeatedly interrupted by staff
checking the room. Indifferent service in the bar, very slow checkout caused by only
one member of staff being available to serve many customers. When an extra
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member of staff did appear to help with checkout and I mentioned the long delay she
commented that she was busy on the phone.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly given these reviews, the hotel is also suffering from declining room
occupancy rates which is now attracting negative attention from head office.
As a starting point to her investigations, Daphne has reviewed the latest employee
engagement survey and has noted some apparent problems. In particular, Daphne has
noticed that the engagement scores from the hotel rooming and reception department are
lower than in the rest of the hotel. The scores for this department are also worse than in the
previous year’s survey.
R
oo
m
in
g
an
d
R
ec
ep
tio
n
H
ot
el
E
H
G
% agree % agree % agree
1. I know what is expected of me at work 63% 74% 78%
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right 67% 68% 70%
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day 71% 94% 84%
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good
work
35% 64% 72%
5. My supervisor, or someone at work seems to care about me as a person 42% 72% 70%
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development 47% 68% 70%
7. At work, my opinions seem to count 29% 76% 73%
8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important 73% 75% 74%
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work 84% 88% 84%
10. I have a best friend at work 91% 94% 85%
11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress 41% 65% 68%
12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow. 46% 70% 72%
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The EHG regional manager responsible for the Lakelands hotel tells Daphne he was
involved in the appointment of an ambitious new manager to Rooming and Reception
approximately 3 months ago. They have good hotel experience, working previously as a
receptionist for three years in one of the company’s sister hotels, followed by 2 years as a
team leader/supervisor in events and banqueting at one of their prestigious city centre
venues. He tells Daphne he has been pleased with this new manager’s progress. They are
able and energetic and have already improved the efficiency of their work section by quickly
re-organising some of the procedures and improving the methods used in the department.
Daphne checks the HR records and sees that paperwork has been returned indicating that
this manager has completed the annual appraisals on all of his staff on time and she notices
that they have all been set the same objectives around accuracy on paperwork and
computer booking processes. While there are entries in the appraisal paperwork in the
section on development there have been no requests for training and development from the
department according to her training administrator. Checking the key HR metrics for the
department she also notes that sickness absence in this department has increased well
above the hotel average. On average the department has lost 9 days per year to sickness
absence compared to 7.1 in the hotel as a whole.
Daphne presses the Regional Manager for more information about the young manager and
he tells her that, on reflection, he walks around the department whenever he is in the hotel
and on several occasions he has passed by the manager talking to staff members and
noticed the tone of their voice was sharp. Now he thinks about it, on a couple of occasions
he thinks some of the staff members might actually have looked upset. He has also over-
heard conversations between staff members where the manager’s name has been
mentioned in connection with bad attitudes. Just the other day an accounting clerk made
some harsh comments about the manager’s attitude and complained about the way he had
spoken to her when he identified an error in her banking paperwork. He says he has
observed the manager holding morning meetings with his team but these seem to be quite
short and focused on the allocation of tasks for the day.
