Assignment 4
‘Final Assessment
Case Study:
Objective of this assignment: This activity serves as a final assessment
for the course. It provides you the opportunity to demonstrate how well you
have achieved the learning outcomes of the course. You are to provide your
knowledge of the strategic and administrative function of Human Resources by
thinking about the situation of Southwest Airlines recent merger and their
expansion.
Deliverable: Read and
reflect on the case study below and prepare a response paper of five to seven
pages – not 4 1/4 or 4 1/2 or 4 3/4 pages – (excluding title and reference
pages) with appropriate in-text citations. Demonstrate your research and
analytical skills in developing your comprehensive paper by using the
organizations Website and outside articles written about the organization to
supplement the information provided in the case study. However, the case study
is unique in that it is focused on the HR ramifications and most of the outside
reports you will locate articulate the business side of the merger or expansion
possibilities. Tailor your paper to the HR ramifications of the merger and
expansion.
Keep in mind that the purpose of this final assessment is
for you to demonstrate your knowledge of the strategic and administrative
function of Human Resources. While the business side of the situation is the
foundation, it is the command of the needed tasks and role for the Human Resource
function that you are to focus most of your attention.
Key Components:
1. Title page (not
counted in final assessment text page count)
2. Introduction in
which you restate the issue(s) and state the purpose of the paper
3. SWOT analysis from
the HR perspective
4. Recommendations to
address the issues. Scholarly research is expected to support the
recommendations.
Examples of issues that may want to be elaborated upon may
be possible redundant positions, maintaining the culture of both organizations
(or not), combining compensation and benefits plans and union involvement (just
to name some).
5. There are many tasks for recruiting and hiring for the
expansion (in various global locations). Think about and list what those tasks
are.
6. Provide the metrics for evaluating the outcomes of the
expansion of the organization (again, from an HR perspective).
7. Synthesize and
summarize your thoughts about the merger and expansion (from an HR
perspective), including recommendations for aligning the HR function of the two
organizations and addressing any of the S.W.O.T. assessment HR-related elements
as appropriate.
8. Reference page
containing at least five scholarly references cited in the paper and presented
in APA guideline format with links to Web-based references.
Situation: Southwest
Airlines is a major airline in the United States with limited flights outside
the country. The organization has a strong culture which is described in the
following excerpt from Gary Kelly, CEO, Southwest Airlines found on the
Southwest Airlines Website. Living the Southwest Way
Living the Southwest Way:
(Gary Kelly states that)…..I ask three things of the 46,000 Southwest
Airlines and AirTran Airways Employees every day: Work hard, have fun, and
treat everyone with respect. We call this Living the Southwest Way, and it
comprises three characteristics that we look for in job candidates and require
of our Employees: a Warrior Spirit, a Servant’s Heart, and a Fun-LUVing
Attitude. While it may sound simple (and it is), the impact can be profound.
Our Culture has long been admired and has earned Southwest much recognition,
including a yearly spot on Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list (we
ranked seventh this year) and the distinction of being named one of the Best
Places to Work in Glassdoor.com’s 2013 Employees’ Choice Awards. Our Culture is
not a program or a campaign; it is the sum of the personalities and behaviors
of our People who Live the Southwest Way every day.
(The following is fiction but is the situation to consider
for this assignment). Due to the recent acquisition of AirTran Airways and with
the possibility of acquiring other airlines that will expand the organization
to other countries, Southwest Airlines will add thousands of employees quickly
from any number of existing airlines in a variety of global locations.
Faced with the tasks of maintaining the values of the
organization, consider and propose steps the Human Resources team will need to
take to achieve a successful merger of the two companies and to expand to
additional global locations.
PLEASE NOTE: Much has been written about Southwest Airlines,
its culture and the recent merger. While that information may be used as
reference material, the situation you have been asked to use for your
application of your knowledge about HR is unique. Do not merely cut and paste
from what you find in the documents you locate.
ScholarMatic: Explanation & Answer
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