Core units
The following units the core content of the Advanced Level Certificate and Diploma programmes.
Core unit 1: Developing skills for business leadership
A key purpose of this unit is to encourage you to develop a strong sense of self-awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses as managers and colleagues. The unit will help you develop and improve a range of definable skills that are pivotal to successful management practice and to effective leadership. The unit also seeks to develop further more specialised skills that are of particular significance to effective higher-level people management and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development.
On completion of this unit you will be able to:
- manage yourself more effectively at work or in another professional context
- manage interpersonal relationships at work more effectively
- make sound and justifiable decisions and solve problems more effectively
- lead and influence others more effectively
- interpret financial information and manage financial resources
- demonstrate enhanced IT proficiency
- demonstrate an essential people management skill-set
- demonstrate competence in postgraduate study skills.
Core unit 2: Leading, managing and developing people
This unit explores people management and development. It seeks to familiarise you with major contemporary research evidence on employment and effective approaches to HR and L&D practice. It introduces you to major debates about theory and practice in the specific fields of leadership, flexibility and change management, the aim being to help you become effective managers as well as effective HR specialists. The unit also introduces the major aims of HR and L&D and explores how these are achieved in practice.
On completion of this unit you will be able to:
- review and critically evaluate major contemporary research and debates in the fields of human resource management (HRM) and human resource development (HRD)
- evaluate major theories relating to motivation, commitment and engagement at work and how these are put into practice by organisations
- debate and critically evaluate the characteristics of effective leadership and the methods used to develop leaders in organisations
- contribute to the promotion of flexible working and effective change management in organisations
- critically discuss the aims and objectives of the HRM and HRD function in organisations and how these are met in practice
- assess the contribution made by HRM and HRD specialists in different types of organisation
- promote professionalism and an ethical approach to HRM and HRD practice in organisations.
Core unit 3: Investigating a business issue from an HR perspective
Key elements of professional competence are strategic awareness, a business orientation and a concern with adding value through HR practice. Qualified professionals should be able to research relevant topics and write reports that can persuade key stakeholders in the organisation to change or adopt a particular policy or procedure.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- identify and justify a business issue that is of strategic relevance to the organisation
- critically analyse and discuss existing literature, contemporary HR policy and practice relevant to the chosen issue
- compare and contrast the relative merits of different research methods and their relevance to different situations
- undertake a systematic analysis of quantitative and/or qualitative information and present the results in a clear and consistent format
- draw realistic and appropriate conclusions and make recommendations based on costed options
- develop and present a persuasive business report.
Core unit 4: HRM in context
This unit provides you with an understanding of the environmental contexts of contemporary organisations within which managers, HR professionals and workers interact. It examines how organisation leaders respond to these dynamic environmental contexts. And it explores how leaders, those in the HR function and line managers with HR responsibilities, need to recognise that corporate decisions and HR choices are often shaped by forces beyond their immediate control.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to understand, analyse and critically evaluate:
- contemporary organisations and their principal environments
- the managerial and business environment within which HR professionals work
- how organisational and HR strategies are shaped by and developed in response to internal and external environmental factors
- the market and competitive environments of organisations and how organisational leaders and the HR function respond to them
- globalisation and international forces and how they shape and impact on organisational and HR strategies and HR practices
- demographic, social and technological trends and how they shape and impact on organisational and HR strategies and HR practices
- government policy and legal regulation and how these shape and impact on organisational and HR strategies and HR practices.
Optional units - HRM stream
Choosing to study the optional units from this stream will lead to an Advanced Level qualification in HRM.
Resourcing and talent management
A major objective of the HR function is the mobilisation of a workforce. This unit focuses not only on the practical aspects of recruitment, selection, employee retention and dismissal, but also on the strategic aspects to equip you with the knowledge and skills required for resourcing and talent management within a global context.
On completion of this unit you will be able to:
- analyse and evaluate the major features of national and international employment markets and ways in which these markets evolve or change
- play a leading role in the development and evaluation of resourcing and talent management strategies, diversity management and flexible working initiatives
- manage recruitment, selection and induction activities effectively, efficiently, lawfully and professionally
- undertake and evaluate long and short-term talent planning and succession planning exercises with a view to building long-term organisational performance
- gather, analyse and use information on employee turnover as the basis for developing robust staff retention strategies
- manage retirement, redundancy and dismissal practices fairly, efficiently and in accordance with the expectations of the law, ethics and professional practice.
Managing employee relations
This unit will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of employment relations perspectives and debates from a theoretical and behavioural competency perspective. It will enable you to understand, analyse and evaluate competing theories and perspectives and their outcomes on organisational climate, employees and management. The unit provides opportunities for you to apply the activities, knowledge and behavioural competencies required for managing employment relations practices in union and non-union, small and large, private, public and indigenous and multinational organisations. You will also assess the impact of contextual changes on employment relations practices and organisational performance from a managerial perspective and gain insights into the creation and implementation of effective employment relations procedures and policies.
On completion of this unit you will be able to understand, analyse and critically evaluate:
- different theories and perspectives on employment relations
- the impact of local, national and global contexts shaping employment relations climates
- the roles and functions of the different parties to control and manage the employment relationship
- the importance of organisational-level employment relations processes that support organisational performance, including the design and implementation of policies and practices in the areas of:
- employee engagement
- diversity management
- employee communication, involvement and participation negotiation and bargaining
- conflict resolution
- change management and management control
- the importance of employment relations procedures that help mitigate organisational risk, including the design and implementation of policies and practices in the areas of discipline, grievance, dismissal and redundancy
- the integration of employment relations processes and how they impact on policy, practice and organisational outcomes such as performance and employee engagement.
Employment law
This unit will provide you with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to brief organisations on the consequences of employment law development, and give up-to-date and accurate advice concerning the practical application of legal principles at work in different jurisdictions. The unit will provide you with the key principles that underpin UK (or Irish) and EU employment law, their purpose, the major defences that employers are able to deploy when defending cases, and the potential organisational costs and reputational risks associated with losing them. Moreover, the focus is on situations that occur relatively regularly in workplaces. The unit promotes critical reflection on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development.
On completion of this unit you will be able to:
- explain the core principles that underpin employment law as it applies in the UK (or Ireland), including common law, their purpose, origin and practical implications
- advise colleagues about significant legal implications of decisions, plans or proposals in the employment field
- advise about the appropriate action that should be taken in workplace scenarios where employment regulation applies
- play a leading role in determining the appropriate organisational response when legal action on the part of a worker or employee is anticipated, threatened or taken
- participate in the preparation, presentation and settling of employment tribunal cases
- know how to keep your knowledge of developments in employment law up to date and advise about the impact of these developments on employment policy and practice in your organisations.
Reward management
This unit examines total rewards in an organisational and international context and provides you with the knowledge and understanding of environments in which reward professionals plan, implement and evaluate employee reward policies to support strategic organisational goals. You will acquire both a theoretical and normative understanding of the diverse approaches to reward management and be able to critically reflect on the strengths and limitations of these approaches. The foundations for pay and benefits management in modern organisations and how these traditions can be integrated into appropriate strategic designs is examined. You will be able to comprehend the relationship between traditional, contingent and developmental choices of rewards, the use of diagnostic and evaluative skills in designing flexible approaches to reward and associate challenges. Critical reflection on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint and for continuous professional development is required.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- analyse the relationship between the environment, strategy and systems of reward management
- explore the conceptual apparatus and theoretical debates informing reward management
- critically discuss traditional, contingent and knowledge bases for transactional and relational rewards
- design internally consistent reward structures that recognise labour market and equity constraints
- analyse executive and expatriate rewards in an international context critically evaluate key issues in reward management.
Optional units - HRD stream
Choosing to study the optional units from this stream will lead to an Advanced Level qualification in HRD.
Learning and talent development
L&D and its contribution to talent management is recognised and acknowledged to be a significant lever in achieving economic, social and cultural aspirations, ambitions and objectives of governments, organisations and individuals. The contribution of learning and talent development to formulating and achieving objectives forms a core rationale and component of this unit. So too does the contextual nature of notions of talent and their connections with national and organisational policy and strategies. You will develop a critical understanding of the contribution of learning and talent development policies and strategies as well as intellectual, social, professional and personal skills to perform effectively in associated professional roles. The unit requires you to reflect critically on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint, explores the implications for professional practice and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development.
On completion of this unit you will be able to:
- critically analyse and evaluate the formulation and implementation of processes of learning and talent development strategies for defining and achieving current and future effectiveness at national, organisational, group and individual levels
- critically evaluate the potential and appropriateness of a range of learning and talent development strategies, policies and methods with reference to relevant contextual factors
- lead the initiation, development and implementation of learning and talent development strategies, interventions and activities
- work effectively and collaboratively with key internal and external partners and stakeholders to diagnose and manage learning and talent development response to problems and issues and ensure clarity of role and contribution to agreed responses
- critically assess the role and influence the politics of learning and talent development policy and practice in a range of contexts
- act ethically and professionally with a demonstrated commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity in learning and talent development and to continuous personal and professional development.
Leadership and management development
This unit focuses on the development of leadership and management in facilitating organisational, team and individual change and growth. It recognises differing approaches and interpretations of the concepts of leadership and management within a range of organisational contexts including public, private, not-for-profit, large, small, national, international and multicultural organisations. The unit will enable you to develop a critical understanding of the complexities and contested nature of leadership and management and the contextual opportunities for development. It will help you to develop a range of personal and professional skills associated with the development of leadership and management strategies to facilitate organisational development and change. The unit requires you to reflect critically on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development.
On completion of this unit you will be able to:
- explain and critically analyse the concepts of leadership and management and their application in an organisational, social, environmental and multicultural context
- evaluate, select and apply a range of approaches to identifying leadership and management development needs in differing organisational contexts
- critically analyse and evaluate approaches to the formulation and implementation of leadership and management development strategies to meet current and future organisational needs
- design, critically evaluate and advise on a range of leadership and management development interventions to implement leadership and management development strategies and plans
- work collaboratively, ethically and effectively to support a partnership approach to leadership and management development explain and evaluate the role of leadership and management development in enhancing and developing organisational competence
- critically assess and evaluate approaches to the development of leadership and management in international and global contexts
- act ethically and professionally with a demonstrated commitment to leadership and management development and to continuous personal and professional development.
Designing, delivering and evaluating L&D provision
This unit develops a critical understanding of the role and influence of a range of contextual factors on the design, delivery and evaluation of L&D plans and interventions. A well-established body of knowledge and theory on learning processes and their application in instructional design and facilitating learning also forms a significant component of the unit. The unit will help you develop the professional knowledge and skills required to perform effectively in specialist roles associated with the design, delivery and evaluation of learning and development. It requires you to reflect critically on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- explain, evaluate and critically analyse the internal and external contextual factors impacting on the design, delivery and assessment of learning plans and interventions in organisations
- evaluate, select and apply a range of approaches and processes for establishing learning and development needs at organisational, group/team, occupational and individual levels in collaboration with relevant stakeholders
- critically evaluate a range of learning and instructional design theories and principles and apply them to select and justify appropriate learning and development methods and delivery channels with the engagement and support of other professionals and managers
- design learning plans and interventions to meet identified needs in a timely, feasible and cost-effective way
- demonstrate skills of delivery and facilitation of learning through a range of methods and for employees at a range of organisational levels and a range of occupational groups
- design and implement appropriate evaluation methods to assess the success and effectiveness of learning plans and interventions
- act ethically and professionally with a demonstrated commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity in the design and delivery of learning and development and to continuous personal and professional development.
Knowledge management and organisational learning
Organisational learning is argued to be a critical process affecting the success or otherwise of organisations. This unit will explore the connection between learning and knowledge to develop a critical understanding of the concepts of knowledge management and of organisational learning and associated theories and the personal and professional skills associated with designing and implementing knowledge management strategies that promote organisational learning. The unit explores the implications for professional practice and requires learners to reflect critically on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- critically evaluate the meanings attached to the concepts of knowledge management and organisational learning and associated theories
- analyse and critique a range of applications of the concepts in organisational practices
- design and develop organisation-based knowledge management strategies and programmes that promote, facilitate and exploit processes of organisational learning, taking account of a range of contextual factors
- manage the implementation of knowledge management strategies and processes to support and facilitate organisational learning with the engagement and support of other professionals and managers
- act ethically and professionally with a demonstrated commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity and to continuous personal and professional development.
- How you will be assessed >>
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