Topic: You are required to pick and answer one of the three essay questions listed below. If present, you are required to answer both Parts A and Part B.

Order Description
You are required to pick and answer one of the three essay questions listed below. If present, you are required to answer both Parts A and Part B.

Question One

James Sproule, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, said that in an era of major technological change, businesses should be focusing more on agility than productivity.

“The economy of the future looks set to be dominated not by big companies, but by fast, agile, quick-moving and reactive ones. The firms that can respond to consumer demands most effectively and bring new products and services to market will reap the rewards,” he said.
(People Management, September 2015)

Part A (50% of mark): Compare and contrast the characteristics of an agile organisation, as described by Sproule, with those of a learning organisation,

and

Part B (50% of mark: Evaluate ways in which an organisation might encourage and support knowledge sharing.
Question Two

The human capital of a nation is directly linked to its economic development, productivity growth, and innovation. Therefore, organisational investment in job skills training should be regulated by governments.

Develop arguments for and against this statement (80% of mark), and draw a conclusion based on the evidence presented (20% of mark).
Question Three

Part A (50% of mark): Discuss the drivers for the move from technical to so-called ‘soft’ skills,

and

Part B (50% of mark) Critically evaluate how organisations can improve the soft skills in their workforce, whilst preserving the levels of technical skills they also need to meet their strategic objectives.
Module Learning Outcomes Assessed:

• To engage critically with academic theory underpinning strategic human resource development / learning and talent development.

• To explain and evaluate the relevance of these theories to business practice.
Assessment Requirements:

Word Count: 3000 words (+/- 10%)

Font Size: 12

Line Spacing: Double spaced

APA/Harvard referencing format should be used (the reference list does not contribute to the word count)

Diagrams, figures and tables may be included (and these do not contribute to the word count)