Word Count:3000-3500
Assessment Structure & Weighting (Total = 90 marks)
This assessment consists of TWO expanded case studies. Answer ALL questions in BOTH case studies. No short‑answer questions.
Component | Marks |
Case Study 1 (UAE): People Resourcing, Selection, Development & Performance | 45 |
Case Study 2 (Global): Motivation, Teams, Leadership, Culture, Work– Life Balance & Tech Change | 45 |
Learning Outcomes Assessed
Across the two case studies, you will demonstrate your ability to analyse and apply organisational management concepts including: selection methods and turnover;
interviews and performance appraisal; emotions and motivation; team conflict and
leadership; organisational structure, stress and coping; continuous learning, change and realignment; work–life balance strategies; using IT for organisational change; and
evaluating practice across national/global culture.
CASE STUDY 1 (UAE) — OasisEats: Scaling Hiring, Development and Performance in a Regulated, Diverse Labour Market (45 marks)
OasisEats is a UAE‑based organic meal‑prep and delivery company operating across
Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Rapid growth has been driven by corporate partnerships, a surge in app‑based orders, and expansion into premium health plans. The company must
recruit and onboard 120 new employees within 10 weeks across four role families: delivery riders, customer support representatives, warehouse coordinators, and team leaders.
The CEO wants a fast, technology‑enabled hiring process. The proposed approach includes automated CV parsing, chatbot screening, a short online psychometric assessment, a combination of structured and unstructured interviews, and an
assessment‑centre day for team leader roles. The CEO also wants to introduce a new performance management system tied to customer ratings and delivery‑time metrics, with monthly performance reviews.
Challenges have emerged:
- Candidate feedback suggests the process feels opaque, overly automated, and potentially biased.
- Hiring managers disagree on what 'good' looks like; job descriptions are inconsistent across departments and locations.
- Turnover in frontline roles has increased sharply, with workload, scheduling unpredictability, and fairness concerns.
- Training is compressed into a single day of e‑learning plus shadowing; early operational errors are rising.
- The UAE context adds complexity: Emiratisation targets and ethical expectations require transparent, fair, culturally sensitive hiring and development practices.
You have been appointed as an organisational management consultant to redesign OasisEats’ people resourcing and development system while protecting fairness,
legal/ethical defensibility, and workforce sustainability.
Tasks (Answer ALL)
- Workforce planning and people‑related priorities (8 marks)
Identify the most urgent workforce challenges implied by the case (e.g., capacity, skills gaps, turnover, job clarity, fairness, cultural/legal requirements). Prioritise the top three challenges OasisEats must address in the next 10 weeks and justify your reasoning.
- Job analysis, job design and competency framework (8 marks)
Choose ONE role family (rider, customer support, warehouse coordinator, or team leader). Explain how you would conduct job analysis (stakeholders, data sources, methods). Produce a competency/KSA profile with 8–12 competencies, including
proficiency levels for at least three. Explain how this supports fairness and consistency.
- Selection system design (reliability, validity, fairness) (10 marks)
Design a full selection process for your chosen role. Include stages, tools,
scoring/decision rules, interviewer training, and bias‑reduction strategies. Justify all choices using reliability, validity, and procedural justice principles.
- Responsible AI and ethical/legal defensibility (7 marks)
Evaluate risks associated with AI‑enabled recruitment in this context. Propose at least five safeguards covering governance, transparency, fairness monitoring, human
oversight, and appeal mechanisms.
- Training needs analysis, training design and transfer (7 marks)
Propose a Training Needs Analysis (organisation–task–person or performance analysis). Design a 30‑day onboarding programme (content, methods, schedule). Explain how you will maximise training transfer through workplace support,
motivation, and feedback.
- Performance appraisal, retention and wellbeing (5 marks)
Design a performance appraisal approach suitable for OasisEats. Include performance standards, an appraisal method, feedback cycle, and link to development. Propose three evidence‑based actions to reduce turnover and burnout.
CASE STUDY 2 (GLOBAL) — NOVA Care Group: Motivation, Team Dynamics, Culture and Technology‑Enabled Change Across Regions (45 marks)
NOVA Care Group is a multinational healthcare services organisation with sites in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. NOVA is known for high clinical standards, but has recently faced rising demand, talent shortages, and regulatory
pressures. To improve efficiency, leadership has introduced a digital scheduling platform, productivity dashboards, and hybrid working for non‑clinical teams.
Unintended consequences have emerged:
- Roles and workload distribution are contested between clinical and non‑clinical teams.
- An 'always‑on' culture is developing, with blurred boundaries and emotional exhaustion.
- Employees show reluctance to speak up, contributing to quieter meetings and delayed conflict surfacing.
- A serious incident occurred when a team followed a flawed plan despite concerns-
suggesting groupthink and low psychological safety.
- Regional cultural differences complicate adoption of new systems and leadership expectations.
You have been asked to provide an integrated diagnosis and propose evidence‑based solutions that improve motivation, teamwork, leadership, wellbeing, and
technology‑enabled change across cultures.
Tasks (Answer ALL)
- Motivation and emotion at work (10 marks)
Using TWO motivation theories (e.g., self‑determination, justice, goal‑setting),
diagnose how NOVA’s practices affect direction, effort, persistence, and wellbeing. Explain risks for engagement and ethical behaviour.
- Team dynamics, decision quality and conflict management (10 marks)
Analyse the meeting and teamwork problems using concepts such as groupthink, evaluation apprehension, production blocking, and role ambiguity. Propose a plan including improved decision processes, psychological safety practices, and
conflict‑resolution strategies.
- Leadership across cultures (8 marks)
Evaluate which leadership styles and decision approaches (transformational,
participative, situational, etc.) fit NOVA’s diverse regions. Propose a global leadership framework balancing consistency and cultural sensitivity.
- Organisational culture and change (9 marks)
Using a culture framework (artefacts/values/assumptions; tight–loose; culture vs
climate), diagnose misalignments at NOVA. Then propose a change plan for the tech systems including communication, employee voice, training/support, and success metrics.
- Stress, wellbeing and work–life balance (8 marks)
Apply the JD‑R model to explain burnout risk and performance impacts. Propose individual and organisational strategies including workload redesign, supervisor support, autonomy, boundary policies, and positive use of technology.
Marking Criteria (Student Summary)
Each case study is marked out of 45. Markers will look for:
- Accurate and relevant use of module concepts and theory.
- Strong application to the case (clear diagnosis, logical reasoning, use of evidence from the scenario).
- Quality, feasibility and coherence of recommendations.
- Integration across topics (e.g., linking selection to training; linking culture to wellbeing and tech change).
- Professional writing, structure, and APA 7th referencing.