HRM3701 Assignment 3 (DETAILED ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED

HRM3701 Assignment 3 (DETAILED ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED Answers, guidelines, workings and references.. Pumeza Nkosi is the owner of a small laundry business, Clean & Fresh Laundry Services, which has been operating out of Khayelitsha for 15 years. Clean & Fresh Laundry Services employs 20 workers in different capacities, from loading and operating the washing machines and tumble driers, sorting clothes, helping customers, ironing and delivering clean washing back to the customers. She believes that because the company is very small, they do not require a HR department. She usually contacts friends that are involved in HR whenever the need arises, and they then inform her on the “legal” way of doing things. Robert Mbeki, one of the managers, approaches Pumeza one Monday to inform him that the staff members are threatening to strike due to (1) insufficient salaries, and (2) no benefits. Others are threatening to resign as they have been employed for 10 years or more and have nothing to show for their hard work and commitment to the organisation – not even some support or recognition from Pumeza. They feel that they have never had any opportunities for career development or advancement and are threatening to look for work elsewhere. To successfully answer this question, you need to: identify the employee relations issues in the case (1 mark). Refer to the appropriate labour legislative acts (2 marks). Evaluate any alignment or misalignment with the acts identified (1 marks). Suggest mechanisms that will assist in institutionalising sound employee relations and compliance (1 mark). Robert also indicates to Pumeza that one of the workers has found out that Keep it Clean Laundry in the city centre offers their employees more benefits and more vacation time to spend with their families, and that they go on teambuilding initiatives, get regular training which gives them more opportunities for career development and, to top it all, they also earn larger salaries and work fewer hours than the workers at Clean & Fresh Laundry Services. Analyse the employee relations dynamics reflected in the case study and evaluate their alignment (or misalignment) with South African labour legislation. Discuss how Clean & Fresh Laundry Services could institutionalise sound employment relations and compliance mechanisms that balance organisational needs with employee rights. Keep it Clean offers a lot more services in cleaning and some workers are being contracted part-time to work at big companies, which is very appealing to the staff of Clean & Fresh Laundry Services as they feel that at least their working environment changes from time to time. Using Clean & Fresh Laundry Services as an example, critically analyse the role of formal HRM practices in small organisations. Drawing on Psychological Contract theory and Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory, critically discuss how perceptions of fairness, recognition, and employee value shape commitment and retention at Clean & Fresh Laundry Services. Evaluate how Pumeza’s current HR practices influence employee engagement and propose theoretically grounded strategies to strengthen the psychological contract. Apply Ulrich’s HR roles framework to explain how the absence of a structured HR function impacts organisational sustainability and competitiveness as well as how implementing these roles and formal HRM practices could improve organisational performance. To successfully answer this question, you need to: correctly identify Ulrich’s four HR roles (. Provide a brief explanation of how these roles support organisations in general . Critically discuss each HR role individually, clearly applying it to the Clean & Fresh Laundry Services case and explaining how the absence of that role impacts organisational sustainability and competitiveness Demonstrate understanding of how implementing these HR roles and formal HRM practices could improve organisational performance Provide a clear concluding paragraph that summarises the strategic significance of formal HRM, links HR practices to sustainability and competitiveness, and reflects the overall argument Pumeza is very concerned by these allegations, as she always thought that she paid her workers well and that they had nothing to complain about. She also does not want to lose the workers that have been working with her for 10 years or more, as they have become an integral part of the team at Clean & Fresh Laundry Services. Using Clean & Fresh Laundry Services as a case, critically evaluate the importance of employee retention strategies in small businesses. Apply Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory to analyse employee dissatisfaction and recommend practical solutions. Analyse the impact of leadership style on employee morale at Clean & Fresh Laundry Services. Apply Transformational and Transactional Leadership theories to assess Pumeza’s management approach and suggest improvements. Critically discuss the role of employee motivation in organisational performance. Using Clean & Fresh Laundry Services, apply Expectancy Theory to explain declining morale and propose strategies to improve productivity. Evaluate the importance of training and development in small organisations. Using Human Capital Theory, analyse how lack of training affects competitiveness at Clean & Fresh Laundry Services. To successfully answer this question, you need to: define and explain psychological contract theory (1 mark). Apply psychological contract theory to the case study (2 marks). Discuss fairness perceptions and comparison with competitors (2 marks). Explain and apply Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory to the case study (4 marks). Evaluate Pumeza’s current HR practices and their impact on engagement (2 marks). Propose theoretically grounded strategies to strengthen the psychological contract (2 marks). Conclude with a link between theory, engagement, retention and sustainability (2 marks).To successfully answer this question, you need to: explain training, learning and career development as retention mechanisms (1 mark). Discuss development approaches suitable for small enterprises (1 mark). Propose an integrated development framework (1 mark) and provide a link between development, capability building, and organisational sustainability (1 mark). Ensure link to case study is evident throughout (1 mark). Discuss the role of performance management systems in improving employee output. Apply Goal Setting Theory to Clean & Fresh Laundry Services and recommend a suitable system. Evaluate the strategic role of training, learning and career development as retention mechanisms in small enterprises. Using the Clean & Fresh Laundry context, propose an integrated development framework that supports capability building and sustainable talent management. Clean & Fresh Laundry Services has decided to implement an integrated HR intervention strategy to address the core workforce challenges they are faced with. Provide guidelines and key HR priorities that management should consider and explain how these can be practically implemented to support employee engagement, retention, and organisational sustainability To successfully answer this question, you need to: Provide a clear statement of the strategic intent or focus of the HR intervention (1 mark). Identify key HR priorities (1 mark). Explain how the identified priorities address the core workforce challenges (1 mark). Provide guidelines for practical implementation suitable for a small business (1 mark). Ensure link to the case study throughout (1 mark). TOTAL Evaluate the role of diversity management in improving organisational performance. Apply Diversity Management frameworks to Clean & Fresh Laundry Services. Analyse how organisational change can be managed effectively. Apply Lewin’s Change Model to improve conditions at Clean & Fresh Laundry Services. Critically analyse the relationship between job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Apply Organisational Commitment Theory to Clean & Fresh Laundry Services.