Assignment Questions
1. ‘A reward system that is not fair cannot be effective.’ Critically evaluate the validity of this statement and analyse the potential consequences for organisations.
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of job evaluation schemes? Given this debate, under what circumstances should organisations use them?
3. How and why has the use of variable pay schemes changed in recent years? Do these changes mean that such schemes are now closer to achieving their aims?
4. Critically evaluate the ability of ‘strategic reward’ to align employee behaviour with organisational objectives.
Suggested Reading: You might find some of the following readings useful:
Armstrong, M, Cummins, A, Hastings, S and Wood, W (2005) Job Evaluation: A guide to achieving equal pay, Kogan Page, London.
Gilbert, K (2012) ‘Promises and practices: job evaluation and equal pay forty years on,’ Industrial Relations Journal, 43(2), 137–51.’
Hastings, S (2009) ‘Grading systems, estimating value and equality’, in G White and J Druker (eds.) Reward Management: A critical text, Routledge, London.
Heery, E (1996) ‘Risk, representation and the new pay’, Personnel Review, 25(6), pp 54–65.
Kessler, I (2007) ‘Reward choices: Strategy and equity’, J Storey (ed.) Human Resource Management: A critical text, 3rd ed, pp 159–76, Thompson, London. BST223 Reward Management 2020-21
Lawler, EE (1995) ‘The New Pay: a strategic approach’, Compensation & Benefits Review 27 July–August: 14–22.
Shields, J (2015) Managing Employee Performance and Reward: Concepts, practices, strategies, 2nd ed, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Academic Journals
You should also do your own independent reading around your chosen title. The main journals that contain articles on reward systems are listed below:
British Journal of Industrial
Relations Industrial Relations
Industrial Relations Journal
Employee Relations
Human Relations
Human Resource Management Journal
International Journal of Human Resource Management
European Journal of Industrial Relations
Work, Employment and Society Journal of Management Studies.
Organization Studies.
Online sources
There is a wealth of information available on the web that is relevant to completing the assignment topics.
The following organisations have websites that may be worth visiting:
Advisory, Arbitration and Conciliation Service (ACAS): www.acas.org.uk
Labour Research Department: www.lrd.org.uk
Office for National Statistics: www.ons.gov.uk
Trades Union Congress: www.tuc.org.uk
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development: www.cipd.co.uk
People Management: www.peoplemanagement.co.uk
Incomes Data Research: www.incomesdataresearch.co.uk
