HRM70304 Managing People for Performance Assessment 2 (40%) (Continuous) September 2025

Part A

Project

You are expected to conduct, record, transcribe, and analyse an interview with a manager, preferably from the Human Resources department. This manager can be either a top-level manager, a middle-level manager, or a line manager from an organisation of your choice. Interviewing a managing director is also acceptable, provided that the manager is familiar with the performance management systems used in their organisation.

Conducting the Interview:

• The interview can be conducted online through any virtual meeting platform, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc., or in a face-to-face setting. In both instances, the interview must be recorded. It is advisable to inform and obtain verbal or written consent from the interviewee before beginning the recording of the interview. Taylor reserves the right to request proof of the recording in case of any doubts related to academic misconduct.
• The interview should have a duration of 15 to 20 minutes.
• Before the interview session, you are encouraged to prepare open-ended questions.
• During the interview session with the manager, your goal is to gain insight into the performance management system and its relevant challenges within the chosen organisation. Be sure to cover all pertinent issues related to people and organisational design, and seek specific examples of how these managers implement performance management systems in their respective organisations.

Below are some example questions you can use:

What are the primary purposes of the performance management systems?

Can you describe the key steps in the performance management process, including performance planning, execution, assessment, and review?

You can ask managers to elaborate on the following components of the performance process:

• How do managers set goals for their employees?
• To what extent are employees involved in decision-making?
• How do managers provide feedback, and how frequently do they do so?
• How do employees typically react to feedback?
• What is the process for handling underperforming employees?

What achievements and challenges has the performance management system faced in the chosen organisation?

Post interview:

After conducting the interview, you are required to transcribe the entire interview in text format. The transcription must be submitted in a separate document in PDF.

Please follow the provided instructions and ensure that you answer all the questions as part of your analysis.

Disclaimer:

Question 1.A and 2. A requires you to utilise the interview above to devise your answers.

Question 1. A

Introduction

Work Required: You are expected to present the selected organization, provide details about the interviewee, and describe the performance management process within the chosen organization.
In preparing your response, you must address the following points:

1. Introduce the company, including relevant information such as the company name, mission, and vision.

2. Present the interviewee’s profile, including relevant details like their job title and job scope.

3. Describe the performance management process within the chosen organization, covering the four key aspects like performance planning, execution, assessment, and review.

When composing your answer, please ensure you consider the following aspects:

• Sentence quality and grammar.
• Clarity, structure, and formatting.

Type your answer here (Indicative word count: approximately 600 words)

Question 2. A

Discussion

Work Required: Based on the interview, first, you are required to list the strengths and weaknesses of the company's performance management system, preferably in a table format. Next, you are required to analyse the company’s performance management system. There are three ways for you to prepare your analysis, depending on which of the following profiles your company fits into:

Company Profile A:

You are required to provide four (4) strengths identified from the interview and explain how the company complies with all the latest best practices and recommendations from HR practitioners and academics.

Company Profile B:

If the company has room for improvement, provide four (4) weaknesses and suggest strategies the company should adopt to ensure the performance system is compliant with the latest industry standards.

Company Profile C:

If the company showcases both strengths and weaknesses, identify two (2) of each with an explanation of strengths and suggestions for weaknesses.

In all instances, your arguments must be supported with evidence from literature or relevant examples from an existing company known for the quality of its performance review system.

Your answer should be theory-driven and evidence-based. The evaluation can reflect the views shared by the managers in question A, but you are expected to formulate your own critical views by applying concepts or theories, or research evidence in the field of Performance Management. You must also justify your arguments using at least one (1) journal article for each view. When composing your answer, please ensure you consider the following aspects:

• Sentence quality and grammar.
• Clarity, structure, and formatting.

Type your answer here (Indicative word count: approximately 800 words)

PART B

Case study

Evaluate a manager's leadership skills

Suppose you were Elon Musk’s personal executive coach, evaluate his leadership style and give him feedback on his leadership skills to help him become a more effective leader.

To prepare your answer, you must read the two (2) following articles:

Appendix 1: Elon Musk’s Leadership Style Bad For Business and Mental Health, Experts Warn

Appendix 2: Effectiveness Correlates of Transformational and Transactional Leadership: A Meta-Analytical Review of the MLQ Literature

Kindly note that the appendices are available/ can be retrieved on the Canvas on the assessment 2 page. Kindly refer to the image below:

Question 1. B

Write an email to Elon Musk.

Work Required: Based on the article provided, evaluate Elon Musk’s leadership style at Twitter and write him an email. In the email, you are expected to give him feedback on his leadership skills to help him become a more effective leader.  Your response should include one (1) strength and one (1) weakness of the leader’s approach, with at least one (1) positive feedback, and one (1) negative feedback. You must also provide appropriate suggestions for improvement. You are encouraged to leverage the article provided to support your answer, inclusive of references. If you choose to utilize external sources, ensure to cite your sources.

When composing your answer, please ensure you consider the following aspects:

• Sentence quality and grammar.
• Clarity, structure, and formatting.

Type your answer here (Indicative word count: approximately 300 words)
Reference List:

Insert ALL reference list here