Things to watch out for in the exam!

[astone788]

VCAA 2009: "Explain the positive and negative aspects of two ethical and social responsibility issues that could be an organisation that you have studied this year."

WARNING: Problems with responses to this question included mixing up ethical issues and legal issues. For example, not discriminating in the selection process is a legal requirement, rather than an ethical issue. Likewise OHS.

Examples of ethical and socially responsible issues include:
- Outsourcing to cheap labour countries
- inputs should be sourced from ethical and socially responsible suppliers.
- responsibilities relating to the production process (eg through recycling and waste disposal)
- community sponsorship where organisations may target a cause or issue in their community and raise funds (eg McDonalds with their Ronald McDonald house for children with cancer)
- corporate charity where organisations support nationwide initiatives(eg the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal)
- Employees must be treated ethically (eg leaving packages)
- honest advertising and recalling faulty products
- outputs should not harm the environment for example the Body Shop doesn't test their products on animals

Advantages   
enhance its reputation
Free publicity may be gained.   
Employees enjoy working and contributing to the community.   
Shareholders more likely to invest.   
The organisation may become an employer of choice and thus attract the best employees.

Disadvantages   
May be expensive in terms of costs and expenses not directly related to its core business.
shareholders possibly not wanting a profit loss.
Customers may not approve of new products.

VCAA 2007: Outline and justify two human resource strategies that could be used by Wendy Howard to recruit the bestapplicants for White Sands.
Warning: Some students suggested promoting people within the organisation. As these people are already part of the organisation and not being recruited from outside (as the question required) this response did not score marks.

Appropriate answers included any two of:
• write appropriate job specifications to ensure that people with appropriate qualifications and experience are
employed
• write appropriate job descriptions to ensure that applicants have a clear idea of the job expectations before
accepting the position
• conduct behavioural testing to ensure that applicants have good communications skills and appropriate culture
compatibility.

Aside from that just have a good time. Typically in SAC's you're required to rote-memorise a bunch of steps e.g. "the problem solving process." Whereas in exams your required to apply your basic knowledge human resource strategies and operations strategies to the case studies. Easy stuff, but it can be time consuming.  I've read that using dot points to structure your answers can lose makrs because they may not provide enough detail. I'm going to use dot points anyway because im real worried about not finishing the exam on time.

[Tragesty]

What are 'human resource strategis'? Steps in the employment cycle? Only strategies I'm aware of are for Operations Management...

[astone788]

They are stratgies put in place to help attract and maintain the best employees.
It's the same thing as the employment cycle. The reason for it is to help attract and maintain the best employees

An employer of choice is an organisation that attracts and retain staff of high caliber.
This can be achieved by using the following strategies:
- providing better opportunities and rewards
- providing a welcoming corporate culture (induction programs)
- Opportunities for training, development, and internal promotion
- Sense of satisfaction (locke/herzberg/maslow)
- Job security
- Flexible working conditions (working from home)
- Write appropriate job descriptions to ensure applicants have a clear idea of the job expectations before accepting the position.
- Interesing job design
 

[Bismuth]

I'd be hesitant to do dot-points tbh. I can't comment on how they're assessed, but teachers at my school (who generally has a couple of kids in the high 40's) always frown upon it.

[JCurmi]

I'd be hesitant to do dot-points tbh. I can't comment on how they're assessed, but teachers at my school (who generally has a couple of kids in the high 40's) always frown upon it.

Same I've never heard of using dot-points to answer questions unless you only have a couple minutes left (better to get something down on the page than nothing). I would reconsider... perhaps only use dot-points if you look up at the time and truly think you won't finish. Better to have some strong, fully written answers rather than have all weak dot-pointed answers.

[Tragesty]

Yeah I've been told before to avoid dot points and only write them like so if times almost up. Answers look that much better when they're clear sentences.