phd research proposal in hrm

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52 Human Resources Management Topics for Research Paper

Non-trivial human resource research topics to use for your own project.

A Bit About Human Resource Management Research Topics

Human resource management is focused on hiring, training, and managing staff. Another important goal of the human resources (HR) department is to make sure the best working practices are implemented in the company. The choice of human resource management research topics is broad. It may vary from the analysis of workplace conditions and the problem of equal employment opportunities in the future to the solutions & proposals for talent management and career development.

The challenges with research proposals are also vast, starting from choosing human resources management topics for research and ending with writing the research paper itself. Even though you were given a prompt with detailed instructions or someone who continually reminds us of basic things, it’s still not easy. Nevertheless, the most effective hack is to narrow a more expansive research direction down and focus on providing your target audience with the results addressing set goals.

How to Choose the Best Human Resource Research Topics

The human resource subject is very broad as it targets lots of areas. It means students can work with proposals about various hiring approaches and modern recruiting practices used in big companies or discuss hybrid work structures in various contexts. And these are just a few concepts of human resources research topics, as there are dozens of other topics to cover. For example, you can delve deeper what is human resources to find more promising study areas. Still, how to ensure your choice is good? It’s easy to understand when you follow these tips to select a proposal.

• Ensure the topic is interesting to you. Nobody will write about something boring or cliched. Just like with the business proposal topics , where you should be passionate about the issue to cover it well.
• Choose areas that you know well or want to explore further. The better you understand the selected human resource management research paper topics, the less time and effort you spend on your proposal.
• Avoid generalizations and being too broad. If you investigate the wide research topics in human resource management, narrow it down and select the most valuable theme. Ensure the proposal will also be informative and engage readers.
• Apply the latest trends effectively. Also, ensure the proposal topic allows you to conduct extensive research with a narrow focus. For example, you may apply trending themes to investigate some local cases.

Add these points to your proposal checklist, making identifying valuable human resource topics for research paper simpler. Even if you already received a prompt from your professor, you can still correct it a bit. Also, it all makes easier when you acquire help from professional proposal writing services , and the expert suggests the topics addressing these points 100%.

Compelling Human Resources Management Topics for Research Paper

Today, human resources is a proper science distinct into specific areas. Using various tools and innovations allows one to expand the academic scope and bring up complex business outcomes. It would be impossible without research. However, proper research is possible only when choosing an appropriate direction. Below are some interesting human resources research paper topics you might want to cover:

• Why Is Job Analysis Important
• How to Handle Overqualified Employees
• Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses During an Employment Interview
• The Effectiveness of Social Media in Human Resource Management
• Should Human Resource Managers Hire Students
• How Important Are Soft Skills
• Using Virtual Reality to Train Employees
• The Significance of HR KPIs in Employee Performance
• Job Rotation and Job Redesign: What’s the Difference?
• Are Online Video Courses Efficient to Train Stuff?
• Significance of Corporate Universities
• Effective Disciplining Methods
• 360 Degree Feedback: Advantages and Disadvantages
• Advantages of a Multigenerational Workforce
• How Performance Assessments Impact Employee Productivity
• Career Development and Employee Morale
• Maintaining Work-Life Balance
• Employee Motivation and Workplace Stress Management
• How Can Human Resource Managers Establish Successful Communication During Remote Work
• Identifying Workplace Bullying in Multiple Ways
• How to Prevent Employees From Emotional Burnout
• The Rise of the Global Labor Market
• The Diversity Gap at the Workplace
• Effective Methods of Workplace Monitoring
• Facts Affecting Employee Retention

As you can see, research proposal topics in human resource management vary, and you can approach the problem from different angles and create proposals about the points that interest you the most. Choose ones that inspire you to research in-depth and create captivating proposals.

Unusual Research Proposals on Human Resource Management

If you want to move away from default proposal concepts and cover competitive human resource research topics, you may need a more comprehensive look at the whole area. Think about HR in the context of social and ethical issues, or try to seek through psychology research proposal topics. Employees, managers, and recruiters often face difficulties based on such matters.

This way, combining the HR area with other fields of knowledge may open new horizons for your investigations. Check out issue-based human resources management research paper topics.

• Identifying Workplace Bullying
• The Main Challenges of Human Resource Managers
• Religious and Sexual Discrimination in the Workplace
• Dealing With Sexual Harassment at the Workplace
• How to Control Employees Following Safety Protocols
• What Happens if Not Following Workplace Safety
• Cases When HR Should Take Legal Action
• Ways the Human Resource Specialist Protects the Employees or the Company
• Preventing Osha Violations at Work
• Training the Workplace to Minimize Potential Risks
• The Role of Human Resources in Risk Management
• What to Do When an Employee Is Assaulted at Work?
• Ethical Considerations Regarding Monitoring Employees During Remote Work
• The Importance of Having Equal Employment Opportunities
• Direct and Indirect Workplace Discrimination
• How to Report About Workplace Harassment
• Consequences of Violating Safety Rules at the Workplace

It’s also essential to find appropriate sample research papers on human resource management that help you understand what a good proposal should look like. It will give you numerous insights on the proper structure, formatting, as well as approaches to inspire readers and motivate them to look forward.

Trending Human Resources Research Paper Topics

As we said before, choosing trending human resources management topics for research paper is a good option. By doing so, you update knowledge in the area and actualize information. However, customize it to your proposal case, such as a local situation you can explore and analyze.

• Using AI to Manage Employee Performance
• How Poor Dynamics Negatively Affect Employee Performance
• Data-Driven Strategies in Human Resource Departments
• Should Pre-employment Assessments Be Considered Over Resumes
• How Virtual Teams Impact Productivity
• Disadvantages of Remote Work
• The Rise of Mobile-Friendly Recruitment
• Is It Possible to Spot Employee Behavior Change Using AI
• How to Make Virtual Team Buildings Impactful
• How Poor Mental Health Affects Productivity

Choosing a trending topic is advantageous. For example, if a person needs to compose a PhD law research proposal , the most popular themes will be in favor. It could be a topic about how the law sees terrorism in different countries.

DOWNLOAD Here More Research Proposal Topic Ideas in Human Resource Management!

Need assistance with human resources management research paper topics.

With so many human resource management topics for research paper, you can take one to cover or develop your own using available examples. However, if you still don’t feel confident about choosing an appropriate topic or composing a proposal yourself, turn to our specialized and professional services. We are always ready to assist you regardless of project complexity and deadlines.

Entrust us with developing your research papers human resource management prepared by specialists well-versed in your chosen field of investigation. And be sure to get a top-quality proposal that your mentors and supervisors will greatly appreciate.

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HRM Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 6th, 2023 , Revised On April 16, 2024

Introduction

Human resource management studies stated that employees should be hired, retained and managed. It is an extensive field that requires an in-depth understanding of the underlying factors and concepts.

As a human resource management student, you will study many different concepts, frameworks, and theories related to employee management. However, before your graduation, you will be required to submit a dissertation on a human resource management research topic of your choice.

Even though several topics and concepts are yet to explore in the field of human resource management, you will want to make sure that your proposed topic has sufficient literature to support and justify the content of a theoretical framework , or else you might struggle with data collection .

This article provides you with a comprehensive list of HRM topics that are relevant to your field and identifies some interesting literature gaps.

Choosing from our list of topics will certainly improve your chances of submitting an outstanding dissertation. So, go ahead and choose an HRM dissertation topic of your interest. We can even customize these topics based on your project needs.

PhD qualified writers of our team have developed the proposed topics, so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

Note –

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question ,  aim and objectives ,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of  dissertation topics for here.

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2024 HRM Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: how human resources departments achieve equal employment opportunities.

Research Aim: The research will aim to investigate how HR departments achieve equal employment opportunity in organizations. EEO, or Equal Employment Opportunity, is the notion everybody has an equal chance to pursue a job on the basis of merit, regardless of skin color, gender, or gender identity. It is the duty of HR department to give every employee and equal right in the organization. The research will examine how HR department keep the organization environment friendly by controlling equal employment opportunities.

Topic 2: The effect of motivating strategies on employee performance

Research Aim: The research will aim to find the impact of motivating strategies on employee performance. Employee motivation plays a huge part on performance. Employee engagement cannot be substituted by anything else in order for any organisation to run efficiently and without interruption. It is critical that a company and its employees not only have a strong connection with the top management, but also have a good and healthy relationship with their colleagues. The study will also make recommendations on what further might be done to obtain optimal results utilising motivating methods for the benefit of both the company and the individual.

Topic 3: Organizational Conflicts as Antecedents of Staff Turnover: Evidence from the UK Food Sector

Research Aim: The research will aim to review recent available literature on employee turnover in order to determine organizational conflicts as antecedents of employee turnover in the UK food sector in order to close gaps in the literature and present a broader range of turnover factors and understanding of employee motivational factors in their job decision.

Topic 4: How does AI involvement in HRM provide Zara with a competitive advantage?

Research Aim: The research will aim to inspect the benefit of competitive advantage at Zara through the involvement of artificial intelligence in their HRM. AI assists the human resources department in identifying their personnel’ skill sets and recommending a training programme based on their work positions. It combines all of the data and assists the HR staff in making succinct decisions about what training to do in which sector to boost abilities. The study will also explain the importance of AI in organizations and organizations success. It will also look into strategies and policies Zara used to achieve competitive advantage.

Topic 5: The role of HR in creating a respected working environment that contributes in sustainable revenue growth

Research Aim: The research aims to examine the role of HR in creating a respected working environment and sustainable revenue growth. The study will identify current misunderstandings and disparities in understanding of topics such as sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and the link between strategic human resource management and sustainable HRM through a comprehensive literature review. It will also identify and recognise the challenges that sustainable HRM encounters in reality, with a particular emphasis on the prevalent strategic HRM schema and the misunderstanding of corporate social responsibility.

Covid-19 HRM Research Topics

The role of managers during the pandemic.

Research Aim: In this study, the Human resource management techniques which HR managers will adopt for performing their operations during the COVID -19 will be discussed.

The management techniques for employees.

Research Aim: This study will focus on how the employees are trained during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The economic Crisis for HR Managers during Covid-19

Research Aim: This study will discuss how the economic crisis will disturb the payroll and how the managers will work.

The policies of HR for affected employees.

Research Aim: In this study, HR will design policies on how HR will manage when there is a gap between employees working. How will the ill patients be provided with support by companies through HR?

The employees' cooperation for HR

Research Aim: This study will highlight how well the employees support the decisions of the HR policymakers during the pandemic.

HRM Dissertation Topics for 2023

Topic 1: effect of employee engagement on customer loyalty in the service-based industry.

Research Aim: Employees engagement means that employees are passionate and committed to their work. In the service industry, where employees’ performance can greatly influence the quality of service, it is worth exploring employee engagement in customer loyalty in the service-based industry. Therefore, in this study, survey-based research will be conducted to identify employee engagement in customer loyalty.

Topic 2: Contingent workforce and its impact on organisation’s performance – Evaluating the IT Industry

Research Aim: Nowadays, companies hire freelancers and contractual workers, unlike permanent payroll employees. Various cost benefits can be obtained by hiring such a workforce. However, such a workforce may not have the required skills to do a job as effectively as a trained staff would have done. Thus, the present study focuses on identifying the impact of a contingent workforce on its performance in the IT industry.

Topic 3: Factors of growing mental health issues of employees at workplace in service-based industries

Research Aim: The wellness of employees at the workplace is necessary for their mental health and work performance. This study will identify the factors that can increase employees’ mental health issues at the workplace based on survey-based of employees and managers of service-based industries.

Topic 4: Analysing the importance and impact of training and development on an organisation’s sustainability during economic crises.

Research Aim: to achieve organizational objectives and milestones, leaders and business owners have realized the importance of training and developing their workforce to align with the organizational objectives. This research aims to analyze the importance and impact of employee training and development on the organization’s sustainability during economic downturns.

Topic 5: How online digital platforms have helped organisations in recruiting effectively and efficiently

Research Aim: With the advent of technology, firms have revolutionized their business operations. Under this revolution, many organizations have adopted different techniques and methods to recruit talented employees. Therefore, this research intends to determine how online digital platforms have helped organizations find employees more efficiently and effectively.

Topic 6: Analysing the factors which directly impact an employee's personal decision to leave employment

Research Aim: Employee turnover rate has always been a major concern for many organizations regardless of their size and nature. A valuable and talented employee is usually hard to find and retain. However, it has been found out that different factors motivate an employee to search for a new job. Keeping this phenomenon in mind, the current research will be analyzing the factors that directly impact the employee’s personal decision to leave employment.

Topic 7: Critically analysing the concept of workplace flexibility and how it impacts employee and organisational performance

Research Aim: In today’s modern era, the workplace environment has been transformed drastically from a strict and conventional style to a more flexible one. Therefore, this research aims to critically analyze the concept of workplace flexibility and how it impacts employee and organizational performance.

Topic 8: A comparative analysis of employees' job satisfaction and motivational factors in public versus private organisations.

Research Aim: Job satisfaction and employee motivation are regarded as the most important element of HR practices. The main aim of HR policies is to satisfy, retain, and motivate employees. Therefore, this research aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the employee’s job satisfaction and motivational factors in public versus private organizations.

Topic 9: The influence of COVID-19 on virtual employee management practices by organisations

Research Aim: This research is highly useful in the current context of COVID-19. Organisations all around the world are getting impacted by the COVID-19 and are closed at the moment. The current study will focus on using different virtual employee management practices that companies can use in the current context of COVID-19. These practices will be beneficial for organizations in almost all business sectors.

Topic 10: The role of using transformational leadership style in the improvement of organisational creativity at Morrisons

Research Aim: The aim of this research will be the benefits of using the transformational leadership style by Morrisons’ leaders to improve organizational creativity. This study will research how leaders can get the advantage of a transformational leadership style for increasing creativity at the organization.

Topic 11: The green HRM practices and their impacts on the corporate image of IKEA

Research Aim: This study will aim to study different green HRM practices and their role in improving IKEA’s corporate image and reputation. It will be researched how companies can improve their corporate image by focusing on green HRM practices and processes. The findings will be beneficial for the management, customers as well as employees.

Topic 12: Involving employees in the decision-making process and its influence on employee productivity at Subway

Research Aim: It will be researched in this study how Subway and other companies in this industry can involve the workers in the decision-making process to improve employee productivity. It will be studied that employee productivity is increased by involving the employees in the decision-making process. The findings will be useful in designing useful HR practices by Subway.

Topic 13: The impact of a flat organisational structure on the decision-making process

Research Aim: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the decision-making difficulties and issues faced by HR managers of companies with a flat organizational structure. This study will also investigate the benefits and challenges related to the flat organizational structures used by companies. A case study approach will be used.

Topic 14: The role of workforce diversity in improving organisational capability and innovation at Toyota Motors

Research Aim: To carry out this study, an innovative company named Toyota Motors will be selected. The main objective for carrying out this study will be to analyze how the organizational capability and innovation at Toyota Motors are improved due to workforce diversity. The main emphasis will be on studying the workforce diversity present at Toyota Motors and its significance in improving innovation and organizational capability. The success factors of Toyota Motors for HR will be studied.

Topic 15: The impact of digitalization on changing HRM practices at Aviva

Research Aim: The contemporary business world moves towards digitalization due to technological advancements. This research will study the different impacts of digitalization in changing various HRM practices at Aviva. Different HRM practices used by Aviva before and after the digitalization era will be discussed, and the changes will be analyzed. This study will show how digitalization has changed HRM practices in the contemporary business world.

Topic 16: The influence of employee learning and development opportunities on employee satisfaction at British Airways

Research Aim: It will be studied in this research that how employee satisfaction at British Airways is influenced by employee learning and development opportunities. Different employee learning and development opportunities at BA will be studied, along with their impact on workforce satisfaction.

Topic 17: The impact of recognizing employee contributions on employee retention at Shell

Research Aim: This study’s main objective is to analyse whether Shell can retain its employees by recognizing their contributions or not. Different strategies used by Shell for recognizing employee contributions will be studied that lead towards motivating the employees, which ultimately impact the retention of workers.

Topic 18: The role of green HR practices in employee engagement and retention

Research Aim: Green HR practices is a newly emerged concept in HRM. The study will aim to research the impact of green HR practices on employee engagement and retention. It will be studied how companies can improve employee engagement and retention by focusing on green HR practices.

Topic 19: The role of providing daycare facilities in increasing the productivity of female employees

Research Aim: This study will be focusing on the productivity of female workers. It will be studied how female workers’ productivity is increased by providing daycare facilities for their children. The impact on the satisfaction level of female employees due to the daycare facility will also be explored.

Topic 20: The impact of artificial intelligence on enhancing the human resource practices of Zara

Research Aim: For this study, the researcher will focus on the concept of artificial intelligence and use it in the HR context. It will be studied that either the HR practices at Zara can be enhanced by implementing AI. The benefits and implications of implementing AI in the HR context will also be part of this study.

Topic 21: The role of e-leadership in improving employee productivity and motivation.

Research Aim: The contemporary business world has become highly advanced due to technological capabilities. The concept of e-leadership has emerged due to advancements in technology. The purpose of this study will be to analyse the impact of e-leadership in improving the productivity and motivation level of the workforce.

Topic 22: The role of effective HR planning in a successful strategic alliance process.

Research Aim: This study will study the importance of effective HR planning for the strategic alliance process. It will be studied how HR management can mould the HR practices and focus on effective HR planning to make the strategic alliance process successful.

Topic 23: The impact of different personality traits on teamwork at Microsoft

Research Aim: The main focus of this research will be studying Microsoft’s teamwork. It will be further analyzed how Microsoft’s teamwork is influenced by the personality traits possessed by different team members. Different types of personality traits will be studied in this research that impacts teamwork positively and negatively.

Topic 24: The impact of career growth opportunities on employee loyalty at HSBC Holdings.

Research Aim: This study will aim to review different types of career growth opportunities offered by HBSC Holdings to its employees. Moreover, it will also be studied how employee loyalty is improved due to various career growth opportunities. The findings of this study will be beneficial for the banking sector.

Topic 25: The role of adapted HR practices in improving organisational performance at the international branch of DHL.

Research Aim: The study’s main objective will be to analyse companies’ changes in their HR practices for international branches. How and why the HR practices are adapted by HR management for improving the organisational performance at the company’s branch, which is located outside the country. For this, the DHL case study will be selected, and it will be assessed how and why DHL has used adapted HR practices across different countries.

HR Learning and Development Dissertation Topics

All organisational activities aimed at improving the productivity and performance of groups and individuals can be classified as HRM’s learning and development function elements. Learning and development encompass three pivotal activities, including education, training, and development.

As such, the training activities help to evaluate an employee based on his existing job responsibilities. Educational activities include those focusing on jobs that an employee can expect to carry out in the future.

Finally, the development activities are those that the employer may partake in the future. If you’re interested in exploring this human resource topic in-depth, we have some interesting dissertation topics for you:

Topic 1:The importance of appreciative inquiry with respect to organisational learning and development culture – A case study of ExxonMobil

Research Aim: This research will discuss the importance of appreciative inquiry and its impact on organisational learning and development culture with a specific focus on ExxonMobil.

Topic 2:To establish the correlation between organisation competency development and learning activities & programmes

Research Aim: This research will discuss how organisational competency development and organisational learning activities are correlated.

Topic 3:An examination of knowledge management and organisational learning for sustained firm performance. A case study of British Telecom

Research Aim: This research will examine how organisational learning and knowledge management helped British Telecom sustain their firm performance.

Topic 4:Investigating learning and development of human resources in the public sector in the UK

Research Aim: This dissertation will evaluate the different ways of achieving the learning and development of human resources in the UK’s public sector.

Topic 32:The importance of HR learning and development activities for SMEs

Research Aim: This research will focus on how SMEs utilize HR learning and developmental activities to improve their employees’ performance.

Topic 33:Human resource practices and employees’ decision to quit – Does Lack of Learning and Development play a Role.

Research Aim: This research will focus on whether or not lack of learning and development in an organization leads to employee turnover,

Topic 34:Developing organisational competitive advantage through strategic employee training in computer knowledge

Research Aim: This dissertation will explore how companies can gain a strategic advantage over their competitors through employee training.

Topic 35:The impact of various training and learning based activities on employees’ productivity

Research Aim: The main aim of this research will be to determine the impact of different pieces of training and learnings on employees’ productivity.

Topic 36: The role of HR analytics and metrics in improving organizational performance at Tesco

Research Aim: This study aims to research a new concept in human resource management, named HR analytics and metrics. Moreover, their impact on improving organizational performance will also be studied. This study will be beneficial for Tesco in using HR analytics and metrics in different HR practices that can lead to improved organizational performance.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service , which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service !

HR Performance Review Dissertation Topics

A performance review, also known as a career development discussion, performance evaluation and employee appraisal, can be defined as a method to evaluate an employee based on their job performance, mainly for appraisals. This might be an interesting area to focus your dissertation on. Here are some interesting topics in this area of HRM:

Topic 37:To understand the relationship between performance review and employee motivation in large and diversified business organisations

Research Aim: This research will understand the relationship between employee motivation and employee performance review. Large and diversified businesses will be the main focus of this study.

Topic 38:Effective performance appraisal – A study to establish a correlation between employer satisfaction and optimising business results

Research Aim: This research will analyse the impact of performance appraisal on employer satisfaction and how it optimises business results.

Topic 39: Investigating the efficacy of performance appraisal from the perception of employees in UK retail industry – A case study of Tesco

Research Aim: This research will analyse the efficacy of performance appraisal concerning employees, with a specific focus on Tesco.

Topic 40: Employee performance appraisal and the role of fairness and satisfaction

Research Aim: This dissertation will explore whether employees report satisfaction and fairness when performance appraisal is conducted.

Topic 41:Investigating performance review and appraisal methods employed by human resource department of any large oil and gas company

Research Aim: This research will study the human resource department of a large oil and gas company and will investigate how “performance review” and appraisals are conducted.

Topic 42: Job satisfaction and performance appraisals – Are they Interconnected?

Research Aim: This research will study in-depth whether job satisfaction and performance appraisals are interconnected or not.

Topic 43:Investigating the relationship between public sector appraisals and the spinal pay reward

Research Aim: This research will talk about the spinal pay reward system and evaluate its effectiveness in the public sector.

Topic 44:Analysing the impact of performance management on employee performance improvement

Research Aim: This research will investigate how performance management helps companies improve their employees’ performance.

Topic 45: Can HR performance drive employee engagement? Studying the UK banking industry

Research Aim: This research will talk about the different ways through which HR performance review helps in improving employee engagement. The UK banking industry will be in focus in this study.

Topic 46:The role of HR performance review in increasing employee retention and productivity

Research Aim: This research will investigate how organisations utilize performance reviews as a tool to improve employee retention and productivity.

HR Employee Motivation Dissertation Topics

Employees need objectives and goals to remain focused. The quality of work may significantly drop if they are not constantly motivated by their employers.

Business organizations employ various employee motivation methods and techniques to keep their employees motivated. Thus, this is an interesting topic to explore for your final year dissertation. Here are some HRM dissertation topics related to employee motivation.

Topic 47:To investigate the role of motivation in HRM – A study highlighting the most important motivation factors for future business leaders

Research Aim: This research will discuss the different motivation factors organisations should use to develop future leaders. In addition to this, the role of motivation throughout HRM will be discussed.

Topic 48:Employee satisfaction and work motivation – Are they both related?

Research Aim: This research will understand the relationship between motivation and employee satisfaction and the different motivation techniques companies can employ to increase employee satisfaction.

Topic 49: Evaluating the Role of Employee motivation in performance Enhancement

Research Aim: This study will discuss the role of employee motivation concerning employee performance, i.e. whether it enhances performance or not.

Topic 50:Human resource management – Motivation among workers in large and diversified business organisations

Research Aim: This dissertation will talk about motivation in large and diversified organisations and how these companies ensure that their employees are motivated at all times.

Topic 51:Effects of motivational programmes and activities on employee performance

Research Aim: This research will focus on the different motivational techniques and programs that impact employee performance.

Topic 52: Does motivation play a role in decreasing employee turnovers? A case study of British Airways

Research Aim: This research will discuss the role of motivation in decreasing employee turnover with a specific focus on British airways.

Topic 53:Motivation and performance reward – Are the two interrelated?

Research Aim: This research will talk about motivation and performance rewards and will assess whether the two are interrelated and directly related.

Topic 54: Work productivity and the role of employee motivation programmes and activities

Research Aim: This study will assess employee motivation programs’ impact on employee productivity, i.e. if it increases or decreases.

Topic 55:To discuss the role of employee motivation in relation to retention levels

Research Aim: This research will analyze employee motivation’s role to help companies retain employees.

Topic 56:Differences and similarities between traditional and contemporary theories

Research Aim: This research will discuss and compare traditional and contemporary motivation theories implemented by companies.

Topic 57: The role of employee empowerment in employee motivation and satisfaction at British Petroleum.

Research Aim: This study will aim to analyse different strategies of employee empowerment carried out by British Petroleum and their impact on workers’ motivation and satisfaction. The research will be studied that either different employee empowerment strategies improve employee motivation and satisfaction. The findings will be beneficial for companies working in the petroleum sector.

Topic 58: The impact of open communication in improving employee engagement at Zara

Research Aim: In this research, different modes of communication used by organisations will be studied and especially the impact of open communication in improving employee engagement at Zara will be analyzed. The importance of open communication for different organisations in the fashion and retail sectors will be discussed. Moreover, different communication strategies that can help improve employee engagement at Zara will be discussed based on past literature, theories, and framework.

HR Performance Management Dissertation Topics

All processes and activities to consistently meet organisational goals and objectives can be considered the HR performance management mechanism elements. Different organisations employ different performance management strategies to gain a competitive advantage. To explore this area of human resources, here are some intriguing topics for you:

Topic 59:Investigating different performance management techniques for retaining employees

Research Aim: This research will talk about companies’ various performance management techniques to retain employees.

Topic 60:The role of performance management activities in improving employees’ skills and abilities

Research Aim: This research will discuss how performance management helps employees improve their skills and abilities and how it ultimately helps companies.

Topic 61:Managing performance of workers through performance management techniques – A Case Study of Google

Research Aim: This research will explore how organisations use different performance management techniques to manage employees and their performance. A specific focus of this study will be Google Incorporation.

Topic 62:Employee performance and performance management systems – A qualitative study

Research Aim: This study will conduct a qualitative study to understand the different performance management systems for improving employee performance.

Topic 63:Performance management examinations in human resource management of profit-oriented organisations

Research Aim: This research will understand performance management in profit-oriented companies regarding how their human resource department ensures optimal performance.

Topic 64:Exploring the essentials elements of the performance management framework

Research Aim: This research will explore its vital features and performance management framework.

Topic 65:Human resource management practices and business performance – The role of environmental uncertainties and strategies

Research Aim: This research will explore whether environment uncertainties and strategies play a role in employee and business performance.

Topic 66:The efficacy of performance management systems in the UK’s retail industry

Research Aim: This research will explore the UK’s retail industry’s performance management efficacy.

Topic 67:Towards a framework for performance management in a higher education institution

Research Aim: This research will investigate performance management in the educational setting.

Topic 68:Should wages be capped through performance management – A qualitative study

Research Aim: This research will analyse whether wages should be adjusted and capped concerning performance management with a focus on its effects.

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Strategic Human Resource Management Dissertation Topics

Strategic human resource management is tying the human resource management objective to the company’s goals and objectives. This helps companies in innovating and staying ahead of their competitors by gaining a competitive advantage.

Being a relatively new concept, there are various aspects of strategic HRM that are left to be explored. Here are some interesting strategic HRM dissertation topics for you:

Topic 69:The efficacy of communication processes and employees’ involvement plans to improve employee commitment towards organisational goals – A case study of Sainsbury

Research Aim: This research will study the role and efficacy of the communication processes and employees’ involvement in order to improve employees’ commitment towards organisational goals.

Topic 70:To investigate SHRM theory and practice in a call centre – A case study of any UK call centre

Research Aim: This dissertation will discuss the various SHRM theories and how it is implemented. A UK-based call center will be focused on this study.

Topic 71: Differences and similarities between SHRM strategies and policies employed by German and Japanese automobile companies

Research Aim: This research will compare the different SHRM techniques and policies implemented by German and Japanese automobile companies.

Topic 72: A resource-based view assessment of strategic human resources quality management systems

Research Aim: This research will understand the resource-based view of strategic human resources quality management systems.

Topic 73: To understand and critically evaluate the HRM strategies employed by small and medium sized enterprises in the UK

Research Aim: This research will discuss and evaluate the different strategic HRM strategies employed by small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK.

Topic 74: Relating organisational performance to strategic human resource management – A study of small scale businesses in the UK

Research Aim: This study will analyse whether organisational performance and strategic human resource management are interconnected by assessing small scale businesses in the UK.

Topic 75: Investigating strategic human resource management in Singapore – A qualitative study

Research Aim: This research will analyse strategic human resource management in Singapore by undertaking a qualitative method.

Topic 76: The role of organisational support programmes to enhance work outcome and employees behaviour

Research Aim: This research will understand the organisational support program in order to enhance employee work outcome and their behaviour.

Topic 77: To establish the most important components of strategic HRM for SMEs in the UK to develop a competitive advantage

Research Aim: This research will talk about the relationship between the different SHRM components for SMEs in the UK in order to gain a competitive advantage.

Topic 78: To establish the significance of the relationship between organisational performance and strategic human resource management

Research Aim: This research will explore the relationship between organisational performance and strategic human resource management and how it helps companies achieve their objectives.

Human Resource Theory Dissertation Topics

The human resource theory framework consists of a soft and hard approach to human resources management. Various theories cover the different aspects of the soft and hard human resource approach.

Exploring this area of HRM will help in understanding more about the soft and hard HRM approaches. Here are some dissertation topics in this area that you can choose from.

Topic 79: A comparative analysis of various human resources theory approaches

Research Aim: This research will discuss various human resource theories and approaches and provide a comparative analysis.

Topic 80:To study human resources systems practiced by Multinationals in the UK

Research Aim: This research will discuss the various human resource systems as practised by multinational companies operating in the UK.

Topic 81:The role of human resources management (HRM) in regards to addressing workers’ concerns.

Research Aim: This research will discuss the importance of human resources in understanding and addressing worker’s concerns.

Topic 82: Can HRM have a negative influence on the performance of business organisations – A qualitative study?

Research Aim: This research will discuss a unique aspect of human resource management, i.e. whether it harms the company’s performance or not.

Topic 83: Is Human resources the only option for employees? An exploratory study

Research Aim: This study will analyze human resources’ role in solving employee issues and assess whether it is the only option for employees.

Topic 84:Exploring the contribution of human resource to the success of organisations

Research Aim: This research will aim to understand the role and contribution of the human resource department in companies’ success.

Topic 85:To investigate the most predominant human HRM and control strategies employed by business organisations

Research Aim: This research will discuss an interesting topic, i.e. the most predominant HRM strategies organisations implement.

Topic 86:To investigate the role of HR as a shared service.

Research Aim: This study will discuss human resources’ role as a shared service in the organisation.

Topic 87:Does a supervisor has a role to play in implementing HR practices – A critical study

Research Aim: This study will critically analyze supervisors’ role in implementing human resource practices in an organization.

Topic 88:The ethics of firing employees – Do companies really follow it?

Research Aim: This research will focus on how employees are fired at organizations and whether human resources follow the ethics of firing or not.

HR Organisational Culture Dissertation Topics

Organisational culture, also known as organisational climate, is defined as the process by which an organisation’s culture can be quantified. The properties of the work environment that are either considered positive or negative by the employees (and that may influence their behaviour) are the most important components of the organisational culture framework.

Studying this aspect of human resources will help you gain an in-depth knowledge of the role of culture in human resource management. Here are some interesting dissertation topics in this area:

Topic 89:The role of leadership, HRM and culture in vitalising management systems in firms

Research Aim: This research will understand the role of leadership and culture in human resource management and how it helps companies manage their systems.

Topic 90:Finding the right balance between differentiation and standardisation of HRM practices and policies – HRM of multinational companies operating within the European Union

Research Aim: There are certain human resource practices that are standardized throughout the world. This research will investigate the differences between such standard policies with respect to culture. Multinationals operating in the European Union will be focused.

Topic 91:Cross-cultural human resource management – The role it plays in the success of different organisations

Research Aim: This research will study the role of cross-cultural human resource management in the success of companies.

Topic 92:The impact of cross-cultural competencies in start-up companies

Research Aim: A lot of companies do not encourage cross-cultural human resources in the workplace. This research will analyse how cross-cultural competencies help startups grow and succeed.

Topic 93:The role of organisational cultural on HRM policies and practices – A case study of Cambridge University

Research Aim: This research will aim to understand the role of organisational culture on human resource policies and practices. The main focus of this study will be at Cambridge University.

Topic 94:The relationship between human resource management practices and organisational culture towards organisational commitment

Research Aim: This research will assess the relationship between different cultures and human resource practices with respect to organisational commitment.

Topic 95: Investigating cultural differences between the work values of employees and the implications for managers

Research Aim: This study will conduct an investigation related to the work values of employees based on their various cultural differences. It will then be concluded what this means for the managers.

Topic 96:To effectively manage cultural change without affecting work productivity

Research Aim: This research will discuss an interesting topic as to how managers should manage organisational cultural change without harming productivity.

Topic 97:Inducting new employees into the culture – Does it help organisations?

Research Aim: This research will discuss whether or not it is feasible for organisations to hire employees when the company is undergoing a cultural change.

Topic 98:Recruiting to change the culture – The Impact it has on the Profitability of the Company

Research Aim: This research will discuss whether companies should hire to lead change in the organisation, i.e. whether hiring should be done for this specific purpose, and what this new hiring means for the company in terms of profitability.

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HR Diversity Dissertation Topics

The changing corporate world has provoked organisations to develop and implement diversity management systems as part of their human resource management system. Although relatively new, diversity management is an important research area of human resource management that brings challenges and learning to employees.

With many areas unexplored and literature gaps in this subject, there are some extremely interesting dissertation topics you can select for your final year project. Some of them are listed here:

Topic 99: Investigating the difference between discrimination and diversity – How Do they Impact Organisations

Research Aim: This research will discuss the differences between the two concepts, diversity and discrimination and their impact on organisations.

Topic 100:Managing diversity through HRM: A conceptual framework and an international perspective

Research Aim: This study will discuss how the human resource department can manage diversity. The study will be conducted in an international setting.

Topic 101:Managing diversity in the public sector – How do companies manage to remain successful

Research Aim: This research will explore managing diversity in the public sector and how these companies can be successful even through diversity.

Topic 102:Managing cultural diversity in human resource management

Research Aim: As much as a human resource helps companies manage diversity, how will companies manage diversity in their main HR department. This research will answer this exact question.

Topic 103:The managerial tools, opportunities, challenges and benefits associated with diversity in the workplace

Research Aim: This research will focus on the tools available to human resources in managing diversity, and how they change it to opportunities and overcome diversity-related challenges.

Topic 104: Investigating the challenges of exclusion and inequality in organisations – Assessing HR’s role.

Research Aim: This research will first investigate the exclusion and inequality challenges that organisations face and how human resources overcome these challenges.

Topic 105:How does HRM Help in managing cultural differences and diversity

Research Aim: This research will discuss HR’s role in managing cultural differences and diversity in organisations.

Topic 106: Can HR eliminate diversity-related discrimination from workplaces? Assessing its role

Research Aim: This research will talk about HR’s role in eliminating diversity-related discrimination from organisations, and whether it will be successful in doing so or not.

Topic 107:Training managers for diversity – How difficult is it for companies and HR

Research Aim: This research will discuss and analyse the role of HR and companies in ensuring manager’s learning and development for diversity.

Topic 108:Training the newly hired staff for diversity in a large and diversified business organisation

Research Aim: This research will investigate the role of HR in training employees and staff to deal with, manage and coexist with diverse employees.

Important Notes:

As a human resource management student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing human resource management theories – i.e., to add value and interest to your research topic.

Human resource management is vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like management , operations management , project management , business , international business , MBA and more. That is why it is imperative to create a human resource management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation , as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best human resource management dissertation topics that fulfil your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample human resource management dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your HRM Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analyzing published and unpublished literature on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths while identifying research gaps. Break down the topic and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of the results in this chapter and state whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section is establishing the link between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to the implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References : Make sure to complete this following your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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Learning from a sample PhD Research Proposal: A step by step guide.

Developing a PhD research proposal is a pivotal step towards delving into scholarly inquiry, shaping the trajectory of one’s academic journey and contributing to the body of knowledge. Doctoral candidates incessantly look for a sample PhD research proposal to serve as a blueprint, illuminating the intricacies of their research endeavor to contribute meaningfully to their chosen field through rigorous research and inquiry.

In this blog post, I share a sample PhD Research Proposal that may serve as a starting point for doctoral candidates’ scholarly pursuit. This sample research proposal represents not only a culmination of years of my academic endeavor but shall also provide a gateway to the doctoral candidates to unlock new insights, push the boundaries of existing knowledge and make a tangible impact in the academic community and beyond.

Starting from the title, this write-up presents the content of my PhD research proposal in an abridged form as per following format:

• Context of the study-higher education dynamics in Pakistan.
• Statement of the problem.
• Rationale of the study and evolution of the research questions.
• Research Questions.
• Objectives of the study.
• An overview of Human Resource Management.
• HRM in the public sector.
• HRM in the public sector in Pakistan.
• An overview of HRM in universities.
• HRM in the universities in Pakistan.
• Recruitment and Selection.
• Recruitment and selection in the universities in Pakistan.
• The gaps in literature and propositions.
• Theoretical Framework.
• General Systems Theory.
• General Systems theory and its application to diverse disciplines.
• General systems theory and its application to organization.
• General systems theory and its application to HRM.
• Application of General Systems Theory to recruitment and selection
• Case Selection and Design
• Observations
• Documents and archival records.
• Data Analysis.
• Ethical considerations.
• Informed consent
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Significance, expected outcome and contribution of the study.
• Implications of the study.
• Outline of the Thesis.

An Exploratory Study of Recruitment and Selection of Administrative Staff in the Public Sector Universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Contemporary discourse on recruitment and selection underpins the researchers’ argument in articulating that staffing function does not take place in isolation in any organization. This is influenced, not only by internal factors but also by external environmental forces. While undertaking staffing function in any setting, HR managers must be cognizant that they select the right person for the right job as the critically important function set the stage for other human resources subsystems to pragmatically and smoothly function.

Using General Systems Theory as a theoretical lens, this qualitative study shall investigate the system of recruitment and selection in the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan with a focus on administrative staff. Data shall be collected through in-depth interviews with purposefully selected participants and thematic analysis shall be undertaken to analyse the data to unearth how the system of recruitment and selection has been designed in the public sector universities.

Furthermore, this multiple case study shall identify loopholes in the system of recruitment and selection in the universities and will pinpoint the major factors responsible for the bottlenecks that need to be addressed if the institutions of higher education were to meet emerging challenges of the competitive academic world and growing expectations of all stakeholders. The study shall conclude with recommendations, how the system of recruitment and selection in public sector universities may be improved.

• Introduction

This empirical study is aimed at investigating how the system of recruitment and selection is designed in the public sector universities by carrying out a comprehensive scrutiny of the current employment practices, investigating major problem areas, nd various factors responsible for these loopholes which need to be addressed if the institutions of higher education were to meet challenges of the competitive academic world and growing expectations of the stakeholders.

1.1 Background

The growing forces of globalization and increasing significance of emerging market economies advocate strongly that success of managers in the contemporary world rests on the degree to which they grasp a deep understanding of the issues confronted by organizations while managing human resources (Budhwar & Debrah, 2001).

For effective management of human resources, organizations require a sound Human Resource Management system. The HRM system is defined as “a set of distinct but interrelated activities, functions, and processes that are directed at attracting, developing, and maintaining (or disposing of) a firm’s human resources” (Lado & Wilson, 1994:701). An effective HRM system requires interconnected and dependent subsystems to work in harmony for its smooth functioning. HR subsystems connote those relationships and interactive activities ingrained in a larger organizational context which is aimed at managing the pool of human resources and making sure that these resources are utilized in the most effective and efficient manner so that strategic goals of the organization may be accomplished (Tiwari & Saxena, 2012:671).

The paramount HR subsystems include recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation, career development, performance evaluation, working environment and succession management to mention a few. Each of these subsystems has its own peculiar dynamics and significance. Amongst them, the most exigent is recruitment and selection. Recruitment is the process through which organizations hunt for potential applicants intended for productive employment while selection implies the process by which organizations attempt to identify the most suitable candidates with the desired knowledge, skills and ability to perform the desired tasks to help the organization realize its goals (Searle, 2009:151).

Concerted efforts aimed at reforming employment management practices were underway in developed countries for the last couple of decades. These initiatives were primarily set off by financial crisis confronted by both developed as well as developing economies. The role of the state was challenged for mismanagement and bad governance and the efficacy of service delivery system in the public domain came under enormous pressure. Hence, the public sector was censured severely for its lack of efficiency, transparency and flexibility. HRM has become one of the central themes of the public sector reform agenda (Colley, McCourt & Waterhouse, 2012:508; Gray & Jenkins, 1995: 80; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2009:30).

Indeed, HRM is at the embryonic stage in Pakistan (Khilji, 2001:250), the case with the public sector universities is not much different. Since inception, much attention was not paid to the management of human resources in the higher education sector. With mushroom growth of universities, the HR problems confronted by these academic bodies multiplied with the passage of time. The traditional HR department, regarded as Establishment Section, in the universities used to be grossly deficient in having the requisite skilled and experienced HR professionals. Recruitment and selection was not conducted in a systematic manner. Training and development of employees were undertaken in the most orthodox fashion. Career development opportunities were scarce and infrequent. Pay was not performance based and performance appraisal was equally defective. Nevertheless, serious and sincere efforts were not undertaken in the past to revamp, redesign and restructure the same, to put it according to the changing needs of the globalized world. To be brief, HR was found to be one of the most neglected areas in the public sector universities in Pakistan (Abbas & Ahmad, 2011:21; Qadeer, Rehman, Ahmad & Shafiq, 2011:230).

Over the years, much attention has not been paid to evolve HRM system in the universities. The scenario of staffing function is not much different. Especially, the recruitment and selection system of administrative staff remained overlooked. Having taken for granted, this area remained grossly deficient and out-rightly neglected. In fact, the system of recruitment and selection of administrative staff has not received the desired level of attention and consideration. It remained controversial for being non-meritocratic, asymmetrical and even unlawful (Husain, 2007:1; Khilji, 2001:104). This area received little attention from academics, researchers and scholars despite its overall significance.

This study shall investigate the prevailing employment practices in the six public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with prime focus on recruitment and selection system of administrative staff. This multiple case study research shall unveil numerous loopholes in the prevailing system of recruitment and selection in the public sector universities in the province and makes several recommendations in light of which the system of recruitment and selection system of administrative staff may be revived in the institutes of higher education in the country.

1.2 Context of the study-higher education dynamics in Pakistan

Institutions of higher education exist in all kinds of configurations, sizes and shapes (Edgley-Pyshorn & Huisman, 2011:610). Universities are generally esteemed as “communities of scholars researching and teaching together in collegial ways” (Deem, 1998:47). University is a seat of advanced learning, a meeting place for researchers, scholars, academicians and academic workers where students pursue their higher studies after school or college level education. It is an intellectual center of the highest level offering various academic programs and different schemes of studies for graduate and postgraduate students (Ahmad & Junaid, 2008:501).

It is essential to have a background understanding of the landscape in which higher education sector operates in Pakistan. The contemporary higher education system in Pakistan is fundamentally influenced by its historical traditions (Altbach, 2004:15)  and the Universities in Pakistan have a robust colonial legacy Rahman (1998:669).

At the time of creation of Pakistan in 1947, there was only one university functioning in Pakistan, namely University of Punjab established by the British rulers (HEC, 2013; Rahman, 1998:672). The rationale for setting up a university, in this part of the world, was that many British officers, essentially, felt that the cost of running the administration would substantially decrease if the lower level jobs were given to the Indians. And secondly, to appease the concerns of the Indians as they were left frustrated and got alienated from the British rule by the fact that they were debarred from all offices of trust, lucre and authority. Therefore, the colonial masters desired that the Indians should be educated —“educated to be westernized — and employed under British superiors” (Rahman, 1998:670). Altbach (2004:17) argues that the aim of the colonial university was to train obedient and loyal civil servants to serve the colonizers. This system of governance, subservient administrative arrangement, docile academic models and pliable managerial practices influenced from the British era persisted in universities in Pakistan with cosmetic changes even today (Altbach, 2004:15). 

Sharp increase has been recorded in the number of universities established, both in public as well as private sector, in Pakistan during the last two decades. The public sector universities are government chartered, self-governing autonomous bodies funded by the Government of Pakistan through HEC. According to Hayward (2009:19), universities and institutions of higher education remained, largely, neglected in Pakistan throughout, its history. “The crisis in higher education was acknowledged as early as 1947, followed by more than a dozen commissions and policy document s. In 1998, some small steps were finally taken to improve access by increasing the number of higher education institutions from 18 to 78 and encouraging private higher education”. Major changes took place, in the sector with Musharraf’s takeover and the establishment of HEC in 2002, development budget of higher education has risen exponentially, and the number of new universities increased manifold.

Hence, based on the dates of inception, space, diversity of programs offered, availability of internet and video conferencing facilities, these universities can be classified into two broad categories of universities (i.e. the first generation and second generation universities).

The ‘first generation’ of these universities were established since 1947 till 2002 (before the establishment of HEC). The ‘second generation’ comprises of those universities, established in the last 10 to 15 years. The ‘first generation’ of these universities are marked by spacious flat buildings, serene academic environment, intellectual richness, outdated libraries, on-campus residency, little automation and a vast pool of imaginative students. University of the Punjab University of Peshawar, and Quid-e-Azam University, Islamabad are few among those. The ‘second generation’ comprises of those universities, established in the last ten to fifteen years. These are distinguished, mainly, by multistory buildings, fully automated offices, Wi-Fi and video conferencing facilities, with newly established well-furnished Offices of Research Innovation and Commercialization, Quality Enhancement Cell, Career Counseling and Student Aid and Placement Offices. Some of the recently established universities are housed in rented buildings while others have erected their own structures. University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Kohat University of Science and Technology and Karakurum International University, Gilgit, Baltistan are few of the second-generation universities.

These public sector universities, in general, share symmetrical organizational composition having top-down hierarchical structure. The governor of the respective provinces or the president of the country, in the case of federal universities, used to be the Chancellor by virtue of their designation. They accord approval for appointment of the vice- chancellors, some members of the Senate, Syndicate and Selection Board (the key statutory bodies of the universities) and the Deans, the most distinguished academic position in the universities (Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan, 2000; Rahman, 1998:673).

Most of these institutions are following the government timeworn policies while managing human resources. Notwithstanding, these universities have own statutory bodies to revamp and redesign their own employment system, but little efforts have been made in the past to this effect. Resultantly, these universities are confronting a myriad of challenges pertaining to employment practices. Some of these are external; nevertheless, most of these are internal challenges.

These challenges have the potential, to engender serious repercussions for employment practices in the public sector universities. At the same time, key stakeholders have varied expectations from the contemporary universities in the country (Ahmad & Ghani, 2013).

In the face of these challenges and growing expectations of the stakeholders, the university top management has to overhaul, redesign and restructure the entire HRM system in order to hunt the best lot in the market to circumvent total collapse of the higher education system in the days to come. The next ten years are anticipated to be crucial for the universities in Pakistan. This might turn out to be the golden era for higher education sector if university authorities, policy makers, government functionaries and funding agencies realize this, seize the opportunity, take the initiative and act ambitiously. If failed, “an avalanche of change will sweep the system away” (Barber, Donnelly & Rizvi, 2013:5).

1.3  Statement of the problem

Recruitment and selection of administrative staff are among the most redundant areas in the institutions of higher education in Pakistan. Being one of the most crucial HRM subsystems, staffing function failed to muster the desired level of attention in the public sector universities for a variety of reasons. Little effort has been made in the past to revamp and overhaul recruitment and selection system in the universities in Pakistan by appreciating its contribution as a strategic undertaking and a change agent role. At a time, when unprecedented modernization and innovation are taking place in the system of recruitment and selection across the globe, staffing function in the public sector universities in Pakistan is operating in the most obsolete and redundant fashion. Similarly, limited research has been undertaken in the area to explore its dynamics and inform reforms initiatives and enlighten necessary improvement.

This pioneering multiple case study research shall divulge the problems confronted by higher education sector with a prime focus on the system of recruitment and selection of administrative staff in the public sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while using General Systems Theory as a theoretical lens.

This study shall open up new avenues for further research in other subsystems of HRM in the institutions of higher education in the country. The study shall come up with some recommendations to regenerate and transform the system of recruitment and selection of administrative staff that successfully address the varied needs of the universities and growing expectations of all stakeholders.

1.4  Rationale of the study and evolution of the research questions

A detailed review of the literature revealed that management of the human resource is one of the most neglected areas in the higher education sector in Pakistan (Abbas & Ahmad, 2011:4). The traditional HR practices prevailing in the public sector are in place in the universities across the board. HR policy is hardly designed in any public sector university. Job descriptions are not available for any position. Compensation is not performance based. Performance appraisal is not systematic. Recruitment and selections are not merit based. This invariably engenders serious administrative problems besides audit objections and legal complications. The entire process is tiresome, hectic and time-consuming, essentially, characterized by bureaucratic behavior and red-tapism. A great deal of confidentially is involved in the process culminating in serious doubts and concerns.

Serious efforts were not undertaken in the past in the universities to address these problems at the strategic level. Similarly, limited research can be found in the HR domain in the context of higher education sector. Dubosc & Kelo (2012:1) argued that there is a serious deficiency of research on strategic HR practices prevailing in universities across the globe. In the same vein, very limited research can be found on recruitment and selection system with a focus on institutions of higher education in Pakistan (Shahzad, Bashir & Ramay, 2008:302; Iqbal, Arif, & Abbas, 2011:217; Qadeer et al ., 2011:231).

This provided the desired impetus and thrust to undertake this study. This research is aimed at investigating the existing recruitment and selection system in the higher education sector exploring how this subsystem of the overall HR system is aligned with the remaining HR subsystems to drive the overall academic business of the public sector universities. This study will be looking into the ways in which recruitment and selection system in the public sector universities may be reshaped to meet burgeoning aspirations and growing challenges of the knowledge economy.

In view of the above, this study shall address the following three broad research questions:

1.5 Research Questions:

• How for the function of recruitment and selection of administrative staff in the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is designed in a systematic manner?
• What are the major loopholes in recruitment and selection of administrative staff in the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
• What are the major factors responsible for these loopholes?.

1.6  Objectives of the study

This research study will probe the current employment practices in the public sector universities of Pakistan. This study, in the first instance, will investigate the prevailing system of recruitment and selection in the selected universities, in order to develop a deep understanding of the current practices. This study will, then, identify various loopholes in the recruitment and selection system. All the key factors responsible for these loopholes will be inquired to delineate how to bridge these gaps. The study will conclude with recommendations for policy makers at university level, authorities at the federal and provincial government level, HEC, provincial higher education departments and donor agencies to prioritize the area.

The study will help in realizing the following objectives:

• To investigate the current system of recruitment and selection of administrative staff in the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• To identify gaps/loopholes in the prevailing system of recruitment and selection of administrative staff in the public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• To examine the factors mainly responsible for the gaps/loopholes in the system of recruitment and selection of administrative staff
• To explore how the system of recruitment and selection system of administrative staff may be revisited to overcome these gaps/loopholes?

2. A brief review of literature

HRM is the effective management of people at work. This brief review of existing literature discusses HRM in the era of globalization with focus on HR system, policies and practices prevailing in the public sector and functioning of HRM in the public sector in both developed as well as developing countries having a special focus on HR practices in the institutes of higher education in Pakistan with peculiar attention on recruitment and selection practices in the public sector universities. Identifying research gaps in the prevailing staffing function, the preceding section provide rationale for the study.

2.1 An overview of Human Resource Management

Human Resource Management is the management of people working in an organization. This primarily deals with human dimension in an organization. To match an organization’s needs of the capable and committed workforce, to the skills and abilities of its employees, essentially comes under the domain of HRM (Decenzo, Robbins & Verhulst, 2010:4). “HRM is a system that strives to achieve a dynamic balance between the personal interests and concerns of people and their economic added value” (Hussain & Ahmad, 2012:10).

To manage human resource is a challenging task. The organizations that have learned to manage human resources diligently and professionally enjoy an edge over others (Wright, MacMahan & MacWilliams, 1994:320). It is a vital element for the success of any organization. Undoubtedly, HR is one of the most essential assets for an organization; nonetheless, very few have realized it significance and even very few have harnessed its real potential (Ahmad & Schroeder, 2003:19).

“HRM includes anything and everything associated with the management of employment relationships in the firm” (Boxall & Purcell, 2003: 1). Price (2007: 32) defines HRM as a “Philosophy of people management based on the belief that human resources are uniquely important in sustained business success…HRM is aimed at recruiting capable, flexible and committed people, managing and rewarding their performance and developing key competencies”.

HR, since its inception has transformed a great deal in significance from its role largely as maintenance and administrative function of diminutive impression to the contemporary world, where it is widely reckoned to have strategic business partner status, having bottom-line implications for the organization (Ferris, Perrewé, Ranft, Zinko, Stoner, Brouer & Laird, 2007: 117). Nevertheless, there is a common misconception that HR has become “a reactive, fire-fighting and administrative” function, has lost its relevance and dismally failed to be connected with strategic aims of the organization (Collings & Wood, 2009: 5; Lundy, 1994: 687).

2.2 HRM in the public sector

For successful operations, every organization, whether public or private, commercial or not-for-profit requires people (Tessema & Soeters, 2006:86). Since, this study is taking up public sector intuitions of higher education, therefore, the focus primarily converges on public sector HR practice. Public sector implies that part of the economy, which is predominantly concerned with the provision of basic public services. This is generally regarded as government sector or public service. In general terms, the public sector consists of government and all publicly controlled or publicly funded agencies, enterprises, and entities that deliver public programs, goods, or services.

The structure and composition of the public sector vary from country to country and region to region. Nevertheless, basic services such as education, healthcare, communication, transportation, army and police services fall under the ambit of the public sector. These services are essentially not for profit, tailored to the need of public in general and aimed at serving the welfare of the society at large (Colley & Price, 2010; OECD, 2008:18). Being highly ‘personnel intensive’, the functioning of public sector enterprises, their efficiency and transparency are assessed on the basis of performance of their workforce (Tessema & Soeters, 2006:86). Hence, HR practices are regarded as vital to improving the overall quality of public services extended by the government functionaries (Ingraham & Kneedler, 2000:245).

Indeed, public sector plays a vital role in delivering goods and services and maintaining law and order. The workforce being the public service providers and executors of duties is the critical core of public management. The effective management of human capital not only determines efficiency and quality of service delivery in the public sector (Tessema & Soeters, 2006:86) but having serious bearing upon the socio-economic development of the entire country (Chang & Gang, 2010:1).“The ability of governments to recruit, train, promote and dismiss employees is a key determinant of their capacity to obtain staff with the skills needed to provide public services that meet client needs and to face current economic and governance challenges” (OECD, 2009:75).

 HRM is of prime importance for every state agency as the government functionaries are expected to deliver commodities and services, efficiently and effectively (Anazodo, Okoye & Chukwuemeka, 2012:1; Nyameh & James, 2013:68). HRM in the public sector symbolizes flexible and flatter management structure. Decentralization of decision making, devolution of authority, uniformity of rules, sharing of responsibility with line managers are some of the key dimensions of HRM in the government sector (OECD, 2009:76).

Notwithstanding, HRM has been sharing common attributes across all sectors, whether public or private for its prime focus on workforce issues and concerns, HRM in the public sector is vastly different from HRM in the private sector in all most all kind of employment practices. Indeed, public interest has always been the focus of attention for public sector entities, whereas private sector organizations remained concern more with private interests. The notion of public interest is perplexing, as the theme does not “easily fit with HRM as a strategic partner in accomplishing organizational competitiveness and business outcomes” (Brown, 2004:305).

2.3 HRM in the public sector in Pakistan

As a British colony, before independence in 1947, the government machinery was run under the bureaucratic administrative structure set up by the colonial masters. Even after sixty years of independence, the public sector is still getting hitched with British legacy (Ali et al., 2010:3; Rehman, 1998:678). The public sector, as a whole, is having a passive management culture. To run the administrative affairs of the government, key strategic decisions are being made, essentially based on political clientele rather than sound business acumen (Khilji, 2001:104). “Decades of mismanagement, political manipulation and corruption have rendered Pakistan’s civil service incapable of providing effective governance and basic public services” (International Crisis Group, 2010).  To get away with British traditions in many spheres of public management, particularly, bureaucratic setup and employment practices have become cumbersome for the Pakistani public sector over the years (Husain, 2007:1; Khilji, 2001:104).

According to Khilji (2001:250), HRM is at the very early stage of evolution in Pakistan. Very few organizations in the country have adopted a strategic approach to managing human resources. In some organizations, the function of HRM has broadened in scope and importance. HR departments have been linked with service delivery function and communication channels have been established. Some organizations are pursuing HR practices in a piecemeal manner. These organizations have adopted new practices such as ‘Management by Objectives’ and ‘pay for performance’. Concerted efforts are being made to adopt ‘open’ appraisal systems and further expound the role of their training programs.

To transform the existing corporate culture of public sector enterprises, nonetheless, the government took a number of reform measures during the 1990s. Hiring teams of sound professionals at the top level to invigorate the entire HRM culture as to make it flexible, meritocratic and responsive was one of those initiatives (Khilji, 2001:104).

Resultantly, a series of business concerns in Pakistan restructured their personnel divisions. HR departments were established. The role of HRM was further expanded. In the face of these reforms, one of the dilemma with the application of HR best practices in Pakistan is that the “policy-makers and HR managers repeatedly talk of bringing about revolutionary changes in the HRM system, but do little to implement it. This has left employees frustrated, demotivated and largely dissatisfied” (Khilji, 2003:136).

Husain (2007:8) argued that recruitment at all levels and cadres of public services needs to be made open, transparent and merit-based. Performance needs to be evaluated based on quantifiable objectives and according to well-defined key performance indicators.

Today in Pakistan, there is a dire need for a smaller but efficient government machinery. Such a government, in the contemporary world, is essential for developing a competitive advantage over other nations of the region. To accomplish these ideals, public sector institutions require potential and talented human resources which are equipped with knowledge and skill sets congruent with the compulsions of the twenty first Century (Qureshi, 2014).

2.4 An overview of HRM in the Universities

Managing human resource has become ‘a critical issue for contemporary universities’ as a result of mounting pressures from government, society at large as well as global academic market. In fact, the autonomous status has entrusted the capacity of the employer upon the universities resulting in enhanced expectations of faculty and administrative staff and constituent institutes about terms and conditions of employment, working conditions, as well as broader aspects of work-life balance ultimately affecting academic and professional identities (Gordon & Whitchurch, 2007:1).

Dubosc & Kelo (2012:7) in their study found that managing and developing human resource is becoming a key challenge in the institutes of higher education worldwide. Complex academic communities need appropriate career management procedures as well as national HR policies underpinning the institutions of further education in recruiting, motivating and retaining qualified and committed academic workforce.

Guest & Clinton (2007: 6) in their study noted that in the institutions of higher education, HRM has remained merely an administrative activity. In the same vein Larkin & Neumann (2012:4) argue that universities, in general, have only partially adopted HRM practices ranging from career development, performance evaluation to retirement preparation and succession planning. By and large, HRM policies and practices in the universities are “reactive and ad-hoc, designed to respond to immediate needs and lack an organizational strategy to workforce planning”.

For that very reason, universities are castigated for viewing HRM in operational and not in strategic terms (Archer, 2005). Dubosc & Kelo (2012:7) observed that the ongoing reflections and analyses by the researchers, academicians, and practitioners concerning modernization of the educational institutions highlight among many other impediments, the human factor and the trouble to make people change their attitude and adhere to new approaches and methods. They conclude that structural reforms often fail because of lack of commitment and motivation of individual actors.

2.5 HRM in the universities in Pakistan

Public sector universities in Pakistan, by and large, share symmetrical organizational structure having a top-down hierarchy. The governor of the respective provinces or the president of the country, in the case of federal universities, used to be the chancellors of these universities by virtue of their designation. Vice-chancellor being the chief executive, principal accounting officer and chief academic officer of the university wields overwhelming authority. He chairs almost all key decision-making forums (i.e. the Syndicate, Academic Council, Finance and Planning Committee and Advance Studies & Research Board).

Qadeer et al ., (2011:230) found that highly centralized HRM structure, a colonial legacy still prevails in public sector universities in Pakistan. Abbas & Ahmad (2011:21) arguably underpinned these findings stating that HR units do not effectively exist in the universities and HR functions have been made perplexed and complicated which is mainly looked after by the administration with no expertise and training to deal with it. Strong resistance to integrate HRM practices and the high power distance culture in Pakistan are detrimental in framing HR policies and practices (Qadeer, Ahmad & Rehman, 2010).

Very limited research can be found on HRM practices in universities in Pakistan (Shazad et al., 2008:302; Iqbal et al., 2011; Qadeer et al., 2011:231). Not a single research endeavor has been made to address HR issues in the institutions of higher education in a holistic fashion. However, discrete studies can be found taking up HR practices in the institutions of higher education.

2.6 Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment is the process through which organizations hunt for the potential applicants for productive employment while selection implies the process by which organizations attempt to identify the most suitable applicant with the desired knowledge, skill and ability to perform the desired task to help the organization realize its goals (Searle, 2009:151).

Huselid (1995:635) asserted that HRM practices influence employees’ skills by means of acquiring and nurturing human resources in an organization. The staffing function in an organization predominantly encompasses the process of hunting, attracting and selecting right people for the right jobs, the people who shall serve the organization, productively and for a longer period of time. Armstrong (2009:515), believes that staffing function is the exercise of looking for the most suitable candidate so that selection of the right person with the right qualification and right frame of mind can be made. Staffing function or the hiring phase include hunting for the prospective and potential candidates for the available vacant slots, assessing their suitability from various aspects, and ultimately selecting those who are deemed to be the most suitable candidates to serve the organization (Itika, 2011:75).

Research has established that organizations perform better when the process of selection is systamtic, straight and transparent (Rehman, 2012:77). According to Decenzo, Robbins & Verhulst (2010: 134), the overall performance of an organization invariably hinges on employees productivity, therefore, selection of a right person for the right slot has remained the utmost priority for the dynamic organizations. The more effective and transparent the process is; the better the performance of the organization shall be. Otherwise, competitive advantage, goodwill, and quality of working environment shall be highly compromised (Hays & Sowa, 1998: 98).

As a matter of fact, recruitment and selection cannot be undertaken in sequestered fashion in any set up in any environment. This function is impinged upon, not only by the nature and size of an organization but also by the outside forces that affect the organization as a whole (Catano et al., 2009:6). Since general systems theory has been evolved over the years, its basic tenants can still be applied to the recruitment and selection in any organization. Its sense of holism provides a synopsis for the entire HR system by encompassing various relationships and interaction persisting within the subsystem of recruitment and selection (O’Meara & Petzall, 2013:26).

2.7 Recruitment and selection in the universities in Pakistan

The modern university is a multi-million dollar enterprise, operating in a highly complex landscape, immensely competitive global marketplace and an increasingly challenging economic environment. The quality of university management, especially the administrative staff comprising of top management and midcareer level managers, has thus never been more significant, and it follows that appointing the best candidates has become indispensable (Shepherd, 2011: 3).

Bibi et al., (2012:5) argued that staffing function includes various activities of recruiting employees such as defining evaluation mechanism, designing screening tests and conducting interview before the final decision of selecting the right candidates is being made. Recruitment in public sector organizations involves ensuring that the organizations adhere strictly to established government laws and regulations in order to avoid discrimination.HR managers in the public sector universities are responsible to follow the established procedure and put down the entire hiring and recruiting process in black and white to best serve the organization, protect the candidates, avoid complications and reduce chances of lawsuits.

Similarly, Nabi, Wei, Husheng, Shabbir, Altaf & Zhao (2014:12), analyzed the effectiveness of fair recruitment and selection procedures in the public sector universities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan and found that organizational politics and line management have greater influence on the effectiveness of fair recruitment and selection system which are detrimental to organizational success and affect the overall productivity of the universities. The study made suggested that a comprehensive research is needed to analyze the recruitment and selection of the administrative cadre specially the relevant officials of human resource department and their functioning on modern lines.

2.8  Gaps in the literature and propositions

Modern organizations, as envisaged by Ployhart (2006:868) are struggling with staffing challenges stemming, essentially from “increased knowledge work, labor shortages, competition for applicants, and workforce diversity.” Nevertheless, in spite of its immense significance and critical needs for an effective employment system, staffing research continues to be neglected altogether or misconstrued by many decision makers in a great deal of organizations taking up its more constringed outlook. Solving these challenges requires staffing scholars to expand their focus from individual-level recruitment and selection research to multilevel research concentrating on business unit standpoint and organizational level perspective.

As a matter of fact, the staffing function does not take place in isolation in any organization. The other internal HR subsystems, size, structure, leadership styles and the events occurring outside the system that affects the organization as a whole are some of the most climacteric influencing factors. This dynamic relationship between the organization and its environment is having last longing impact upon the organization and its employees (Catano et al., (2009:6). French & Rumbles (2010:171) have rightly pointed out “that recruitment and selection do not operate in a vacuum, insulated from wider social trends, so it is very important to keep abreast of current research”.

While systems theory is developed over the years, its basic principles can still be employed to the recruitment and selection system in any organization (O’Meara & Petzall, 2013:26). The concept that how the HRM subsystems are influenced by external challenges such as globalization, technological revolution, new legislations, political intervention, unionization, labor market conditions, national cultures and accountability is yet to be explored (Jackson & Schuler, 1995:237). Within the system if HR managers fail to acknowledge the contributions of others or if they fail to coordinate closely with other parts of the system or sub systems, senior management may begin, to question the added value that HR brings to the organization. This underline the need, to study recruitment and selection in the context of a system, not simply as an isolated function divorced from other functional areas in the organization but as a sub-system embedded in a larger organizational system (Catano et al., 2009:6).

Limited research studies are available on HRM in universities with a focus on recruitment and selection. These studies only underline the significance of the area as critically important HR function; nevertheless, much further investigation has not been undertaken with the intentions to explore its dynamics with the changeling times. For example Nabi et al., (2014:12) mention recruitment and selection as being vital to organizational performance in the public sector in Pakistan but there is no in-depth analysis of how it is linked with the rest of HRM functions or how to make the current system of recruitment and selection more transparent, accountable and systemic. Similarly, Iqbal & Ahmad (2006:629) in their study with a focus on public sector governance in Pakistan, highlighted the lack of systemic approach and structural issues as the major bottlenecks in civil services reform initiatives in the country. In view of the above discussion, this study propounds the following proposition:

Proposition 1:   The Recruitment and Selection in public sector u niversities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not managed systematically since it is not linked with other HR subsystems in a systematic manner.

Van den Brink, Benschop, & Jansen in their qualitative study (2010: 1459) provided insight in multiple ways to understand the notions of transparency and accountability in academic recruitment and selection in the universities in Netherlands stating that recruitment and selection processes in academia are characterized by ‘bounded transparency’ and ‘limited accountability’ at best.

High frequency of internal recruitment, lack of transparency, corruption, nepotism, use of flawed selection methods favouring poorly qualified and inferior candidates at the cost of  best‐suited candidates for the jobs, and restrictive legal frameworks are some of the grey areas identified by Dubosc & Kelo (2012:9) in the recruitment and selection of academic staff in the universities. Khilji (2002:238) argued that decisions involving fresh hiring are made in Pakistani public sector organizations in a dubious manner. The merit-based system of selection does not prevail. Family relationships receive preferential treatment, thus guiding major decisions involving hiring and promotions. Given this, the second proposition for this study is:

Proposition 2:     The Recruitment and Selection system in public sector u niversities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not merit based, impartial and transparent.

In public sector universities in Pakistan, the colonial legacy with highly centralized structure and the traditional personnel management system still prevail. There is hardly any university in the public sector in the country that has a full-fledged HR section staffed by HR professionals to address and look after HR affairs (Qadeer et al ., 2011:230). Abbas & Ahmad (2011a:21) have similar findings. They observed that separate HR unit does not exist in the universities, and the HR functions have been made intertwined and complex mainly looked after by the staff having no requisite qualification, capacity, and experience to deal with it. This state of affairs call for a detailed, in-depth research study in order to unearth real issues so that corrective measures may be undertaken in light of the same (Qadeer et al., 2010). This leads to the third proposition:

Proposition 3:   Public sector u niversities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa do not have any specialized Human Resource Department or S ection to look after HR functions such as Recruitment and Selection.

Similarly, there exist no independent statutory body such HR council or HR board to have an oversight role in the HR domain in universities in Pakistan. A closer examination of all the relevant legislations such as University of Peshawar Act, 1974, North-West Frontier Province University of Engineering and Technology Ordinance, 1980, Khyber Medical University Act, 2007, University of Peshawar Act, 2011, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act, 2012 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities (Amendment) Act, 2015 and detailed scrutiny of intrinsic material revealed that there are various authorities looking after administrative, financial and academic business in the public sector universities across the Province. Nevertheless, no legal entity subsists in public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to address HR issues.

Proposition 4:   Public sector u niversities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa do not have an HR Council on the analogy of Academic Council in universities, to keep an eye on HR affairs in the universities .

Hence, an empirical research study is needed to explore the recruitment and selection system of the administrative cadre in public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as there is a wide scope to investigate the matter further. This study is the pioneering work to address these issues by adopting systems approach to fill this gap. While using general systems theory as a theoretical framework, this study endeavors to find answers to some of the most critical questions researchers and academics raised as mentioned earlier.

• Theoretical Framework

Current discourse on employment practices enunciates that staffing function does not take place in isolation in any organization. This is shaped not only by internal environment, but it is also molded by external forces. While undertaking recruitment and selection in any setting, HR managers must be cognizant that the new appointees are properly trained. They have plentiful of opportunities for growth and promotion. Their hard work is acknowledged, and once they quit, they are praised formally and eloquently for their contribution. At the same time, HR managers have to keep an eye on external challenges such as globalization, technological advancement, socio-economic pressures, legal and judicial activism, political interloping and accountability impacting staffing function. These are some of the critically important questions that must be addressed by HR managers. To understand these dynamics, a theoretical lens is needed. While General Systems Theory evolved over the years, its basic principles can still be applied to the system of employees’ recruitment and selection in an organization.  This theory is used to build up theoretical foundation of this research study.

3.1 General Systems Theory

The theoretical lens for this study is provided by Bertalanffy (1950, 1968).  General systems theory is one of the contemporary theories of management postulated first by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in the 1930s as a means of explaining the complexity, interaction and relationship among various groups. While propounding his theory, Bertalanffy was reacting against reductionism and attempting to revive the unity of science (1968:49). He is considered to be the founder and principal author of general systems theory. In general systems theory (1950a:23) the unit of analysis is empathized as a complex whole of interdependent parts.

The systemic perspective of Bertalanffy (1968:38) postulates that comprehending a phenomenon in its entirety merely by splitting it up into basic components and then reconstituting is impracticable; instead, global vision is needed to apply in order to underscore its functioning from a strategic point of view in a holistic fashion.

Bertalanffy premised the idea of a systems approach as part of his general systems theory which he introduced to scrutinize the interaction between organisms and the environment. His systems approach was founded on the theories of Stafford Beer and Kenneth Boulding, both management scientists. The basic idea of general systems theory entails its focus on interactions and relationship. The preeminence of interconnection leads to believe that the conduct of a single autonomous element is different from its behavior when the element interacts with other elements in unison (Mele, Pels & Polese, 2010:127). “General system theory, therefore, is a general science of wholeness.” “The meaning of the somewhat mystical expression, the whole is more than the sum of parts is simply that constitutive characteristics are not explainable from the characteristics of the isolated parts” nevertheless, “the total of parts contained in a system and the relations between them, the behavior of the system may be derived from the behavior of the parts” (Bertalanffy, 1968:55).

3.2 General Systems theory and its application to diverse disciplines

Von Bertalanffy (1968) put forward general systems theory and applied the same in a variety of contexts (Weinberger,1998:88). Its initial application was in numerical sciences, biological sciences, and physical sciences but has since been applied to a wide range of other disciplines such as organizational theory (O’Meara & Petzall, 2013:23), marketing and management (Mele, Pels, & Polese, 2010:126). This theory presumes that there are universal principles of organization which holds for all systems, whether they are physical, chemical, biological, behavioural, cultural and social (Kast & Rosenzweig, 1972: 447) . This is considered to be a ‘grand’ theory for having universal relevance and applicability. “Systems theory is a broad view which far transcends technological problems and demands, a reorientation that has become necessary in science in general and in the gamut of disciplines from physics and biology to the behavioral and social sciences and to philosophy” (Bertalanffy, 1968: vii).

Katz & Kahn (1966) applied systems theory to organizations. The organization is seen as a system, built by energetic input-output where the energy coming from the output reactivates the system. Jacobs (1989:65) argues that systems theory is the unifying theory for HRD and “forms the most underlining structure for the HRD profession.” Using a systems approach to realize organizational and individual goals, Jacobs (1988:2) proposed a domain of human performance technology and used the theory for the development of human performance systems and the management of the resulting systems, which is another dimension of performance improvement within the systems concept.

Capra (1997) contended that systems theory is an ‘interdisciplinary theory’ about every system in nature, in society and in many scientific disciplines, as well as, a framework with which one can investigate a phenomenon from a holistic perspective. Before going into minute details of this theory and it application to organizational HR practices with a focus on recruitment and selection, it is important to explain what the system entails and how it works for better understanding the theoretical framework.

3.3 General systems theory and its application to organization

The didactics of general systems theory are quite basic. Notwithstanding, decades of management training and practices in the workplace, HR managers have not followed this theory in letter and spirit. However, in recent times, in the face of tremendous changes taking place all around, the way organizations function and the way they operate, academics and managers come across this new lens of looking at things. This new overture has brought about a paradigm shift in the thought process of academicians, researchers, managers and the way they approach or manage the organizations.

The effects of systems theory on organization espouse managers to look at the organization from a broader perspective. Systems theory has brought home a very impertinent aspect for the managers to interpret patterns and events in the workplace. They recognize various parts of the organization, and, in particular, the interrelations of these various parts, cognized as subsystems. This encompasses coordination at all levels, for instance: i) Coordination of central administration with its subsidiaries, programs, projects, departments and other administrative units; ii) Coordination within the departments for example engineering and manufacturing and iii) Coordination among supervisors and workers. This is regarded as a major breakthrough in the organizational life. In the past, managers typically took one particular unit of the organization and focused on that. Then they moved their attention to other parts. Here, the predicament was that an organization could, have a strong central administrative system and an incredible set of body parts, but the individual units/departments were working in isolation as these same were not synchronized at all.

3.4 General systems theory and its application to HRM

Systems theory carries a momentous effect on the discipline of management sciences and understanding organizations. Mowday (1983) was one of the first HRM researchers who applied systems model to HRM practices. Katz & Kahn (1978:189) argue that HRM is a subsystem embedded in a larger organizational system. The open systems approach towards HRM has been further developed by Wright & Snell (1991:203).

In the same vein, the description of HRM as a controlled system postulated by Snell (1992: 292) is based upon open systems theory. A more refined discourse on the system theory led us to believe what Kozlowski & Salas (1994: 281) argued to be a multilevel organizational systems approach for better understanding of the implementation and transfer of capacity building initiatives. Many of the more specific theories delineated by Jackson & Schuler (1995:239) in their review to broaden understanding of HRM in context assume that organizations function like open systems.

Alsabbah & Ibrahim (2014:11) used General Systems Theory while studying HR practices in the organizations postulated that certain HR practices if implemented intuitively lead to overwhelming organizational outcome. They found the theory as exceedingly pertinent to the HR domain as it envisages HRM as a vast system blending various processes. The study, establishing the viability of the General Systems Theory when applied to HR practices and employees competence, concluded that understanding the theory assist in improving HR performance in many ways. Hence, the application of the theory elucidates the effectiveness of HR practices in raising employee’s competence in an organization.

3.5 Application of General Systems Theory to recruitment and selection

Since Aristotle’s assertion that knowledge is extrapolated from comprehending a phenomenon in its entirety and not from its individual parts, scholars have been painstakingly engaged in the discourse on systems, its constituent components and their comparative dynamics (Mele, Pels, & Polese, 2010:126). The employees who work in an organization are drawn from the external market, and they add new knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies to the organization resources to enable it to respond to indigenous, national and global innovative market trends, growth and sustainability. Systems theory is having a critical and useful function in comprehending the dynamic connection between the organization and its environment through recruitment and selection (O’Meara & Petzall, 2013:26).

Catano et al., (2009:6) in their study contended that recruitment and selection do not take place in isolation in any organization. They are influenced not only by the context and type of organization, its type, size, structure, leadership styles, strategic objectives but also by the events occurring in the surroundings that affect the organization as a whole.

While systems theory has germinated over the years, its basic principles can still be employed to the recruitment and selection system in any setup. Its holistic approach offers a synopsis of the entire HR system by encompassing various relationships and interaction persisting within the subsystem of recruitment and selection (O’Meara & Petzall, 2013:26).

Catano et al., (2009:6) in their study postulates that there are a number of questions that must be addressed by any HR manager or practitioner in setting up a recruitment and selection system in any organizations. Some of these are: i) How do employers ensure that the people they hire will have the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for the best performance of the job?; ii) How do employers ensure that the recruitment and selection system function in a transparent and unbiased manner?; And iii) How do employers ensure that their hiring policies and procedures are gender sensitive and treat candidates from different ethnic groups fairly and accommodate people with disabilities?.

In fact, “recruitment and selection set the stage for other human resources interventions. If recruitment and selection are done properly, the subsequent movement of the worker through the organizational system is made easier, and the individual makes a long-term, positive contribution to organizational survival and success”. When this happens, HRM makes a positive contribution to the organizational system as a whole. On the other hand, if a new employee enters the firm on a ‘flat trajectory’ because of a flawed recruitment and selection system then the smooth functioning of the entire structure of the organization, including HRM, is adversely affected (Catano et al., 2009:7).

This study shall combine general systems theory with strategic human resource practices with a prime focus on recruitment and selection in order for talent acquisition to have maximum impact. It stresses the importance of continual improvement in attracting talent and engaging, motivating and retaining staff in line with best practices in the face of unbridled market pressures and global challenges. This furthers the concept that how the HRM subsystems are influenced by interal as well as external challenges (Jackson & Schuler, 1995:237).

• Methodology

Review of literature revealed scarcity of research studies, addressing HR issues in a methodical manner in developing countries (Budhwar & Debrah, 2001; Yeganeh & Su, 2008:203), including Pakistan (Aycan, Kanungo, Mendonca, Deller, Stahl & Khurshid, 2000: 217; Khilji, 2001). In the same vein, very few studies can be found exploring employment practices with a focus on staffing function in the field of higher education in Pakistan (Shazad et al., 2008; Qadeer et al., 2011). Since little empirical evidence is available in the area of recruitment and selection of administrative staff in the context of public sector universities in Pakistan for quantitative analysis and theory development, this study is aimed at bridging this gap by espousing qualitative research paradigm.

Qualitative research generates new insight into a situation and behaviour so that the meaning of what is happening around can be easily understood. It lays emphasis on the interpretation of behaviour from the perspective of the participants, in view of their personal experiences (Smith, 2007: 53). It is based on evidence that may not be effortlessly reduced to numbers. It makes use of interviews, archival record and observations as data collection methods (Armstrong, 2009:181).  

Qualitative research paradigm has been selected for the study for a variety of reasons. The most compelling among those are the conspicuous lack of previous conclusive research on the subject matter (Creswell, 2011; Morse, 1991). Qualitative approach is valuable for the in-depth understanding of a phenomenon, exploration of new dimensions and discovering their interrelationship (Creswell, 1994). As not much background information was available on the theme for empirical analysis, choosing a qualitative approach provides a strong rationale for exploring and describing the phenomenon in minute details for developing a theory (Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2005).

The constructivist worldview of Creswell (2009) regarded as paradigms by Lincoln, Lynham, & Guba (2011), epistemologies and ontologies by Crotty (1998), or broadly conceived research methodologies by Neuman (2009) shall be used for the study believing that individuals seek understanding of the world in which they live and work and develop subjective meanings of their experiences. Hence, the processes of interaction among individuals with focus on the specific contexts in which they work in order to understand the historical and cultural settings of the participants.

Moreover, the case study approach adopted for the study aids in developing a profound understanding of contemporary employment issues confronted by Pakistani public sector universities in a systematic manner with a prime focus on recruitment and selection of administrative staff. The study involves probing a small number of key informants through extensive and prolonged engagements in order to develop patterns and relationships of key themes and subthemes for further analysis (Nieswiadomy, 1993).

4.1 Case Study

This is basically a case study research. Being one of the most challenging of all the social sciences research endeavours, case study method digs deeper into the situation for a better understanding of prevailing capacities and dynamics of a particular case (Yin, 2003:1). Case study research helps in developing a deeper understanding of a complex issue and may add strength to what is already known through previous research (Stake, 1995). Yin (1993) argues that the case study is appropriate when the aim is to define a topic broadly and not narrowly. Similarly, case study research is recommended by Yin (1989) when little previous research has been carried out within the context, and there is a gap that needs to be filled in the research examining a situation (Bonoma, 1985; Stake, 1995).

As Yin (2003:13) argues that empirical inquiry “investigates a contemporary phenomenon in-depth and with its real-life context when the boundaries between the context and the phenomenon are not clearly evident.” Hence, taking the above into consideration the research design used for the said study is a multiple case study design . Hence, this study employs a six case research design- all from the public sector with three from among the first generation and three among the second generation universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan for data collection. The justification for selection of these universities is discussed in the next section.

4.2 Case Selection and Design

The study will be carried out with prime focus on public sector Universities and Degree Awarding Institutes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the north-western province of Pakistan. According to the data, available on HEC website, there are one hundred and sixty-three universities and degree awarding institutes in the country. Amongst those, ninety-four are public sector (HEC, 2015). In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there are nineteen public sector universities and DAIs, with five established in the last seven years, whereas, the establishment of four new universities is in the pipeline. These universities/DAIs are government chartered, self-governing and autonomous bodies established and regulated under the law enacted by the Provincial Assembly and funded by the federal government through HEC.

For the study, a total of six universities (three among the first generation and three among the second generation universities) shall purposefully be selected out of the total 19 public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Among the ‘first generation’ of the universities, University of Peshawar, University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar and Agriculture University, Peshawar shall be chosen. Whereas, among the ‘second generation’ universities/DAIs, Islamia College University Peshawar, Khyber Medical University Peshawar and Institute of Management Sciences Peshawar shall be selected. To maintain anonymity these universities were designated as University-A, University-B, University-C, University-D, University-E and University- F.

4.3 Data collection

For data collection, three sources of information shall be used: i) Interview; ii) Non-participant observations, and iii) Documents and archival records. These are discussed in detail in the following:

4.3.1 Interview

Semi- structured interviews were held with low, middle and top management as multiple key informants. The key informant is an expert source of information (Marshall, 1996:92). Since, the Establishment and the Meetings Sections are the two main HR sections/departments in the universities, therefore, the top, mid and low career level manager/administrative officers working in these sections (i.e. Registrar, Additional Registrar, Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrar) were selected for the purpose.

These units of analysis are highly pertinent for obtaining the type of data required for the study, and this is one of the most important considerations for selection of respondents for the study.

Semi-structured interviews shall mainly be conducted for looking into the phenomenon from the perspective of participants assuming that the respondents explicitly demonstrate their understanding of the phenomenon (Patton, 1990). The interviews will be organized in an open-ended manner to allow participants’ perspectives to emerge but will be having closed-ended questions to provide some structure to the interview to allow for comparability of findings across cases if required.

Thus, a total of thirty semi-structured, in-depth interviews with open-ended questions given at Appendix-I shall be conducted with the purposefully selected individuals. The interview guide shall be designed and each interview session shall span over two to three hours of duration. The interviews shall be tape recorded and transcribed in a narrative format accordingly. Overall, field notes shall be taken during interview sessions and data will be analyzed once this stage of data collection is completed.

4.3.2  Observation

Furthermore, the non-participant observation shall also be used for triangulation of data gathered from primary source as well as secondary sources. “Nonparticipant observation is a data collection method used extensively in case study research in which the researcher enters a social system to observe events, activities, and interactions with the aim of gaining a direct understanding of a phenomenon in its natural context.

4.3.3 Documents and archival records

In addition to semi-structured interviews and non-participant’ observations, archival records and official documents shall also be consulted for the collection of data. These sources include annual reports of the universities and their official websites, as well as official website of HEC. These sources provide information about the act, statutes, rules and regulations of these universities apart from their size, vision and mission statement, structure, their number of faculty members, and the number of the student population.

Using the secondary source, accessible official documents of the universities shall also be thoroughly reviewed such as official letters, appointment orders, office notes, memoranda, agenda and minutes of the meetings, complaints, inquiry reports, court cases, statutes, rules, regulations, acts and published/unpublished reports of the World Bank, HEC, Planning Commission of Pakistan, Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan and provincial higher education department.

4.4 Data Triangulation

Interview being the primary source of data collection, for the study, shall not solely be relied upon and shall be substantiated from multiple sources, as discussed in the preceding section. This shall serve as a cross-check for the validity of the conclusions drawn, and the additional sources of information shall gave more insight into the topic and shall also serve as a means of assessing the researcher’s interpretation, and the conclusion drawn and recommendations made.

Two other sources of data collection (i.e., archival records and non-participant observations) shall also used for triangulation purposes. The researcher shall also confirm such information from official documents and archival record of the university. All this shall also be done in order to confirm and revalidate the original interview responses of the participants.

4.5 Data Analysis

The data analysis process involves determining categories, subthemes, main themes and the essence from the participants’ descriptions (Braun & Clarke, 2006:79). For analysis of data thematic analytic approach propounded by Braun & Clarke shall be adopted (2006:79). Under this approach analysis is not a linear process. The steps outlined by Braun & Clarke (2006:87) shall be followed for the data analysis include: i) Becoming familiar with the data; ii) Generating initial codes; iii) Searching for themes; iv) Reviewing themes; v) Defining and naming themes, and vi) Producing the report.

Once data is collected, the same will be transcribed, accordingly. In this very first step, the task will be to get familiar with the data and comprehend the nature and meaning of the data. The second step will be to generate initial codes. Then data relevant to each code shall be organized. This exercise will be done manually. In the process, all the potential themes shall be coded and patterns will be established from the codes. The third step will be searching for sub-themes and themes. In this step, codes become categories, subthemes and central themes. Reviewing the themes will be the fourth step. Defining and naming themes will be the fifth step. In this step, the emerging themes will be described in a way that captured the essence of the theme. Here, the themes will be defined and will ultimately be keyed out. Writing the analysis will be the last and final step. Here, an analytic narrative of the data will be presented.

4.6 Ethical considerations

Ethical considerations for this study shall be the participants’ right to informed consent, autonomy, confidentiality and anonymity which are discussed in detail here.

4.6.1 Informed consent

For the study, informed voluntary consent of all the respondents shall be obtained in writing beforehand. Participants’ information sheet shall be provided to all of them and their queries shall be addressed before the commencement of interview sessions.

4.6.2 Autonomy

While following the spirit of autonomy, it shall be scrupulously elucidated to the participants that their participation in the research study was entirely voluntary. In addition, their willingness to participate or otherwise would not affect them in any way. Even, it will be assured that they were free to back out from the study any time at any stage of the study if they desire so.

4.6.3 Privacy and confidentiality

The personal information of the participants shall be recorded on demographic data sheet gathered during the interview process and all the information provided by the participants shall be kept confidential if they desire so.

5.  Significance, expected outcome and contribution of the study

Appreciating that human resource is one of the most valuable assets, effective recruitment and induction system is critically important for organizations to ensure that the new employees become productive in the shortest possible time. Indeed, the benefits which can be derived from a merit-based selection system are widely established and frequently reported in the body of knowledge (Ulrich & Allen, 2009:33). This helps in developing intrinsic capabilities; organizations direly need to acquire, nourish and nurture to compete and win. This study is not only about undertaking fresh induction in a transparent manner but also focused on stimulating academic success and adding value to the academic business by connecting all HR functions in a systematic manner rather than simply reckoning recruitment and selection as a function in isolation.

The study will unearth gray areas in the staffing function in the institutes of higher education in the public sector in Pakistan. The study will give new insight to the academicians, university administrators, researchers, practitioners, and HR professionals. The study will provide useful guidelines for social scientists working in the field of higher education and policy makers at the national level. It will add, not only to the body of knowledge but will also help in unleashing reforms in the higher education sector by paving the way for standardization of recruitment and selection practices in universities in Pakistan.

The study will be helpful in persuading the people at the helm of universities’ affairs to manage employment practices strategically, in order, to avoid a total collapse of higher education sector, in the days to come. The study shall enable the universities, to put the recruitment and selection system according to the demands and challenges of the contemporary academic world. The study holds immense significance for the university administrators, researchers, decision makers and HR practitioners. The study will help the universities in revisiting recruitment and selection system, to make it more transparent, unbiased and meritocratic, thus, minimizing personal influence, political clout and external pressures.

6. Implications of the study

This study shall provide rich insight, in multiple ways, in which the notion of fair play, transparency and accountability required to be put in practice while pursuing fresh hiring, at all the levels, in public sector universities. The study shall contribute to the system of HR in the higher education sector, by discerning shortcomings mainly in various areas.

The study shall highlight multiple gray areas in the system of recruitment and selection in the institutes of higher education in Pakistan. This study is not only about performing recruitment and selection function in a better way but also focused on building academic success and adding value to the academic business rather than simply optimizing HR as a function. The study shall make certain recommendations postulating; how the institutes of higher education in this part of the world learn from best practices prevailing in developed countries. In light of the participants’ suggestions, the study shall come up with concrete, practical recommendations to regenerate staffing function in public sector universities in the country.

7. Outline of the Thesis

The thesis shall be divided into three major parts, comprising of nine chapters including Chapter 01- Introduction. These shall be structured as follows. Chapter 02 shall present an overview of the available literature on HRM concentrating on the historical perspective of the discipline. The first section of this Chapter shall discuss basic concepts of HRM, its historical evolution and its application in the public sector. This Chapter shall outline how HRM is designed in the public sector. A brief historical background of HRM in the public sector and working of HRM in both developing as well as developed countries shall be taken up in this section. The second section of Chapter 02 shall talk about the background of the study, hence, setting the stage for the thesis. This section shall discuss organizational structure of the universities in Pakistan. This Chapter shall cover HRM policies and practices in the public sector universities across the globe, with a particular focus on the public sector universities in Pakistan. The third section shall divulge a brief review of the basics of the system of recruitment and selection. Here, the focus shall rest on the public sector in Pakistan, and this further converges at the public sector universities in the country.

Chapter 03 shall focus on the theoretical framework of the study considering the interplay of competing demands, changing trends and varied aspirations of the competitive academic world where university top management has to set the strategic directions of institutions of higher education to survive in the competitive academic world.

The second part shall include the empirical Chapters. Chapter 04 shall present methodological underpinnings of the study starting with a brief description of the research paradigm, elucidating case study research and research design pursued in the study, drawing attention to case study methodology and data collection mechanism. This Chapter shall present the method of data analysis, the scheme of coding, interpretation of data to develop themes and patterns and define headings and subheadings for a systematic presentation of data.

The final part of the thesis shall consist of Chapters 05, 06, 07, 08 and 09. These chapters shall elucidate and provide further reflection on the outcomes of the study. Chapter 05 shall outline, how the staffing function, starting from job analysis to final selection of a candidate, is undertaken in the selected public sector universities.

Chapter 06 shall describe various loopholes in the staffing function. Chapter 07 shall explain various factors responsible for these loopholes. Chapter 08 shall discuss various suggestions made by the respondents to address these issues. All the three finding Chapters shall be assembled and discussed succinctly in Chapter 09 with implications and recommendations of the overall research study.

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                                                                                                                                                         Appendix-I

Set of Questions for Interview Session

Personal information of the respondent

Name of the university           :                                                     

Name of the interviewee         :                                                 

Designation                              :     _____________________

Qualification                           :       _____________________         

Total experience in the university:  _____________________       

Experience in HR department :       _____________________       

Email & Contact No               :       _____________________

Questions to be asked from interviewees during interview session

• How the staffing function (i.e. recruitment and selection) of administrative staff is carried out in your university?
• Please describe briefly the typical recruitment and selection system of administrative staff in your university?
• Do you think your university has clear policies and procedures relating to recruitment and selection?
• Do you think your university adheres to these policies and procedures?
• How for the recruitment and selection of administrative staff in your university is carried out in a transparent manner?
• Do you think politics play an important role in the selection process of administrative staff in your university? Please elaborate.
• How far the recruitment and selection in your university is aligned with other HR subsystems such as training and development, career development, compensation and succession.
• How far the recruitment and selection system in your university is developed keeping in view challenges of the contemporary world.
• How far the recruitment and selection system in your university is in line with new legislation introduced by the government.
• What are the major gaps/loopholes in recruitment and selection system of administrative staff in your university? Please elaborate.
• What are the implications of these gaps/loopholes
• What efforts have been made by your university in the past to improve it? Please elaborate.
• How the recruitment and selection process of administrative staff can be improved in your university?

Dr Syed Hafeez Ahmad

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Research Proposal Example/Sample

Detailed Walkthrough + Free Proposal Template

If you’re getting started crafting your research proposal and are looking for a few examples of research proposals , you’ve come to the right place.

In this video, we walk you through two successful (approved) research proposals , one for a Master’s-level project, and one for a PhD-level dissertation. We also start off by unpacking our free research proposal template and discussing the four core sections of a research proposal, so that you have a clear understanding of the basics before diving into the actual proposals.

• Research proposal example/sample – Master’s-level (PDF/Word)
• Research proposal example/sample – PhD-level (PDF/Word)
• Proposal template (Fully editable) 

If you’re working on a research proposal for a dissertation or thesis, you may also find the following useful:

• Research Proposal Bootcamp : Learn how to write a research proposal as efficiently and effectively as possible
• 1:1 Proposal Coaching : Get hands-on help with your research proposal

PS – If you’re working on a dissertation, be sure to also check out our collection of dissertation and thesis examples here .

FAQ: Research Proposal Example

Research proposal example: frequently asked questions, are the sample proposals real.

Yes. The proposals are real and were approved by the respective universities.

Can I copy one of these proposals for my own research?

As we discuss in the video, every research proposal will be slightly different, depending on the university’s unique requirements, as well as the nature of the research itself. Therefore, you’ll need to tailor your research proposal to suit your specific context.

You can learn more about the basics of writing a research proposal here .

How do I get the research proposal template?

You can access our free proposal template here .

Is the proposal template really free?

Yes. There is no cost for the proposal template and you are free to use it as a foundation for your research proposal.

Where can I learn more about proposal writing?

For self-directed learners, our Research Proposal Bootcamp is a great starting point.

For students that want hands-on guidance, our private coaching service is recommended.

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling short course, Research Proposal Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

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What are you looking for?

• ​Human Resource Management ​PhD/PhD by Published works​​
• Courses by subject

Postgraduate PG

PhD: Full Time 2 years - 4 years or Part Time 3 years - 6 years PhD by Published Works: Part Time 1 year - 2 years

October, March

Get in touch

For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:

UK/EU Students enquiries

[email protected] 0300 303 2772

International Students enquiries

[email protected] +44 (0)1604 893981

If you already have a degree in Human Resource Management or related field, our Human Resource Management PhD / PhD by Published Works is an excellent way to expand your knowledge and research skills. If your final thesis is successfully defended orally (a viva voce) you will gain the highest qualification that any UK university can award.

The PhD / PhD by Published Works in Human Resource Management allows you to research concepts and practices relating to work, management, and employment experience. A research degree does not have a teaching structure, allowing you to delve deeply into your chosen topic your own research interests. Therefore, students are expected to conduct their own, independent, critical research under the guidance of accomplished academic staff. By communicating the research that you have conducted and your findings, through a thesis or other means, you have a rare opportunity to generate knowledge. A research degree allows you to develop new high-level skills, enhance your professional development and build new networks. It can open doors to many careers and provides researchers with a fantastic opportunity to further their academic careers or advance into higher executive roles in the sector. We welcome applications from students of all backgrounds and nationalities.

Find out more about our Research Centres and Institutes below:​

• Centre for Sustainable Business Practices (CSBP)
• Centre for Global Economics and Social Development (GESD)   
• Centre for Sustainable Futures  

The closing dates for applications for the October intake is 1 August, and for the March intake is 11 December. 

Updated 16/04/2024

• ​Conduct independent, original, and academically significant research
• ​Benefit from training courses to develop key research skills
• Supervision and support from expert academic staff
• Present at talks and seminars to display your work
• ​Regular research seminars, conferences and research activities led by our Research Institutes and Centres and the Graduate School

Course Content

Doctoral candidates conduct original research with the purpose of contributing significantly to knowledge and understanding in their chosen subject. As a research student, you will become an essential member of our research community, collaborating with outstanding academics whose research has had an international influence on business, policy, and society. This Human Resource Management PhD degree allows you to specialise while also improving your research, writing, presenting, and practise abilities.

While developing and setting up your research project, you will receive general, and project-specific training so that you can conduct your research effectively and independently. Our students are expected to produce a detailed research proposal and apply for ethics approval. Students will be required to present theses to an academic audience, and then proceed for the internal viva examination with an internal viva examiner. The viva process, appointment of the internal examiner, and approval of ethics documents are all subject to approval by the University’s research committees.

All PhD students are assigned a supervisory team consisting of a Director of Study (DOS), and first and second supervisors. Under the guidance and close supervision of their supervisory team, our students are expected to conduct their research independently can expect to spend most of their time to studying and doing independent research. Students can also expect to attend regular supervision sessions to discuss their progress, devise an action plan for the following stages, and to put forward recommendations for how to enhance the PhD programme.

To complement your studies, you can make use of the faculty’s vibrant research community and research groups. You will also have access to a structured training program sponsored by our Graduate School. This is intended to help you develop critical thinking and practical skills which are important for your PhD programme, and transferrable to your future career. There may also be chances to participate in undergraduate teaching.

Research topics

We can supervise topics including:

• ​Human resource management ​
• Employee motivation and wellbeing ​
• Performance management
• ​Gender and diversity studies​
• Organisational leadership
• Organisational psychology​
• Talent management
• Managing workplace disputes
• ​Work and organisational studies
• Employee relations
• Changing organisation
• Strategic Human resource management
• International and Comparative Human resource management
• Sustainability and ethical people practice ​

We also offer opportunities to develop interdisciplinary study and practice as Research projects.

​We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants who are interested in studying at Research Level. Normally candidates should hold a 2:1 or higher honours degree or international equivalent in a relevant subject. Where possible you should also hold a good Master’s degree, or international equivalent in a relevant subject area. If you would like to undertake a PhD, but do not currently have a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, you may wish to consider studying one of our master’s programmes instead.

​Students with lower-level qualifications, or qualifications in a different subject area but relevant experience, will also be considered on an individual basis.

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking. ​ You will be required to attend an interview as part of the application process.

English Language Requirements

​If English is not your first language, then we will require you to have IELTS 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component specifically in writing (or equivalent). Applications with IELTS lower than 5.5 in all components will not be considered.

For more information, please visit our English Language requirements page .

​All offers of a place on the programme are subject to:

• successful interview by the University
• availability of suitable members of staff to supervise your chosen research topic​

For Additional information on how to apply to study with us, how to find a potential Supervisor and what documents you should provide with your application, please refer to our  How to Apply page . ​

2024/25 Tuition Fees

Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 2024/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

Doctor Of Philosophy Degrees

Including: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) practice based in the Arts, Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

• UK – Full Time: £5,500
• UK – Part Time: £2,775
• International – Full Time: £15,950
• International – Part Time: £7,450

Doctor of Philosophy Degrees by Means of Published Works

• UK – Part Time: £3,500
• International – Part Time: £7,650

Please visit the funding pages and our scholarship pages for more details on how to fund your study.

2023/24 Tuition Fees

Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 23/24 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

• UK – Full Time: £5,340
• UK – Part Time: £2,695
• International – Full Time: £15,480
• International – Part Time: £7,245
• UK – Part Time: £3,400
• International – Part Time:  £7,460

Ade Ige-Olaobaju

Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Mgmt

Faculty of Business and Law

Careers and Employability

A doctoral degree can be the pinnacle of academic success and often signifies the start of a career in academia or research. A research-based degree is also the most direct route to a job in academia.

The University of Northampton has an excellent Careers and Employability Service who are dedicated to equipping students with the skills to thrive, adapt and innovate in our ever-changing world. Many of our alumni are employed in academia as well as public and private sector businesses.

Our PhD students have access to exceptional research facilities such as:

• Opportunities for research collaboration with staff and students ​
• ​Well-equipped library with access to academic e-books, journal articles and learning resources for on-site and off-site study​
• Dedicated PhD study area with computer and printer in the Learning Hub
• ​Teaching and Research Assistant opportunities should you meet the requirement ​
• Library and Learning support for PhD students ​
• Excellent social groups for student meetings and engagement ​
• Spacious individual and group working space and discussion areas
• Skills support for PhD students

Related Courses

Human Resource Management MA

The aim of this course is to develop you as an HR professional.

Human Resource Management (Top-Up) MA

This course offers you the opportunity to meet your continuing professional requirements as a human resource practitioner and enrich your career prospects.

Human Resource Management PGDip

Doctor of Business Administration DBA

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a professional doctorate with the same status as a PhD.

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MPhil/PhD Human Resource Management

Key Information

MPhil: 1.5-3 years. PhD: 2-4 years

MPhil: 2-4 years. PhD: 3-8 years

Entry Requirements

Brayford Pool

Start Dates in October and February

Programme Overview

Doctoral candidates pursue original research with the goal of making a significant contribution to knowledge in, and understanding of, their chosen field. As a postgraduate researcher you can become an integral part of our research community, working with leading academics whose research has gone on to impact business, policy, and society on an international scale.

There is an emphasis on your own independent critical investigation, supervised by an experienced team of academics. You can benefit from an active research community in the School, and research groups with which to align your study.

As a research student, you will have access to a structured programme of training supported by our Doctoral School. This aims to assist you in the development of the practical and critical skills which are necessary for this programme and are transferable to your career. There may be opportunities to participate in undergraduate teaching following relevant training.

Key Features

Conduct independent, original, and academically significant research

Benefit from training courses to develop key research skills

Supervision and support from expert academic staff

Present at talks and seminars to showcase your work

Enrol in February or October each year

How You Study

Normally, PhD students register for an MPhil, and within 12 months (24 months for part-time study) they are expected to transfer to the PhD programme. This transfer requires the production of a detailed research proposal, which the candidate will be expected to defend at a transfer viva. The formal transfer is subject to approval by the University's Research Committees

Students are assigned a supervision team consisting of a Director of Studies (first supervisor) and usually one second supervisor. Students are expected to work independently on their research projects under the advice and direction of the supervision team.

Due to the nature of postgraduate research programmes, the vast majority of your time will be spent in independent study and research. You will have meetings with your academic supervisors, however the regularity of these will vary depending on your own individual requirements, subject area, staff availability, and the stage of your programme.

Research Groups and Topics

The key to success on a postgraduate research programme is to find a research topic that you are passionate about and identify a supervisory team that has expertise in this area. We strongly recommend that you take a look at the research groups within Lincoln International Business School and individual staff research interests so you can see how your proposed research aligns with our research. Research is organised primarily around six research groups which draw together staff from across disciplinary boundaries within the School.

Community Organisation Research Group

Researching community organisation, self-organisation, and development within Third Sector organisations, multi-agency networks, and community groups.

Lincoln Economics, Accountancy, and Finance Research Group

Facilitating the creation and diffusion of policy-relevant research and the development of research skills in the University, the local community, and wider society.

Marketing Research Group

Bringing together both early-career and well-established researchers who are contributing to a wide range of marketing-related studies.

Regional Innovation and Enterprise Research Group

Delivering locally, nationally, and internationally funded projects aimed at investigating the role of innovation and entrepreneurship in the developments of regions.

Responsible Management Research Group

Developing new knowledge in ways that improve the understanding of responsible management as a concept and as practice in multiple contexts.

Visitor Economy Research Group

The Visitor Economy Research Group brings together research focused on the areas of tourism, mobilities, hospitality, heritage, events, and leisure.

How you are assessed

Students are required to demonstrate adequate and appropriate progress usually on an annual basis. A PhD is awarded based on the quality of your thesis and your ability in an oral examination (viva voce) to present and successfully defend your chosen research topic to a group of academics. You are also expected to demonstrate how your research findings have contributed to knowledge or developed existing theory or understanding.

Writing a Research Proposal

When applying for the MPhil/PhD programme, you will need to write a research proposal as part of your application. This sets out the broad topic you wish to research; the reasons for the research; what you hope to achieve; how you are going to conduct the research; and the expected results in relation to knowledge and understanding in the subject. The research proposal will be used to assess both the academic potential of your proposed research and our ability to supervise and support you in your proposed area of study.

How to Write Your Research Proposal

How to Apply

Postgraduate Research Application Support

Find out more about the application process for research degrees and what you'll need to complete on our How to Apply page, which also features contact details for dedicated support with your application.

Entry Requirements 2024-25

Normally candidates should hold a 2:1 honours degree, or international equivalent in a relevant subject. You should also hold a Master's degree, or international equivalent, at merit or above.

While academic credentials are important for a successful application we also pay great attention to the fit of students to both the programme and the research interests of our academic team. Applicants are assessed based on their previous academic performance, the quality of their research proposal, and the availability of suitable members of staff to supervise the chosen research topic.

If you would like to undertake a PhD, but do not currently have a Master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, you may want to consider studying one of our Master's programmes.

International students will require English Language at IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each element, or equivalent. For more information, please visit: http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/englishrequirements

If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-session English and Academic Study Skills courses. These specialist courses are designed to help students meet the English language requirements for their intended programme of study.

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/pre-sessionalenglishandacademicstudyskills

Programme Fees

You will need to have funding in place for your studies before you arrive at the University. Our fees vary depending on the course, mode of study, and whether you are a UK or international student. You can view the breakdown of fees for this programme below. Research students may be required to pay additional fees in addition to cover the cost of specialist resources, equipment and access to any specialist collections that may be required to support their research project. These will be informed by your research proposal and will be calculated on an individual basis.

Funding Your Research

Loans and Studentships

Find out more about the optional available to support your postgraduate research, from Master's and Doctoral Loans, to research studentship opportunities. You can also find out more about how to pay your fees and access support from our helpful advisors.

Career Development

A doctoral qualification can be the capstone of academic achievement and often marks the beginning of a career in academia or research. A research programme provides the opportunity to become a true expert in your chosen field, while developing a range of valuable transferable skills that can support your career progression. A research-based degree is also the most direct pathway to an academic career. PhDs and research degrees are a great chance to expand your network and meet diverse people with similar interests, knowledge, and passion.

The University’s Doctoral School provides a focal point for Lincoln’s community of researchers, where ideas and experiences can be developed and shared across disciplines. It also offers support and training to help equip you for both academic and non-academic careers.

Doctoral School

Academic Contact

For more information about this course, please contact:

Dr Siobhan Wray [email protected]

Research at Lincoln

Through our research, we are striving to change society for the better. Working with regional, national, and international partners, our academics are engaged in groundbreaking studies that are challenging the status quo. We also understand the importance of providing the best possible environment for pursuing research that can support our communities and make a tangible difference to the world around us.

Prioritising Face-to-Face Teaching

At the University of Lincoln, we strive to ensure our students’ experience is engaging, supportive, and academically challenging. Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, we have adapted to Government guidance to keep our students, staff, and community safe. All remaining Covid-19 legal restrictions in England were lifted in February 2022 under the Government’s Plan for Living with Covid-19, and we have embraced a safe return to in-person teaching on campus. Where appropriate, face-to-face teaching is enhanced by the use of digital tools and technology and may be complemented by online opportunities where these support learning outcomes.

We are fully prepared to adapt our plans if changes in Government guidance make this necessary, and we will endeavour to keep current and prospective students informed. For more information about how we are working to keep our community safe, please visit our coronavirus web pages .

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Title: The impact of human resource management practices on employee's performance. A Research Proposal

The impact of human resource management practices on employee’s performance

Related Papers

FLE Learning

Waiphot Kulachai

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of human resource management practices on employees’ job performance. Questionnaires were employed to collect the data. The research participants were 464 state officials from 10 city municipalities in Chonburi, Thailand. The data was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings showed that (1) recruitment and selection, internal communication, and job satisfaction had a positive direct impact on an employee’s job performance; (2) pays and benefits, performance appraisal, and internal communication had a positive direct impact on job satisfaction; and (3) pays and benefits and performance appraisal showed no direct impact on an employee’s job performance but had indirect impact on an employee’s job performance through job satisfaction. The study notes several theoretical and practical implications of the findings that may extend our knowledge of the various impacts of human resource management practices on an employee’s job performance. Keywords: job performance, HRM practices, job satisfaction

Management Science Letters

Mohammad Reza Shirvani

Maroof Khalil

This paper aimed to examine the effect of HRM practices towards employee performance in Malaysian Skills Institute (MSI). It investigated the factors that affecton recruitment and selection, compensation toward employee performance in MSI. The study population, which consisted of employees in the MSI, comprised 40 respondents. To achieve the study objectives, the researcher developed and distributed a questionnaire, and collected and analyzed the data using SPSS. An overall analysis was performed based on the descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The results indicated that recruitment and selection and compensation significantly correlated with the employee performance in MSI. The paper provided recommendations for improving recruitment and selection and compensation in MSI.

wms-soros.mngt.waikato.ac.nz

Zubair Aslam Marwat

FUOYE Journal of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

SUNDAY A D E N I Y I OLASEHINDE, PhD.

This study investigated the impact of human resources management in enhancing the efficiency of employee. This study aims to analyse three key indicators of organisational management, which consist of staff recruitment and selection practice, training and development practice and compensation and reward practice. A survey research design of structured questionnaire distributed among the selected academic and non-academic staff of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti was employed. The study employed regression analysis of ordinary least square coupled with correlation analysis. Empirical result revealed that staff recruitment and selection coupled with training and development practice exhibited significant impact on employee's performance while the impact of compensation and reward practice is not significant. The coefficient of multiple determination in the regression result revealed a robust result while the F-test indicated a value that is significant at 5% level, thus concluded that a valid significant relationship subsist among the variables in the model. It was therefore suggested that efforts should be placed on recruitment and selection process before employees' are absorbed into an organisation. More so, the required training should be provided to enhance optimum performance of staff. The management of the university should create a friendly and conducive working environment that will aid employee's performance and ensure the provision of good welfare packages that will encourage and promote employees job performance.

Usman Khalid

International Journal of Organizational Leadership

DR. RAJA ADZRIN RAJA AHMAD

Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research

Kennedy Alusa

Although studies have examined the influence of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices on performance, few have examined the influence of employee outcome in a developing country context. To address recent calls of research to address the role of employee outcome, this study examined the mediating role of employee outcome on the influence of HRM practices and performance. Data was collected from 84 employee of a government organization. Seventy eight (78) filled the questionnaire and retuned the questionnaire. Using multiple regression analysis the result showed that HRM Practices have a significant influence on organizational performance. Further, using stepwise regression analysis, the study established that employee outcome fully mediates the influence of HRM practices on organizational performance.

Dr Irfan Saleem

The study includes the questionnaire items adopted from historic studies. HR Practices have been considered as major tool to enhance employee performance. This research study identifies major practices of HR lead to enhanced Employee Performance (EP) at banks operating in Lahore, Pakistan. Four HR Practices have been selected for this research study that includes Merit based Recruitment & Selection; Performance based Compensation, Organizational Commitment and Training & Development. Results support the proposed theoretical model that link HR Practices and EP in three banks located in Lahore, Pakistan. This study concludes that all testable variables have positive relation with employee performance, Pakistani banks are therefore recommended to adopt the stated HR practices to enhance EP which in turn can enhance Company’s Performance. """

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• PhD in Human Resources

Get Original PhD in Human Resources Topics & Papers From Our Service

Picking excellent hr research topics to match personal preferences.

Many students aim for obtaining PhD in human resources as such a diploma opens numerous career possibilities. Every large company constantly seeks a new employee with excellent professional skills. With PhD human resources degree, you can offer big enterprises your knowledge in finding suitable future workers.

However, you must come up with good HR research topics for your PhD diploma work first. That is one of the biggest issues that students face. You are lucky if you have interesting human resources subjects that you want to investigate.

Otherwise, deciding what HR topics for PhD research can take a lot of time. At the very beginning, you should consider things that you like in human resources science. For some reason, you have decided to master this specialization, and now you are writing a PhD degree work.

Knowing personal preferences help in selecting human resources topics for research paper very much. You can focus on what you like in PhD investigation or turn to our PhD writing service to find worthy and relevant  study issues from the particular field. Such approaches help you get higher motivation to finish the task, as human resources research often takes a lot of time.

Benefits of Using Human Resources Topics for Research Paper Advisors

To ease dwelling on human resources management topics for research paper, talk to your professors. When aiming for a PhD degree, you already know most tutors. Just talk to them. With greater experience in human resource research topics, professors can offer nice writing ideas.

For diploma works, students receive personal scientific advisors. They guide during the selection of PhD research topics in HR and the entire writing process. Take advantage of their assistance and knowledge about the specifics of pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource Management . Tell them about your interest in human resources and what subject fields attract you more.

Quite often, students have the right to choose advisors for PhD in human resource management works. In such a case, make sure to select the one with whom you have good relationships. Familiar tutors have more desire to help with research topics in HR for PhD papers.

Another approach here is choosing professors with many academic works. Creating research topics for human resource management requires knowing trends in a scientific field. Active PhD tutors can easily bring you various ideas for writing that you will like.

Popular HR Topics for PhD Research That You Should Consider to Write

As science constantly develops, more resources and topics appear for investigation. Universities try to focus the attention of students on that. Many HR PhD writing ideas you can find over the internet. Informative articles and writing guides often contain topic titles that you can use.

However, do not just copy topics for PhD human resources papers. Plenty of students have already seen them. You should avoid working on very similar subjects. Instead, change the scope of human resources PhD research a bit while keeping the same idea or try to explore related areas. For example, some topics for research paper on marketing perfectly suit HR investigations.

For your scientific research in human resources, consider the following topics:

• How does social media assist in recruitment?
• Best periods of the year to find new employees.
• HR effectiveness in evaluation of qualities.
• Pros & cons of recruiting university graduates.
• Required skills and traits for remote workers.
• Benefits of letting employees work from home.
• Measures for preventing burnout at the workplace.

All of these topics of PhD human resources have plenty of data for analysis. While considering other studies, make sure to have enough materials. Without enough info on human resources writing PhD research can be way more difficult.

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Novelty Importance of Human Resource Topics for Research Paper

Whenever writing human resources PhD paper, your research must bring new scientific data. It prevents authors from restudying already existing human resource topics for research paper. The novelty of scientific research is what you should think about when coming up with writing ideas. There are different approaches to making sure to conduct an original study.

First is up-to-date resources. You cannot make an investigation without materials. However, you cannot select any articles and papers. Research resources must be up to date. That is why always try to gather data from recent years on your subject.

The second is checking the last PhD human resources works. Most of the studies cover certain questions. However, they do not cover all the points. Some issues still require attention. There you can find interesting ideas and resources for writing your scientific PhD paper.

HR science has plenty of subfields, which are less popular among students. Take time to review what resources and materials you can find to make a helpful PhD study. Every science requires investigations to deepen existing knowledge. Human resources also have such a need.

Writing PhD in Human Resource Management With Professional Assistance

Students often look for fast and simple solutions to deal with human resources assignments and PhD research. Entrusting everything to professionals is what you should consider too. Experienced writers can help with generating excellent topics for a PhD in human resources studies.

Services offer to choose the category of writers based on their success rate. For a diploma work in human resources, you can get a PhD holder on a matching subject. It guarantees to create wonderful research that shows an extensive investigation of the topic and data.

Whether you need just topics in human resources or PhD paper, you can get them both here. Trained writers scrutinize personal requirements and accomplish all your requirements. You can impress the scientific committee with a highly interesting topic.

Every investigation in human resources takes a lot of time. First, you decide on a topic and gather suitable materials. Then you conduct PhD research and write a paper. With professional writing service assistance, you save numerous hours of your life. Thus, think over the way you want to get ready your topic and paper for PhD human resources diploma.