RESEARCH PAPER
The primary objective of this paper is to do “research” in a specific area of Human Resource
Management (HRM). Such research requires the formation of a “research question” with a
narrow focus to facilitate in-depth exploration and often entails a blend of field and literary
research. You can elect to do “primarily field” or “literary research”. Some suggested topics
are below, but you are encouraged to find one which excites your intellect and/or is relevant to
your future business career.
FIELD RESEARCH – requires contacting a company or companies, identifying their current HR
policy issues or HR concerns, selecting only one, developing a list of interview questions
based on a brief review of research in that HR area, and then conducting an interview to
explore the matter in depth. It is NOT merely a report of the conversational narrative of the
interview. It is a thorough critique with recommendation for improvement.

1. Critique a current HR policy or issue in a specific company and make recommendations
   for improvement. Examples of policies are: recruiting, hiring, orientation, training,
   succession planning, career planning, team development, performance review, equal
   employment opportunity, pay incentives, a specific type of employee benefit or perk,
   corrective/disciplinary action, OSHA compliance, and safety recognition.
2. Describe a current HR strategy in a specific company and how it enhances their
   competitive advantage in business. Discuss strengths and weaknesses of the strategy.
   Examples are: HR employment planning, performance management system,
   organization design/development, compensation planning, quality of work life (QWL),
   promotion of diversity, and team building.
3. Interview a HR Manager in a specific company and identify the major issues facing
   him/her and how they plan to address them. Generally, this is a three-step process:
   a. phone interview or find an online interview to identify an issue(s);
   b. select an issue and develop a list of exploratory questions based on related
   theory and research;
   c. conduct an in-person interview, ask the questions, and explore possible
   interventions.
4. Identify and critique the practices adopted by a specific company to comply with a
   specific employment law. Examples are: pregnancy leave, FMLA, affirmative action,
   sexual harassment, disparate impact, ADA, wage-hour practices, OSHA, workers
   compensation, unemployment compensation, veteran rights, and ERISA or WARN.
5. Critique a performance management system in a specific company and make
   recommendations for improvement. Note that this system entails more than
   performance review. See posted materials.
6. If you have a company for whom you plan to work after graduation, inquire into
   whether there is a specific HR policy or issue or program that is problematic and critique
   it. (or some other HRM need you can research for them).
   LITERARY RESEARCH – requires an in-depth exploration of the current field of
   research for a specific area; it is NOT a report merely expressing your opinion of it.
7. Focus on a specific aspect of an employment law and examine the major case law with
   implications for HR policy. Examples are: religious accommodation under Title VII,
   veteran rights in employment, national origin discrimination, age or gender
   discrimination, etc.
8. Examine the value, legality and ethics of background investigations (factors to be
   investigated and how they relate to job requirements). To narrow the focus of your
   research, select one of the areas commonly investigated, e.g., social security
   verification, criminal records, education credentials, prior work history, credit history,
   DMV records, etc.
9. Examine a specific stream of employment litigation and its implications for HR policy
   and practice.
10. Examine one key macro HR concept such as “Organization Design” or “Workforce
    Planning” or “Compensation Planning” and its link to Strategic Planning and HR policy
    development.
11. Critique a specific type of employment recruitment method based on available research.
12. Critique a specific type of employment selection method, e.g., personality testing,
    cognitive ability testing, integrity testing, situational interviews, assessment centers, etc.
13. Critique a specific type of Performance Evaluation method and its fit in an overall
    performance management system. Include an example of this method used currently in
    a company.
14. Critique a specific type of job analysis method and its implications for HR policy.
15. Examine the research underlying the various types of judgment bias in evaluation
    (employment interviewing, organization assessment, performance reviews, complaint
    investigations, etc.).
16. Identify key aspects of the research surrounding performance measurement or more indepth review of the research surrounding a specific type of performance review
    method.
17. Critique an innovative recruiting method (identify companies using it and their
    experience).
18. Critique an innovative employment screening method (e.g., personality testing) and its
    implications for HR policy.