Module Title: International Human Resource Management

Assessment Component: Coursework Word count: 2500 words Assessment criteria and marking standards (very important thus please read carefully). 1. Application and critical treatment of academic material relevant to the assignment. That is, have you located and used appropriate literature to help tackle the case study? Have you examined the strengths and weaknesses of these models and compared them with other approaches? 2. Quality of the analysis of the issue under discussion; substantiation of your argument That is, have you looked at the problem from a number of angles and indicated that you have thought about it - both in terms of drawing on research and theories and independently. Can you find evidence to support positions you argue – especially if you are making any recommendations? 3. Integration of the material in the assignment That is, does your analysis use of models and evidence constitute a convincing and persuasive argument in which the sections fit well together? 4. Correct referencing (Harvard method), punctuation, spelling and grammar 5. Good presentation. Important note The answer should reflect excellent understanding of the subject and includes detailed analysis, evaluation and justification based on wide research and preparation. It reflects several perspectives with critical approaches and linkages beyond the immediate subject area under discussion. Presentation of the essay will reflect a high level of academic rigour including attention to structure, grammar and use of technical terminology. Question: the coursework case Playfair & Co. – ‘helping make companies more valuable’ Playfair & Co. was founded in London as an IT consultancy in 1973 by Adam Ferguson who, as a young management consultant, decided that ‘consultants should deliver results – not just reports – to their clients’. He is still the MD, and is now 65. Playfair & Co was floated in 1995: Ferguson retains 5%. The firm began when many organizations were beginning to use new technologies. It grew during the 1980s, and gained a customer base in the UK as office automation and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems began to be recognized as crucial competitive factors. However Ferguson saw the scope for developing beyond this. First of all, he ensured that IT systems that Playfair & Co. advised