Assignment:
Write a 1500-word critical review of one of the following 8 recent articles and propose a research
project linked to the topic:
1. Li 2022 (HR and performance)
2. Larsen Østerud 2022 (Recruitment and Selection)
3. Yates 2022 (Training and Development)
4. Terry et al 2021 (Performance Management)
5. Tse 2022 (Reward)
6. Aboubichr & Conway 2021 (HR in the public sector)
7. Richards & Sang 2021 (HR and Ethics)
8. Kirkton & Guillaume 2022 (Employment Relations)

Structure:
Your essay should have the following structure:
Title
 The title should have the following format: Critical review of [ARTICLE TITLE] by [AUTHOR(S)
LAST NAME(S)]
Introduction
 Introduce the topic and the purpose of the essay
o State which article you are reviewing and why
 Summarise the structure of your essay
Body
 Provide a brief summary of the article, including the main argument, theoretical approach
and key findings
 Evaluate the article using academic articles from journals on the ABS list (NB: you can also
use non-academic evidence (eg. News stories, CIPD articles) to supplement academic
evidence).
Conclusion
 Summarise the purpose of the review and the points made in the body of the essay
Research proposal
 Propose a qualitative, interview-based research project linked to your critical review – If you
were to do a research project on this topic, what would you investigate and why?:

o Specify the aim of your research (What will you investigate?)
o State your research question (What question will the research look to answer?)
o Justify your research project (Why is it imperative that we look into this?)
o Include 3 interview questions you would ask the participants in your research

References
 Not included in the word count
***Please refer to the assessment section on Canvas for further guidance and resources***

Grading Criteria:
 Has a clear structure: follows the required structure, essay form, logical and clear
presentation of the review
 Demonstrates critical thinking: shows reflection and weighs up different arguments and
perspectives, takes position
 Uses evidence: appropriately applies knowledge from academic articles from ABS listed
journals to evaluate the article
 Proposes a possible research project linked to the review: clearly states the purpose,
research question, and interview questions for the research project
 Is well written with appropriate referencing: Uses Harvard style referencing.

Suggested breakdown of the total word count:
This is to give you a broad indication of the size that each section should have within the total word
count (1500 words):
 Introduction: around 200 words
 Body: around 800 words
 Conclusion: around 300 words
 Project proposal: around 200 words
NB: You have + or – 10% for the total word count (i.e. 2250-2750 words).
Plagiarism:
It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand correct referencing practices. You are
expected to use appropriate references and keep carefully detailed notes of all your information
sources, including any material downloaded from the Internet. It is your responsibility to ensure that
you are not vulnerable to any alleged breaches of the assessment regulations. More information is
available at https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/registry/policy/conduct/plagiarism/index.aspx.