Overview
An organisation’s performance management system plays a major role in its ability to attract and retain skilled and/or experienced employees, to motivate high quality performance, and to support organisational strategic objectives. In this unit you will gain a sound understanding of the concepts, models and theories underpinning the relationship between performance management systems, human resource management and organisational performance. You will explore the use of performance management techniques in real world organisational settings and develop performance management capabilities relevant to a range of organisational scenarios.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: HRMT11011
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE qualitative comments
Students appreciated the efforts of the UC. They mentioned, "[UC} is a credit to the university and was extremely helpful throughout". Also, they encouraged students to interact and work together.
It is critical to bring students back to the online classes to enhance their in-class participation and engagement with the contents. Teamwork and activities will be continued and further developed to ensure better engagement with the unit. Thus, there may be a need for assessment changes.
Feedback from SUTE qualitative comments
Students appreciated the knowledgeability of the UC. However, they showed concerns about responses to emails properly.
It would be great to continue delivery of knowledge in workshop. Email response plan should be developed before each term and should be followed. Some students could be connected directly via phone if they struggle with email responses and communication. Alternative communication mode such as voice thread should be used to connect with such students.
- Describe the major concepts, theories and techniques concerned with the way in which organisations manage their people
- Outline the key approaches to identifying and assessing employee and organisational performance
- Identify the important relationship between an organisation's performance management system and human resource management
- Explain the major reward practices and their implications in performance management
- Apply effective techniques to plan, develop, and use elements of a performance management system.
NA
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 50% | |||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 50% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
Managing Employee Performance and Reward: Systems, Practices and Prospects
3rd Edition (2020)
Authors: John Shields, Jim Rooney, Sydney Michelle Brown and Sarah Kaine
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge Cambridge , UK
ISBN: 9781108701044
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.ehtisham@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Performance and reward basics
Chapter
Chapter 1 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Strategic alignment and psychological engagement
Chapter
Chapter 2 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Managing for results
Chapter
Chapter 3 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Performance appraisal and management
Chapter
Chapter 4 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Reviewing, discussing and developing employee performance
Chapter
Chapter 5 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
No reading
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Base pay
Chapter
Chapter 6 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Employee benefits
Chapter
Chapter 7 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Recognising and rewarding individual performance
Chapter
Chapter 8 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Collective short-term incentive plans
Chapter
Chapter 9 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Employee share ownership
Chapter
Chapter 10 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
System review, change and development
Chapter
Chapter 11 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
New horizons in performance and reward management
Chapter
Chapter 12 of the textbook
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Presentation
The purpose of this assessment is to help you understand performance management and reward management processes in Australian workplaces. Through engaging in this task, you will develop academic skills in communication, problem-solving, evaluating, and presenting information and ideas to the standard requirement of business professionals.
Select an Australian organisation (such as KPMG or other organisations of your choice), which has publicly available information on performance management and/or reward/compensation management, or related HRM policies or practices on performance management.
This assessment requires you to make a 15-minute individual recorded presentation. You may opt for a PowerPoint voice-over or similar software application in this process (should be able to see the presenter to assess presentation skills).
You are required to present and respond to the questions/tasks below. Use relevant theories and academic references to support your findings and discussions:
1) Describe performance management and/or reward management of the selected organisation.
2) Evaluate strengths and weaknesses of performance management and/or reward management processes of the selected organisation. You are encouraged to compare performance management and/or reward management processes of different organisations to support your findings.
3) Provide recommendations for any changes and revisions of the current performance and/or reward management process of the selected organisation and propose an alternative process. In your recommendations, you should consider non-monetary rewards and other relevant employee benefits.
Incorporate a minimum of eight (8) recent (2015-2025) peer-reviewed journal articles to justify your arguments.
Important: Before commencing this task, carefully read the detailed assessment task and marking rubric available on the unit Moodle site.
For this assessment, students must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Artificial Intelligence
Assessment Scale (AIAS). You are permitted to use AI tools for planning, idea development, and research. However, your final submission should clearly demonstrate how you have developed, refined, and critically engaged with these ideas. Failure to properly disclose the use of AI tools or any misuse will be regarded as a breach of academic integrity and handled in accordance with the university's academic misconduct policies.
Week 6 Friday (25 Apr 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 8 Friday (9 May 2025)
Your presentation will be assessed on the extent to which it meets each of the following criteria:
- Introduction (10%) - Introduction of the task and issues
- Analysis and application of knowledge (25%) - Critical analysis and application of relevant knowledge. Use of at least 8 recent peer-reviewed journal articles throughout the presentation.
- Conclusion and recommendations (15%) - Clarity and conciseness of conclusion and the appropriate evidence-based recommendations.
- References (10%) - Appropriate use of APA referencing to justify your points in the text and provide a 'References' list. Consistent use of APA style of referencing.
- Presentation delivery (20%) - Clear articulation and engaging presentation of ideas within the timeframe. Demonstrates professionalism. Appropriate voice tone and body language during the presentation.
- Visual Aids (20%) - Competent and appropriate use of visual aids. Professional use of PowerPoint features such as font size, font colours, schematic diagrams and tables. Followed the assessment guidelines regarding the use of the PowerPoint voice-over or similar type of software for the presentation.
Penalties for late submissions are applied according to CQUniversity policy [-5%× 50 = -2.5 marks per day for every day the assessment is late. A late penalty is deducted from the total marks obtained by the student.]
Important: Plagiarism and academic misconduct are taken very seriously. Such incidents will be reported and may result in a “zero” mark.
- Describe the major concepts, theories and techniques concerned with the way in which organisations manage their people
- Outline the key approaches to identifying and assessing employee and organisational performance
- Identify the important relationship between an organisation's performance management system and human resource management
- Explain the major reward practices and their implications in performance management
- Apply effective techniques to plan, develop, and use elements of a performance management system.
2 Portfolio
This assessment requires students to prepare a portfolio. A portfolio can be seen as both a product and a process:
As a product, it holds the work records and documents you have produced during the unit and represents an edited collection of your learning achievements.
As a process, it enables you to monitor your learning systematically, reflect on your learning performance, present a coherent account of your achievements and obtain feedback on your learning.
This individual assessment task should be 2000 words (+/- 10%) and account for 50% of the marks for this unit. The portfolio comprises six (6) parts.
Part 1 - Short Answer Question (500 words) - Significance of Performance and reward management - Critically discuss the significance of performance and reward management systems to organisations today.
Part 2 – Performance review meeting and feedback note (500 words) – Conduct a performance review meeting with a person known to you who is employed as a graduate employee and based on the review meeting, write feedback for him/her.
Part 3 – Employee benefit plan (500 words) - Assuming that you are an HR manager of a local telecom organisation, prepare an employee benefit plan for a sales force or customer service or a similar position in an organisation. You need to justify the mix of four benefits categories.
Part 4 – Performance-related pay options (500 words) – Suggest and justify the performance-related pay options for the same job position you have used in Part 3 above.
Part 5 - References (not included in the word count) - Integrate a minimum of eight (8) recent peer-reviewed scholarly references. These references are to back up your analysis provided in different parts.
Part 6 - Appendices (not included in the word count) - You should include the following appendices: (a) a performance review performa used in Part 2 above, and (b) a copy of the position description referred to in Part 3 and 4 above.
Important: Before commencing this task, carefully read the detailed assessment task and marking rubric available on the unit Moodle site.
For this assessment, students must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Artificial Intelligence
Assessment Scale (AIAS). You are permitted to use AI tools for planning, idea development, and research. However, your final submission should clearly demonstrate how you have developed, refined, and critically engaged with these ideas. Failure to properly disclose the use of AI tools or any misuse will be regarded as a breach of academic integrity and handled in accordance with the university's academic misconduct policies.
Week 12 Friday (6 June 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
Feedback and marks will be released to students along with the certification of grades process.
Your portfolio will be assessed on the extent to which it meets each of the following criteria:
- Analysis and Justifications (30%) - Critical analysis and an integrated and well-developed argument to respond to all parts of the assessment task.
- Integration of theory and literature (30%) - Integration of relevant theory, concepts, models, and frameworks.
- Research (20%) - Demonstration of extensive research and understanding of the relevant material. Integrates a minimum of eight (8) peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles published in the last 10 years (2015 - 2024) (less than the minimum is not eligible for a pass in this section).
- Presentation, referencing, organisation, structure, communication (20%) - Following the recommended format, structure and presentation. Consistent use of APA style of referencing. Correct spelling, expression, grammar and use of language.
Penalties for late submissions are applied according to CQ University policy [-5% × 50 = -2.50 marks per day for every day the assessment is late. A late penalty is deducted from the total marks obtained by the student.]
Important: Plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct are taken very seriously. Such incidents will be reported and may result in a “zero” mark.
- Describe the major concepts, theories and techniques concerned with the way in which organisations manage their people
- Outline the key approaches to identifying and assessing employee and organisational performance
- Identify the important relationship between an organisation's performance management system and human resource management
- Explain the major reward practices and their implications in performance management
- Apply effective techniques to plan, develop, and use elements of a performance management system.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
