+1 862 207 3288 DAN MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS MANAGEMENT: MOS 3342A – Fall 2015
GUIDELINES FOR COMPENSATION TRENDS RESEARCH REPORT
General Instructions:
Select a specific area of compensation that interests you (e.g., CEO compensation, benefits, pensions, etc) and research this topic to determine both the short and long term trends that have occurred or are currently occurring within this area of compensation. Suggestions for topics to help inspire you are provided below. Based on your research, write an 8-10 page report that synthesizes your research process and findings along with any other implications and insights related to your topic. Be sure to pick a topic that is interesting to you and that is specifically related to this course. You may be inspired by a personal interest, a recent news article, an article in a business magazine, a personal interest or one of the topics from our textbook Compensation (Milkovish et al., 4th Canadian Edition). If you need help picking a topic, I encourage you to set up a meeting with me.
Appropriate sources of research include peer reviewed academic journal articles, recently published books, credible news sources (e.g., The Globe and Mail; Time magazine, etc) business magazines and interviews (only if desired). Use ProQuest and other search engines available within the UWO online library catalogue to conduct your research. You may also find Google Scholar useful. Please note that the textbook isNOT considered an appropriate resource for this assignment. The purpose of this research report is to go beyond what is covered in the text.
Format and Structure of the Report:
Your report should provide a detailed outline of your research process, including what resources informed your research and a summary of your findings regarding the short and long term trends. Your report should also address why such trends have occurred and any implications of the trends.
Your report should include the following headings and content:
Introduction: Eloquently and creatively introduce the reader to your topic. State the purpose of your research (what you were trying to find out when you began to research your topic). Include a road map of your paper. (Approximately ¼ page – ½ page)
Research Process: Provide a detailed outline of your research process. Discuss how you obtained resources, what types of resources (e.g., journal articles, magazines, online news sources) you used to write your report and how these resources informed your research. (Approximately ½ page – ¾ page)
Findings: Summarize your research findings. Discuss and compare past, current and emerging trends that occurred or are occurring within your topic. You should also discuss why these trends have occurred and/or are happening. (Approximately 4-6 pages)
General Implication and Insights: Summarize the implications of these trends. What impact (if any) will or has these trends had on any or all of the following areas of management:
• Compensation management (including any legal implications)
• Small business management
• Human resources management
• International management
You may also very briefly indicate what meaning (if any) your findings have produced for you personally. Did your research yield an answer you were satisfied with, or has it produced more questions you would like to pursue? Why?(Approximately 1-2 pages)
Conclusion: Provide a succinct conclusion to your report. Restate the purpose of your research and provide an overall conclusion of your findings. (Approximately ¼ page – ½ page)
Format: Your report should be typed, double-spaced with 1″ margins on all sides. You should use 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a reference page and use APA (American Psychological Association) style guide for citations and references. Adhering to this style guide, provide a cover page with a running head, the title of your report the course name, number and section number, your name and student number and date of submission.
A Note on Originality:
This assignment is subject to all the same terms and conditions stated in the University Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct outlined in the course syllabus. If you paraphrase research information in your own words or quote information verbatim from any research source, you are required to cite such references accurately throughout your report. Stating: “I didn’t know” will not be accepted as an excuse for failing to cite information appropriately. Additionally, submitting a paper (or portions thereof) previously written by yourself (or someone else) for which credit has been given or is being sought in the University elsewhere is unacceptable for credit in this course and is regarded as a form of plagiarism.
Please consult the University Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct in the syllabus for more detail, as well as the Scholastic Offence Policy in the Western Academic Calendar.
Suggestions for Compensation Trends Research Topics:
1. Benefits – trends in specific benefits (e.g., maternity/paternity leave, pension plans, workers compensation, vacation time, flex benefits).
2. Executive and Management Pay – trends in CEOs’, Executive Teams’ and senior managements’ pay in both private and public sectors (e.g., CEOs, Presidents of Universities, etc).
3. Expatriate pay – trends in pay of North American workers sent on foreign assignments.
4. Immigrants to Canada – compensation issues experienced by New Canadians.
5. Pay trends in specific industries or occupations/jobs – e.g., pay in law, medicine, nursing, teaching, banking, auto industry, oil and gas industry, etc.
6. Legislation, Taxation, Employment Standards – changes in taxable benefits, minimum wage, maternity/parental leave, etc.
7. Performance Based Pay Trends- over all trends, or trends in specific mechanisms such as Stock Options, Commissions, Profit Sharing, etc.
8. Unions – how have unions influenced compensation in the past, present and the future?
9. Trends in Pay Secrecy – changes in organizations’ willingness to disclose pay structure, salaries, etc.
10. Public Sector Jobs –pay trends for jobs found in Provincial or Federal workplaces (e.g., Canada Post, Universities/Colleges).
11. Pay trends in various countries of interest – how has the form compensation changed over time in China, Russia, or European countries such as France, England, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, etc.
You may also choose to combine any one of these topics (e.g., Trends in benefits paid to nurses; trends in union influence on compensation in the auto industry; Trends in CEO pay in China, etc).
