Human Resource Management is the constant change.

MEMO:
One of the most exciting aspects of Human Resource Management is the constant change. With the changing nature of work (globalization, technology, new governmental regulations, etc.), there are many challenges and new issues that human resource managers (as well as any other manager) must face. It is essential that these managers keep abreast of changing laws, practices, policies, concerns, and issues related to attracting, developing, and retaining high performance employees.

You are to identify, research, and report in memo form your advice to a human resource practitioner on a current topic s/he is likely to face or is currently facing. If you have never written a business memo, either Microsoft Word or Corel’s WordPerfect have memo templates you can use.
The following guidelines should be followed when attempting this report project:
• Use any source you would like, including HR practitioners themselves, HR Magazine, the Society for Human Resource web site (http://www.shrm.org), or other human resource sources to find out the “burning issues” facing human resource professionals in the 21st century. We will be discussing many of these in class, so you should have a bit of an idea from just attending class! I would be happy to help you find a topic, but this must be done early on in the semester (no procrastinating!).
• Once you have identified several topics, choose one that interests you. Maybe think about choosing an issue that you have faced in the past or are facing now at work – the more you can relate and “get into” the topic, the more you’ll get out of this assignment.
• With your topic chosen, research as much as you can about it, including any history of the issue/topic, general feelings about the issue/topic from the perspectives of top managers, middle and lower managers, the employees themselves, society, academia, government, etc. Within your memo, your resources must be cited in APA format (http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html – there are other cites as well), and you must have a reference page. I expect that you will use the library databases to do your research (not Wikipedia!). I will have a forum on the memo and using the library databases and will share with you valuable library resources under Resources.
• In this research try to break down what you find into four categories: (1) Background for issue/concern/topic importance (this would include a history or rationale as to why this is an important topic), (2) Behaviors/Attitudes resulting from the issue/concern/topic for employees, (3) Implications for organizations AND human resource practitioners (particularly as they affect the functional areas of HR–staffing, compensation, training, etc.), and (4) Recommendations that YOU have for what organizations and human resource professionals might do to help solve or deal with the issue/concern/topic.
• This should be a persuasive memo. In other words, you are to take a side on the issue and are trying to convince your audience to implement some or all of your recommendations.
You MUST write this report in a memo form. In this report memo, detail each of your four (4) areas. The memo report can be no longer than THREE pages double spaced 12 pt. font (not including the reference page). Because you only have three pages to write this memo, you must write it in a very clear and concise manner.