BMO2009 Assessment 1: Exploring a contemporary industry challenge

Case study

HR director's challenge: Advancing women to leadership positions

A large (just over 3000 employees) publicly listed company has received bad publicity recently about low representation of women in leadership positions in the organisation. The company is headed by male CEO and the current senior executive team has one woman (the HR director) and three men (Marketing director, Operations director, and Finance director). The composition of the non-managerial workforce is largely female, with 75% female and 25% male. The profile changes at the managerial level, with 20% of managers being female and 70% being male. As a consultant specialising in women and work, you have been asked to provide advice about the most effective way to advance women to leadership positions in the organisation. The CEO wants a change to be introduced quickly so that he can demonstrate to the public and media that the organisation has responded to the negative publicity in a positive way. The HR director argues that it is not just a structural issue, but also a cultural problem, and will therefore take several years to shift managerial ratios between men and women.

BMO2009 Assessment 1: Exploring a contemporary industry challenge

Case study

HR director's challenge: Advancing women to leadership positions

A large (just over 3000 employees) publicly listed company has received bad publicity recently about low representation of women in leadership positions in the organisation. The company is headed by male CEO and the current senior executive team has one woman (the HR director) and three men (Marketing director, Operations director, and Finance director). The composition of the non-managerial workforce is largely female, with 75% female and 25% male. The profile changes at the managerial level, with 20% of managers being female and 70% being male. As a consultant specialising in women and work, you have been asked to provide advice about the most effective way to advance women to leadership positions in the organisation. The CEO wants a change to be introduced quickly so that he can demonstrate to the public and media that the organisation has responded to the negative publicity in a positive way. The HR director argues that it is not just a structural issue, but also a cultural problem, and will therefore take several years to shift managerial ratios between men and women.

BMO2009 Assessment 1: Exploring a contemporary industry challenge

Case study

HR director's challenge: Advancing women to leadership positions

A large (just over 3000 employees) publicly listed company has received bad publicity recently about low representation of women in leadership positions in the organisation. The company is headed by male CEO and the current senior executive team has one woman (the HR director) and three men (Marketing director, Operations director, and Finance director). The composition of the non-managerial workforce is largely female, with 75% female and 25% male. The profile changes at the managerial level, with 20% of managers being female and 70% being male. As a consultant specialising in women and work, you have been asked to provide advice about the most effective way to advance women to leadership positions in the organisation. The CEO wants a change to be introduced quickly so that he can demonstrate to the public and media that the organisation has responded to the negative publicity in a positive way. The HR director argues that it is not just a structural issue, but also a cultural problem, and will therefore take several years to shift managerial ratios between men and women.

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Instructions
Overview Length: 1500-1550 words (+/- 10%) Weight: 30% Due date: End of Week 1 (11.59pm Sunday) In business environments characterised by volatility, uncertainty and change, human resource management (HRM) practices need to adapt to effectively support organisations. In any workplace, there will be challenges that you will encounter. In this assessment, you are provided with a case study that incorporates a contemporary challenge that the HR industry faces. You will analyse the case study and identify the key people management issues, challenges and opportunities presented. Utilise relevant theories, concepts and frameworks covered in Week 1 to analyse the case study. Examine how the principles and practices of managing people can be applied to address the identified issue presented in the case study. Before you begin, downloadBMO2009 Assessment 1 case study (DOCX 15.3KB). This assessment supports unit learning outcome 1. Your assessment submission should include a cover page. Download theCover page template (DOCX 16 KB). Task Critically analyse and evaluate the potential people management issues, challenges and opportunities highlighted in the case study using appropriate theoretical frameworks. (700-710 words) Propose three HRM practices organisations should prioritise in volatile, uncertain and changing environments that have the potential to advance women to leadership positions in the organisation, focusing on some successful organisational practices. In that case, support your arguments with literature and examples from the organisations. (700-710 words) Provide suggestions for advancing women's leadership positions reflecting your thoughts and experiences as a future human resource manager. (100-120 words) Supporting resources APA 7th referencing: Overview(Victoria University Library, 2025)