SEMINAR PACK
Mangt & Employee Relations - HRMT 625– Individual Assignment Brief 1
ACADEMIC YEAR and TERM as per MOODLE
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRAITON (MBA)
HRMT 625 – MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYEE
RELATIONS
INSTRUCTOR: DR. PAURIC P. O’ROURKE
INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT BRIEF
30% OF TOTAL COURSE GRADE
SUBMISSION DETAILS:
DATE: WEEK DESIGNATED ON MOODLE
TIME: MIDNIGHT ON DAY STIPULATED ON
MOODLE
WHERE: ONLINE VIA STUDENT PORTAL
TURNITIN LINK ON MOODLE
Mangt & Employee Relations - HRMT 625– Individual Assignment Brief 2
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this assignment the student will be able:
1. To develop abilities to gather, analyse, interpret and evaluate information on the
Reward and Compensation related process, practice and laws.
2. To strengthen conceptual and analytical skills in the study of Reward and
Compensation.
3. To apply a range of Reward and Compensation principles and concepts.
4. To build tangible links between the theory and practice of Reward and
Compensation.
5. To heighten awareness and understanding of Reward and Compensation in
action
6. To develop and present thoughts, arguments and informed opinions in a logical
and coherent way.
7. To demonstrate academic and management research, report writing and
composition skills with academic integrity.
8. To consistently apply the APA system of academic referencing.
9. To demonstrate word processing and IT skills
10. To develop project and time management and execution skills.
11. To develop healthy and functional work habits in progressing confidently and
consistently towards a defined submission deadline date.
Individual Written Assignment
Strategic Compensation Case Analysis: U.S. women's soccer team's wage discrimination
lawsuit
Background and Context:
In 2019, twenty-eight members of the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) filed a
gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation. Players sued in March
2019 under the US Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and they
sought more than $66 million in damages.
The main complaints from the players involve claims of wage discrimination. The
petitioners pointed out that men’s national team receives a $5,000 bonus for a loss in a
friendly match, while women receive nothing for a loss or a draw. However, when the
teams win, the men receive as much as $17,625, but women only receive $1,350. Further,
in 2011, when the women placed second in their World Cup, they were awarded $1.8
million, split evenly among the 24 players on the team. The men's team made it only to
the round of 16 that year; however, they were awarded $5 million. In 2014, when
Germany won the Men's World Cup, the US team was awarded $35 million by FIFA,
while the women received 5% of that for their Cup victory in 2015. Their claims affect
not only their paychecks but also where they play and how often, how they train, the
medical treatment and coaching they receive, and even how they travel to matches.
Mangt & Employee Relations - HRMT 625– Individual Assignment Brief 3
In May 2020, U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner summarily dismissed the unequal
pay portion of the lawsuit. Check the following links for additional background
information on this lawsuit and context:
Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Equal Pay Case — Here’s Why (fo
es.com)
https:
www.npr.org/2020/05/02/ XXXXXXXXXX/federal-judge-dismisses-u-s-womens-
soccer-team-s-equal-pay-claim and
https:
www.fo
es.com/sites/evangerstmann/2020/05/04/this-is-why-the-us-womens-
soccer-team-lost-their-pay-discrimination-suit/?sh=3d7522fc2886
Instructions: Given the US-Canada proximity, assume that the Chief Executive Officer
of the Canada Soccer Association (CSA) contacted you as a Reward and Compensation
Specialist Consultant. In the initial
iefing meeting, the CEO mentioned that she
expects you to achieve the following 3 objectives:
1) Lead and guide the federation in doing a complete review of the US federation’s
compensation strategies and outline the main issues with their policy and why they got
into such a difficulty
(This is the problem Identification Section of the report)
2) Had this been a Canadian case - what compensation policies and practices— salary,
incentive plans, and benefits—would help to produce the player behaviors federation
needs to achieve?
(This is a strategic policy plan section– hence you are required to reflect on mistakes
from US federation’s compensation and recommend an updated/modified compensation
plan for Canadian Soccer Association)
3) What impact this potential future compensation plan will have on labour agreements
with soccer players (both men and women) in Canada. In this question, focus on how
can the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) incorporate the following legal
considerations when formulating future strategies and plans?
(This is the Results section of a report – with this no formal conclusion is needed) –
Employment/Labour laws – Pay Equity Acts – Human Rights Acts – other legislation –
union agreements Note: Conduct research to get information on the lawsuit and all other
missing information (e.g., the Federation strategic goals).
Deliverable Output: Write a business report in a logical manner for the Chief Executive
Officer of the Canada Soccer Association (CSA)
8 Steps to successfully completing this assignment:
1. Complete the Online Academic Integrity Certificate (optional – do Not include
in final submission on Turnitin)
2. Complete the Quiz on APA (American Psychological Association) citation and
eference style. (Optional – do Not include in final submission on Turnitin)
3. Research The Case Study
https:
www.npr.org/2020/05/02/ XXXXXXXXXX/federal-judge-dismisses-u-s-womens-soccer-team-s-equal-pay-claim
https:
www.npr.org/2020/05/02/ XXXXXXXXXX/federal-judge-dismisses-u-s-womens-soccer-team-s-equal-pay-claim
https:
www.fo
es.com/sites/evangerstmann/2020/05/04/this-is-why-the-us-womens-soccer-team-lost-their-pay-discrimination-suit/?sh=3d7522fc2886
https:
www.fo
es.com/sites/evangerstmann/2020/05/04/this-is-why-the-us-womens-soccer-team-lost-their-pay-discrimination-suit/?sh=3d7522fc2886
Mangt & Employee Relations - HRMT 625– Individual Assignment Brief 4
4. Write up the Assignment using the Suggested Format.
5. Double check your assignment against the marking and assessment ru
ics.
6. Complete and sign the Academic Integrity Declaration Form
7. Put assignment through Turnitin with a Similarity Score of 20% Or less.
8. Submit the final assignment online via Moodle by the stipulated deadline.
Step 1: Complete the Online Academic Integrity Certificate: (Optional - Do Not
Include in Turnitin submission)
To ensure you understand Academic Integrity, please complete this Online \\Tutorials
on Plagiarism: VAIL (Virtual Academic Integrity Laboratory)
The student may wish, and its options, to complete the very short 6 modules of this on-
line tutorial on academic integrity/plagiarism, sit the quiz at the end of each module for
which you will be able to download a Certificate of Completion. Do NOT include this
in the final submission on Turnitin.
The actual tutorial from the University of Maryland Campus can be assessed free under
common room license at:
https:
www.umgc.edu/cu
ent-students/learning-resources/academic-
integrity/tutorial/interactive.html
(If the link is
oken, Google search it for the original link)
Each module is very short as are the quizzes at the end.
Attach the Certificate of Completion, to the final assignment.
Please ensure that you read the section on Academic Misconduct policy in the UCW
Academic Integrity Policy on the website located in MyUCW under the Registrar
section. Plagiarism and lack of academic integrity includes, but is not limited to:
• Submission of another person’s work as original.
• Inadequate attribution given to an author or creator whose work is incorporated in
the student's work; and
• Paraphrase or use of material ve
atim from a source without sufficient
acknowledgement.
Falsifying Materials: includes, but is not limited to:
• Fraudulently manipulating laboratory processes, electronic data, or research data
in order to achieve desired results.
• Submitting work prepared by someone else (e.g., commercially prepared essays)
as one's own.
• Citing a source from which material was not obtained; and
• Submitting false records, information or data, in writing or orally.
Cheating: includes, but is not limited to:
• Submitting the same work for different courses without prior permission from the
faculty member.
• Copying another person’s answers or other work.
https:
www.umgc.edu/cu
ent-students/learning-resources/academic-integrity/tutorial/interactive.html
https:
www.umgc.edu/cu
ent-students/learning-resources/academic-integrity/tutorial/interactive.html
Mangt & Employee Relations - HRMT 625– Individual Assignment Brief 5
• Sharing information or answers when doing take-home assignments, tests, and
examinations except where the instructor has authorized collaborative work.
• Having any unauthorized materials or equipment in an examination or test.
• Submitting an assignment completed (or partially completed) by someone else.
• Falsifying or making up data or bibliographic information.
• Impersonating a candidate in an examination or test or being assigned the results
of such impersonation.
• Reproducing, sharing or otherwise making unauthorized copies of UCW materials
in any format.
• Using technological means such as cell phones, data storage units and other
electronic devices without prior permission from the faculty; and
• Assisting others or attempt to help others to engage in any conduct described
above or any other activities prohibited by UCW.
Penalties for Academic Misconduct:
Penalties for academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:
• At the course level:
o Written reprimand for retention in the student file (no transcript entry)
o Repetition of the assignment or completion of a different, but similar, assignment
(no transcript entry)
o Failing grade for the assignment (no transcript entry)
o Failing grade for the course (recorded on transcript)
• At the program level:
o Disciplinary probation for a defined period with written documentation retained
in the student’s file (transcript notation for period of probation)
• At the UCW level:
o Suspension (permanent transcript entry)
o Expulsion (permanent transcript entry)
o Rescission of degrees granted (permanent transcript entry)
Step 2. Complete the Quiz on APA (American Psychological Association)
citation and reference style. (Optional – Do Not Include in Turnitin Submission)
If you wish, please review the various aspect of APA of the APA (American
Psychological Association) citation and reference style on the website below. Then
please complete the quiz on the on APA (American Psychological Association) citation
and reference style developed by Penn State UCW Li
ary. On completion of the quiz
take a screen shot of your score and attach it to the final submission of your assignment.
You should aim to achieve a score of 70% or more.
https:
guides.li
aries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/quiz
Given that you will being completing numerous assignments and essays and research
projects during the course of your degree, then you should give very serious
consideration to using some Bibliographical Software such as EndNote which
automatically formats the reference into the required style, such as APA or Harvard.
https:
guides.li
aries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/quiz
Mangt & Employee Relations - HRMT 625– Individual Assignment Brief 6
EndNote is available free to download from UCW. See link below:
https:
www.myucwest.ca/cms/?p=1219
EndNote allows you to automatically import references and full citation from a database
or google scholar directly into the software database. You can then use Write and Cite
in MS Word to reference co
ectly in the body of the essay and also to automatically
create a bibliography at the end of your assignment. It also serves as a depository where
you can also upload and save full text Word and Pdf files, which are linked to a reference.
As it normally comes in both desktop and web versions, you can also access from
anywhere. It saves hours of time and once you start building your li
ary you have it for
life and for all courses and assignments you may complete in the future.
Most bibliographic software requires a paid license fee but there are a few free ones also
such as Mendeley. https:
www.mendeley.com/?interaction_required=true
YouTube Clip on Using Mendeley (5 mins):
https:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv6_HuCYExM
12 Best Free Online Bibliography and Citation Tools
https:
elearningindustry.com/12-best-free-online-bibliography-and-citation-tools
Step 3. Research The Case Study
Finding relevant information about the Reward and Compensation systems and practices
of an industry and company can be challenging and requires you to utilize the skills of
an investigative business journalist. It critical to understand the industry first and the
dynamics of the sector. Its like you cannot under a family member unless you understand
the family unit. Read generally on the topic first starting with your core textbook and
then funnel your research into the specifics and micro-aspects of the topic(s).
Finding Relevant Information:
- There is a significant number of resources to draw from and should include the
following: Note: Google should not be your first port of call. Google, Wikipedia will
not be considered as authentic sources you will be marked
down for using them. You can use company websites, Job Market analysis taken from
Statista and
other reliable sources.
- UCW Li
ary – on shelf and academic online resources should be your first post
of call. UCW li
ary databases
- Industry trade magazines and professional body publications
- Company website and HR and career portals
- Best Place to Work – Canada, website and league tables.
- Please explore all the usual sources such as Google Scholar,
- - See Core Textbook and Other Texts Books on Reward and Compensation and
Human Resources Management.
- On