Analysing a human resource issue (internal)
Internal 3 credits HR issue Range of solutions Best solution Motivation theory Māori business conceptsOne HR issue, analysed against a fixed ladder: Achieved collects evidence and explains the issue plus ONE possible solution; Merit collects evidence and explains a RANGE (2+) of possible solutions; Excellence collects evidence from a RANGE (2+) of SOURCES, evaluates the issue, and recommends the BEST possible solution — "best" meaning best in YOUR reasoned opinion. Business knowledge and Māori business concept(s) are stated, then included, then integrated.
1 Reading the notation
The standard's own defined numbers, and the state/include/integrate ladder.📖 Terms the schedule grades you on
5 terms- Human resource issue
- Any COMPLEX problem relating to human resources that affects businesses — the standard's exact wording.
- A range of possible solutions
- TWO OR MORE solutions — required from Merit onward.
- A range of sources
- TWO OR MORE sources of evidence — required at Excellence.
- Best possible solution
- The best solution in the STUDENT'S OWN reasoned opinion — not a single objectively correct answer.
- State / include / integrate
- Achieved states business knowledge and Māori business concepts; Merit includes them; Excellence integrates them.
2 Analysing the issue
Evidence → theory → consequence, before any solution is proposed.The chain that has to hold
- Describe the issue with evidence — turnover figures, survey results, absence rates.
- Apply a named theory to explain WHY it is happening.
- Follow the consequence to something measurable: cost, productivity, quality, reputation.
3 From a range of solutions to the best one
Merit lays out 2+; Excellence commits to one, justified. Exam-style Two solutions to high turnover, and a justified best choice Evidence shows turnover concentrated among staff under 25, with exit interviews citing "no path forward". SOLUTION 1 — a structured internal promotion pathway: addresses the exact cause named in the evidence (no path forward), but takes months to design and roll out. SOLUTION 2 — an immediate pay increase: fast to implement and easy to communicate, but Herzberg's theory suggests pay is a hygiene factor — it removes a complaint but does not address the cited cause. JUSTIFIED CHOICE: the promotion pathway is the better solution, because it treats the cause identified in the exit interviews rather than a symptom, even though it costs more time upfront — a pay rise alone would likely leave the underlying dissatisfaction unresolved. ✓ Two real solutions, each explained, then a reasoned choice that argues why one wins — using the theory and evidence already established, not new claims.4 Māori business concepts in the solution
One concept, connected to the specific recommended solution. ✕A concept named but never connected to the recommendation
Naming manaakitanga in an introduction and then recommending a solution that never refers back to it is stating, not integrating. Choose the concept AFTER you know which solution you are recommending, so the connection is genuine.Practice
Recall it first, then use it — testing yourself builds the memory, where rereading the notes above only feels easier.
Recall and application shuffled together — you have to work out what each item wants before you can answer it, which is the part the exam actually tests. Both kinds feed the same spacing schedule, so anything you miss comes back sooner.
Say the answer out loud before flipping — that attempt is where the learning happens, even when you get it wrong.
Exam-style only. Instant feedback, shuffled each attempt, best score saved on this device.