Introduction

This course revolves around the creation of a single, significant capstone project which “caps off” your learning. For your capstone, you will either work with a real company through the Riipen platform or choose a real company (one you work for or select) to analyze in a way that demonstrates your understanding of the HRM program outcomes. You will turn your analysis of that company into a written plan with recommendations and a formal presentation for your intended audience.

Scenario

For this assignment, follow either Path 1 or Path 2. You will use the same path throughout this course. If you are Path 1, Riipen Team, follow instructions provided to you via email from your instructor. Otherwise, proceed with Path 2, Individual Project. Write your instructor if you have questions. You do not need to do both paths. You will apply one of these paths using the instructions below. Both paths will be graded using the same rubric.

PATH 2: INDIVIDUAL PROJECT

For this assignment, you will introduce the organization you have chosen to research, discuss why you chose it, and how it will allow you to demonstrate all of the HRM program outcomes. Having a solid, doable scope is an important part of creating a successful capstone project, and the exact scope is up to you. To help you establish a realistic scope, you will start with the project summary. Be careful to consider the scalability of your project scope, ensuring that it demonstrates your ability to lead in a business environment and showcases your achievement of all HRM program outcomes.
EXAMPLES
A scope that is poorly defined:
I want to write a general analysis of the bookseller, Barnes & Noble.
This topic is too broad, and it would probably require hundreds of pages to address all of the possible analyses.
A scope that is better defined:
The focus of this project is improving retention at Barnes & Noble.
What makes this a better scope? The scope is grounded in an opportunity that you can use to apply your learning/thinking from the program. This approach also allows for suggesting specific measurements to determine if your plan is successful, and it allows for you to analyze and suggest evidence-based recommendations, takeaways, or actionable next steps as the crux of your project

Instructions

For Path 2, write a 1–2 page paper, in an academic writing style, that details the topic and scope of your capstone project. Your project summary should be well organized, including an introduction, statement of scope, demonstration of outcomes, and a conclusion. Write clearly and concisely, yet thorough enough for your instructor to provide feedback and guidance. Include the following:
Describe the background of the chosen organization.
Provide a brief introduction of your selected organization to tell the reader what to expect of this summary document, including the business’ background, product lines, number of years in business, organization structure, location, et cetera.
If you choose an organization for which you work, your introduction must include a statement that you received permission to use the company from a supervisor.
Describe a business topic, problem, or opportunity to research.
Describe the problem or opportunity you see that makes this company a good choice. Ensure that your scope focuses on a specific question that you have, problem you have researched, or opportunity that preliminary research suggests the organization is missing.
Explain the scope of your project by clearly identifying the topics or areas you intend to research.
Length:
Team Charter is 1–2 pages and is written in a professional tone.
Project Summary is 1–2 typed, double-spaced pages, plus the cover and resources pages.
The first page should be a cover sheet with your name, the course number, assignment title, and date. No other information is required on this page.
The last page should be the reference list.
Organization:
Team Charter uses the provided template.
Project Summary must be well organized, using headings and subheadings to organize content for the reader.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Resources: Use at least 1 reference from either a publication or peer-reviewed article.
Evidence: Support your assertions with data and/or in-text citations.
APA formatting: Resources and in-text citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting.
Written communication:
Articulate meaning relevant to the topic, scope, and purpose of the team charter or project summary.
Review the Team Charter or Project Summary rubric and the HRM Effectiveness Improvement Plan course project description prior to submitting to ensure you have met the requirements of the course.
Explain the level of accessibility to general data necessary to examine the chosen business topic, problem, or opportunity.

Note: You are not being assessed on the accuracy of information provided for your chosen organization. What is important is how you think about and approach the business topic, problem, or opportunity as a HR professional. If you choose onboarding, for example, and quote an organizational number of how many employees are needed, it is more important to explain your thought process and practices, rather than the number itself.

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