Topic Suggestions for a Dissertation on HRM 

The academic career of a human resources management (HRM) student can be made or broken by the topic they choose for their dissertation. This is a situation that TopThesis.com fully understands and, therefore, we offer you a whole range of topic ideas to base your dissertation on.
There are numerous topics upon which one can write a HRM dissertation. Hence, it is important to begin by taking a broad view of the subject and then narrowing this down to a more exact area. You can base your dissertation on a case study analysis showing different issues along with the possible solutions to these issues. In your paper, you should explain why you are using a case study to illustrate the topic you have chosen. Therefore, the first important milestone in the process is selecting a topic that draws readers’ attention to the main point of your paper.
The primary areas covered in the field of HRM relate to the progress of the human resourcing chain, which is vital to ensuring an organization operates to its optimum capacity. Students may select a topic that suits their own needs and/or preferences in order to give their dissertation the best they can offer. The list of topic ideas below is free and is designed to help you choose the best HRM topic for your particular project.

Suggested Topics on Appraisals and Workforce Motivation

Aside from the everyday work routine within an organization, there are times when employees need extra motivation and this should be a priority. The topic ideas set out below cover employee performance as well as the role and implications of this in terms of helping develop workplace environments:

  • Can appraisals motivate or frighten employees?
  • Is motivation linked to job/career satisfaction – external versus internal aspects?
  • Are 360-degree appraisals causing friction among employees?
  • Evaluate how subjective appraisals are and how relevant they are in terms of motivating employees.
  • Analyze Maslow’s needs hierarchy and the relevance of this in modern-day organizations.

Suggested Topics on HRM’s Role in Giving an Organization a Competitive Edge

The most effective method for determining whether HR provides an organization with a competitive edge is possibly by comparing and contrasting organizations that operate with a full HR function with organizations that do not. The following are some possible topics that will enable you to explore this notion:

  • How can HR manage and use change to bring about a positive outcome?
  • What are the potential challenges an HR department faces when attempting to deliver competence?
  • How organizational change can be a good solution and when it is most effective.
  • How effective is HR at assessing value – does it have a clear or full picture?
  • Is HR the most effective channel for dealing with organizational change?

Suggested Topics on Diversity and Culture within Organizations

Issues related to diversity and culture is often the focus of HR specialists and these make good topics for a dissertation. It is not possible to ignore issues like these when dealing with humans, since there is certain to be an element of natural diversity, which almost always has an influence on cultural matters. The following topics deal primarily with managing and tempering the diversity that accompanies different cultures and human thinking:

  • Is it possible to eliminate discrimination?
  • How does diversity differ from discrimination?
  • The use of recruitment as a means of influencing and changing organizational culture.
  • Managing and incorporating diversity in organizations with a global focus.
  • Instilling values in an organization.
  • Introducing new recruits to an organization’s culture.

Suggested Topics on Managing Performance within an Organization

There are four key or core important functions that HR undertakes and, of these, managing performance is the most critical one. Basing a dissertation on this aspect of HR can help identify loopholes or gaps in the way this is done. Additionally, it can help identify what HR processes and policies are best for yielding the best results when it comes to improving employee effectiveness. The following are some possible topics on performance management:

  • Can performance management be used as a tool for up-skilling?
  • Is there a relationship between performance management and fair practice policies?
  • Is a rewards system the most successful performance management tool?
  • The use of reactions and reviews as a means of managing performance.
  • The ways in which performance management can be used to cap an organization’s wages bill.

Suggested Topics – HR as a Support to Employees

The place and role of HR in managing a workforce is an area that gives rise to concern and contention, and it provides a number of issues that could be explored in a dissertation. One function of HRM as a support to workers is providing a framework for workers to follow. The following are some possible topics for a dissertation on this area of HRM:

  • Are all the functions undertaken by HR always effective? How can the effectiveness of these functions be improved?
  • What are the challenges of outsourcing those aspects of the HR function that actually impact an organization’s culture?
  • Is the outsourcing of HR a blow to in-house jobs? 
  • Managing change in an organization – can changes really be stopped?
  • Managing the negotiating power of employees – how necessary is it for HR to always emerge as the winner?

Suggested Topics on HRM Theory

Theory in the field of HRM refers to every aspect of the relationship between an organization and its employees. The primary purpose of theory in this field is to smoothly unite the interests – in equal measures – of both the employing organization and the people that organization employs. Identifying the necessary skills to do this and finding ways to accommodate these interests are worthwhile matters to explore through the writing of a dissertation. Some possible theory-related topics are:

  • Implementing and managing HR policy in an organization.
  • Control mechanisms for HR managers.
  • Is control a HR department’s primary role?
  • Choose a particular HR theory – e.g. Taylor’s – and discuss its relevance in modern workplaces.
  • The place of a trade union within an organization and its role.
  • Planning and handling contingencies – managing the human resources side.
  • Ensuring transparency – a tactical issue for HR managers.

Suggested Topics on the Training and Development Role of HR

The training and ongoing development of a workforce is one of the most vital roles of a HR department and, therefore, as topic material for a dissertation. Anyone looking for a good topic for a dissertation would do well to critically analyze this part of a HR department’s function since training and development contributes significantly to an organization’s overall efficiency and effectiveness. Here are some topic ideas on this aspect of HRM:

  • The advantages and disadvantages of off versus on-role training.
  • How effective are training and development programs for improving employee productivity?
  • Do training programs and personal development initiatives tend to overlook the emotional elements?
  • The role of training and development when it comes to managing turbulent times.
  • How effective is training at bridging any possible gaps in the recruitment and selection process?