Evidence-Based Professional Practice Portfolio: The Foundations of Evidence-Based HRM

• Credit value: 30 credits at Level 7
• Convenor and tutor: Almuth McDowall (interim)
• Assessment: a 5000-word case study (100%)

This module is one of six modules within Part 1 of the MRes/Professional Doctorate in Evidence-Based HRM to facilitate deep and critical understanding of the foundations of evidence-based practice in HRM. The module is highly interactive and relies on both tutor and peer learning, along with work-based practice, with a clear focus on experiential learning and reflection on action, as well as personal reflection.

Indicative module content

• The history: the origins of evidence-based practice across a range of professions. What is EBP? How has it been conceptualised? What is a ‘profession’? What is the role of evidence? Who should be using evidence and how?
• The main barriers to evidence-based practice. What are different types of evidence? Why is some evidence preferred by some stakeholders more than others?
• Application of evidence-based practice to HRM: what are relevant frameworks? How does this relate to the CIPD professions map? How can we draw on wider academic literature?
• The extent to which current HRM practice is evidence-based: what are current trends and practices? How do they benchmark against different types of evidence? What do you observe in your own observational contexts? How can you challenge and harness relevant observations and data?

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• review the origins of evidence-based practice across a range of professions to critique what evidence is, how it is gathered and take a critical approach to the hallmarks of a ‘profession’ and the role of evidence within this
• critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of evidence-based practice in the context of academic and other literature and your own work-based learning
• identify some of the main barriers to evidence-based practice generally an in HRM specifically and develop strategies to counteract these through an evidence-grounded and proactive approach
• communicate your learning to a range of audiences in oral and written form
• identify and record reflections of personal learning and development around evidence-based practice as required for future professional practice
• conceptualise, design and implement substantial research at the forefront of HRM.