This document provides guidelines for graduate student papers in HRM courses at Strayer University. It outlines the requirements for APA style formatting, including double spacing, indented paragraphs, left-aligned text, and proper headings. Students must include an introduction and conclusion in papers. Papers require in-text citations and a reference list. The document emphasizes avoiding plagiarism and ensuring content directly addresses the assignment criteria. It also provides specific instructions from the instructor, such as balancing cited sources with original thoughts.

1. Dear Madam
According to students coming from the Institute of Business
Administration, your school is for me the certainty of a personal
and professional development in the field I aspire to :
marketing. Precisely, the master International Business
Engineering is the assurance of a brilliant professional career,
thanks to its international dimension and to the excellent
reputation of the school.
Following my undergraduate technological degree in digital
information and communication, I got the ambition to expand
my field of expertise and to lead me more in the marketing area.
My best option was to participate to an Erasmus exchange to
improve my basics in marketing but also in different sectors of
business. Indeed, I am learning the basics in management,
advertising and sales thanks to these courses : Business
relations, Integrated marketing and communication, Advertising
Campaign Planning and Sales Operations with an international
perspective. Thus, your master will be an opportunity to
develop more my skills and to be a professional in the
marketing and sales areas after finishing my studies.
Studying abroad is also a way to reach my goal : having an
international career. My stay in Sweden allows me to get an
advanced level in English through lectures and everyday
conversations I have with people around me. Because we are all
coming from around the world, our only langage used to
communicate and create relationships is English. To always
improve myself and in order to be fluent while talking in
English, I apply for your master which looks ideal for this goal.

2. Indeed, all the lectures made in English and two semesters
abroad are a real chance to improve my English level to be as
perfect as it can be. For the second semester, my choice are on
North of America or Asian Continent to have a real notion of
what international perspective means.
Over the years, I developped my professional project to be as
clear as possible. For me, understand each cultures and how to
use marketing to deal with them is interesting, analysing the
different trends, our consumers’expectations and then proposing
the best solution too. Moreover, since my yougest age, I enjoy
the world of beauty and especially the makeup area. This is why
I want to link this passion to my future career : working in a
cosmetics brand which sells products in different countries.
Finally, I am a young woman who loves challenge and in my
professional life I want to be able to always improve and to
have a top job with responsabilities. As a consequence, the
master International Business Engineering will help me, because
to reach this position and to have responsabilities you need
knowledges in different ares (sales, marketing, communication,
finance). All of this knowlegde is offered by this master in its
different courses.
Studying in the Institute of Business Administration and
especially in this master would be a privilege for me and I
would be delighted to promote the school during many trade
shows. In the future to share the values of the school and to be a
part of this network.
Sincerely yours (can you tell me a more polite sentence
please)
Summer 2018 Guidelines for Graduate Papers

3. HRM Courses Facilitated By:
Dr. Gary Lorenzo Wash
PREPARING FOR YOUR PAPER ASSIGNMENTS
**PLEASE READ**
If you basically understand and adhere to the information in this
document, you will probably do a good
job with your paper submissions. It is extremely important that
you know we are not here to address
what you previously did with papers in previous courses. We
are here to establish the guidelines for this
course and they are provided below in this document.
APA Style – What does this mean for faculty and students?
Strayer University adheres to APA style guidelines as published
in the 6th edition of the APA style guide. The
University subscribes to APA style to provide a consistent set
of writing and formatting standards that can
be used in all written assignments. APA also ensures that
students have a consistent way to provide
documentation for all sources used in assignments.
However, it is also important to note that not all aspects of APA
style are applicable to all classes and/
or assignments. Just follow the lead of the instructor for the
current course you are in, NOT previous
courses.
What is required?
While each assignment is different, there are some components
that are universal to all. These include:

4. 1. Double-space all lines of information in the paper. Spacing
beyond double is not permitted.
2. Indent the first line of every paragraph ½ inch. Page-long
paragraphs are not permitted.
3. Align the text to the left margin, leaving the right margin
“ragged”.
4. The document must have a title page that has a running head
with the first page number. There
must also be on the page (centered) the paper title, student’s
name, school name, and date of
assignment as minimum information. A sample paper template
will be provided and is highly
recommended to use as a source for writting effective papers.
5. Reference lists begin after the last page of text. A reference
list is used at the end of the paper to
accurately document all sources cited. The reference list is
organized alphabetically, is double-
spaced, and uses a hanging indent paragraph style. NOTE – The
reference format will differ
depending on the source (i.e. book, journal article, newspaper,
and website). Please refer to the
APA style guide to provide correct documentation and the
sample reference list for our course.
6. Headings will be used for all required sections of the paper.
In other words, for each criteria
statement for the assignment a heading will determined. The
heading should not be a copied and
pasted criteria statement. Instead, student should revise the
statement and come up with a

5. “less-wordy” version for the heading (see sample paper
template).
7. In-text citations are used to summarize, paraphrase, or quote;
it is important to provide credit when
using others ideas, thoughts, or work. Citations allow the reader
to easily find the source document.
Citations for ALL assignments are required and there must be at
least one for every reference
listed on the reference page. All citations in this course must
have 3 parts: (1) Author or source, (2)
year, and (3) page or paragraph number (depending on the type
of reference).
Specifics from the Instructor (Very Important)
In order to ensure the least amount of points reduced when
grading your papers, the following
actions must strictly be followed:
1. First and foremost, follow the above APA requirements from
the Purdue Owl link provided.
2. Do not submit papers filled exclusively or overwhelmingly
with researched information from
others work. With any sourced information, you must also
provide your own perspectives and
thoughts. You may decide how you balance the researched
information with your own thoughts.
3. Citations to show the work of others must be placed in
appropriate places within the paper, which
is either directly before or immediately after the quoted or
paraphrased information. If a citation
is placed at the end of a paragraph and there is no way to
determine what information it covers,

6. points will be lost for improper placement of the citation.
4. **VERY IMPORTANT** Information and discussions in the
paper must directly cover what the
criteria instructions (statements) outline from the
syllabus/course guide. Sometimes a single
criterion directs that you address more than one area, so ensure
that you cover everything. Avoid
addressing things with no relation to the overall topics for the
paper.
5. **PLAGIARISM** Everyone should know that plagiarism is
absolutely not permitted. I cannot
express more the seriousness surrounding this point. For this
course, there is no such thing as
“allowable percentage of plagiarism”. An assignment will be
considered “flagged” for plagiarism if 3
or more "sections of words" (sentences, paragraphs, etc.) are
determined to be from other
sources for which credit has not been given. The paper will then
receive a score of “0”
Here’s how plagiarized information in papers will be treated in
this course:
o For any assignment that is flagged for plagiarism for the first
time, if it is reasonably
determined that a student UNINTENTIONALY plagiarized
information, they will receive a
written warning (usually in paper assignment feedback) and a
score of "0" from the
professor. The assignment may then be resubmitted for up to
80%credit and must be
resubmitted within 15 days following receipt of the written
warning. It should be also
noted that the 15-day period to resubmit the paper does not

7. extend grace periods to
any other assignment due for the course.
o If it is reasonably determined that a student INTENTIONALY
plagiarized words in the paper, a
"0" grade is given and the student will be allowed to resubmit
for up to 50% credit and must
resubmit within 7 days following receipt of the written warning.
It should be also noted that
the 7-day period to resubmit does not extend grace periods to
any other assignment due for
the course.
o All additional assignments for the course found to be
quantitatively plagiarized (see number
5 above) will receive a grade of “0” with absolutely no
exceptions and no resubmits. Also, as
a matter of record and compliance, intentional and/or a second
plagiarism offense will be
reported to Strayer University’s Office of Student Affairs.
6. All papers will be reviewed utilizing both SafeAssign and
Grammarly plagiarism software.
7. The student center in Blackboard will have more documents
available to you to assist with ensuring
your papers are well-written and APA-focused. I will also
provide additional lecture on the topic of
paper writing.
Note: All assignemnt papers for this course are required to have
an Introduction and a Conclusion section.
These items are clearly shown on the sample paper template

8. provided for this course and are mandatory for
all papers. Each section is worth 5 total points and these points
will be deducted if the sections are missing
from the papers.
Running head: CASE STUDY: GEICO 1
CASE STUDY: GEICO 1
Case Study: Geico
Jane Doe
Strayer University
HRM 533- Total Rewards
April 21, 2019

9. Case Study: Geico
An effective total reward program covers the single
elements of rewards as well as the value and overall cost.
Alignment of the complete rewards program with the
organization’s strategic objectives equips the company with the
appropriate tool to design, implement and evaluate the package.
Geico offers a total reward program aimed to promote health
and career enhancement.
The first section of the paper determines whether Geico facets
align with the top five advantages of the total reward programs.
The second segment provides a strategy to ensure Geico’s plan
addresses the senior positions of total rewards. The next part
evaluates how well Geico communicates its entire rewards
program. The final section provides methods to enhance Geico’s
complete rewards program.
The Top Five Advantages of a Total Rewards Program
The definition of rewards encompasses the overall value
proposition that the employer offers to the employee whereas
total package focuses on compensation, benefits, and careers
(Morris, 2005 pg. 6-9). Therefore, the rewards program
“encompass everything that is “rewarding” about working for an
employer or everything employees get as a result of their
employment (World at Work, 2007 pg. 2). Geico’s total rewards
package centers around the health and careers of its employees.
The effectiveness of the rewards plan depends on how well it
aligns with the organization strategy and objectives.
Geico offers a variety of elements through its total rewards
packages such as health and well-being, education and training,
finance and retirement, and family and leave. The rewards
program entails five top advantages such as increased
flexibility, improved recruitment and retention, reduced labor
cost, heightened visibility in a tight labor market, and enhanced
profitability (World at Work, 2007 pg. 15-17). Geico’s family
and leave package align with the top five advantages because it
focuses on providing a work-life balance to employees which
supports the alignment of the senior position.

10. Work-life balance is an essential tool to attract, retain and
engage employees. The benefit of family and leave allows
employees to spend more time with family and friends and to
attend to other business outside the job. Family and leave
support employees effort to achieve success at home and work.
The family and leave plan are a crucial component of Geico’s
total success to increase flexibility, retain and attract top talent,
decrease turnovers, heightened profitability, and utilized as a
competitive advantage.
Revising Geico’s Total Rewards Strategy
The development of an effective total rewards strategy
requires pertinent data, sound decisions, and measure of the
progress. A rewards strategy is “an approach to reward based on
a set of coherent principles in support of the organization’s
aims (Rose, 2014). It determines the path in which reward
management, revolutions, and development must take to support
the organization’s strategy, how to integrate the design, the
priority of initiating the proposal, and the pace for
implementing the stratagem.
“An effective total rewards strategy results in satisfied,
engaged, productive employees who create desired business
performance and results (World at Work, 2007 pg. 8). Coupled
with the rising difficulties to improve recruitment and retention,
creating a total rewards strategy is essential to the success of an
organization. Up to this point, Geico family and leave plan
seem to address the top five advantages of total rewards.
However, there is room to ensure that Geico’s entire policy
addresses all five benefits.
First, Geico must convey a broad definition of its strategy
to its employees. It allows employees to receive a complete
understanding of the approach. Next, the company must clarify
the direction of the organization. Explaining the path provides
employees with a clear, and specific message that is well-
designed and understandable. Geico must articulate the strategy
with effective communication, a language that’s easily
understood and does not leave the employees confused.

11. The company must manage the value of the strategy,
balance flexibility and adherence to the core which meets
population needs and define the universal principles of the
company. The next step involves measuring and accurately
tracking the progress of the program. Geico must also recognize
the recipient’s value while emulating the tactics of other
companies to create a better approach for the company.
Effectiveness of Geico’s Communication of its Total Rewards
Program
If the staff does not understand their reward program, then
employers are not investing what is their most important cost
item in an effective way (Armstrong & Cummins, 2011). The
effectiveness of communication is essential to establishing
trust, the company’s culture, increased employee engagement,
enhanced performance, and building working relationships.
Geico’s presentation of its total rewards program seems to
demonstrate the effectiveness of its communication process in a
positive way. The company’s style of communicating provides
useful insight toward the breakdown of the reward plan in a
transparent, understandable, readily available, and well-
designed fashion.
Its stratagem aims to guarantee that its practices support
the attainment of its organizational goals and the needs of
participants. “Communication is a two-way process of
disseminating visions, ideas, and instructions one way and
evaluation the other (Cartwright, 2002). Many establishments
seized the chance to communicate the assistance of its total
reward strategy via visualization, messages that directly targets
the audience and advanced communicating techniques that serve
the purposes of educating and assisting workers to utilize every
option at their disposal. It’s never easy to relay messages of a
total rewards plan to every participant because of the difference
in ages, lifestyles, and level of employment.
One way for Geico to enhances the effectiveness of the
communication of its total reward program is by surveying and
interviewing employees to learn the best way to communicate

12. the plan to its members. The company may elect to conduct
survey feedback. “Survey feedback is information that is
collected by a survey from organization members and then
compiled, disseminated, and used to develop an action plan for
improvements (Williams, 2010 pg. 288).
Geico can also create an employee rewards program
website to provide resources and vital information to help
answer question left unanswered to participants. It must give
members detail information related to the plan as well as
available resources to address issues about the program. The
website must include a section for feedback and an open line of
communication to reach the required personals. Creating this
type of website not only improves its communication
effectiveness but also displays the organization true potential to
assist employees in any way possible.
Improvements or Changes to Geico’s Total Reward Program.
An employee’s viewing of an organizational total rewards
program may force the company’s Human Resource leader to
take circumstances into account to add or obliterate elements
from the agenda. An organization total rewards programs must
not only align with the organization’ goals and objectives but
also with its capital investment. It must support the needs and
wants of its members and work to deliver them effectively.
Although Geico offers great benefits through its rewards policy,
the obligation to revise is an open option.
For example, the company may elect to add performance
and service recognition to its total reward program to recognize
employees that remain loyal to the company. Performance and
recognition services show the members that they are valued not
only as a worker but also as a person. When workers feel they
valued they tend to bring every effort forth to meet or exceed
the company’s expectation. A valued employee is a happy
employee that strives to improves productivity. The recognition
acknowledges or gives special attention to employee’s actions,
efforts, behaviors, or performance (World at Work, 2007 pg.
10). The performance and recognition plan involve presenting

13. employees with honors such as service, loyalty, retirement,
peer, and exceeding performance awards.
Another example to improve or change a company’s total
reward program consists of expanding its health and well-being
package to include gym memberships. When companies offer
employees the opportunity to attend a gym at little cost it
demonstrations the level of care employers exhibits toward their
employees physical, mental, and emotional well-being as well
as their health. It gives participants a chance to working on
improving themselves in more than one way. It provides
members with a place to shape their body and mind. It’s a win-
win situation for both the employees and employers.
Conclusions
In conclusion, a rewards program embraces how active
companies communicate the entire employment package
inclusive of compensation and benefits, work-life, performance
and recognition and development and career opportunities to
participants. An effective reward program must align with the
company’s strategy and objectives. Total rewards either drive or
diminish organizational performance depending on how well it
supports the business strategy and how well the company tracks
the strategy when it encounters changes (Morris, 2005). Geico’s
total reward program endorsed the organization’s business
strategy as well as its goals and objectives. A properly designed
and well-executed reward programs can be the determining
factor of business success. However, it can also weaken the
success of an organization’s business strategy.

14. References:
Armstrong, M., & Cummins, A. (2011). The Reward
Management Toolkit: A Step-By-Step Guide to Designing and
Delivering Pay and Benefits. London: Kogan Page. Retrieved
from
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk
&AN=354496&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Cartwright, R. (2002). Communication. Oxford, United
Kingdom: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Retrieved from
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk
&AN=66787&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Morris, I. (2005). A Total Rewards Overview. In Benefits
Canada (Vol. 29, pp. 6–9). Transcontinental IT Business Group.
Retrieved from
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&A
N=19369775&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Rose, M. (2014). Reward Management. London: Kogan Page.
Retrieved from
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk
&AN=732518&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Williams, C. (2010). Management. Mason, OH: Cengage
Learning
World at Work (2007). The World at work handbook of
compensation, benefits, and total rewards.Hoboken, NJ: John
Wiley & Sons.