Department of Business
BUS*3000
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Winter 2013
____________________________________________________________________________________ Instructor(s): Jessica Harrison, MBA, CHRP
Room: 220, J.D. MacLachlan Building Email: jharri14@uoguelph.ca
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., or by appointment
Class Times and Location: Tuesdays & Thursdays
11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.
MACN (MacNaughton), Room 113
Course Description and Objectives:
This course provides a basic knowledge of the key aspects of managing human resources in domestic and multinational organizations, emphasizing the link between human resource policies and practices and organizational strategy. Topics include human resource planning, job analysis, staffing, the legal environment, training, performance appraisal, compensation, employment relations, health and safety, labour relations, recent developments and future trends.
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the emerging challenges and trends in managing human resources (in class discussions, team report, exams)
2. Demonstrate the ability to analyze and evaluate key aspects of managing human resources, including the legislative framework, planning, recruiting, selecting, training, motivating, rewarding, and providing feedback (in class discussions, experiential exercises, team report, exams)
3. Demonstrate the ability to apply the course content to various human resource contexts (in class discussions, experiential exercises, team report, exams)
4. Develop competencies critical to future success as managers and leaders, including:
o Analytical thinking and problem-solving (in class discussions, experiential exercises, team report, exams)
o Teamwork skills (experiential exercises, team report)
o Ethics (in class discussions, case examples)
o Project planning and management (team report)
o Decision-making skills (in class discussions, experiential exercises, team report, exams)
o Written and verbal communication skills (in class discussions, experiential exercises, team report)
Course Materials and Resources:
This course uses a variety of materials and resources. One of your primary resources will be the course website (http://courselink.uoguelph.ca). All announcements, required and recommended readings, assignments and updates will be posted here. You will also be able to access any handouts you may have missed through this site. Check this site often.
Required Textbook
Dessler, G. and Cole, N. Human Resources Management in Canada, Canadian Eleventh Edition, Pearson Education.
Required Articles (available on-line through the University of Guelph Library)
Greenberg, J. (1990). Employee theft as a reaction to underpayment inequity: The hidden cost of pay cuts. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 561-568.
Pfeffer, J. & Sutton, R. I. (2006). Evidence-based management. Harvard Business Review, 84, 62-74.
Pfeffer, J. & Veiga, J. F. (1999). Putting people first for organizational success. Academy of Management Executive, 13, 37-48.
MyHRLab: By purchasing the textbook for the course you will have access to Pearson’s MyHRLab. MyHRLab is an online study tool. It can help you prepare for quizzes and exams and better understand the course material. For example, MyHRLab comes with two preloaded Sample Tests per chapter (the Pre-test and Post-test). You can work through these diagnostic tests each week to identify areas you haven’t fully understood. You can also access videos and mini cases related to the course. I strongly encourage you to use this resource throughout the semester. According to research conducted by Pearson, students indicated that using MyHRLab helped them to achieve better grades.
On-Line Communication:
This course has a website (see http://courselink.uoguelph.ca/). Please post any questions you may have to the FAQ section of the website
I will be communicating with you via your central email account <uoguelph.ca> from time to time. You are required to check this account on a regular basis. Please be advised that I will not edit my mailing list to your hotmail/yahoo etc. account.
While I endeavour to check my email daily, students can reasonably expect a response from me within 24 hours Monday - Friday and within 48 hours on the weekend.
Course Philosophy and Approach:
The course attempts to challenge your ability to learn new information and apply that information in a meaningful way. The approach is designed to integrate theory with practice, preparing you for
certification and your career. Readings will help you learn the topic and theory. Then in class and through your assignments, these concepts will be reinforced and applied to scenarios organizations face regularly. Therefore, this course is a mix of theory-based and application-based. Please note that it is extremely difficult to apply information without fully understanding the theory, therefore developing an understanding of the theory will be very important to your success in this course.
The course is based on an active 12-week semester. In our view the most effective and efficient use of classroom time aims at reinforcing or clarifying what the student has tried to learn on an individual basis before entering the classroom. For this reason, it will be assumed that the student has carefully read the assigned material and made a reasonable effort to prepare solutions to the assigned problems PRIOR to the class. These materials will be DISCUSSED in class. In this course, much of your time will be spent interacting in groups. This enables you to share ideas and to improve communication skills. Through interaction, you will discover for yourself the meaning of concepts, the subtleties inherent in everyday business situations, and the rationales for various solutions to managerial problems. To achieve effective interaction, I have three expectations:
1. Attendance. Although some of the material discussed in class will overlap with the content of the textbook, new and supplementary information will be introduced through lectures and in-class exercises. To help you develop your teamwork skills, you will be working on many in-class exercises in your assigned team. Because interaction is central, and also because your fellow group members will be relying on you for ideas, I expect you to attend every class. Valid reasons for absence include serious illness and family emergencies. Studying for exams and completing assignments are not valid reasons to miss class. If you miss class, for whatever reason, it is your responsibility to obtain the missed material. I am happy to answer questions about the material during my office hours; however, I will not reiterate entire lectures to those who missed class.
2. Preparation. To maximize your learning and to make the best use of in-class time, it is imperative that your come to class prepared. You are expected to read assigned material in advance and to be fully prepared for class discussion. You may be called upon to begin the class and to contribute to discussion at any time. Material in class will build on and highlight what you’ve already read. Learning is most successful when done over time and with practice. Therefore, to do your best in this course you must keep up with your assigned readings.
3. Teamwork. The majority of organizations use some form of teamwork in their environments. To prepare you for your careers, teamwork is a key component of this course. Group work allows you to share ideas, learn from others and improve communication skills.
The groups will be self-managed, meaning issues with time, effort and planning of your group meetings will be the responsibility of the team members. The group should address group problems or conflict in a timely fashion. I am available to assist groups who experience problems.
Course Schedule and Key Dates:
Class Date Topic Pre-Class
Activities/Readings
In-Class Activities and Assessments
1 Tues. Jan. 8 Course Outline
Strategic HRM Model
Course Outline; Chapter 1
Test #1
2 Thurs. Jan. 10 Strategic HRM Model Chapter 1
Pfeffer & Veiga (1999)
3 Tues. Jan. 15 HR Planning
Evidence-based Management
Chapter 3, 5;
Pfeffer & Sutton (2006)
Overview of Team Report
4 Thus. Jan. 17 HR Planning
Job Analysis & Design
Chapter 4 Team Contract
5 Tues. Jan. 22 Job Analysis & Design Chapter 4
6 Thurs. Jan. 24 The Legal Environment Chapter 2
7 Tues. Jan. 29 The Legal Environment Chapter 2
8 Thurs. Jan. 31 Recruitment Chapter 6
9 Tues. Feb. 5 Recruitment In-class Experiential
Exercise #1
10 Thurs. Feb. 7 Midterm Exam Review
11 Tues. Feb. 12 Midterm Exam (Chapters 1-6) Midterm Exam
12 Thurs. Feb. 14 Selection Chapter 7
Week of Feb. 18: Reading Week - no classes
13 Tues. Feb. 26 Selection Chapter 7
14 Thurs. Feb. 28 Selection In-class Experiential
Exercise #2
15 Tues. Mar. 5 Orientation, Training & Career Development
Chapter 8-9 16 Thurs. Mar. 7 Orientation, Training & Career
Development
Chapter 8-9
17 Tues. Mar. 12 Performance Management Chapter 10
18 Thurs. Mar. 14 Performance Management Giving Effective Feedback
In-class Experiential Exercise #3
19 Tues. Mar. 19 Total Rewards Chapter 11, 12;
Greenberg (1990) 20 Thurs. Mar. 21 Total Rewards
Employee Benefits & Services
Chapter 13
21 Tues. Mar. 26 Occupational Health & Safety Chapter 14 Team Report Due
22 Thurs. Mar. 28 Employee Relations & Labour Relations
Chapter 15 23 Tues. Apr. 2 Employee Relations & Labour
Relations
Chapter 16 In-class Experiential
Exercise #4
24 Thurs. Apr. 4 Final Exam Review
Note: The schedule of learning activities may require modification from time to time. Any changes will be announced in class and/or on the Courselink site.
Method and Timing of Evaluation:
Your performance will be evaluated based on the following:
Assignment/Examination Date Marks allocated
Test #1 Week of Jan. 7 1%
In-class Experiential Exercises (4 x 5% each) Feb. 5 Feb. 28 Mar. 14 Apr. 2 20%
Midterm Exam Feb.14 20%
Team Report Report - Mar. 26 29%*
( *5% - individual)
Final Exam During April Exam
Schedule
30% Total 100%
Unless you have discussed an extension well ahead of the due date, late penalties of 10%/earned grade/day (including weekends) will be assigned. Extensions will only be granted on the basis of extenuating circumstances.
If you are registered with the Centre for Students with Disabilities and will require some form of
accommodation in the completion of the required learning activities for this course, please meet with me during the first week of classes.
Keep a copy of all of your graded work until final marks have been recorded. You may be asked to resubmit your work at any time.
Test #1 - Week 1
You will be required to complete a multiple-choice test during Week 1 online (more details will be provided in class). This test will measure your knowledge of the course content prior to the delivery of any materials. This test will be graded as a pass (1/1- if completed) or fail (0/1 – if not completed).
Midterm and Final Exams
The midterms and final examinations present an opportunity to assess knowledge about Human Resources Management practice, legislation and learning as per the course textbook, lectures, presentations, videos and any in-class activities. This course extends beyond simply memorizing terminology or processes. The pedagogy of the class is an equal learning of theory and application. For the exams, you are expected to know the reading materials, lecture notes and any in-class
discussion/presentations and be able to apply the information in a meaningful way. More information about the formatting of the exam will be given in class.
Given the breadth of knowledge that you are exposed to in the course, the content is split into 2 different exams. The midterm covers material from lectures, discussions and readings associated with chapters 1-6, and all remaining lectures, discussions and readings are covered in the final exam.
Students who cannot write the midterm exam on the scheduled date with a legitimate reason (see rules below) must inform me in writing (email or hand delivered letter) prior to the exam and meet with me to make alternative arrangements or be given a grade of zero on the midterm.
The final exam will be scheduled during the exam period. It will be a mix of multiple choice and short answer questions, covering the remaining chapters and lectures. Final examination conflict: students are responsible for ensuring that they do not have a time conflict with examinations in other courses. It is your responsibility to ensure you bring photo identification, pens and pencils to your exams. Further information about the exams will be provided in class.
Consideration for not attending the midterm and the final exam will only be given in accordance with the rules as set out by the University. Students who find themselves unable to meet course requirements by the deadlines detailed above due to medical, psychological or compassionate circumstances beyond their control, should review the regulations on academic consideration in the undergraduate calendar and should discuss their situation with the instructor, program counsellor, or other academic counsellor, as appropriate. Without such documentation, failure to complete the midterm will result in a zero grade for that exam.
Team Assignment and Contract (no grade)
In any team you work with, it is important to have some common goals and expectations that will guide your team’s interaction. The more you know about your team members, what to expect of each other, and how to best utilize the skills and expertise of individual members, the better the team performs and interacts. The process of establishing a team contract also reinforces the commitment that individuals are required to make for the good of the team.
To maximize intra-group diversity, you will be randomly assigned to a group of approximately 5 members. You will work with these individuals on the experiential exercises and the team report. Please note, however, that the composition of your team may change over the course of the term as some students drop the course. You will complete the team contract in class (see course schedule for date). Although you will not be graded on the contract, your team must complete this contract together. Setting the “ground rules” for your team is crucial to your team’s success, and thus to your success in the course. The team contract will also enable me to more effectively help team s resolve any problems that may arise.
In-class Experiential Exercises
Your team will be graded on four (in-class) experiential exercises in which you will prepare written submissions based on your discussions and collaborative work. The exercises are directly related to the readings scheduled prior to the date of the exercise. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have done the readings. Only students whose names appear on the handed in assignments will get the mark for the assignment.
Excellent work will: be written legibly, use class time efficiently (i.e., finish exercise within the prescribed bounds of class time), develop a coherent organizational framework if the exercise is unstructured in nature, address all parts of all questions asked, support decisions with information from the course and/or exercise material (i.e., does not utilize unfounded opinions).
The exercise dates are indicated on the class schedule; therefore, plan accordingly to ensure that you do not miss any of these classes. Students who fail to show up and participate will receive a zero grade for the exercise.
Team Report
Additional details of the Team Report will be discussed during class 3 on Tuesday, January 15 and will be posted to the course website on Courselink (see http://courselink.uoguelph.ca/).
Your team (4-5 students) will prepare a written report on an HR related issue discussed in a recent
Canadian newspaper article. The newspaper should relate to an issue that a specific organization is facing. The newspaper article should be a minimum of 250 words. All group members are required to participate. In the report, you should summarize the article, give a synopsis of the HR issue or problem involved, discuss the HR management implications of this issue, discuss relevant research, and based on that research, recommend how the issue should be resolved. Your final report should also include: (a) a copy of the newspaper article, (b) an executive summary, and (c) an annotated bibliography containing the sources used in the report. The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to inform the reader of the relevance (i.e., why this source was useful), accuracy, and quality of the sources used. NOTE: Reports that rely only of information from Websites will receive a failing grade. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE USING THE WEB TO OBTAIN ARTICLES FROM LEGITIMATE SOURCES. You must use at least 5 research sources from appropriate journals. A list of appropriate journals will be provided to you. Format: A maximum of 9 typewritten, double-spaced pages, in Times New Roman 12-point font with one-inch margins all around. The page limit does not include the cover page, annotated bibliography, or appendix (if used).
Excellent work will: present solid research-based information, demonstrate thoughtful analysis and understanding of the issue (i.e., synthesis of ideas, evaluation, conclusions), consider the Human Resource Management implications overall-not just the obvious one it is impacting, be logically and clearly presented, clearly cite all material used so that there is no question as to where information was obtained. Further information about the assignment evaluation breakdown will be provided in class. Peer Evaluation Form: Each team member’s individual contribution to the team report will be assessed using the Peer Evaluation form. Each team member must submit a Peer Evaluation Form for each team member with your Team Report. The evaluation is to determine the amount of dependability and effort that the team members have put into their report. Please do not use the peer evaluation to outline personality differences or leadership styles. We are a mature and diverse group; therefore, personality differences are a natural occurrence and are not indicative of dependability and effort in team work. Peer evaluation criteria include participation in group project meetings, preparation for the group meetings, cooperation in getting the tasks completed on time, willingness to share skills, knowledge and experience for completion of group project, demonstrated time and effort for the group project, quality of work, timeliness of submissions, contribution to the team’s performance and well being, and other appropriate team related contributions.
As will be outlined in more detail on the Peer Evaluation Form, when thinking about equal contribution, think about relative rather than absolute contribution. It is nearly impossible for each team member to have contributed exactly the same amount to the team work. Also, in your assessments of each team member’s contribution, think about whether the team member fulfilled his/her obligation to the team, as agreed upon by the team at the outset.
Policies and Regulations
All students are expected to abide by the University’s academic regulations in the completion of their academic work, as set out in the undergraduate calendar (see
http://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/calendars/undergraduate/current/c08/index.shtml). Some regulations are highlighted below:
Academic Misconduct:
The University of Guelph is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity and directs all members of the University community – faculty, staff and students – to be aware of what constitutes academic misconduct and to do as much as possible to prevent academic offences from occurring. The University of Guelph takes a serious view of academic misconduct and it is your responsibility as a student to be aware of and to abide by the University’s policy. Included in the definition of academic misconduct are such activities as cheating on examinations, plagiarism,
misrepresentation, and submitting the same material in two different courses without written permission. To better understand your responsibilities, read the Undergraduate Calendar at:
http://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/calendars/undergraduate/current/c08/c08-amisconduct.shtml You are also advised to make use of the resources available through the Learning Commons
(http://www.learningcommons.uoguelph.ca/) and to discuss any questions you may have with your course instructor, teaching assistant, Academic Advisor or Academic Counselor.
Students should be aware that faculty have the right to use software to aid in the detection of plagiarism or copying and to examine students orally on submitted work. For students found guilty of academic misconduct, serious penalties, up to and including suspension or expulsion from the University can be imposed.
Academic Consideration:
Students who find themselves unable to meet course requirements by the deadline or criteria expected because of medical, psychological or compassionate circumstances beyond their control, should review the regulations on Academic Consideration in the Undergraduate Calendar
(http://www.uoguelph.ca/undergrad_calendar/c08/c08-ac.shtml) and discuss their situation with the instructor, Program Counsellor or Academic Advisor as appropriate.
Religious Holidays:
Should a student need to miss scheduled tests, mid-term examinations, final examinations, or requirements to attend classes and participate in laboratories for religious reasons, please advise the instructor within two weeks of the distribution of this course outline so that alternate arrangements can be made. For further information see
Code of Conduct – The Top Ten
As a student in the Department of Business, College of Management and Economics at the University of Guelph, you are a member of a scholarly community committed to improving the effectiveness of people and organizations, and the societies in which they reside, through groundbreaking and engaging
scholarship and pedagogy. We seek to promote a comprehensive, critical and strategic understanding of organizations, including the complex interrelationship between leadership, systems (financial and human) and the broader social and political context. And, we prepare graduates for leadership roles in which organizational objectives, self-awareness, social responsibility and sustainability are primary
considerations.
In keeping with this commitment, we expect all of our students (indeed – all members of our community) to act in a professional and respectful manner to fellow students, staff and faculty, as well as to members of the broader university and local community. This expectation is very much in keeping with your preparation for a professional career.
The following conduct is expected of all of our students:
1.Come to class prepared to learn and actively participate (having completed assigned readings, learning activities etc.).
2. Approach your academic work with integrity (avoid all forms of academic misconduct).
3.Arrive on time and stay for the entire class. If you happen to be late, enter the classroom as quietly as possible. At the end of class, apologize to the faculty member for the interruption. If you have to leave class early, alert the faculty member in advance.
4.If you know in advance that you are going to miss a class, send an email to the faculty member letting him/her know that you will be absent, with a brief explanation.
5.While in class, refrain from using any written material (e.g., newspaper) or technology (e.g., the Internet, computer games, cell phone) that is not relevant to the learning activities of that class. Turn off your cell phone at the start of each class.
6. Listen attentively and respectfully to the points of view of your peers and the faculty member. Don’t talk while others have the floor.
7. Raise your hand when you wish to contribute and wait to be called upon. Challenge others appropriately, drawing on reason and research rather than unsubstantiated opinion, anecdote and/or emotion. Keep an open mind and be prepared to have your point of view challenged. 8.When sending emails to faculty, apply principles of business writing; use a professional and
respectful style (use a formal salutation, check for spelling and grammatical errors, and avoid slang and colloquial short forms).
9.When making a presentation, wear business dress.
10. Provide thoughtful feedback at the completion of all courses (we are committed to continuous improvement but need your input to help us decide what to focus on).
