MIS 34180-005 Fall 2012 Stevens
Kent State University
College of Business
Human Resources Management
REVISED August 22, 2012
M&IS 34180-005 CRN #15694
Fall Semester 2012
Wednesdays 6:35 p.m. – 9:15 p. m.
Room 217 Business Administration Building
Instructor: Dr. George E. Stevens
Office: A421 Business Administration Building
Department: Management & Information Systems
Telephone: 330-672-1100
Email: gstevens@kent.edu
Office Hours: TW 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., TWR 5:00 – 6:00 and by appointment
Required Text: Soft cover version of text: Human Resources Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage, authors Raymond A. Noe, John R. Hollenbeck, Barry Gerhart and Patrick M. Wright, Eighth edition (McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2013), 758 pp. - ISBN: 978-0-07-768431-1. The book may be purchased through the KSU bookstore, or through Amazon.com, possibly through Half.com or other online sources. However, I believe you will get your best price by purchasing the textbook directly through McGraw-Hill Irwin. (See instructions for doing so on the last page.) The book available through McGraw-Hill Irwin is a KSU custom designed version of the book. It has ISBN: 0-07-768432X. (See the link on the last page of this syllabus if you wish to order the book directly from McGraw-Hill.)
Required Connect is a supplement of selected McGraw-Hill books. Blackboard
Supplement Learn and Connect are paired for this course. You must sign on to Connect and purchase Connect to get credit for assignments and earn your grades for the course.
Note: Individuals purchasing a new book should have the access code for Connect Plus along with their book. (Confirm this.). Those who have a used 8h edition of Noe et al Human Resource Management will sign into Connect online via the Blackboard course assignments. You must use Blackboard to access all assignments required for completion of this course. When you click on your first Connect assignment, you will be asked to register. Students who purchased a new book in the bookstore for example will enter their email address, and then the 20-digit code that came with the book. Those without a code, will need to click on the option to BUY ONLINE. You may select either option: Connect (has no printable e-book) or Connect Plus for more money. Connect Plus includes an e-book. Connect does not. If you have a print copy of the book, there is no need to purchase Connect Plus. Just purchase Connect for $39.99.
Suggested Reading: Business publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and other sources of current Business news. Part of each class will be used to discuss HRM current events.
Last Day to Withdraw: For fall 2012, the final course withdrawal deadline November 4, 2012*.
*The instructor has included a university table in your syllabus that lists Registration and Tuition Credit Deadline Information.
Percentage of Tuition Credit Deadlines
100% Tuition Credit 2 September 2012
80% Tuition Credit 9 September 2012
65% Tuition Credit 16 September 2012
60% Tuition Credit 23 September 2012
0% Tuition Credit 24 September 2012
NOTE: The material in this syllabus should be considered nominal and is subject to change by the instructor at any given time due to various constraints on the class, such as weather, illness of the instructor, or other such issues.
Learning Goals for Students Enrolled in Course:
(1) Develop an understanding of the major HR management needs of most
organizations.
(2) Develop a familiarity with alternative HR systems designed to address those
needs, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
(3) Gain an awareness of the technology underlying the HR systems, so that the
range of quality can be understood.
(4) Develop an appreciation for basic HR decisions.
Welcome to M&IS 34180, Human Resource Management! This is a course that integrates management concepts and theory with critical elements involving an organization’s human resources. Laws, practices, procedures, and processes are all key components. This is a course that will allow us to blend theory and practice to help everyone better understand the practical realities of good human resources management practices and the challenges an organization’s representatives may face whether the individuals represent the employee or the employer. It is hoped that you will see how management concepts and HRM concepts may be applied in the so-called “real world”. The authors highlight a number of features in the book to help make the material more understandable: Best Practices, What Do I Need to Know? eHRM, Did You Know? The HR How To, and HR Oops! Each of these features helps make HRM “real”. As you will learn, some of these laws have been with us since the 1930’s but that fact does not mean that obeying those laws is a simple matter.
I look forward to exploring these issues and concerns with you, sharing my experiences, learning from you, and discussing the many difficult issues that may have multiple “right answers” or perhaps none at all. People who hate ambiguity get upset when I say, “It all depends…” HR operates in a world populated by people. Many factors come into play often creating what appear to be unique situations. By the end of this fall term, I hope that you acquire a set of tools that allow you to analyze human resource management issues both in your personal and professional life, as well as the enthusiasm and desire to use them.
Common Courtesy:
As a faculty member I am here to serve our students, faculty, staff, and alumni among others. Within the classroom I will be respectful to each of you and I want you to be respectful to your fellow students. Here is a partial list of behaviors that will lead to repercussions should you be guilty of exhibiting these behaviors:
1. Side conversations during lecture
2. Eating in class
3. Taking or receiving cell phone calls
4. Reading a newspaper or other publication
5. Disrespectful behavior towards the instructor or another student in class.
6. Side conversations in No. #1 for a reason. It is my top pet peeve: it distracts me and other students especially those with learning disabilities.
I do allow drinking non-alcoholic beverages in class. I may need an non-alcoholic beverage (typically water) as my voice can become hoarse after hours of talking.
I will ask you to stop any of the above behaviors and upon persistent demonstrated behavior, may ask you to leave the class. You will be issued a verbal warning on the first offence, a written warning on the second offence with a copy to the Dean of Students, and the Dean of the School of Business. A third offense will result in my request that you be deregistered from this course, with a potential grade of WF! If you don’t want to be embarrassed, then follow these rules.
The Following Policies Apply to All Students in this Course
A. Students attending the course who do not have the proper prerequisite risk being deregistered from the class.
B. Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes. Should you find an error in your class schedule, you need to correct the error with your advising office no later than Sunday, November 4 for fall 2012. If registration errors are not corrected by the stated date of November 4, 2012 for fall 2012 and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.
Class Format: Class will consist mostly of lectures, discussions and use of video or other supplements. I am likely to use some materials from other sources – not just the textbook. A portion of the class will be used to learn from students what they have seen, learned, read about, or experienced on the job as these experiences relate to the topic under discussion.
In each session we will have lectures and discussion on a given topic or topics indicated in the class schedule. If we are unable to complete all that we need to do in a given session, we may carry it over to the next session. This may at times change the schedule of the course. For this reason, should you miss a session, it will be useful for you to keep in touch with a classmate and/or the instructor.
Each fall class session that is scheduled will last approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. If possible, I will do my best to add additional material and multimedia including music, videos, and internet news sites to liven up the course. You can assist by engaging in discussion when those opportunities present themselves and in thinking about the issues we talk about in class.
Examinations: There will be four non-cumulative examinations in this course. Each exam will cover the material since the previous one. Keep in mind, however, that prior knowledge will be important for understanding future material. Material for the exams will come from the following sources: 1) class lectures, 2) readings from the textbook, 3) class discussion, 4) videos, news articles, and other in-class materials. Five percent of the class grade will come from special assignments or projects assigned by the instructor. For example, pop quizzes when there is high absenteeism or low participation in class. Each regular quiz will account for 50 points. These quizzes will be administered on Blackboard Learn. Each exam will be worth 100 points. Exam grades will not be curved. The exam and quiz questions will consist of true-false, multiple choice questions, or possibly a few essay questions. Quizzes are 50 points each.
Makeup exams or quizzes will be given only when absolutely necessary. In order to take a makeup exam you must present the instructor with written documentation for the reason a makeup exam is requested.
Grade Components: The final course grade will be based on a total of 600 points and weighted according to the following scheme:
Exam 1 100 points
Exam 2 100 points
Exam 3 100 points
Exam 4 100 points
Quiz 1 50 points
Quiz 2 50 points
Quiz 3 50 points
Quiz 4 50 points
Subtotal 600 points
+ Extra Credit (Quizzes, exercises, cases,
and Other types of assignments (5 percent) 30 points
NOTE: Extra Credit is obtained by successfully completing the designated extra credit assignments assigned randomly by the instructor either online or in class.
Grades will be determined on a base of 600 points, not 630 points!
Course Grading Scale -- No Plus or Minus Grades:
Percentage Letter Grade
90 – 100 percent of 600 = 540 to 600 A
80 – 89 percent of 600 = 480 to 534 B
70 – 79 percent of 600 = 420 to 474 C
60 – 69 percent of 600 = 360 to 414 D
Below 60 percent of 600 = 359 and below F
According to University Guidelines the grades are converted to your grade point average by the following scale:
A = 4.0
B = 3.0
C = 2.0
D = 1.0
F = 0.0
Any issues concerning grading need to be called to my attention within one week of receipt of the grading. Grades assigned at the end of the session are not negotiable. Because of the grading system that KSU uses, there will likely be a large number of times that a student is just a few points away from the next grade. I do not round up – the time to accumulate points is during the session, not at the end of it.
Doing well in the class:
There is no bell curve for this class, thus no “quota” on letter grades. This means that everyone starts the class with a chance to earn an “A”. Here are some ideas that may help you succeed.
ü Come to class: I will not take attendance (although I may create a seating chart so that I can get to know you by name) but the best way to learn the material is to come to class, listen to the lecture, participate in discussions, and ask questions about material that is confusing or unclear.
ü Read the book: You are responsible for material assigned in the book as well as material from lectures. While lectures and the book are designed to complement each other, there may be material in the book that is not explicitly covered in the lectures and material in lectures that is not in the book (another reason to attend lectures). This is not done to punish you or “trick” you, but to help you gain the greatest understanding of management principles and theory. Note: discussions in class but not necessarily in the book are fair game, especially if the topic is discussed at some length.
ü Start studying early for exams: Considering both the quantity and complexity of the material covered in this class in the short time frame of five weeks, cramming the night before (or worse – not studying at all) is a bad idea. Read the book chapters before and/or after lectures, make sure you understand the terminology and theories, and ask questions.
ü Use your “human resources” on exam day: I will be in the room on exam day if the exam is held in our classroom. Feel free to ask questions when the terminology, phrasing, or nuance of a question is unclear or if you think there might be a mistake. Try to identify terminology questions when the lecture is given so that we can discuss items you are not sure of in class.
ü Keep your ears and eyes open outside of the classroom: I highly recommend frequenting websites, reviewing newspapers, looking at news programs that cover business matters, management issues, industry events, and international business, etc. Seeing what is going on in the “real world” and how it relates to what you have learned in the classroom and from the textbook is rewarding both now and into the future.
Academic Misconduct:
I take academic misconduct extremely seriously. Please keep your eyes on your own paper during exams, and should you witness or suspect that others are engaging in academic misconduct, please bring it to my attention. Strict confidentiality will be maintained. You work hard to get the grade you earn; do not let others free ride off of you or your peers.
Academic honesty: Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work (e.g., tests, papers, projects, assignments) so as to get undeserved credit. In addition, it is considered to be cheating when one cooperates with someone else in any such misrepresentation. The use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense. It is the University’s policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course. Repeat offenses result in dismissal from the University.
Disability Services:
University policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided with reasonable University policy 3342-3-01.3 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-672-3391 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit www.kent.edu/sas <http://www.registrars.kent.edu/disability/ for more information on registration procedures).
D. Reminder: For fall semester the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, November 4, 2012.
Week Date Day Topic Reading Assignment
Part 1 The Human Resource Environment
1 Overview Aug. 29 Wednesday Introduction to Class Read syllabus
Sign on BB Learn
Chapter 1 “ “ “ Human Resource Management: Read Chapter 1
Gaining a Competitive Advantage
Chapter 2 “ “ “ Strategic Human Resource Read Chapter 2
Management
HOLIDAY Sept. 3 Monday LABOR DAY
2 NO CLASS Sept. 5 Wednesday The Legal Environment: Equal Read Chapter 3
MEETING Employment Opportunity and Safety
Special Leadership in Sports, Student Organizations,
Topic Professional Groups article (Prof. will provide)
Quiz Extra Credit Quiz about Leadership vs. Management
3 Chapter 3 Sept. 12 Wednesday The Analysis and Design of Work Review Chapter 3 and
Chapter 4 Read Chapter 4
Finish up and questions from chapters 1 - 4
Part 2Acquisition and Preparation of Human Resources
4 EXAM 1 Sept. 19 Wednesday All material since start of course
Chapter 5 Human Resource Planning and Read Chapter 5
Recruitment
5 Chapter 6 Sept. 26 Wednesday Selection and Placement Read Chapter 6
Special “ “ “ Recruitment Cycle and other
Topic Unanswered questions
6 Chapter 7 Oct. 3 Wednesday Training Read Chapter 7
Part 3 Assessment and Development of Human Resource Management
7 Chapter 8 Oct. 10 Wednesday Performance Management Read Chapter 8
Special “ “ “ Clothing and Other Items International
Topic “ “ “ Finish up and review for Exam #2
8 EXAM 2 Oct. 17 Wednesday All material since Exam #1 Read Chapter 9
NO CLASS MEETING
Extra Credit Quiz “ “ “ (Clothing & Other Items International)
9 Chapter 9 Oct. 24 Wednesday Employee Development Review Chapter 9
Chapter 10 “ “ “ Employee Separation and Read Chapter 10
Retention
Part 4 Compensation of Human Resources
10 Chapter 11 Oct. 31 Wednesday Pay Structure Decisions Read Chapter 11
11 Chapter 12 Nov. 7 Wednesday Recognizing Employee Read Chapter 12
“ “ “ Contributions with Pay
Finish up and review for Exam #3
HOLIDAY Nov. 12, Monday VETERANS DAY – No Classes & Offices Closed
12 EXAM 3 Nov. 14 Wednesday All material since Exam #2
Chapter 13 “ “ “ Employee Benefits Read Chapter 13
13 HOLIDAY November 21-25 THANKSGIVING RECESS
NO CLASSES AND OFFICES CLOSED 11/22 – 11/23
Part 5 Special Topics in Human Resource Management
14 Chapter 14 Nov. 28 Wednesday Collective Bargaining and Labor Read Chapter 14
Relations
Chapter 15 “ “ “ Managing Human Resources Chapter 15
Organizational Behavior
15 Chapter 16 Dec. 5 Wednesday Creating and Maintaining High Chapter 16
Performance Organizations
“ “ “ Finish up and review for Exam #4
Student Evaluation and final comments
Dec. 9 Classes End
FINALS WEEK – DECEMBER 10 – 14, 2012
16 EXAM 4 (Date as scheduled during Exam Week Chapters 13 – 16 and any other
assigned materials)
The university schedule shows a scheduled final exam to occur at 5:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 12. However, assuming the exam is offered electronically through Blackboard the fourth exam will be available from Monday, December 10, 2012 at 5:45 p.m. until Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. (three day period).
Latest revision: August 17, 2012
Dr. Stevens received the following Instructions for Purchasing Noe et al. Textbook
Here is the link to your DTS site:
http://mhprofessional.com/mhhe_product.php?isbn=007768432X&cat=108
The link above is exactly what students need to purchase the product. The entire process is as simple as ordering from any online site. The biggest difference is that students need to cut/paste or re-type the URL exactly as it appears above.
This link is included in Dr. Stevens’ syllabus. Students will not be able search for the product at shopmcgrawhill.com since it’s a custom product. Once students establish an account, they’ll be able to purchase with a valid credit card.
On the site, at the bottom of every page, is a button that says “Need Help.” Students can always click this link. Then, they can use the navigation on the side of the page or the button that says “Ordering Info” which includes a Phone Number and email address for Customer Service. The information, if needed, has been cut and pasted for convenience below. Also, when students get an email confirmation it includes much of the same information. And, when they receive the PDF of their invoice the following day, it contains much of the same information.
It’s probably also helpful to know:
The student can place the order at any time. It would be put on backorder until it becomes
available and then it will ship out. Students will see a credit card authorization
immediately that will fall off in a couple of business days. The actual charge will not go
through until we ship the item out.
Finally, for additional questions about the purchase process I would suggest they contact our eCommerce Customer Service after reviewing the available FAQs available. Clearly, the Q&A for “How can I find the books I want quickly and easily?” doesn’t apply in this case, but the remaining FAQs may prove helpful, https://www.mhprofessional.com/mhhe_support/new_customers_faq.php.
Customer Service may be reached between the hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM EST, Monday through Friday at:
· Telephone: (877) 833-5524
· Fax: (614) 759-3749
· Email: pbg.ecommerce_custserv@mcgraw-hill.com
The book package will be $92 + tax and shipping (usually about $8 or $9). The book package will deliver to the shipping address they list in about 4 days from day of submission.
Dr. Stevens is sending to each student a second file for signing on to Connect.
