MIS 34180 F05 Faley

NOTE:  GRADING SCALE FOR THIS CLASS WILL NOT USE THE +/- GRADES

A copy of this syllabus can be downloaded from the M&IS web site http://mismain.bsa.kent.edu - select the “Syllabi” quick link on the lower left-side of the page to enter the Syllabi Archive.

1.         Course Objectives:

            As a result of this course, you will better understand:

a) important HR systems and how they are interrelated with one another and with other important firm-wide systems

b) the value added (i.e., competitive advantage) that can be gained by designing, building, and managing HR systems based on proven HR techniques and approaches

c) the very critical role that job analysis plays in designing and building value-added HR systems

e) how to evaluate HR systems as well as better estimate their value-added

f) the current state of the art related to various HR activities

g) how to design desktop information systems that can be used to help solve HR-related problems you will very likely experience as a manager

2.         Office Hours:

It has been my experience that no matter what office hours I schedule, I am not able to accommodate the needs of a large number of students. So, I prefer to schedule office hours by appointment. This way I can accommodate the needs of all students. Please see me for an appointment, or call or email me. Otherwise, if you stop by and I’m in my office, I can usually break away from what I’m doing to speak with you.

3.         Textbooks:

                        a)  Kleiman, L.S. (3^rd Edition). Human Resource Management: A Managerial Tool for Competitive Advantage, Atomic Dog (2004).

A PACKET OF COURSE-RELATED OVERHEADS IS ON ELECTRONIC RESERVE AT THE MAIN LIBRARY (case-sensitive password = human15). PLEASE GET A COPY OF THESE OVERHEADS - THEY WILL HELP YOU GET MORE OUT OF THE MATERIAL COVERED IN CLASS AND MAKE TAKING NOTES MUCH EASIER.

            The syllabus indicates (under ASSIGNMENT) the chapter(s) in the Kleiman textbook that correspond to the content of the lecture/discussion that will take place that day in class.

                        b)  Faley, R.H. & Steinberg, G. Developing Relational Databases Using THE Database Analyst, SerraCorp (1999).

            You are expected to have a reasonable understanding of computer hardware and software. This is all that is needed to operate THE Database Analyst software. You are responsible for reading all of this text and/or using the software’s context-sensitive help system liberally. If you have questions about the software or text, please ask them in class so others can benefit from the answers.

4.         Grading:

            Computer Exercises. (account for 25% of your final grade)

            There are 5 equally weighted computer exercises that must be handed in ON TIME (i.e., by the end of the class period on the day they are due). You may submit the first two exercises for re-grading WITHIN ONE WEEK OF THEIR RETURN TO YOU. The three others MAY NOT be submitted for re-grading. Failure to hand in a computer exercise will result in a zero grade for that exercise.

            Exams. (account for 75% of your final grade)

            There are 4 equally weighted multiple-choice exams. Exam 4 is NOT cumulative.

THE ONLY VALID REASONS FOR MISSING AN EXAM ARE THE UNIVERSITY-APPROVED ONES NOTED IN THE DIGEST OF RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING STUDENT LIFE.

            Your final grade will be determined in the following manner:

                                                            FG = .25(åCE/5) + .75(åEG/4)

                        where:              FG = Final Grade

                                                CE = score for each computer exercise

                                                EG = score for each exam

                                                FE = final exam grade

            The FG value needed to guarantee various final letter-grades are shown below:

            To earn a grade of:                   Your FG value must be:

                                    A                     90 or above

                                    B                      80 - 89

                                    C                     70 - 79

                                    D                     60 - 69

                                    F                      59 or lower

INTERPRETING YOUR EXAM SCORES:

Your exam scores are reported as Z-Scores (for the reasons discussed in class). The following table shows the letter grade equivalents associated with ranges of Z-Scores:

                        Letter Grade:                Z-Score Range:

                                    A                     >+1.29

                                    B                      +.90 to +1.29

                                    C                     -.60 to +.89

                                    D                     -1.00 to -.61

                                    F                      < -1.00

To interpret your exam score:

1)      Determine the z-score range in which your exam z-score falls using the table above

2)      Estimate how “low” or “high” your letter grade is based on where it falls within the z-score range

Here are some examples of z-score/numerical-grade equivalents:

-  if your z-score =  +2.30, you have the highest possible A (100)

-  if your z-score =  +1.30, you have the lowest possible A (90)

-  if your z-score =  +1.11, you have a middle B (85)

-  if your z-score =    +.90, you have the lowest possible B (80)

-  if your z-score =    +.00, you have a middle C (75)

-  if your z-score =     -.60, you have the lowest possible C (70)

-  if your z-score =     -.78, you have a middle D (65)

-  if your z-score =   -1.00, you have the highest possible F (59)

-  if your z-score =   -3.00, you have the lowest possible grade (0)

A more comprehensive list of z-score/numerical-grade equivalents is posted on the corkboard opposite my office door. Please come and see me if you need additional information.

Note that your grade is based on the OUTPUT that you produce.  Thus, the amount of time you prepare for class, exams, or the computer exercises cannot be realistically considered for grading purposes.  Also please note that you are responsible for all changes in the course outline announced in class as well as all other matters that are discussed in class.

One final note:  Tests for this class are never distributed for student use or for any other purpose.  Any copies offered to you are stolen property and if found in your possession will be considered sufficient cause for assigning a grade of "F" for the course.  Software piracy is also grounds for assignment of a grade of "F".  For more complete regulations governing cheating and plagiarism, see the Digest of Rules and Regulations that govern student life (I believe a copy is available in the University telephone directory).

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.  You are advised to review your official class schedule (using Web for Students) during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section.  Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until September 2, 2005 to correct the error with your advising office.  If registration errors are not corrected by this date 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.

C.     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.  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.

D.    For Fall 2005, the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, September 11, 2005.  Withdrawal before the deadline results in a "W" on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade must be calculated and reported.

E.     Students with disabilities:  In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required.  Students with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) in the Michael Schwartz Service Center (672-3391).

NOTE:  Bring your Analyst disk (and an extra formatted 3.5” floppy disk) to class on the dates in the syllabus where COMPUTER LAB is noted.  On those days, meet me in the BSA computer lab.

DATE                                                  TOPIC                                                             ASSIGNMENT

August  30        Course Overview; Overview of HR                                                                  1

Sept     1          Strategies for Managing Human Resources; Job Analysis                                   4

            6          Using Information Systems to Better Manage HR’s                               **review p.10 of syllabus**

            8          COMPUTER LAB – using THE Analyst Software

            13        COMPUTER LAB – designing a very basic HRIS

            15        Integration of Organizational and HR Planning                                       3

            20        Regulatory Constraints on the Management of HR’s                                          2,11,13

            22        COMPUTER LAB - using an IS for HR planning (EXER1 due)

            27        Exer1 Review; Regulatory Constraints on the Management of HR’s - continued

            29        Regulatory Constraints on the Management of HR’s - continued

Oct      4          EXAM 1; (EXER2 due)

            6          Exer2 Review; HR Staffing: Recruitment and Selection                         5,6

            11        Benchmarking HR Selection Systems: Assessing Validity/Estimating Utility

            13        Benchmarking HR Selection Systems - continued

            18        Traditional Selection Techniques

            20        Traditional Selection Techniques - continued;

                        (CASE: Resident Manager)

            25        COMPUTER LAB – using an IS to better manage applicant flow

            27        Non-Traditional Selection Techniques; HR Staffing: Wrap Up

Nov     1          EXAM 2; (EXER3 due)

            3          Exer3 Review; Overview of Performance Management; Managing

                        Performance via Performance Appraisal                                                            8

            8          COMPUTER LAB - using an IS to better manage PA

            10        Methods of Performance Appraisal

            15        Managing Performance via Training/Development Programs                              7

            17        Managing Employee Movement – Career Management

            22        EXAM 3; (EXER4 due)

23-27   No classes – Thanksgiving Break

            29        Exer4 Review; Motivational and Other Strategies for Managing Performance    10

Dec      1          The Manager as Leader; Basic/Supplemental Compensation                              9

            6          Basic/Supplemental Compensation - continued;

                        Determining Pay and Benefits

***      8          International HRM; Course Wrap-up; Course Evaluation (EXER5 due)           14,15

                        EXAM 4 during Exam Week (see Fall 2005 schedule of classes for date/time)

***      The course evaluation will take place at this time - it is mandatory. Failure to complete the course evaluation will result in a three-percent reduction in your final-grade score.

Using ONLY the homework facilities built into the software, complete and hand-in on 3.5" floppy disk the HR databases you design using THE Analyst (see Appendix A of the book for information about completing homework assignments - all homework assignments will be SCHEMA assignments). ALL EXERCISES MUST BE HANDED IN BY THE END OF CLASS ON THE DAY THEY ARE DUE – NO EXCEPTIONS!

            NOTE 1:          USE ONLY THE HOMEWORK NAMES NOTED FOR EACH EXERCISE - also, for exercises EXER1 and EXER2, use the entity names listed with the exercises EXACTLY as they are spelled.

            NOTE 2:          YOU MAY RESUBMIT ONLY EXER1 and EXER2 FOR REGRADING (however, they MUST be resubmitted within one week of their initial return to you - RESUBMITTED EXERCISES MUST BE TURNED IN ON A NEW HOMEWORK DISK). If you resubmit an exercise, your grade for the exercise will be the grade you received for the resubmission.

            NOTE 3:          Put the following information on your Homework Disk (homework disks that do not contain the following information will NOT be graded):

                                                1) your name and student ID number

                                                2) the name of the exercise to be graded (put a line through exercises that have already been graded)

                                    NOTE 4:          You may work with other class members on these exercises.  However, YOU are completely responsible for your submission. For example, if I asked and you were unable to clearly explain your solution, it is de facto evidence of plagiarism and you would receive a zero grade for the exercise (and possibly the class).

                                    NOTE 5:          YOU are responsible for making sure that ANY disk you hand in (or ask me to look at) is scanned using an anti-virus utility that is UP-TO-DATE.  You are responsible for determining BEFOREHAND if a computer you are using is virus free - if a virus corrupts your Analyst disk, you will have to purchase a new copy.

                                    I highly recommend that you use the McAfee anti-virus utility available on the computers located in the business school's computer lab.  Because there are so many different anti-virus utilities and they all don’t scan for the same viruses, the McAfee anti-virus utility will be the default standard for the class.

Design a database that will be used to keep track of personal data (e.g., social security number, first and last name, address, phone number, sex, race, etc) about each of your employees as well as data about each employee's current job (e.g., title, job code, job summary, salary range, etc.). This database should also help you keep track of the qualifications (e.g., qualification number, name, description, etc.) that each of your employees has as well as help determine whether underutilzation of minorites and women is occurring within your firm.

This exercise is meant to help you familiarize yourself with the software - don't worry whether your solution is correct. Make a "good faith" attempt. Bring your attempt ON YOUR ANALYST DISK to the September 13th computer lab.

Assume the following:

            1)         each employee can be associated with only ONE job (i.e., the employee’s current job)

            2)         each employee can have any number of qualifications

            3)         each qualification can be associated with any number of employees

            4)         each job category can be associated with any number of jobs.

Entities: Employee, Job, Qualification, Jobcategory, Employee_Qualification

Design a database that will help you keep track of your staffing needs. This database will contain data about ALL the jobs each employee has held during their tenure with the firm (i.e., each employee’s job history). This database will also contain data about all the job vacancies within your particular unit. This database should help you better understand what jobs are vacant, the date they became vacant, the date you want to re-staff them by, as well as the location within your unit where each vacancy exists. This database should also help you better understand the qualifications associated with each vacant job as well as the qualifications of all employees. This information will help you assemble internal applicant pools for the vacant positions as well as perform analyses (by race and sex) for affirmative action related purposes. Assume the following:

1)                  each employee may have held any number of jobs during their tenure with the company (i.e., employees could have been promoted, demoted, transferred, terminated and rehired, etc.). Each employee can also have any number of qualifications

            2)         each job can have any number of employees, vacancies, and qualifications, but only one job category.

            3)         each qualification can be associated with any number of jobs and employees

Constraints:      1) employees might have held the same job more than once

Entities: Employee, Job, Qualification, Vacancy, Jobcategory, Employee_Job, Employee_Qualification, Job_Qualification

Design a database that will help you keep track of all the employment testing your unit does to fill job vacancies. Data in this database will help you determine, for example, what type(s) of employment tests are being used, the pass/fail rates of the tests based on race and sex, how much you spend each year on testing, how many applicants are tested, what test(s) each applicant has taken, when, for what job, etc. This database will also help you keep track of other data about the tests you use, including the vendor for each test, how useful the tests are for various purposes (i.e., their validities), etc. Assume the following:

1)                  each applicant can have any number of qualifications and take any number of tests

2)                  each test is distributed by only one vendor but can be used with any number of jobs, and can be taken by any number of applicants

3)                  each job can be associated with any number of tests and with any number of qualifications, and each job can have any number of vacancies

4)                  each qualification can be associated with any number of applicants and jobs

Constraints:      1) each applicant can apply for only one job vacancy at a time (i.e., complete only one application at a time)

                        2) because applicants can apply more than once for any vacant job for which they are qualified, they might take the same employment test more than once

Entities: Applicant, Job, Test, Application, Vendor, Qualification, Vacancy, Applicant_Qualification, Job_Test, Job_Qualification, Applicant_Test

Design a database to keep track of all performance-related information generated about the employees in your unit. This includes, among others, all the performance reviews each employee has ever had, the past promotion record of each employee, all the training programs each employee has been through and how well they performed in these programs, the promotability of each employee to the next job, the potential of each employee, and recommended developmental activities for each employee. Assume the following:

1)      each employee might have held more than one job during their tenure with the company

2)      each employee can take any number of training programs and each training program can be taken by any number of employees

3)      each job can be held by any number of employees and have any number of qualifications

4)      each qualification can be associated with any number of jobs and employees, and developed using any number of training programs

5)      each employee can possess any number of qualifications

Constraints:      1) employees might have held the same job more than once

                        2) employees might go through the same training program more than once

Design a database that can be used to help you better manage data about the past, current, and future training needs of the employees in your unit. Among other things, this database should help you understand the training employees in your unit have already had, which employees in your unit will need future training, for which jobs, what type of training they will need, when and where training will occur, and who will deliver the training. Moreover, this database should help you determine which of any number of training programs associated with a job would be the best for a particular training-related purpose. Assume the following:

            1)         each employee might have held more than one job during their tenure with the company, each employee can have any number of qualifications , and each employee can take any number of training programs

2)                  each qualification can be held by any number of employees, developed using any number of different training programs, and can be associated with any number of jobs; each job also can be associated with any number of training programs, qualifications, and employees

3)                  each training program can be associated with any number of jobs, can be taken by any number of employees, is offered at any number of locations, and can be delivered by any number of instructors

4)                  each location can be used for any number of training programs and each instructor can deliver any number of training programs

Constraints:      1) employees might have held the same job more than once

                        2) employees might go through the same training program more than once

3) each training program can be offered at the same location more than once and each instructor can deliver the same training program more than once

Entities: Employee, Job, Tprog, Perfreview, Location, Instructor, Qualification, Employee_Job, Employee_Tprog, Employee_Qualification, Job_Tprog, Job_Qualification, Tprog_Location, Tprog_Instructor

            ENTITY (i.e., table) - refers to an object in a database

            ATTRIBUTE (i.e., field) - refers to descriptors of an entity in a database.  There are three different kinds of attributes:

                        PRIMARY KEY - refers to one or more attributes that uniquely identify each instance of an entity in a database

                        FOREIGN KEY - refers to an attribute that is also an entity in the database

                        NON-KEY ATTRIBUTE - refers to any attribute that is not a primary or foreign key attribute

                                               ANALYST EXAMPLE:

            Employee is identified by ssn and has firstname, lastname, address, phnumber, job.

            Job is identified by jobnumber and has title, jobsummary, jobcategory.

            Jobcategory is identified by catnumber and has name.

                        -  "Employee", "Job", and “Jobcategory” are entities.

                        -  “ssn", "jobnumber", and “catnumber” are primary key attributes.

                        -  "job" and “jobcategory” are foreign key attributes.

            -  all the remaining attributes are non-key attributes.

1)      foreign keys establish entity relationships – in Analyst terminology, a foreign key is “an entity in the database that is ALSO an attribute of another entity in the database”

2)      reading foreign keys is a two-part process (an example using employee and job):

NOTE: 1 = a singular entity or the “one” side of the relationship and M = a plural entity or the “many” side

M(jobs):M(employees): each job can be associated with any number of employees AND each employee with any number of jobs – Employee (1) has jobs (M) AND Job (1) has employees (M) (as you can see, a M:M is the result of two 1:M relationships that involve the SAME two entities). For example:

            Job is identified by jobnumber and has title, jobsummary, and employees.

            Employee is identified by ssn and has firstname, lastname, address, phnumber, and jobs.

3)      in a 1:M (or M:1) relationship the foreign key is placed in the sentence of the many side of the relationship

4)      the bare minimum for the primary key of a M:M entity (i.e., intersection or cross reference entity) are the 2 entities from which it was created. In a M:M these two primary key attributes also serve as foreign key attributes – EXAMPLE: Employee has jobs AND Job has employees creates the cross-reference entity Employee_Job (which is uniquely identified by employee and job at a bare minimum)

                        Employee_Job is identified by employee and job and has startdate, enddate, salary.

1)         YOU are responsible for making sure that ANY disk you hand in (or ask me to look at) is scanned using an anti-virus utility that is UP-TO-DATE.  You are responsible for determining BEFOREHAND if a computer you are using is virus free - if a virus corrupts your Analyst disk, you will have to purchase a new copy.

2)                  I highly recommend that you use the McAfee anti-virus utility available on the computers located in the business school's computer lab.  Because there are so many different anti-virus utilities and they all don’t scan for the same viruses, THE MCAFEE ANTI-VIRUS UTILITY WILL BE THE DE FACTO STANDARD FOR THE CLASS.

3)         If you hand in a floppy disk with a virus that could have been disinfected using McAfee, you will receive a zero grade for that assignment.  If this happens a second time, you will receive a zero grade for ALL your computer exercises and I will not accept any more disks from you.

3)                  You are free to use whatever virus-scanning utility you want.  However, if it is outdated or you do not know how to use it properly, or it does not pick up a virus that McAfee would have picked up, you are still subject to the sanctions noted in #3.

Some Things You Should Know About THE Database Analyst Software

The following is a partial summary of information contained on the back cover of THE Database Analyst book and in the README file on THE Database Analyst floppy disk. Please take the time to review both sources of information.

1)        THE Database Analyst is an expert system that can be used to design relational databases using nothing more than regular, everyday, English sentences. THE Database Analyst is not meant to be used as a DBMS. The rudimentary DBMS that is included with THE Database Analyst is used for validation purposes only and is not meant to be a production-level DBMS.

            2)        THE Database Analyst is a DOS product that can be run anytime from its floppy disk using any IBM/PC or compatible computer with a 3.5" 1.44MB or higher floppy drive, PC/MS DOS 3.x or higher, and 500K of conventional memory. THE Database Analyst cannot be run from a non-IBM/PC computer (e.g., a Macintosh computer) - even if that computer is running software that allows it to process IBM/PC compatible software files. BEWARE: running THE Database Analyst from a non-IBM/PC compatible computer will corrupt THE Database Analyst's files and you will have to purchase a new copy of the software.

            3)        THE Database Analyst cannot be run from a back-up floppy disk - the software will only run from the floppy disk on which it came.

            4)        THE Database Analyst will run much faster from the hard drive. However, the software can be installed to the hard drive only one time, either by using THE Database Analyst's installation routine the first time you run the software or later by inserting THE Database Analyst disk in the floppy drive and typing HARD at the DOS prompt. Carefully choose the computer on which you will install the software - you will not be able to install the software to another computer later.

5)                Please first contact the professor if you have a problem with the software. Otherwise, contact SerraCorp at the address noted in the README file on THE Database Analyst floppy disk.

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