BAD 64271 Fall 2006 DuBois

                                         HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

                                    BAD 64271, Fall 2006, Wednesday 6:15 – 8:55 pm

INSTRUCTOR        

Name:                          Dr. Cathy DuBois                  

Office:                         Business Administration Building, A412                              

Phone:                         330-672-1157   fax: 330-672-2448 (use a cover page with my name)

E-mail:             cdubois@kent.edu

Office hours:               Tuesday, Thursday 10:00-12:00; Wednesday 5:00-6:00 by appointment

TEXT (required)

Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright (2006).  Human Resource Management (5th Ed.).  McGraw-Hill.

Additional readings on the web will be posted on the course website throughout the course.

http://cdubois.pageout.net

You must register on this website by the end of the first week of classes!  Penalty for not doing so is a loss of 2 points from your final class participation grade.

OVERVIEW

This course will examine techniques, practices and policies necessary to most competently carry out the management of human resources within an organization.  In all areas of management functions, success is largely dependent upon obtaining and appropriately utilizing a variety of resources.  Managing the people, or the human resources, who carry out all organizational functions underlies all of the other functions. 

The basic premise of this course is that people are the most valuable resource an organization has.  By now you should know this from your own experience.  It is people who conceive of organizations, own them, manage them, and dissolve them.  People perform the myriad organizational jobs required to produce goods and services, and ultimately it is people who consume these goods and services.

Because this is a survey course, we will cover to some extent the whole spectrum of content areas associated with HRM: impacts of organizational factors, government regulations, and environmental conditions on the evolution of HRM, as well as the many functional activities of human resource management.  We will cover a mix of prescriptive and descriptive approaches to HRM, in that we will compare the ideal of research-based practices with the range of current practices used by organizations.

Anyone who has worked has had some array of experiences with HR policies and procedures.  As employees, you are on the receiving end of these policies and procedures.  Most of you are in the MBA program.  As managers, you are/will be the individuals who deliver a large percentage of HR policies/procedures to your employees (HR employees do relatively little delivery, in comparison; they focus on system design, record keeping, and troubleshooting). 

The focus of this course will be how you, as managers, can positively influence the effectiveness of your employees through your own actions to improve and implement organizational human resource management policies and procedures.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The overarching objective of this course is to make you a more intelligent administrator and consumer of HRM practices for your organization's benefit as well as your own personal gain.  At the end of this course you should be able to:

   1.   understand how the HRM function can enhance an organization's business strategy.

   2.   comprehend the perspective of those who work in the HRM function, which should help you work more effectively with them.

   3.   discern "right from wrong" HRM practice, based on 2 separate considerations: government regulation and scientific research.  Ignoring the former can result in costly, time-consuming litigation for your organization.  Ignoring the latter can lead to decisions about people that are potentially sub-optimal.

   4.   develop and more effectively utilize HRM practices to improve your own work performance, as well as the performance of those who report to you.

COURSE FORMAT

Lecturing at length to a silent audience does not create the most effective learning environment.  A lively learning environment is available for everyone when we are engaged in a dynamic dialogue that is structured around the essential knowledge you should take away from this course. Class time will therefore include lots of discussions, some cases, and student presentations. 

GRADING

Final grades will be comprised of the following:

                        Class participation                                           10%

                        Exams (2)                                                        60%     (30% each)

                        HRM-in-the-News Presentation                       5%

                        Group Project                                                  25%                

I will use +/- grades for this course.  Assignment of final grades will most likely be:  92+ A, 90-91 A-, 88-89 B+, 82-87 B, 80-81 B-, 78-79 C+, 72-77 B, 70-71 C-, 68-69 D+, 60-67 D, 0-59 F.  I reserve the right to curve these final grades, up or down, based on overall class performance.

Class discussions will be much more meaningful if you have read and thought about the appropriate material prior to class.  Come to class with notes on chapters and questions to ask! Also, use this opportunity to bring up salient work experiences that we can all learn from. 

Recognize that class participation is a subjective thing – I can’t tally how many times you speak or the quality of what you say in some objective manner.  It's your responsibility to make sure I notice your contributions.  It’s your responsibility to take the initiative to speak (rather than my responsibility to call of you if you do not raise your hand).  If you don’t volunteer, I still might call on you, so be prepared to answer. 

I will ask for a mid-semester self-evaluation for your class participation.  Please keep track of the number of classes you miss, and have a good idea of how frequently you participate in class, as well as the quality of your participation.  I trust that you will be honest in your assessment.

As people who are or aspire to be managers, your oral communication skills are or will be an essential part of your effectiveness.  I expect you to practice and display them in class.   Even introverted people can develop excellent communication skills!  It is worth your while to learn how to be a contributor to a group, not just a spectator.

The purpose of these presentations is to make you aware of how many HR-related articles routinely appear in the popular press.  We will see how they reflect HR issues that are of current interest to employers and employees, and how they shed light on the evolving nature of the field. 

Your presentation will consist of a brief summary of the *highlights* of an HR-related article that appeared in the recent popular press (articles no older than 3 months past; from newspapers, internet news sites, magazines like Business Week or Newsweek, or non-HRM professional publications).  Do not use articles from HRM research or practitioner journals (Workforce, Training Magazine, etc.) or HRM web sites.  I encourage the International students to present articles from publications in their home countries. 

Important! As you identify an article you want to use, go to the Discussion section of the course website to check whether anyone has already claimed it.  If no one has, follow directions to post your article title and source, along with your name.  No duplications will be allowed, either on a single day or throughout the semester.

Keep in mind that presentation style has a significant impact on the effectiveness of your presentation.  I expect this to be a professional presentation. Use PowerPoint to summarize main points (use 30+ point font).  Do not chew gum, read from the article or from notecards, or do anything else that makes you look unprepared.  Do dress appropriately, look at and connect with your audience, “own” the material you are presenting, monitor your time, smile and seem interested!  See the Evaluation Forms section on the course website for grading criteria.

We will have 1 or 2 presentations each class period.  The presenter has 5 minutes to speak; you cannot receive an A if you exceed this, nor can you receive an A if you speak less than 4.5 minutes.  Practice your talk so you can keep it to 5 minutes!  Do extra research if your article has less than 5 minutes worth of material.

Exams

There will be 2 exams that cover non-overlapping content.  They will consist of short/long answer questions that are integrative and application oriented.  Each exam will have a 20 point solo section to be completed by each individual, and an 80 point section to be completed when working with a partner.  You must work with a partner to write the first exam; you have the option of working alone or with a partner on the second exam.  My rationale for partner exams is based upon the fact that people rarely work in isolation in the workplace.  Discussing ideas with another knowledgeable individual is a terrific way to reinforce and extend your learning. The purpose of these tests extends beyond determining what you know; I also want the testing process to reinforce your learning. 

To insure that everyone studies all material covered on the test, partners will be randomly assigned when you arrive to take the test.  Please be conscientious in your test preparation, for your partner as well as for yourself.  Partners will receive the same exam grade unless the partner evaluation form indicates a need for adjustment (I do make adjustments as appropriate).  I will make an exception for International students who feel their English language skills are not well developed enough to support a complex, fast-paced dialogue.  They should take all exams solo.

Advice:  Do not write lengthy paragraphs for test answers; use bullet points / lists and sentences as appropriate (see writing guidelines in this syllabus). Tests will cover material from the textbook, extra readings and class discussions.  Mastery of all material will be necessary to earn an A on exams.  Take lots of written notes during each class on your copies of the PowerPoint slides.  Key themes, recommendations and overarching points will often be stated by the professor in class, but won’t appear on the PowerPoint.

Important!  Exams from previous semesters for this class may not be used as study guides.  If you obtain current or previous exams for this class in any manner, you are hereby informed that this is considered to be cheating and appropriate disciplinary action will be invoked.

Group Project

You will work in groups of 5 students to develop and deliver a 40 minute presentation on use of a current HR product or system to address a practical HR need that might arise for a supervisor, manager, or an HR department.  Examples include products (like software, Internet sites, etc.) or systems (like childcare programs, Diversity programs, etc.) used for recruiting, selection, performance assessment, training/development, employee safety, or any HR functional area. 

Project Objectives:  This assignment has 2 primary objectives.  At the conclusion of the presentations students should have: 1) gained from their peers an awareness of some of the newer HR products / systems available on the market today, and 2) learned how to evaluate the relative merit of available options.  Presentations will illustrate that cheaper or more complex products / systems are not always the best approaches to effectively address organizational problems.

Topic Selection:  Each group will be expected to determine a topic area on their own, and clear it with me before they proceed.  All topics must be cleared with the professor by September 15.  No duplications will be allowed; a “first come, first served” policy will obtain. 

Project Information:  Additional information about the project is available on the course website.  This information contains the many details that you will need to address in order to prepare an outstanding project.

Project Grading: Group project grades will be determined by the set of criteria on the project evaluation form (a copy may be found on the course website).  I will assess the group’s overall performance (combination of content and presentation), and provide an overall project grade.  Group members will receive individual grades, based on the project grade but adjusted according to presentation performance and information from group member peer evaluation forms. 

Project Deliverable:  Right before your presentation, give the professor a copy of your PowerPoint slides (use 3 to a page format) and any handouts used for your presentation.

Peer evaluation forms:  Peer evaluation forms are located on the course website.  They must be submitted to the professor no later than 1 week following the presentation (hard copy; no e-mail).  They must include point assignments and corresponding written justifications.

Group Management:  Groups will be self-managed, and will be responsible for determining the role(s) played by each group member. For example, those who have good resource skills might be assigned resource-related tasks, those with good presentation skills might be assigned presentation-related tasks, those with good computer skills might be assigned computer-related tasks, etc.  It is up to the group to make these decisions appropriately.  It is not necessary for every group member to be a presenter; the group should ensure that all presenters are excellent.

Also, each individual must take initiative to be sure that their own contributions are on track and sufficient.  For example, if you don’t want to be a presenter, be sure to contribute in sufficiently additional ways to other areas of project work.  Use your interpersonal skills to work effectively with team members; be assertive enough to make sure your contributions are appropriate in number and quality; don’t dominate, and don’t allow others to dominate.  The best efforts are generated when there is true teamwork.

Project Management:  To be sure that the development and flow of your presentation is on track, I recommend (but do not require) that each group provide me with an outline of your presentation by October 11.  I will be happy to give you feedback at any time throughout the semester on the content and flow of your presentation as it develops.

Attendance at all presentations is mandatory!  All presenters need a full audience, and one major goal of the project is to learn practical information from other students’ presentations.  Thus, if you must be absent you need a very good reason, and you must clear it with me in advance.  Students who lack a very good reason, or do not clear such absences with me in advance,  will have a full 10 points deducted from their individual project grade for each presentation session missed.

Your writing style is a critical element of the grade you receive on your project.  Professional writing used in organizational communications is concise and well organized.  Communications that contain rambling paragraphs or lack clear sections are simply not effective (and usually not even read!).  Be aware that effective written and oral communication can be highly influential in selection and promotion decisions.

I will expect the following elements in your writing for this class.  Where appropriate, make liberal use of “bullet points” – phrases or short sentences that effectively summarize ideas (if you really know the material, you can use appropriate terms and be succinct); subheadings; and numbered lists.  Use full sentences and short paragraphs when needed, but make sure that you format a “quick read” for your reader.  Have your message jump off the page!

For some of you this will come easily, because you already incorporate these elements in your writing.  For others it will be much more challenging, simply because you are accustomed to being ‘long-winded’.  In some courses you might have been rewarded with high grades when you’ve used lengthy prose.  However, because lengthy prose is never appropriate in a business setting, where people don’t have time to read it, lengthy prose will earn low grades in this class!  Say a lot with little writing; use page space wisely; make every word count; make it a quick read!

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.  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 Sunday, September 10, 2006 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 (0 points) for the work or course.  Repeat offenses may result in dismissal from the University.

D.    For Fall 2006, the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, November 5, 2006.    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:  University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access equal access course content.  If you have 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 the Student Disability Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.kent.edu/sds for more information on registration procedures).

PART 1:         HRM, Organizational Environments, & Employee Acquisition

August 30       Introduction to HRM, HR Environment                    Chapters 1 & 2

September 6    Legal Context of Employment Decisions                   Chapter 3

September 13  Legal Context of Employment Decisions                   Chapter 3

Analysis of Work & Job Design                                 Chapter 4

September 20  HR Planning & Employee Recruiting                         Chapter 5

                        Employee Selection                                                    Chapter 6

September 27  Employee Selection                                                    Chapter 6

                        Separation & Retention of Employees                       Chapter 10

October 4        Part 1 Exam (partner is mandatory)

October 11      Performance Management & Assessment                  Chapter 8

October 18      Workplace Training                                                     Chapter 7

                        Employee Development                                              Chapter 9

October 25      Project Work

November 1    Compensation: Pay Structures                                    Chapter 11     

Recognizing Employee Contributions with Pay         Chapter 12                              Benefits                                                                       Chapter 13

November 8    Labor Relations                                                           Chapter 14

November 15              International HRM                                                     Chapter 15

                        HRM & High-Performance Organizations                 Chapter 16

November 22  No class; Thanksgiving

November 29 Part 2 Exam (partner is optional)

December 6     Project Presentations   Attendance is Mandatory!

December 13   Project Presentations   Attendance is Mandatory!

We cover a great deal of material every class period.  I do not have a set of written notes to give you if you miss class.  Thus, if you must miss a class, please check in with a class member to find out what transpired in your absence.