MIS 64271 Spring 2012 DuBois

                                         HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

                   MIS 64271, Spring 2012, Monday/Wednesday 11:00 – 12:15, BSA 217

INSTRUCTOR        

Name:                          Dr. Cathy DuBois                  

Office:                         Business Administration Building, A412                              

Phone:                         330-672-1157 (please send e-mail rather than leave voice mail) 

Fax:                             330-672-2953 (use a cover page with my name)

E-mail:                         cdubois@kent.edu

Office hours:               Monday, 10-11, 12:30-1:30; Wednesday 12:30-2:30; by appointment

TEXT (required)

Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright (2010).  Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (4th Ed.).  McGraw-Hill; bookstore has loose-leaf edition with CONNECT.

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course introduces Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) from a whole systems perspective that considers the organization’s ecology. We analyze the role of the Human Resource function in accomplishing organizational goals, and how Human Resource practices both shape and are shaped by organizational goals, culture and strategy. We also consider the drivers of the business context (economic, social, and environment) and the notion of organizational sustainability.

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. People 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. Thus the role of people within larger organizational systems merits careful attention.

This course introduces the array of techniques, practices and policies necessary to effectively utilize an organization’s people, or human resources. We address the critical importance of approaching the design of HRM systems from a strategic perspective, to create vertical alignment of HRM strategy with organizational strategy. We also address how horizontal alignment across the array of HRM systems is essential to create synergies that bind employees voluntarily to the organization and facilitate accomplishment of organizational goals. 

Because this is a survey course, we will cover to some extent the whole spectrum of content areas associated with HRM: impacts of the business context on the evolution of HRM, as well as the many functional activities of HRM. We 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 experience with HRM policies and procedures. Employees are on the receiving end of these policies and procedures. Line managers deliver a large percentage of HR policies/procedures to 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 your organization’s HRM policies/procedures, and contribute to sustainability along the way.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The overarching objective of this course is to make you a more intelligent designer/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.      Grasp the concept, components and issues regarding sustainable development.

2.      Understand how the business context drives organizational strategy and HRM strategy.

3.      Understand how the HRM function impacts accomplishment of organizational strategy.

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

5.      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.

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

7.      Understand all of the above within the context of systems theory, and analyze influences, outcomes and relationships from a whole systems perspective.

COURSE FORMAT

This class will be largely discussion with some lecture, group exercises, and student presentations. A lively learning environment is available for everyone when we are engaged in a dynamic dialogue. Successful students will come to class having read all assigned material and completed any additional assignments announced in class or via the course website.  When everyone is prepared, class is more enjoyable for all (including me!), and everyone learns more effectively. Information processing theory has established that several layers of exposure to new material is necessary to fully grasp, integrate and retain a wealth of new information, such as what you encounter in this course. 

GRADING

Final grades will be comprised of the following:

            Class preparation / participation                      15%

            Online Assignments                                        15%    

            Exams (3)                                                        45%     (15% each exam)

            HRM-in-the-News Presentation                       5%

            Team GRI Project                                           20%    

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 preparation and performance (i.e., if the learning exchange is lively everyone generally learns more and merits higher grades; if it’s dull everyone generally learns less).

Class Preparation / Participation / Assignments

Successful students arrive at class ready to discuss and apply assigned material. Online assignments will be posted with due dates; be sure to complete them by specified deadlines. Active participation in class is an integral part of this course, both for class discussions and small group work. Arrive at class having thought about the material and done assignments; bring your notes on chapters, PowerPoint and readings, as well as a list of questions to ask. Use discussions to bring up your personal work experiences that are salient to course material. We cover a great deal of material every class period.  Be prepared to be called on to state main points of assigned material at any time; your responses will significantly impact your grade.

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 – though I do this regularly.) 

As people who are or aspire to be managers, your oral communication skills are or will be an essential part of your career 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.

HRM-in-the-News Presentation

Each student team will make a 15-20 minute presentation in class on news items related to HRM topics we will cover in this course. The purpose of these presentations is to make students 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  HR-related articles that appeared in the recent popular press (articles no older than 6 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; the purpose of this assignment is focus on the popular press, not the HR literature. Use of HRM sources will significantly lower your grade. 

Groups will sign up for presentation dates in advance, and each presentation must focus on articles related to the HRM topic covered in class that week. Also include late-breaking articles that are highly newsworthy, even though they do not align with the designated topic. I expect presentations to cover news from the US as well as the International press.

Presentation style has a significant impact on the effectiveness of your presentation.  Every group member just speak at least some of the time. I expect a professional presentation. Use PowerPoint to summarize main points (use 30+ point font).  Do not chew gum, read from the article or from notecards, use repeated ‘um’s or do anything else that makes you seem unprepared.  Do dress appropriately, look at and connect with your audience, “own” the material you are presenting, monitor your time, smile and present with energy. Practice your talk for timing and flow.  See the evaluation form on the course website for grading criteria.Hand in to Dr. DuBois before you speak: A handout format copy of your slides (use 3 or 6 slides to a page).

Exams

There will be 3 exams that cover primarily non-overlapping content.  They will consist of questions in a variety of formats, many of which are integrative and application oriented.  Each exam will have a solo section (50 points) to be completed by each individual, and a partner section to be completed when working with a partner (50 points).   

My rationale for partner exams is based on two factors: people rarely work in isolation in the workplace, and discussing ideas with another knowledgeable individual is a terrific way to reinforce and extend your learning. The purpose of these exams extends beyond determining what you know; I also want the examination process to reinforce your learning. 

Students may either choose their partner in advance or be randomly assigned to a partner. Because half of the exam is taken solo, every student must study all material relevant to the exam.  Please be conscientious in your preparation, for your partner as well as for yourself.  Partners will receive the same grade on the partner portion of the exam unless the partner evaluation form indicates a need for adjustment (I do make adjustments as appropriate). 

Advice:  Tests will cover concepts from all assigned course media and class sessions. Mastery of all material will be necessary to earn an A on exams.  Successful students follow guidelines above for class preparation.  Be vigilant to key themes, recommendations and overarching points that are stated by the professor, but don’t appear on the PowerPoint. Think about the material – don’t just memorize it.

Important: 

All exam questions and answers must be left with the professor at the end of the class period, even after graded exams have been distributed to students for review. Failure to turn in any exam materials will result in lowering your final grade by 10 full points.

Team Project: HRM Analysis of Sustainability Reports

Through this project students will become familiar with organizational sustainability reporting formats and the range of HRM-related actions organizations are taking to create value through sustainability. Project steps include:

1.      Identify a specific industry or service sector for your group. Provide this information to Dr. DuBois on January 23.

2.      Locate sustainability reports for companies in this sector – 1 for each person in the group (Note: select at least 3 companies with GRI (Global Reporting Index) reports; use reports dated no earlier than 2009). Provide this information to Dr. DuBois on January 25.

3.      Identify and organize the HRM-relevant information in the report; generate key themes. Provide this information to Dr. DuBois on February 13.

4.      Create a spreadsheet with these key themes; rate each organization’s actions for each theme. Create a preliminary PowerPoint presentation to summarize this information. Provide these to Dr. DuBois on March 14.

5.      Draw conclusions and make relevant recommendations. At the end of the course, deliver to the class a professional presentation with PowerPoint that summarizes your findings.

Project Presentations:  25 minutes, plus 5 minute question/answer (30 minute max).  All group members must participate.  Make it educational and enjoyable!  Presentation style is important, so make sure all group members practice; each person must ‘own’ the material they present. Use the feedback you receive from your HRM in the News presentation to hone your presentation skills. A final copy of your presentation PowerPoint must be handed to the professor before your presentation begins.

Team Member Evaluation: Team evaluation forms are due the day after your team presents (e-mail delivery is fine).

Project Grading:

Groups are expected to meet all project deadlines specified above; late work will result in grade significant deductions.

            Deliverable work due by March 14:               50%

            Content in the final presentation:                   25%

            Individual presentation skill quality:              25%

Note that the content of the presentation is expected to improve from what is handed in on March 14, based on feedback from the professor, covering additional course material, and having additional time to integrate concepts and deepen your insights. This will be reflected in the “Content in the final presentation” 25% (included in this is the quality of your PowerPoint). Each individual will be graded separately on the quality of their presentation skills.

Writing Guidelines

Effective written and oral communication skills are highly influential in selection and promotion decisions. Business-style, professional writing used in organizational communications is concise and well organized.  Communications that contain rambling paragraphs or lack clear sections are simply not effective. Business communications that are not well organized or formatted, contain poor grammar and/or full page paragraphs, are usually not even read! 

Format your writing for this class to make your message ‘jump off the page’. To do this, incorporate the following elements into your writing: make liberal use of bulleted points, with phrases that effectively summarize ideas (use appropriate terms and be succinct), subheadings, numbered lists, and outlines.  Be sure to write full sentences and paragraphs when needed, when your message cannot be clearly communicated in more abbreviated form. However, avoid complex sentences and lengthy paragraphs. Say a lot with little writing; use page space wisely and attractively; make every word count. Quality of writing is superior to quantity of writing.

For some of you this will come easily, because you already incorporate these elements in your writing. For others it will be challenging, for you are accustomed to being ‘long-winded’ because you have previously been rewarded with high grades when you turn in lengthy prose.  However, because it is not appropriate in a business setting, lengthy prose will earn low grades in this class.

Information from the KSU College of Business Administration

The Following Policies Apply to All Students in this Course

A.    Students attending the course who do not have proper prerequisites risk deregistration 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 Student Tools on FlashLine) 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, January 22, 2012 to correct the error.  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 Spring 2012, the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, March 18, 2012.   Withdrawal before the deadline results in a "W" on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade will be reported.

E.     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 or visit http://www.registrars.kent.edu/disability/  for more information on registration procedures).