BAD 64271 Summer III 2006 DuBois

 

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:                 Monday /7 Wednesday 5:00-6:00 pm & by appointment

 

 

 

Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright (2007).  Fundamentals of  Human Resource Management (2nd 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.

 

 

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 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.

 

 

 

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. 

 

Final grades will be comprised of the following:

                        Class participation                                            15%

                        Exams (2)                                                         60%     (30% each)

                        HRM-in-the-News Presentation                         5%

                        Individual Paper                                                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 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.

 

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 on the sample posting 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 start each class period with 1 or 2 presentations.  The presenter has 5 minutes to speak; you cannot receive an A if you exceed this.  Practice your talk so you can keep it to 5 minutes!

Note: If you arrive at the classroom after a presentation has begun, please do not interrupt the speaker by entering the room.  Late entries are rude because they are distracting to the speaker and the class.  Remain in the hallway until the speaker has finished speaking.  Make every effort to get to class on time.  A tally of the number of presentations you miss due to being late will be kept, and your personal HRM-in-the-News presentation grade will be adjusted downward accordingly.

 

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 next 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 and class discussions.  Neither one alone will provide you with sufficient information to earn an A. 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.

 

 

Each student will write a research paper on the HRM topic of their choice (10 page maximum, 12 point font, 1 inch margins).  The paper can take 2 forms – each student should pursue the one that they find is most interesting.

 

1)      Practitioner paper with state-of-the-art practice recommendations based on current research.  This will require reading research journal articles, as well as practitioner articles.  Paper must use references cited in appropriate APA format. This paper must tell a story that is worthy of the time it would take a busy practitioner to read it!  Organize key points into a chart/diagram, etc.

2)      Analysis of one area of HR practice in an existing organization.  This will require interviewing HR employees in an organization to determine specifics about current practice.  The paper will outline recommended state-of-the-art practice, current practice in your selected organization, and a comparison of the two.  Insightful recommendations for changes in practice will be an important element of the paper.

Papers are due on August 14.  Late papers will receive a deduction in grade of 5 points per day.  Please do not use fancy folders; simply use a cover sheet and staple your paper with 1 staple in the upper left corner.

Each student in the class must pursue a different topic.  Topics are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Topics must be approved by Dr. DuBois no later than July 21, 2006.  There will be a penalty of 5 points from the project grade for late approvals.

 

 

 

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!

 

 

A.     Students attending the course who do not have the proper prerequisite risk being deregistered from the class.

 

 

 

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 Tuesday, May 23, 2006 for Intersession 2006 – Thursday, June 15 for Summer I – Sunday, June 18 for Summer II - and Thursday, July 20 for Summer III.  If registration errors are not corrected by these dates 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.

 

B.     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.

 

C.      Course Withdrawal:

Intersession 2006 course withdrawal deadline is Friday, June 2, 2006

Summer I 2006 course withdrawal deadline is Monday, July 3, 2006

Summer II 2006 course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, July 16, 2006

Summer III 2006 course withdrawal deadline is Monday, August 7, 2006

 

Course withdrawal before the deadline results in a "W" on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade must be calculated and reported.

 

Please consult with an academic advisor in the Undergraduate Programs Office (Room 107, BSA – 330-672-2872) if you are having academic difficulty.

D.    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).

 

 

 

 

 

July 17             Introduction to HRM, HR Environment             Chapters 1 & 2

 

July 19             Legal Context of Employment Decisions                        Chapter 3

                        Analysis of Work & Job Design                                    Chapter 4

                                   

July 24             HR Planning & Employee Recruiting                             Chapter 5

                        Employee Selection                                                      Chapter 6

 

July 26             Employee Selection                                                      Chapter 6

                        Separation & Retention of Employees               Chapter 10

 

July 31             Part 1 Exam (partner is mandatory)

                                                           

 

 

July 31 (cont)   Performance Management & Assessment                      Chapter 8

                                   

August 2           Workplace Training                                                      Chapter 7

                        Employee Development                                                Chapter 9

           

August 7           Class does not meet: work on papers/reading

 

August 9           Compensation: Pay Structures                           Chapter 11      

Recognizing Employee Contributions with Pay   Chapter 12                               Benefits                                                                        Chapter 13

 

August 14         Labor Relations                                                            Chapter 14

                        International HRM                                                        Chapter 15

                        HRM & High-Performance Organizations                     Chapter 16

                                   

August 16         Part 2 Exam (partner is optional)

 

 

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.