PREREQUISITE: None

CREDIT: Required course for M.A. in Administrative Management. Elective course for M.S. in Management Information Systems. Three (3) semester hours.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Balkin, D. B., & Cardy, R. L. (2001). Managing Human Resources (3^rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kauffman, N., and Massey, C. (2000). Human capital applications: Using Microsoft Office 2000. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

PURPOSE: This course is designed to provide a strategic analysis of human resource management (HRM) as it relates to the selection, development, utilization, and administration of an effective, productive, and satisfied workforce. The focus is on the legal, regulatory, political, social, and managerial environments of the human resource manager. In addition to the managerial perspective, several additional themes are emphasized in the course: (1) the need for cooperation between line managers and the HR department, (2) the importance of operating within an ethical framework, (3) the effects of reorganizing, outsourcing, and quality management on HRM, (4) workforce diversity as a source of competitive advantage in the global economy, and (5) the changing forces of technology and their implications for HRM. Finally, the course emphasizes and examines contemporary issues facing human resource managers today.

OBJECTIVES: This course enables students to understand:

• The role of the human resource manager
• The line manager's role in human resource management
• Emerging environmental and organizational changes affecting HR practices
• Important new case law in several areas including the Americans with Disabilities Act, EEO, and sexual harassment rulings
• Strategies for managing diversity
• Strategies for recruiting and selecting employees
• Strategies for managing employee separations, downsizing, and outplacement
• Strategies for appraising and managing performance
• Training and development strategies
• Career development strategies
• Strategies for managing compensation and effectively rewarding performance
• Strategies for designing and administering employee benefits
• Strategies for effective employee relations management
• Strategies for managing discipline
• Emerging trends in labor union growth and contracts
• Strategies for managing workplace health and safety
• The effect of technology on global HRM practices

TOPICS: Through a variety of instructional methods, including lecturettes, group discussions, written and video cases, small group exercises, readings, individual research, written assignments, team projects and presentations, individual presentations and exams, MGMT 571 will cover the following topics:

1. Meeting present and emerging strategic human resource challenges
2. Managing work flows and conducting job analysis
3. Understanding equal opportunity and the legal environment
4. Managing diversity
5. Recruiting and selecting employees
6. Managing employee separations, downsizing, and outplacement
7. Appraising and managing performance
8. Training the workforce
9. Developing careers
10. Managing compensation
11. Rewarding performance
12. Designing and administering benefits
13. Managing employee relations
14. Respecting employee rights and managing discipline
15. Working with organized labor
16. Managing workplace safety and health
17. Meeting the international HRM challenge

MGMT 571: Human Resource Management 25 Aug01/14 OCT01

Instructor: Dr. Elizabeth Moore

e.r.moore@home.com ,

RAMSTEIN-Kapaun -- WKENDS 25/26AUG;15/16, 29/30 SEP, 13/14 OCT --9:00 to 16:00

Office hours: Before or after class or by appointment

Required Reading:

Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Balkin, D. B., & Cardy, R. L. (2001). Managing Human Resources (3^rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kauffman, N., and Massey, C. (2000). Human capital applications: Using Microsoft Office 2000. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Course Description: How do businesses succeed in today's competitive environment? The factor that can set an organization apart is its people. The quality of the organization's employees, their enthusiasm and satisfaction with their jobs, their work experience and sense of fair treatment all affect the firm's productivity, customer service, reputation, and survival. In short, people make the difference.

MGMT 571 focuses on the management of a firm's human resources and how to successfully implement HRM programs. While relatively few managers become human resource specialists, virtually all managers will have to work with other people. This course is based on the premise that every manager is a human resource manager and further, all future managers need to understand the HRM issues that comprise the heart of this course.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Explain how a firm's human resources influence its performance.
2. Distinguish between the role of the HR department and the role of the firm's managers in utilizing human resources effectively.
3. List the factors influencing worker motivation that are under managers' control.
4. Explain why compliance with HR law is an important part of doing business.
5. Describe strategies that contribute to the successful management of diversity within the firm.
6. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of internal and external recruiting.
7. Describe HRM strategies for downsizing an organization that are alternatives to a layoff.
8. Define performance appraisal, explain its importance, and describe the characteristics of an effective performance appraisal process.
9. Describe the characteristics of successful training programs.
10. Identify and discuss four career development strategies that are commonly used in organizations today.
11. Identify and discuss five or more pay options that managers must consider when designing a compensation system.
12. Identify the major federal laws governing compensation practices.
13. Discuss the pros and cons of different compensation methods for sales personnel.
14. Identify some advantages and disadvantages of team-based pay-for-performance plans.
15. Discuss how traditional health insurance plans and managed-care health insurance plans work and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
16. Compare and contrast defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans and discuss situations in which each is most appropriate.
17. Discuss the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.
18. Identify and discuss the four benefits mandated by the United States government.
19. List three ways the HR department can contribute to positive employee relations in a company.
20. Describe the employment-at-will doctrine.
21. Compare and contrast employee and management rights.
22. Explain why employees join unions.
23. Identify the ways in which a union can affect a company's entire pattern of HR management, including staffing, employee development, compensation, and employee relations policies.
24. Discuss the kinds of HR policies that contribute to the prevention of workplace violence.
25. Discuss the primary reasons that international assignments sometimes end in failure.

Course Requirements:

The first requirement of this course is for students to complete the assigned reading before class so that they are prepared to discuss the topic and apply it to the day's cases or exercises. Students will be asked to conduct an article search on a topic of relevance to the course. Each student will be asked to make a presentation to the class on the results of his or her research. Presentations will be graded. Working in groups, students will be asked to analyze a case, exercise, assignment, or discussion questions related to the day's topic. Working in teams, students will be asked to describe and evaluate a real organization using the concepts studied in class. This paper will be 10-15 typed pages (double-spaced) in length. In addition to the paper, teams will be required to make a presentation to the class about their chosen project. Both the paper and the presentation will be graded. Time has been budgeted in each class session for work on team projects. This time should be used wisely. A mid-term and final exam will be given. Both will consist of a combination of multiple choice, true-false, and short essay questions. Extra credit will be assigned for students who successfully complete computer-based exercises from the supplementary textbook Human Capital Applications. A total of 10 exercises are provided as opportunities for earning extra credit in the course. Additional information about the individual and team projects and computer-based exercises will be provided in class.

Students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and ethical behavior. All assignments submitted in fulfillment of course requirements must be the student's own work. Assignments, except those designated as "team projects," are meant to be individual efforts. Team efforts are meant to be equal efforts of all team members. See the European Division catalog for UMUC policy on academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

Grading Criteria:

Final grades will be based on a 1,000-point grading scale. The breakdown is as follows:

Assignment

Session Due

Points/Percentage

Mid-term exam

Session 4

300 points/30%

Individual presentations

Sessions 3-8

100 points/10%

Team Paper & Presentation

Session 7

300 points/30%

Computer-based exercises

Sessions 2-8

100 points/10%

Final Exam

Session 8

300 points/30%

It is assumed that students will perform professionally in preparing written work required for this course. All assignments are due at the session indicated in the course syllabus.

Papers should always be typed (double spaced) on a laser or inkjet printer and printed on 20 or 24 lb. white bond paper.

Content, mechanics, style, and clarity of expression are all important grading criteria for written work. Good papers demonstrate in-depth understanding of the course content and the assignment objectives. They are also carefully written and revised, they use the English language correctly, and they have been proofread, spell checked, and grammar checked before they are submitted.

Material not in the student's own words must be clearly attributed and sources must be appropriately cited. The following criteria for grading written papers will be used in this class:

• Writer demonstrates unusually sharp insight into material.
• Paper evidences accurate audience analysis.
• Ideas are clearly articulated and written logically and clearly.
• Essay has a clear, well-structured introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Sentences are well built, with consistently strong, varied structure.
• Writer demonstrates a strong grasp of standard writing conventions including spelling, punctuation, and word usage.
• Words used convey the intended message in an interesting, precise, and natural way.
• Writing is full and rich, yet concise.
• Course concepts are integrated, and paper incorporates a logical progression of ideas that leads the reader toward understanding.

• Paper is clear, focused, and interesting.
• Relevant material or effective research is included.
• Writer demonstrates a clear understanding of the subject matter and the ability to link theory to practical experience.
• Organization emphasizes the central theme or purpose.
• Paper evidences accurate audience analysis.
• Sequencing and transitioning of ideas is logical and appropriate.
• Paper has a clear, well-structured introduction, body, and conclusion.

• Paper accomplishes the minimum requirements and communicates at an acceptable college level.
• Student demonstrates an acceptable understanding of all basic concepts.
• Paper is somewhat clear and focused, and efforts are made to use relevant material and research to support findings. However, understanding is limited.
• The paper is lacking in some aspects of substance, logic, or originality.
• The reader can readily follow what is being said, but the paper's overall organization needs improvement.
• Language conveys the message but needs more variety, more precision, or more explanation.
• Sentences are more mechanical than fluid, and occasional awkward construction causes the reader to slow down or to reread sentences.
• Some problems with word usage and grammar are noted.

• Paper lacks a central theme or forces the reader to make inferences based on sketchy details.
• Information is limited or missing.
• The writer failed to demonstrate a clear understanding of the subject matter.
• The paper's organization is disjointed. Writing lacks direction or continuity.
• The writer struggles with a limited vocabulary or does not use language appropriately.
• Writing is vague, abstract, or redundant.
• Numerous errors in usage, sentences structure, spelling, or punctuation are noted.

F = Academic Failure. Quality or quantity of work is unacceptable.

Will be provided

Regular class attendance is expected. An attendance sheet will be kept for this purpose. A student's signature on the attendance sheet for that class will be the only proof of attendance. If a student should miss a class meeting, it is his or her responsibility to obtain information concerning material covered and upcoming assignments.

If a student must miss an announced quiz or exam for duty reasons or illness, he or she must provide documentary proof to be permitted to take a make-up exam.

For the past ten years, Dr. Moore has worked as a business consultant, specializing in the management of organizational change. Her clients have ranged from Fortune 500 companies to small, high-tech start-ups in such business sectors as financial services, aerospace, automotive aftermarket manufacturing, telecommunications, health care, and higher education.

Early in her career, Dr. Moore served as Director of Corporate Training and Development for a large insurance company and as Human Resource Director for a mid-size community hospital. She has also taught management courses at a number of educational institutions, including the University of Massachusetts, Suffolk University, Boston State College, and Mount Saint Mary's College.

Dr. Moore earned a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems, a Master's degree in Organization Development, a Master's degree in Psychology, and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Education.

Session 1

Chapters 1 and 2

Team meetings.

Session 2

Chapters 3 and 4

Activities: Lecturette/discussion. Case analyses. Schedule topics/sessions for individual presentations. Identify prospective topics for team papers/presentations. Team meetings

Session 3

Chapters 5 and 6

Activities: Lecturette/discussion. Case analyses or role play. Individual presentations. Human Capital applications demonstration. Team meetings

Session 4

Chapters 7, 8, and 9

Activities: Lecturette/discussion. Case analyses. Individual presentations. Mid-term exam. Team Meetings

Session 5

Chapters 10 and 11

Activities: Mid-term exam review. Lecturette/discussion. Case analyses. Individual presentations. Team meetings

Session 6

Chapter 12

Activities: Lecturette/discussion. Case analyses. Individual presentations. Team meetings.

Session 7

Chapters 13 and 14

Activities: Lecturette/discussion. Individual presentations. Team presentations. Final exam review.

Session 8

Activities: Lecturette/discussion. Case analyses. Individual presentations. Final exam.

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