Carleton University Course Outline PADM 5418F Human Resource Management

Transcription

1 Carleton University Course Outline PADM 5418F Human Resource Management Lecturer: Telephone: Office Hours: Arun Thangaraj (w) (h) By Appointment I. Introduction Managers in the public service are required to improve program delivery and service levels with fewer resources, an aging workforce, a focus on accountability and an increasingly skilled and mobile staff. In this environment, effective management of human resources is one of the few levers that managers have at their disposal to accomplish their organizations strategic objectives. It is, however, a lever which is complicated and challenging - especially in the context of the Canadian public service. The objective of the course is to enhance the student=s understanding of the strategic aspects of managing human resources in a public service environment which is constantly changing. The approach that will be used will attempt to meld the theoretical with the practical. The course will cover various human resource management issues as well as strategies that are used in both the public and private sector. II. Instructional Method During the weekly classes, human resource management issues and strategies will be presented. Students are expected to read enough of the assigned articles in advance and draw on their own experiences in order to be prepared to actively participate in class discussions. III. Evaluation Students will be evaluated and graded on each of the following four components: i) Short Paper: Each student will prepare a short paper (approximately 5-10 pages) on a topic covered in class. The paper should identify and analyse the specific HR issue addressed. ii) Case Study: Students will be given a case study during October. The case study will cover various human resources issues facing a public sector organization and will require the student to analyse the situation, identify and evaluate options and provide supported recommendations. The report should be approximately 10 pages

2 in length. iii) Essay proposal and bibliography: Each student will select an essay topic relating to the subject matter covered in the course or another for which prior approval is obtained. A short summary (2 to 5 pages double spaced) is to be prepared outlining the topic and thesis for the essay. Students will also be required to submit a list of sources consulted with a brief evaluation of the relevance and quality of the source as it pertains to the proposed essay topic. iv) Essay: As noted above, each student will select an essay topic relating to the subject matter covered in the course or another for which prior approval is obtained. The essay is to be approximately 20 pages double spaced. The purpose of the essay is for the student to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the subject matter as well as its relevance to the public service. Students are encouraged to draw on academic literature, as well as case studies and their own experience. v) Class Participation: Students are required to actively participate in class by demonstrating knowledge of the required readings and other relevant material, drawing on their own experience and by challenging and questioning ideas and positions presented in class. The weighting for each of the above components is as follows: i) Paper 20% ii) Case Study 20% iii) Essay Proposal and Bibliography 10% iv) Essay 40% v) Class Participation 10% Please note that the due dates for the graded components will be determined at the first session. Students are required to hand in assignments on or before the due date. Assignments received after the due date will be subject to a late penalty. Extensions may be granted for exceptional circumstances. IV Readings Assigned readings are taken from various sources, which are available on Reserve in the library, in journals or on the internet. As presented in the course plan, the course reading list is lengthy. The student is not required to read all of the readings for each week, however they should read enough to demonstrate an understanding of the issue for discussion in class. Readings may be added during the term as required. V Course Plan An outline of the course is presented below. September 12: Introduction to Human Resources Management Beer, M., AThe Transformation of the Human Resource Function:

3 Resolving the Tension Between a Traditional Administrative and a New Strategic Role@, in Human Resource Management, Spring Pfeffer, Jeffrey, The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First, (Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1998), pgs Ulrich, Dave and Lake, Dale, AOrganizational capability: creating competitive advantage@ in Academy of Management Executive, 1991, Vol. 5, No. 1. September 19: The Public Service Environment Management in the Government of Canada: A Commitment to Continuous Improvement, Treasury Board Secretariat. Modernization of Human Resources Management, 2005 Status Report of the Auditor General. TB Management Accountability Framework, Implementation Guide to the People Component of the Management Accountability Framework (PCMAF), July 2005, September 26: Recruitment and Selection Poundstone, William, ABeware the Interview Inquisition@, in Harvard Business Review, May Menkes, Justin, Hiring for Smarts, in Harvard Business Review, November Arvey, Richard D. and Campion, James E., AThe Employment Interview: A Summary and Review of Recent Research@, in Personnel Psychology, 1982, Vol. 35. Rynes, Sarah and Gerhart, Barry, AInterviewer Assessments of Applicant AFit@: An Exploratory Investigation@, in Personnel Psychology, 1990, Vol. 43.

4 Recruiting for Canada=s Future Public Service: Changing the System, Office of the Auditor General 2001 Report Chapter 2. Lievens, Filip and Thornton, George C., Assessment Centers: Recent Developments in Practice and Research, in The Blackwell Handbook of Personnel Selection, (Malden: Blackwell Publishing 2005). October 3: Equity and Diversity Employment Equity in the Federal Public Service Annual Report to Parliament, Public Service Human Resource Management Agency of Canada. Employment Equity in the Federal Public Service - Not there Yet, Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, February Beck, J. Helen et al, AAddressing Systemic Racial Discrimination in Employment: The Health Canada Case and Implications of Legislative Change@, in Canadian Public Policy, September 2002, Vol. 28 No. 3. Thomas, David A, Diversity as Strategy, in Harvard Business Review, September Thomas, David A and Ely, Robin J., AMaking Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity@, in Harvard Business Review, September-October October 17: Training and Career Development Evaluation of the 2002 Policy for Continuous Learning in the Public Service of Canada for the CPSA Kiernan, Matthew, AThe new strategic architecture: learning to compete in the twenty-first century@, in Academy of Management Executive, 1993 Vol. 7, No. 1. Jamie L. Callahan, Organizational Learning: A reflective and Representative Critical Issue for HRD, in Critical Issues in HRD,

5 (Cambridge: Perseus, 2003). October 24: Assessing Performance Grote, Dick, APerformance Appraisal in Harvard Business Review, January-February Levinson, Harry, AManagement by Whose in Harvard Business Review, January Peiperl, Maury A., AGetting 360-Degree Feedback in Harvard Business Review, January October 31: Compensation and Performance Pay Pfeffer, Jeffrey, ASix Dangerous Myths about in Harvard Business Review, May-June Kohn, A. AWhy Incentive Plans Cannot in Harvard Business Review, September-October Pfeffer, Jeffrey, The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First, (Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1998), pgs November 7: Workplace Issues An Examination of the Implications and Costs of Work-Life Conflict in Canada. (Chapter 3 and 4) Weaver McCloskey, Donna, ATelecommuting Experiences and Outcomes: Myths and Realities@, in Johnson, Nancy J. ed., Telecommuting and Virtual Offices: Issues and Opportunities, (Hershey: Idea Group Publishing, 2001), pgs Arthur, Michelle and Cook, Alison, The Relationship between Work- Family HR Practices and Firm Profitability, in Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 2003, Vol 22. November 14: Union-Management Relations Pfeffer, Jeffrey, The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting

6 People First, (Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1998), pgs Perline, Martin M., AUnion Views of Managerial Prerogatives Revisited: The Prospects for Labor-Management in Journal of Labour Research, Vol. XX, No. 1, Winter Report of the Advisory Committee on Labour Management Relations in the Federal Public Service of Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat. November 21: Managing Restructuring Morris, James R. et al, ADownsizing After All These in Organizational Dynamics, Winter Laabs, J., AHas Downsizing Missed its in Workforce, April Kammeyer-Meuller, John et al, Downsizing and Organizational Performance, in Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 2001,Vol 20. November 28: Managing Organizational Change Kotter, John P., ALeading Change: Why Transformation Efforts in Harvard Business Review, March -April Nadler, David A., and Tushman, Michael L., Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), pg Ostroff, Frank, Change Management in Government, in Harvard Business Review, May 2006.