Specialization Human Resource Management

Specialization Human Resource Management Specialization of the master s programme in Business Administration www.vu.nl/programmes A wider perspective

Managing the very heart of an organisation A wider perspective

Human Resource Management: the key to strategic success Every organization has its objectives and its own strategy for achieving them. Harnessing the strengths and talents of an organization s human resources are the key to making this process work. How can an organization get the best out of its employees? Creating a person-organization fit Each human being is unique. We all have our individual strengths and our personal goals. A square peg in a round hole is not a recipe for success. How can you combine human abilities and motivations with situational demands and opportunities to create a competitive advantage in organizational processes such as production and innovation? I majored in Human Resources because I have always had a keen interest in the human factor within an organization. From the start it was clear to me that the workforce plays a vital role in an organization s success. An engine simply cannot run without fuel. Jaap Oskam, Master s student of Human Resource Management Developing talent to the full Well-rounded professionals do not come ready made. It is one thing to recognize raw talent but quite another to nurture and channel it within an organization. How can you enable employees to develop their skills and realize their full potential? Making the most of diversity Nothing stifles creativity like uniformity. But managing diversity brings with it special challenges and requires a clear vision and a strong sense of commitment. How do you go about enabling employees from different backgrounds to work together effectively? Interactive marketing and networks How can we better understand the potential of information and communication technologies to help us develop a more thorough understanding of customers and markets? What kind of organizational forms are best suited to meeting the challenges posed by the knowledge economy and how can technologies contribute to these new organizational forms? Human Resource Management - 3

Master s Human Resource Management (HRM) specialization in can be defined as the management Human Resource of work and people in order to Management at achieve desired outcomes. It is a VU University crucial part of any organization. Amsterdam These desired outcomes involve high performance aligned with organizational goals. For employees, they involve career and development opportunities. Human Resource Managers take on the challenge of aligning individual needs with organizational requirements using HRM tools and models. This process takes place in the context of environmental and societal trends, such as the increasing diversity of employees backgrounds. At VU University Amsterdam, students learn to reflect critically on these and many other issues in the field of HRM. One of the contemporary HRM-related issues facing the Western world is the ageing workforce. The baby boom that followed on the heels of WWII has skewed the demographics of Western labour forces. This, combined with the current deficit of young talent, will lead to considerable staff shortages within a couple of years time. In addition, contemporary workers tend to focus on striking an equitable work-family balance. When young employees enter the workforce nowadays, they do not automatically want to work fulltime because of their family obligations or because of other hobbies or responsibilities. Finally, the economic situation may restrict opportunities for lifelong employment. Some workers are simply disinclined to pursue a lifelong career. Instead, lifelong learning is required, and alternative career patterns such as the boundaryless career are evolving. All of these issues call for innovative approaches to studying and applying Human Resource Management tools and models. 4 - VU University Amsterdam

Comparative, critical, contemporary Comparative HRM At VU University Amsterdam, you will learn all about effective HRM by comparing and applying theories and practices at the micro (individual behaviour, such as employee motivation), meso (organizational HRM practices, such as performance management) and macro (contextual factors, such as national culture) levels. This wideranging and multi-levelled approach is a cornerstone of this unique programme. When you take the people out of an organization, you take out the knowledge. Without that, almost nothing remains. Bricks and mortar, machines and products cannot think, innovate, sell or buy! HRM is the key to managing human capital and achieving our business objectives. Edwin Bak, Master s student in Human Resource Management Critical developments You will be encouraged to hone your critical and analytical skills by assessing current HRM theories and practices in light of their suitability over time and how they relate to various aspects of social, political and technological progress. You will look into whether traditional HRM theories are still relevant when applied to contemporary HRM issues, such as the ageing workforce in Western countries or the urge felt by today s workers for work-family balance. Contemporary research Not only will you learn to conduct your own research, but you will also utilize, apply, and reflect on contemporary research in the field of HRM, both fundamental and empirical. In your Master s thesis, you will be able to show that you have amassed sufficient knowledge of HRM to develop a relevant research question, and to build a sound theoretical framework supporting your study hypotheses. Furthermore, you will collect empirical data (for example, through a questionnaire survey or interviews) in order to test these hypotheses. Finally, you will answer your research question based on your data, and you will translate this conclusion into both theoretical and practical implications. Human Resource Management - 5

Your programme in a nutshell The Master s specialization in Human Resource Management is structured around three important human resource processes and contemporary issues: 1. Employee commitment and development, or the extent to which employees feel committed to their employer, to their own performance and to the development of their own job-related knowledge and skills (this topic is discussed in the Careers & Organizations course). 2. Managing and controlling performance, or the HRMrelated models and tools involved in measuring and managing employee performance in organizations (this is the focus of the Performance Management & Control course). The HRM programme is an exciting challenge that covers all aspects of human resources. It is great to receive expert guidance from thesis supervisors who are true specialists in their field. The support and information they provide is invaluable when it comes to completing your Master s thesis. Marieke Huijskens, Master s student of Human Resource Management 3. Managing organizational diversity, which is an issue many of today s employers and employees are dealing with (the Diversity in Organizations course focuses on this contemporary HRM theme). Another important element of this study programme is the Master s thesis, which enables you to apply what you have learned about HRM (and Business Administration in general) to an empirical study of an HRM-related business issue. Your thesis will be a true research project for which you will collect quantitative and/or qualitative data in order to help you answer your research question on a Human Resource Management topic. The programme is divided into six periods. It is worth 60 credits and takes one year to complete. Important programme components include: Period 1: Period 2: Period 3: Period 4: Period 5: Period 6: Careers & Organizations (6 credits) Strategy, Control & Design (6 credits) Performance Management & Control (6 credits) Optional course (6 credits) Ethics (3 credits) Research Seminar I (3 credits) Diversity in Organizations (6 credits) Research Seminar II & Start Thesis (3 + 3 credits) Optional course/ Capita Selecta (6 credits) Thesis (6 credits) Thesis (6 credits) 6 - VU University Amsterdam

In my line of work, I am dealing with people all the time. The skills I obtained during my studies have benefited me in many ways. This programme has taught me valuable lessons and has given me the insight to answer essential questions, when should I lead, when should I follow, how should I respond when people are not motivated? It s all about bringing out the best in people. Having successfully completed the Master s specialization in Human Resource Management, you will enter the job market as a graduate in Business Administration with a specialist A job as knowledge of human resource a HRM manager, performance and development. a consultant, As such, you will be extremely a management well qualified to pursue a trainee career in HRM, but many other opportunities will also be open to you, for example in general management or consultancy. The Master s specialization in HRM adds a critical, contemporary, and (most importantly) comparative component to your general Business Administration knowledge and skills. In other words, after finishing this Master s specialization, you will be able to understand and manage the very heart of an organization: its human resources. Fouad Gaddur, MSc in Business Administration with a specialization in HRM Human Resource Management - 7

If you would like to know more Please visit www.vu.nl/programmes for: Detailed programme information Admission requirements Information on application and registration Career perspectives Opportunities for majors and minors Or contact the faculty for more information about the programme: Study Advisors Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Room 2A-22 De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands T +31 (0)20 598 6116 E studyadvisor@feweb.vu.nl International Student Relations (degree students) Room 2E-70 De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands T +31 (0)20 598 5585 E masterprogramme@feweb.vu.nl For general information about VU University Amsterdam Please phone us at +31 (0)20 598 5000 (Monday Friday, 9:00 to 17:00). You may also e-mail us at study@vu.nl. Read more about VU University Amsterdam at www.vu.nlprogrammes. No rights may be derived from the contents of this brochure. Publication: Department of Marketing & Communication, VU University Amsterdam. Photo cover: Hollandse Hoogte / Goos van der Veen (Kantoorpersoneel in verlichte kantoren bij avond). A wider perspective