Online Course Syllabus MSM637 Strategies in Compensation and Benefits Important Notes: This document provides an overview of expectations for this online course and is subject to change prior to the term start. Changes may also occur during the term due to faculty or SPS Distance Learning course updates. Some links may only be active once the term starts. For this course you must check the Regis Bookstore: http://www.efollett.com for the most current online course material information. Course Description Course Outcomes Materials of Instruction Notes Regarding Assignments and Workload Written Assignments Presentations Attendance Group Work Grading Criteria Equal Access Jesuit Education Social Justice and Service Learning Components Assignments Course Description This course identifies a framework for implementing compensation and benefits systems to attract and retain a high performance workforce in a global environment. The focus is on the role of human resources in managing competitive rewards and pay plans. Specific topics include compensation administration, job evaluation and pay structures, base and incentive pay, increases and bonuses, executive compensation, and employee benefits plans including required, voluntary, and retirement options. This course provides a comprehensive overview of compensation management strategies in organizations. To do so, relevant models of compensation are discussed, issues of executive compensation and other rewards and incentives to organizational strategies. A review of various compensation influences, including laws and regulations, is also covered. Administration of compensation systems in public and private organizations; concepts,
models and practices related to wage and salary levels and structure; perceived equity, individual appraisal/rewards, performance and satisfaction; and benefits will be examined. Techniques and areas explored will include: job analysis, job description, job evaluation, internal work structure, market definitions, policy lines, pay structure, incentive programs, incentive guidelines, planning, budgeting, communicating, and evaluating. Prerequisites: MSM 601, MSM 611, MSM 621. Course Outcomes Upon completion of this course, learners will demonstrate competence through oral and written assessments in the following outcome areas. 1. Assess the relationship between an organization's business strategy and its pay systems 2. Develop procedures for valuing jobs within organizations 3. Describe the components of a compensation and non-compensation system and the need to combine them into an effective reward system 4. Analyze how compensation motivates employee performance that supports work unit and organizational effectiveness by rewarding employee-achieved results and behaviors demonstrated 5. Examine various compensation strategies. 6. Evaluate compensation within various organizational structures. Materials of Instruction Required Texts: American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5 th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Companion website: http://www.apastyle.org.
Hacker, D. (2003). A writer's reference. (5 th ed.) New York: Bedfort/St. Martin's. Martocchio, J. J. (2004). Strategic compensation: A human resource management approach (3 rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Useful On-line Resources: American Payroll Association http://www.americanpayroll.org Compensation & Benefits Review Journal http://cbr.sagepub.com International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists http://www.iscebs.org International Public Management Association for Human Resources http://www.ipma-hr.org Monthly Labor Review On-line http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/mlrhome.htm National Human Resource Association http://www.humanresources.org Worldatwork, the Professional Association for Compensation, Benefits, and Total Rewards http://www.worldatwork.org Workers Compensation Research Institute http://www.wcrinet.org Society for Human Resource Management http://www.shrm.org Social Security Administration http://www.ssa.gov
U.S. Department of Health & Services, Administration for Children and Families http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/ U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/home.htm U.S. Department of Labor; Economic News Release http://www.bls.gov/bls/newsrels.htm U.S. Office of Personnel Management http://www.opm.gov In Week One, the facilitator will provide: 1. A course syllabus to supplement this module. 2. Details of grading and evaluation for this course. 3. Overview of the final paper for this course. Notes Regarding Assignments and Workload The class will meet online for a total of 8 weeks. The highly accelerated pace requires learners to take a great deal of responsibility for their own learning outcomes. Learners are expected to actively participate in online discussions and dedicate a minimum of 15 hours per week of study, homework assignments, and/or group projects. Note that although all initial postings to the Forum for a given week must be completed by Sunday midnight of that week, Forum discussions for that week will continue into the next week. Written Assignments An important component of this course is the completion of written assignments. All written work is expected to meet graduate level standards. Assignments will be graded
for content and for basic writing skills. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) is to be used for written work in the MSM program. Short reports and journal entries will have various formats per instructor guidelines. However, longer papers and research papers required in this and other MSM courses are expected to follow APA guidelines. The page limits mentioned for papers due in this course refer to a maximum. There is no minimum. However, all assigned tasks must be included in the material you submit. Written assignments are to be typed, double-spaced, with APA margins, page numbers, running heads, and appropriate headings to divide topic sections as identified in the directions for the written assignments. All written work is expected to be reader based per APA guidelines. Refer to Hacker (2003) for grammar, punctuation, and style guidelines. Presentations Presentations made in this class are to be professional in nature. The presentation should be well organized, with the topic covered thoroughly. Handouts and visual aids are to be professional looking and appropriate for the topic. Follow all guidelines for PowerPoint slides minimums and maximums. Attendance Students are expected to provide forum postings for all class sessions for this course. If an absence is unavoidable, the facilitator should be advised prior to class. Arrangements will be made at that time for additional assignments if appropriate. However, participation assessment may reflect this absence. Group Work The underlying purpose of group work in this course is to provide students opportunities
to learn important professional skills in a real-world context of compensation and benefits. Other goals are to assist students in becoming more self-directed and to think critically about their work and the work of others. It's about real-world problem solving, leadership and citizenship. Real-world problems are complex, ill-defined, ill-structured, and often characterized by dynamically changing conditions throughout the solution process. Grading Criteria The facilitator will provide evaluation and grading criteria in Week One. The following Grading Scale applies to all MSM courses: A = 4.00 96-100% A- = 3.67 92-95 B+ = 3.33 88-91 B = 3.00 83-87 B- = 2.67 78-82 C+ = 2.33 74-77 C = 2.00 70-73 There is no bell curve or expected distribution of final grades. Equal Access to Classes and Learning Accommodations Equal access to education means equal opportunity to learn. Under Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, students with verified disabilities who are otherwise qualified, have a right to equal access to classes at Regis University. If you are a student with a disability and you need accommodations for this class, please document your disability and discuss necessary accommodations with the Director of Learning Support Services (Lowell Campus, Carroll Hall 225, phone
303-458-4941), and schedule an appointment the first week of the session. The Disability Services home page is located at http://www.regis.edu/disability. Jesuit Education Mission: The Mission of Regis University is to develop men and women to be leaders in service of others. The foundation of a Jesuit Catholic university is in providing a values based education with a focus on finding good in all things. Ethics & Values: To this end, we will encourage the discussion of different views and perspectives and their ethical implications for business projects being planned and carried out in today's global environment. The purpose of this discourse is to assist us as in seeking an answer to the question posed by Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, of: How ought we to live? Social Justice and Service Learning Components Insofar as Jesuit education is both practical and value-oriented, educating men and women to be concerned with the common good and the promotion of justice, the mission of Regis University supports a concern for social justice and service learning. Social justice is integrated into the curriculum by addressing moral and ethical issues pertinent to the student's area of study. Service learning is integrated into the curriculum as a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and personal development. Service can take many forms including direct service, advocacy, consciousness raising, and communitybased research. Online Course MSM637 Week: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Course Dynamics This course is organized around an eight-week program. Weekly outcomes, assignments, and critical information are organized week-by-week. Typically, each week includes a reading assignment, forum submittals, and other activities as assigned. Online weeks correlate to a 7-day workweek. Each week's work begins on a Monday. Prior to the start of each week, before Monday, complete the reading assignments. On Monday of each week, read your weekly critical information found in the Week-by-Week section. (Note: Your timely understanding of critical information content may be required to complete your weekly assignment or final project.) Participate in the Forum discussions, read other student postings, and reply, when appropriate, by Sunday. Week 1: Strategic Compensation Read: Martocchio Chapters 1, 2, and 3. Submit paper on payment of American workers by midnight Sunday Forum introductions and responses Forum questions about facilitator notes and expectations Forum discussion on compensation Small groups assigned Week 2: Understanding the Base Pay System
Read: Martocchio Chapters 4, 5, and 6 Read: Air Wave, Inc. case study Create job summary by midnight Sunday Design performance evaluation forms by midnight Sunday Forum discussion of posted evaluation forms Week 3: Compensation Systems Read: Martocchio Chapters 7, 8 and 9 Complete job analysis Prepare summary report by midnight Sunday Forum discussion of reports Week 4: Employee Benefits
Read: Martocchio Chapters 10 and 11 Prepare and present paper about legally required benefits legislation Select topic for Individual Project, E-mail facilitator Develop discretionary benefits package Submit benefits package report to facilitator by midnight Sunday Week 5: International Pay and Executive Compensation Plans Read: Martocchio Chapters 12 and 13 Forum discussion about executive compensation Create outsourcing recommendations Submit outsourcing report by midnight Sunday Week 6: Compensating the Contingent Workforce
Read: Martocchio Chapter 14 Individual project papers due by midnight Sunday Research pros and cons of contingency workers Submit contingency worker report by midnight Sunday Week 7: Delivering the Total Compensation Package Total Compensation Package Group Paper due this week Submit formal business report by midnight Sunday Forum discussion about posted reports Week 8: Challenges in Compensation Practices Prepare formal compensation presentation for class Research the Society for Human Resource Management's web site Complete peer evaluation form for group members and e-mail to facilitator by midnight Friday Forum presentation of compensation activity
Forum discussion about professional organizations Forum committee role-play Complete the online evaluation form at the bottom of the content in the Week by Week. Please contact techsupport@regis.edu if you need assistance or to report any problems. Regis University 2003, 2004, 2005. All Rights Reserved.