COURSE GOALS Given globalization, the growing integration of the world economy in to one marketplace, North American corporations are subject to unprecedented levels of competition. The critical source of competitive advantage for these corporations is not their physical assets, but their people. It is people, not companies, who innovate, create new products, make decisions, develop and implement business plans, penetrate new markets, and serve clients and customers. While developing effective business strategy is important to organizational success, the capacity to implement any given business strategy is completely dependent on a corporation s people. LEARNING OBJECTIVES The content of this course is valuable for all managers, no matter in which direction their careers progress. Every manager should have human resources management skills and a basic understanding of employment laws in order to function effectively in today s economy. ASSESSMENT SUMMARY Class Participation 20% Topic Discussion 20% Group Project 60% PROGRAM GOALS (Check those that apply) B.COM MBA MM Critical Thinking Critical & Analytical Thinking Critical Thinking Analytical Decision-making Integration Analytical Decision-making Oral & Written Communication Communication Oral & Written Communication Ethics & Sustainability Ethics & Social Responsibility Ethics & Sustainability - 1 -
COURSE INFORMATION Division: OBHR Term/period: Term 1 / Period 6 Instructor: David Berrington Teaching Assistant: Email: david.berrington@sauder.ubc.ca Email: Phone: Phone: Office hours: by appointment Office hours: Section number: 001 Class meeting times: Tues, 6:00-9:30pm Course duration: Oct 25 Nov 29, 2011 Classroom location: HA254 Pre-requisites: Tutorials / labs: Course website: BRIEF COURSE DESCRIPTION In this course, students will learn the importance of aligning the management of human resources with organizational strategy. Students will learn to develop solutions for sourcing talent, selecting for high performance, managing performance, selective retention, and managing diversity. In addition, the course will provide students with an understanding of the critical laws impacting the management of the employment relationship, as well as an awareness of the business case for compliance with these laws. COURSE MATERIALS & REQUIREMENTS Reading Materials: Custom Pearson CoursePack will be available to purchase online. Please access course Vista site for online purchase instruction. Additional readings and case studies may be distributed in class or over Web CT Vista. Other Learning Resources: Vista ASSESSMENT This course will be conducted in an interactive and participative manner. Learning will be facilitated through lecture, discussion, case studies, videos, and group work. Students are expected to attend class, have read the assigned textbook and reading package chapters before class, prepare for the assigned cases, and contribute to discussions. Final grades will be based on the activities listed below. Assessment activities Class Participation Your grade will be based on relevant and thoughtful contributions given during presentations, class discussions and case studies. The topics that we will discuss deal with issues that all of you have probably experienced at some point in your careers. The stronger we can make these ties between course material and real life, the more you will get out of the course, and the more interesting the class will be. - 2 -
Topic Discussion Your group will lead a 15-minute class discussion on a current trend or topic in HR management. Examples include outsourcing, virtual teams, electronic performance monitoring, 360 degree performance reviews, self managed work teams, managing diversity (please choose one area ie. generational diversity), compliance plans for new areas of legal regulation etc. Please verify the topic ahead of time with me. Your grade will be based on both content (e.g. Define the topic. How is this topic being used by organizations? What recommendations would you make for its use?) and presentation (e.g., Was the presentation well-organized and interesting? Did the group engage discussion? Did the group meet the time limit?). You are invited to be creative. Group Project: Developing HR Tools Recruitment and Selection Students are to select one position in an organization of their choice. This position must be of significant importance to the organization s ability to execute part of its business strategy. (The position must be an A or B position as described in the Strategic Logic... article in the SRP.) From course information, students are to act as consultants to the organization and develop (a) a recruitment plan for sourcing talent for the position, including a sample position advertisement and (b) a selection process for the position, including selection criteria and procedures, an interviewing plan, and structured interview topics. The assignment requires students to interview one or more incumbents in the position and the supervisor. This assignment is an opportunity to demonstrate what you have learned through the class materials and discussions in weeks 1 through 4, including what you have learned regarding legal compliance and diversity issues in recruitment and selection and defining and hiring for organizational culture. The final report should be no longer than 15 double-spaced pages, excluding appendices and attachments and should include the following components: 1. Identify the company s business strategy; 2. Define the core competencies of the business; 3. Describe the organizational culture; 4. Describe the position, where it falls in the organizational structure, provide a job profile, and explain how this position is either an A (strategic) or B (support) position within the organization; 5. Describe the recruitment process that you have designed; 6. Describe the selection process that you have designed; and 7. Explain how these processes (a) will attract candidates appropriate for the organization s culture and will ensure selection for fit with culture and (b) fit with the business strategy and core competencies. The final report is due on November 29, 2011 at 6:00pm (in-class). Papers submitted after this time will be deemed one day late. Papers will be penalized by 5% for each day that they are late. - 3 -
SCHEDULE Week by week class schedule. WEEK # CLASS TOPICS ACTIVITIES / READINGS WHAT S DUE WEEK 1 Introduction and Course Overview Strategic HR Beginning with Strategy Text: Chapter 1 SRP: A Players or A Positions? The Strategic Logic of Workforce Management, Harvard Business Review Case: SouthWest Airlines WEEK 2 The Laws Regulating the Employment Relationship Law of wrongful dismissal Employment standards Human rights law Privacy laws Strategic Considerations in Managing Diversity Text: Chapter 2 SRP: An Organization s Responsibilities under PIPA, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia SRP: Personal Information Management and Privacy Frequently Asked Questions, Streamline Counsel Inc. Law Corporation WEEK 3 Sourcing Talent and Selecting for High Performance Text: Chapter 3 SRP: Note on the Hiring and Selection Process, Harvard Business School SRP: What it Means to Work Here, Harvard Business Review Case: Bitstream WEEK 4 How to Define an Organization s Culture and Hire For It Cont d from Week 3 WEEK 5 Performance Management Manager as Coach Text: Chapter 4 SRP: Managing Performance, Harvard Business School Group Project Final Report Recall SRP: A Players or A Positions? The Strategic Logic of Workforce Management, Harvard Business Review Case: Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley - 4 -
While every attempt is made to keep to this schedule, the instructor reserves the right to make changes to the material to be covered. Advance notice of changes will be provided on Vista TEACHING & LEARNING ACTIVITIES Preparation for the First Class Review Chapter 1 in the RP and the SouthWest Airlines Case in the SRP. Questions to consider in reading the SouthWest Airlines Case: 1. What does it take to be successful in the airline business? 2. Why is Southwest Airlines a success? (i.e. what is its source of competitive advantage?) 3. What is the corporation s strategy and what are its core competencies? 4. Do you think what it takes to maintain the core competencies is sustainable over time? Easily imitable by competitors? OTHER INFORMATION TABLE OF CONTENTS (Course package) DESCRIPTION PAGE A. A Players or A Positions? The Strategic Logic of Workforce 3-11 Management, Harvard Business Review B. Southwest Airlines (A), Stanford Graduate School of 13-39 Business C. Managing Performance, Harvard Business School 41-46 D. Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley (A), Harvard Business School 47-62 E. Note on Fairness in the Employment Relationship Legal 63 Authorities F. An Organizations Responsibilities Under PIPA 65 Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia G. Personal Information Management and Privacy Frequently 67-69 Asked Questions, Streamline Counsel Inc. Law Corporation H. Note on the Hiring and Selection Process, Harvard Business 71-84 School I. What It Means to Work Here, Harvard Business Review 85-95 J. Bitstream, Harvard Business School 97-111 - 5 -