SYLLABUS Human Resource Management MGMT 3241 Section 001 Spring 2006, MW 3:00-4:20 Friday 9 Instructor: Dr. Chris Henle Office: Friday 351-C Telephone: (704) 687-3199 Email: cahenle@email.uncc.edu Web Page: http://www.belkcollege.uncc.edu/cahenle/ Office Hours: Monday 4:30-6:00, Wednesday 1:30-3:00, and by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION Prerequisite: MGMT 3140. The study of effectively selecting, utilizing, assessing and developing managers as well as the role of the Human Resource Department in administering human resources in a changing and demanding environment. Experience in developing and utilizing behavioral science research methods to assess effectiveness. COURSE OBJECTIVES This course has several specific goals: 1. To enable you to explain how effective administration of human resources (a) contributes to organizational effectiveness, (b) directly affects the profitability of the firm, and (c) ensures compliance with legal requirements. 2. To expose you to the key concepts, principles, and best practices for managing and enhancing human resources. 3. To provide a forum for you to discuss personal experiences as they relate to human resource management in organizations. 4. To provide you with an opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired in class to special issues facing human resource management. 5. To assist in the development of your leadership and interpersonal skills through experiential exercises, discussions, and presentations. TEXTBOOK The following text is required in this course and a copy of it is on reserve at the library: Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2003). Human resource management (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Additional readings that are required are listed on the last page of the syllabus. 1
CLASS OVERHEADS Overheads used in class will be posted on my web page for you to download and print. It is recommended that you take advantage of this since it will cut down on your note taking and allow you to listen and participate more fully in the class. The address of my home page is http://www.belkcollege.uncc.edu/cahenle/ CLASS PARTICIPATION Class discussions and exercises are important components of this course. Thus, active student participation is crucial to enhance learning. The quality and quantity of classroom contribution will determine grades in borderline cases (upward or downward). Attendance: I do not take attendance, but you are strongly encouraged to attend class on a regular basis. Only through regular attendance can you begin to understand and fully grasp the concepts covered in this course. However, you are expected to attend the group presentations. Attendance will be taken on presentation days and 5 points will be given to those attending. You must be in the classroom when the presentation begins in order to receive credit. Classroom Contribution: While it helps to be there, being there is not enough! All students are expected to actively contribute to the learning experience. Students can contribute by asking and/or answering questions, seeking and/or providing clarifications, expressing agreement or disagreement, talking about relevant work experience, providing insight into group activities, etc. Class Preparation: In order to get the most out of your class attendance, you should read the assigned material prior to class. The lectures and in-class activities are designed to place topics in perspective, clarify difficult issues, and expand on the concepts presented in the textbook. No attempt is made to cover all the topics in the textbook. However, you are responsible for reading all the assigned material, even if it is not discussed explicitly in class. If you do not, you will not be able to take full advantage of the class. Extra Credit: Throughout the semester you are encouraged to share with the class an article about a company facing a human resource issue(s) or a human resource issue in general. You will need to write and share with the class a brief summary of the article, description of the issue, your analysis of the issue, and suggestions for how the issue could be resolved. You will receive up to 5 points for each article you share with the class (maximum of two articles) and your written summary need not be longer than one page. Only two people will be allowed to present articles per class so it is to your advantage to present your articles early in the semester to make sure you get credit. This will be done on a first come, first serve basis so email or tell me as soon as possible which day you want to present. COURSE GRADE There will be three examinations, a group report and presentation on a special topic, and presentation attendance. The tentative schedule gives the dates for each of the exams and presentations. Each exam will cover about one third of the material covered by lectures and assigned readings (exams are not cumulative). Final grades will be based on the following: 2
Exam One 100 Exam Two 100 Final Exam 100 Group Presentation and Report 120 Presentation Attendance 30 Total 450 Your final letter grade will be based on the following cutoff points: A 405 and over B 360-404 C 315-359 D 270-314 F 225-269 **Borderline cases will be determined by class participation (upward or downward).** MAKE-UP EXAMS Attendance at exams is required unless there are circumstances outside your control that prevent you from attending. In such cases, I expect you to notify me before the exam or as soon as possible (by email or phone) and make arrangements for a make-up exam. Unexcused absences count as a zero on the examination. Make-up exams will be short answer and essay. I am more than willing to work with you to accommodate genuine needs for alternative arrangements, but I expect you to do your part as well. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Code of Academic Integrity: Students have a responsibility to know and observe the requirements of The UNCC Code of Student Academic Integrity. This code forbids cheating, fabrication or falsification of information, multiple submission of academic work, plagiarism, abuse of academic materials, and involvement in academic dishonesty. Academic evaluations in this course include a judgment that the student s work is free from academic dishonesty of any type; and grades in this course will be adversely affected by academic dishonesty. Students who violate the code can be expelled from UNCC. The normal penalty for a first offense is zero credit on the work involving dishonesty and further reduction of the course grade. In almost all cases the course grade is reduced to F. Copies of the code can be obtained from the Dean of Students Office. Plagiarism: To plagiarize is to take ideas or words of another person and pass them off as one s own. In short, it is stealing. Obviously it is not necessary to state the source of well known or easily verifiable facts, but students are expected to acknowledge the sources of ideas and expressions they use in their written work, whether quoted directly or paraphrased. This applies to diagrams, tables, written material, and materials or information from Internet sources. To provide adequate documentation is not only an indication of academic honesty but also a courtesy, which enables the reader to consult these sources with ease. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism. It is also plagiarism and/or cheating if a student submits a term paper written in whole or in part by someone other than him/herself, or copies the answers of another student in any test or assignment. 3
GROUP REPORT AND PRESENTATION As a group, you will be required to write and present a report on a special topic affecting human resource management. The purpose of this assignment is for you to learn about a specific issue in human resource management that will not be extensively covered in class, but is important to managers today. You may select from the list below or you may choose another topic with instructor approval. The purpose of the report is to develop expertise on an issue that is currently challenging managers. Your report should include background information about your topic, benefits of adequately addressing the topic and the problems that can arise from dealing with this topic, and suggestions on how managers should address your topic. This report is due the class period your group presents and late papers will be assessed a 10 point penalty per day late. In addition to your group report, you are expected to share with the class a summary of your report as well as solicit class participation. Class participation may be stimulated through case studies, controversial articles, debates, group activities, discussion questions, video, and so forth. Below are some examples of potential topics listed by presentation area. Recruiting/Selection Internet recruiting Contingent employees Interviewing Assessment centers Personality/integrity testing Reference/background checks Resume fraud Training Orientation programs Mentoring Managing workplace diversity Corporate universities Computer based training Transfer of training Succession planning Performance Management Compensation/Benefits 360 degree feedback Executive pay Managing executive performance Work/life balance benefits Rater motivation Cafeteria/flexible benefits plans Rater training Telecommuting Giving feedback Child/elder care Management by objectives Severance packages Health, Safety, & Security Workplace violence Smoking policies Ergonomics HIV/AIDS in the workplace Employee assistance programs Wellness programs Stress in the workplace Employee Rights Drug testing Workplace romance Handling terminations Downsizing Disciplinary procedures Grievance procedures Electronic monitoring 4
GRADING CRITERIA FOR GROUP REPORT AND PRESENTATION Reports should be about 6 to 8 pages (you can exceed this page length) and are due the class period you present. You need to turn in a printed copy of your report and email me a copy, which will be submitted to Turnitin.com to determine if your paper or parts of it have been plagiarized. Reports should include: 1. Description of the topic: Define the topic and any relevant terms, give a brief history, explain the prevalence and importance of topic, etc. 2. Pros and cons of the topic: Why should organizations care about this topic? What are the benefits of successfully addressing this issue? What are the disadvantages of dealing with it? 3. HR practices to address the topic: Give specific guidelines on how HR can develop programs and/or policies to handle this issue. 4. References: You must have at least five references cited throughout the paper and listed on your reference page. No textbooks or web pages are allowed as references. However, you may download articles from the library s online databases. If I can t find your reference in the library, you shouldn t be using it. Appropriate references are journal articles and books (other than textbooks). 5. A group evaluation from EACH member: Grade each member of your group by giving them between 0 and 10 points. Do not grade yourself. Write a couple of sentences explaining why you divided the points the way you did. These may be given directly to me or emailed to ensure confidentiality. Your paper will not be graded until I have received each member s evaluation. Each group member will be given up to 10 points based on these evaluations. Your presentation should be a summary of your report and include the following: 1. A summary of the description of the topic, pros and cons, and HR practices to handle the topic. 2. Class participation: Get the class involved in your topic through case studies, controversial articles, debates, group activities, discussion questions, quizzes, games, video, etc. 3. You are not required to use PowerPoint slides for your presentation, but if you decide to use them, email the overheads BEFORE your presentation so that I can post them on my web page. Grading Criteria 1. Description of the topic 20 points 2. Pros and cons of the topic 20 points 3. HR practices to address the topic 35 points 4. Class involvement 15 points 5. Clarity and organization of the presentation and report 20 points 6. Group evaluation points 10 points Total 120 points Right of Eviction: To address potential free-rider problems, groups will have the right of eviction. If a group member is not contributing equally to the group project, the other members should notify that individual via email, with the instructor also receiving the email. If the individual does not become an equally participating member of the group, the other members can evict that individual. If this action is undertaken, the individual must be notified via email at least 1 week prior to the project due date (again copy your professor on the email). The evicted individual will be required to complete the entire project (paper and a presentation) alone by the original due date. 5
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (Any changes will be announced in class) Date Topic Readings Week 1 1/9 Course Introduction Syllabus 1/11 Definition and History of Strategic HRM Chapter 1 (pp.1-12) Chapter 2 (pp. 54-70) Week 2 1/16 Dr. Martin Luther King Day No Class 1/18 Equal Employment Opportunity Laws Chapter 3 (pp. 92-121) Week 3 1/23 Equal Employment Opportunity Laws Chapter 3 (pp. 92-121) 1/25 Job Analysis Chapter 4 (pp. 147-157) Week 4 1/30 Library Presentation & Group Meetings Handout from web page 2/1 HR Planning & Recruiting Chapter 5 Week 5 2/6 Catch up and Review 2/8 Exam 1 Week 6 2/13 Selection Chapter 6 2/15 Selection Chapter 6 Week 7 2/20 Presentation: Recruiting/Selection 2/22 Orientation, Socialization, & Training Chapter 7 (pp. 250-291; pp. 307-310) Week 8 2/27 Presentation: Training 3/1 Performance Management Chapter 8 Week 9 3/6-3/11 Spring Break No Class Week 10 3/13 Performance Management Chapter 8 3/15 Presentation: Performance Management Week 11 3/20 Compensation Chapter 11 3/22 Presentation: Compensation/Benefits Week 12 3/27 Catch up and Review 3/29 Exam 2 Week 13 4/3 Benefits Chapter 13 4/5 Benefits Chapter 13 Week 14 4/10 Labor Relations & Collective Bargaining Chapter 14 4/12 Health, Safety, & Security Chapter 3 (pp. 121-127) *Mathis & Jackson: Ch 16 Week 15 4/17 Presentation: Health, Safety, & Security 4/19 Employee Rights *DeCenzo & Robbins: Ch 13 Week 16 4/24 Presentation: Employee Rights 4/26 HR Panel Week 17 5/1 Catch up and Review 5/3 Reading Day No Class Week 18 5/8 Final Exam: 3:30 pm 6:30 pm *These assigned chapters are on reserve at the library. 6