This course is intended to expose those enrolled to the big picture, the intersection of human resource management (HRM), business policy, and competitive strategy. The goal will be to introduce students to the core competency areas that will be needed to be successful managers of human capital, whether within the HR function, some support area, or as a line manager.
Increasingly, firms are facing the need to elevate their competitiveness in order to survive. They are doing this by reducing costs, improving quality (services and products), and being more innovative. These competitive strategies can be successfully implemented only when the workforce is managed in unison with the strategic considerations. This often means that organizations must change their human resources to link them to their competitive strategies.
In order to link the strategic needs of the business and to relate the HR department to the needs of the customers, the HR department, its leader and its staff may need to change. For example, in order to effectively link the strategic needs of the business to HR, it is critical that there be a keen awareness of the strategic needs and how they relate to specific HRM activities.
· This may imply that HR becomes more decentralized in the larger organization.
· The HR leader and staff may need to acquire greater knowledge of the business.
· Similarly, if the HR department is more customer-oriented and repositioned, it may need to shift from a specialist to a generalist orientation. The HR leader and staff may need to develop their consulting skills and their skills in developing and crafting products for customers.
Because of the importance of these HR department phenomena in linking HR with business strategy, we will be discussing issues related to the changing HR department. As you will see, the trends include a partnership between HR and line managers and more strategic use of the HR function.
We will discuss both domestic and international HRM issues as they are related to driving competitive strategies. While our emphasis will be on the strategic and managerial issues of HRM, we will also discuss critical issues in the specific activities of performance appraisal, selection, training, etc.
1. To establish the links between the needs of highly competitive organizations in highly competitive environments and HRM.
2. To describe relationships aTueg organizational characteristics such as competitive strategies and HR activities.
3. To identify the different choices that exist in human resource practices.
4. To illustrate how HR can facilitate a change in the strategy and direction of an organization.
5. To examine the most current issues in HR.
6. To describe the structural alternatives facing HR departments that desire to link with the business.
7. To identify the implications of a strategic approach to HRM with the roles and competencies of the HR leader and staff.
8. To illustrate how the new HR department impacts the line manager.
9. To examine the new role of management development in organizational change.
10. To discuss international aspects and comparisons in HR.
To best meet these objectives we will consider both the SHRM literature and cases illustrating implementation issues.
The text for the course is as follows:
Ulrich, D. (1997). Human Resource Champions.
For some of the material, the Fisher, Schoenfeldt, Shaw book may be helpful, and this book is on reserve in the library.
Fisher, C. D., Schoenfeldt, L.
F., Shaw, J. B. (2003). Human Resource Management (5th
Edition).
The instructor may make additional course materials available during the semester.
Course grades will be based on the following components, all of which are explained in the sections below:
|
Component |
% of Grade |
|
Case Presentation |
20 |
|
Leadership of Chapter Discussion |
15 |
|
Midterm Exam |
25 |
|
Company SHRM Analysis (Final Exam) |
25 |
|
Class Preparedness and Participation |
15 |
Each member of the class will be assigned at least one case to analyze and present. The role of the class member is as discussion leader. Suggestions for analyzing a case, along with criteria for case presentation, will be distributed early in the semester.
Cases are on reserve in the library.
Each member of the class will be assigned to lead a seminar discussion of at least one chapter of the Ulrich text. The role of the class member is as discussion leader. Students are responsible for having an understanding of the chapter prior to class.
The midterm will consist of a written analysis of a case or contemporary article. This will be a take-home assignment, and will be due on Tuesday, March 4th.
You will be assigned a company and asked to develop a forward-looking SHRM plan for the company. This analysis will be presented in class (toward the end of the semester) and turned in as a written project (for the final exam).
The presentation that you are expected to make to the class is intended to be a dialogue between you, the Chief Executive Officer (the instructor), and the Executive Committee (the remainder of the class) of your organization. You are to assume that the CEO, in fact, knows quite a bit about the organization. (You can be assured that your instructor will seek background about the organization in order to play the role of the CEO.)
For the presentation segment of this exercise, you are to assume that this is not the first meeting on the topic, but is part of an ongoing dialogue. At the point of the presentation you are to have ready specific items for discussion and approval. In other words, you are to sell your program. You can expect this to be a two-way conversation. You will be asked (difficult) questions during the dialogue--the CEO controls the agenda, not you. You will need to be prepared to answer any questions that may arise.
Another major aim of this course is to provide some training and experience in leading group discussion, a vitally important career enhancing skill. The instructor will evaluate your participation.
Just as a leader needs good followers, so a discussion leader needs good discussants. The essence of being a good discussant is to have read and analyzed the case or article. Your role as a discussant will be evaluated. Toward this end, there will be pop quizzes from time to time to evaluate preparedness.
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Instructor |
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Office |
4073 Raley Hall |
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Office Hours |
MWF--9:00 - 12:00 |
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Office Phone |
262-3174 |
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Home Phone |
297-7610 |
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schoenfeldtl@appstate.edu |
Please note, every attempt will be made to follow office hours as given and to be available for students at other times. However, in terms of efficient use of your time, it works best to call in advance, or to use our opportunity to be together in class, to arrange a specific time for an office meeting.
|
Date |
Topic |
Text |
Case |
|
Tue, 1/14 |
Overview and Introduction |
Fisher: 1 |
|
|
Thu, 1/16 |
The Strategic Process |
Fisher: 2 |
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|
Tue, 1/21 |
The Strategic Process (cont.) |
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|
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Thu, 1/23 |
SHRM |
|
Southwest Air |
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Tue, 1/28 |
HR Roles in a Competitive Environment |
Ulrich: 1 & 2 |
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|
Thu, 1/30 |
HR Planning; EEO |
Fisher: 3-5 |
|
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Tue, 2/4 |
EEO (cont.) |
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|
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Thu, 2/6 |
Strategic and Administrative Effectiveness |
Ulrich: 3 & 4 |
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Tue, 2/11 |
Recruiting |
Fisher: 6 |
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Thu, 2/13 |
Championship and Change |
Ulrich: 5 & 6 |
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Tue, 2/18 |
Selection |
Fisher: 7 & 8 |
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Thu, 2/20 |
Selection (cont.) |
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MEED |
|
Tue, 2/25 |
HR Development |
Fisher: 9 |
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|
Thu, 2/27 |
The Future of HR |
Ulrich: 7 & 8 |
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|
Tue, 3/4 |
Productivity & TQM |
Fisher: 10 |
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|
Thu, 3/6 |
Productivity (cont.) |
|
Office Tech, Inc. |
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Week 3/10 |
Spring Break—No Classes |
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Tue, 3/18 |
Performance Appraisal |
Fisher: 11 |
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Thu, 3/20 |
Performance Appraisal (cont.) |
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Morgan Stanley |
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Tue, 3/25 |
Compensation |
Fisher: 12 |
|
|
Thu, 3/27 |
Compensation (cont.) |
|
Nordstrom |
|
Tue, 4/1 |
Performance-Based Pay |
Fisher: 13 |
Beth Israel |
|
Thu, 4/3 |
Company SHRM Projects: Strategy Presentations |
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|
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Tue, 4/8 |
Labor |
Fisher: 15 |
Air Traffic Controllers |
|
Thu, 4/10 |
No Class—Students to work on SHRM Presentation |
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|
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Tue, 4/15 |
Organizational Exit |
Fisher: 16 |
IBM |
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Thu, 4/17 |
Multinational & Integration of SHRM |
Fisher: 17&18 plus article |
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Tue, 4/22 |
Easter—No Class |
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Thu, 4/24 |
Company SHRM Presentations |
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Tue, 4/29 |
Company SHRM Presentations |
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Tue, 5/6 |
Final Exam |
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Please note, schedule subject to change with notice.