Competitive Human Resource Management - IIEI-445

Course Description: This six-week course explores the changing and demanding role of human resource management (HRM) and its importance as a competitive element of the modern organization.  It examines the functions of HRM and their strategic importance, including the human resource (HR) environment, the HR legal issues, compensation, training and hiring, employee development and how HRM plays an important role in the global strategy formulation process.

Prerequisite: None

Course Credit: 3 Credit Hours

Major Course Topics & Course Outcomes

As a result of the group and individual activities included in this course, the student will acquire the following knowledge and skills that can be applied to the workplace:

Human Resource Management  

• Understand the role of HRM in the modern organization
• Comprehend how the HRM function is changing
• Discuss the challenges facing HRM

Strategic HRM

• Assess the strategic role of HRM
• Evaluate the potential of HRM to provide strategic advantage

HRM Legal Environment and Issues

• Examine the legal environment of HRM
• Assess current issues of diversity and equal employment opportunities
• Review type of discrimination
• Assess the issue of workforce diversity from a legal perspective
• Distinguish how HRM helps the organization compete through use of technology

Analysis and Design of Work

• Analyze organization structure from the HRM perspective
• Identify the elements of job analysis
• Recognize the value of job design

HR Planning, Recruitment and Placement

• Discuss the HRM planning process
• Understand the use of goal setting
• Describe the HRM recruitment process
• Evaluate personnel policy concerns
• Assess recruitment sources
• Evaluate employee selection standards
• Review selection methods
• Assess testing methods and personality inventories

Employee Training

• Describe the features of HRM needs assessment
• Analyze effective training activities methods
• Evaluate ways to create a learning environment
• Assess issues related to employee readiness training
• Examine On-the-Job Training issues
• Review special training issues
• Evaluate socialization and orientation programs

Performance Management

• Describe the features of performance management
• Evaluate different performance measurement criteria
• Review various approaches to measuring performance
• Discuss potential problems of performance management
• Assess the causes of poor performance
• Review legal issues related to poor performance

Employee Development

• Assess various approaches to employee development
• Review training and career options
• Evaluate special issues in employee development

Employee Retention

• Discuss the issue of employee turnover
• Identify the process of job withdrawal
• Discuss the topic of progressive discipline
• Examine alternative dispute resolution
• Identify sources of job dissatisfaction

Compensation & Employee Benefits

• Discuss equity theory and fairness
• Evaluate compensation methods
• Review conflicts between pay surveys and job evaluations
• Assess problems with job based pay structures
• Review government regulation of employee compensation
• Recognize the value of employee benefit programs
• Discuss employer objectives and strategies in managing benefits
• Review government regulatory issues related to employee benefits

HR Global Issues C

• Evaluate the global challenges facing HRM
• Demonstrate an understanding of management issues in managing employees in a global context

Strategic Management of HRM

• Develop an understanding of HRM strategic function in helping the modern organization compete in global markets
• Recognize the necessity of constantly improving HRM effectiveness through process redesign and use of new technologies

Course Texts:

There is no textbook for this course.

Selected Readings Online.

Please note that textbooks are subject to change. Please contact your advisor before purchasing the textbook for your class to confirm.