HRIR 2440 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

WINTER 2018 136 Drake, 8:30a.m.- 11:15am Tuesdays

INSTRUCTOR Name: Brianna Barker Caza, PhD Office: 434 Drake Centre Phone: 204-474-9482 Email: brianna.caza@umanitoba.ca Office hours: Tuesdays 11:30-1:30. Please email me in advance so I can prepare for your visit.

COURSE DESCRIPTION The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to and an overview of the role of human resource management (HRM) in organizations. We will examine HRM from the perspective of the employer, the employee, and the supervisor. We will focus specifically on uncovering the HRM tools and processes that allow both individuals and organizations to thrive.

COURSE OBJECTIVES The goal of this course is for students to develop a general understanding of the human resource function from a theoretical and practical perspective. At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to recognize human resource issues, understand the implications of these issues to organizations and their employees, and develop options for addressing these issues.

COURSE MATERIALS Available from the bookstore:

Textbook: Dessler, G., Chhinzer, N., & Cole, N.D. (2014) Human Resources Management in

Canada, Twelfth or Thirteenth Canadian Edition, Toronto: Pearson Canada.

Other: Package of case studies; HRM Simulation. Interpretive Simulations

COURSE FORMAT The course format is focused on increasing students’ knowledge and understanding as well

providing students with the opportunity to practice using this knowledge and understanding. To

do this, you will read material before class that will increase your knowledge. Then, through

class discussions and lectures, you will increase your understanding of this material. Finally,

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through assignments, you will have the opportunity to practice what you have learned through

the reading and class discussions.

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING You will earn a final score based on your performance in four different kinds of assessment.

Together, these assessments will provide an indicator of how well you have gained both

theoretical and practical knowledge in the area of HRM. The components of your final grade will

be:

Part 1: Class Engagement (15%)

Part 2: Simulation Project (group grade, 25%)

Part 3: Midterm (individual grade, 25%)

Part 4: Final Open-Book Exam (individual grade, 35%)

Optional Bonus: Just-in-Case Project (bonus point)

Part 1: Class Engagement (15% of the final grade)

Throughout the course you will be asked to be engaged in class and to contribute to class

discussions. In order to do so productively, it is necessary to read the material (textbook and course

material) and be prepared to discuss it both in small groups and the class discussions. In order to

succeed in this class it is necessary to attend class sessions, be well-prepared, and be ready to

participate regularly in class discussions. The class participation marks will help you to achieve

this preparation.

Class engagement will be evaluated in two ways. The first is completion of simulation

assignments. The second is based on your performance on three case quizzes. Before the case

session, please read the case and prepare a short page (~1 page) reflection that will help guide your

participation in class. At the start of the case session, we will take a short quiz in class. This quiz

will be short answer and multiple choice in format and will assess comprehension of the case

material and applications. If you do not complete a quiz, you will receive a score of zero for that

particular quiz. There are no make-up quizzes.

Part 2: Simulation Project (25% of the final grade)

In order to learn something from this course, it is not only necessary that you gain knowledge and

an understanding of the material presented in the textbook, but it is critical that you are able to do

something with that understanding. In other words, it is important that you practice using the

understanding and knowledge you are gaining from this course by applying it. To facilitate this

practice, each student will work in groups of 3-5 students to participate in the HRM simulation

(http://www.interpretive.com). In this simulation you will work collectively with your group

members to manage a budget and make a series of important HR decisions throughout the course.

Human Resource Management plays a critical role in the functioning of organizations as it helps

to solve important issues organizations face every day. In class we will examine various ways that

particular organizations use HRM practices to deal with these issues. The simulation will allow

you to build on these in-class experiences and discussions to try your hand at making these

decisions.

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The company your group is tasked with has a rapidly and the human resource department and its

functions have not kept pace with this growth. The Chief Executive Officer has instructed the

HR Director to get the human resource department organized, build a strong HR function, and

"get the company moving." You will have time in the first two weeks to get to know your group

members and to think about your overall strategy. Then, you should set goals on the various

parameters of the simulation. Then, we will have 1 “practice” simulation decision, which is

played in “benchmark” mode against the computer. This will then be followed by 8 “actual”

decisions that play out over two fiscal quarters in “direct competition mode” against other teams

in your industry. Decisions are final once submitted. Team leaders “lock down” decisions.

The HR Simulation is worth 25% of your grade. This 25% is calculated based on the following

components:

Incident decisions: (7pts)

Ranking (3pts)

Final Report (10 pts)

Presentation (5 pts)

Incident Decisions (7 points). You will describe seven of the eight decisions you made throughout

the course. When your group makes a decision, you will also be responding to an HR related

incident that is described in the “special” section of the decisions tab. Therefore, when making

your decision for the simulation you will then also click on the option in the “special” section. You

should write a written response for each incident describing the issue that needed to be addressed

and how you addressed it. You should explain both the specific decision you made as well as the

reasons why you made this decision. These decisions are due no later than 2 days after the incident

and can be uploaded to dropbox on the course website, or can be posted to your blog/website.

Industry Rankings (3pts): Your team will be competing with other teams in the course during the

simulation. After decisions 4 and 8, your team’s ranking within the industry will be determined

based on the balanced scorecard metric that can be found in the “comparative results” section of

the simulations. Teams that are in the top quartile of the industry will be awarded 1.5 marks, teams

in the 2nd will be awarded 1; teams in the third quartile will be awarded .5 mark. Teams that

exceeded their budgets in quarters 4 and 8 will be penalized by the deduction of a point.

Presentation. (5 points). Another component of your simulation grade is a short presentation to

the class. Your group will prepare a 7 minute presentation (5 minute presentation plus 2 minutes

for questions from the class). In this presentation, your simulation group will pick one specific

HRM topic that will play a key role in your organization’s future HRM strategy. Drawing from

both your simulation experience, and your learnings from class readings and discussions, your

group can choose among any HRM topic that will be a key concentration point for your

organization’s HRM planning going forward. This could include practices related to any of the

following 1) legal issues and diversity, 2) staffing, 3) recruitment and selection, 4) orientation or

training, 5) performance management and employee development, 6) compensation and benefits,

7) safety in the workplace, 8) employee development, 9) morale and engagement, 10) employee

programs. Your group should make a case for why your organization will make one of these topics

a cornerstone of its future HRM strategy, and speak concretely about the specific HRM practices

that your group will implement to address some of these core issues. It will be important to draw

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on external sources, including case studies of other organizations and empirical HRM research to

make your case. All group members should be present for the group presentation, but not all of

them have to speak.

A note on handling the free riding problem: Free riding (or social loafing) sometimes occurs on

group assignments. This is unfortunate, particularly since the espoused culture of the Asper

School’s commerce program is to encourage teamwork and develop teamwork skills.

Nevertheless, some people do choose to let other members of their group do all the work. If you

do run into such a problem, the free rider should be informed as clearly and as early and as often

as possible that your group is dissatisfied with the person’s contributions. Efforts should be made

to enable the free rider to contribute to the group project. Make sure that your group’s free rider

problem and efforts made by the group are documented by e-mails (with cc. to me at

Brianna.caza@umanitoba.ca). If these e-mails become persistent, I will ask to meet with the entire

group to discuss the issue. In the end, if there is clear evidence of no contribution despite the

group’s efforts, the group can fire a simulation member. This has to be a unanimous vote conducted

BEFORE the start of the 2nd year.

Final Report (10 points). Your team will turn in a final report discussing and analyzing your team’s

simulation goals, strategies, decisions, and outcomes at the end of the simulation. This report is

due on April 4th. It is to your team’s advantage to work on this report throughout the course rather

than dividing it up at the last minute. This report can either be electronically (i.e., website or blog)

or it can be submitted in hardcopy. Your report should include:

1) The strategic objectives and goals you set as a group before beginning the simulation and

the rationale for selecting them. Also, any changes you made to the strategy during the

simulation. You should also talk about specific roles that were assigned to members and

reflect on how this division of labour (or the “human resources”) worked out.

2) You should then discuss your teams’ performance over the two years of the simulation.

You should discuss the strengths and weakness of your decisions and reflect on which

decisions did not work as well as you thought they would. You can point out things you

would do differently in the future. In your analysis, you should draw on the theories

presented throughout the course in lectures, the text, and case discussions. If your company

made a poor decision, or went over budget, this should be addressed in the report and you

should point out steps to prevent future occurrences of such an event. Remember, learning

is more important that “winning.” What are the important lessons you learned that will

inform your future experience as a manager or HRM director?

3) Now, looking ahead, you should forecast the future for the company. What are your future

goals? How does your strategy align with these goals? What will change based on what

you know about the future of HRM?

Part 3: Midterm Exam (25% of the final grade)

There will be a midterm exam that is held on February 27th. This exam will be short

answer and multiple choice questions that cover the foundational elements of HRM covered in

sessions 1-6. Topics include: introduction to HRM, strategy and planning, job analysis and

design, legal issues and diversity, recruitment and selection.

Part 4: Final Open-Book Exam (35% of the final grade)

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There will be a final exam held at a time to be determined by the exam scheduling

system. This will be an open-book, comprehensive exam. The exam will be cumulative; it will

cover all of the material addressed in the course. It will consist of short and long answer

questions. While your textbook and printed notes can be used, electronic devices will not be

allowed. If there is any conflict with the exam time that is scheduled, you should know that the

Department of Business Administration has instituted a policy which provides ONE DATE

ONLY for students who have deferred their final exams.

The Deferred Exam for WINTER 2018 classes will be: May 25th at 5:00PM, Drake

Canter room 140. For additional information, refer to the University of Manitoba’s Policy 1305–

Exam Regulations online:

http://umanitoba.ca/admin/governance/governing_documents/academic/454.htm or the

Undergraduate Program Office for rules and regulations concerning deferred exams.

Bonus Points: “JUST IN CASE” ASSIGNMENT (OPTIONAL)

On occasion, students earn final scores that place them near the cut-off point for a higher letter

grade. I am offering everyone the option to complete a “just in case” assignment if they fear they

might need a point or less to earn a better letter grade. This is to be submitted via UM Learn no

later than April 6th. There are several things you should know about this assignment:

1. It is optional; you do not need to complete a “just in case” assignment

2. It will be scored on a pass-fail basis (i.e., no partial marks)

3. If you are within one (1) point of earning a higher letter grade and you submit a “just in case”

assignment that earns a passing score, you will receive that higher letter grade as your final grade

in the course

4. The “just in case” assignment will ONLY be used to move a student off the borderline into a

higher letter grade. It will not be used to move a student onto the borderline between letter

grades.

5. Because your final score depends on your performance in the final exam, you will not know

for certain whether you need an extra point. That is why it is called a “just in case” assignment.

If you choose to submit one, you would do so just in case you need it in the end

If you want to submit a “just in case” assignment, you must do so through UM Learn before the

exam period begins. You may do so by submitting either one of the options below.

Option 1: Case Creation Report. Based on your textbook readings and class discussions, you are

to create an original, short business case submitted through UM Learn. You can choose to create

this case on any topic that we have covered in this course. This case should have Canadian

and/or Aboriginal content. This case should be original work and be a maximum of 4 pages of

narrative (with size 12 font; double spaced). It should be based on either a real or hypothetical

business situation involving a HRM practices. You can use the cases we have discussed in class

as templates for the construction of your case. This written case could be produced individually,

or – if you contact me in advance and secure permission – as a partnered submission (no more

than 2 people per group). **Note, your textbook is holding a case competition for students. If

you so choose, you can also submit this case to the competition as well**

Option 2: Custom Video Report. You would create an original short video that explains and

demonstrates some important concept covered in the course. You may use actual or fictitious

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organizations to illustrate your points. The video should be designed for educational purposes

(i.e., something that future sections of HRIR 2440 will watch to better understand the concept

you are discussing). It must be accompanied by a one-page written summary that indicates: (a)

the specific concept being illustrated, (b) the value to be gained in class from using the video

(i.e., what does it add?), and (c) suggestions on how to effectively use the video to help others

understand the concept. This video report could be produced individually, or – if you contact me

in advance and secure permission – as a group submission (no more than 3 people per group).

Importantly, if you choose to submit a “just in case” assignment, you would do so by completing

one of the three options above. It will be graded on a pass-fail basis as to whether it satisfies all

requirements, displays a correct understanding of the concept, and would be useful in helping

others to better understand that concept. Late submissions will not be accepted.

I will be using the following letter-grading scheme:

Marks Letter Grade

93 and above A+

90 – 92.99 A

85 – 89.99 B+

80 – 84.99 B

75 – 79.99 C+

70 – 74.99 C

60 – 69.99 D

Below 60 F

MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY If you have to miss an exam for medical reasons, you should inform me in person or via email at

brianna.caza@umanitoba before the exam has begun and subsequently provide a doctor’s note.

Unless you have a valid reason for why you could not, informing me after the exam is not

sufficient. In some cases, I may call the doctor’s office to verify the validity of the doctor’s note.

If your absence is for an official university-related reason (e.g., inter-university competition or

Bisons sporting event), the professor (or coach of sports team) organizing the visit will have to

inform me before the exam. Make-ups will not be given for any other reason. In the event you

have to miss the Final Exam for a valid reason as noted above, a request for a deferred exam must

be made at your home Faculty’s Undergraduate Program Office (268 Drake, if you are an Asper

student). Except for deferred final exams, which have their own policy as described above, it is

usually not possible to complete an assessment that is missed. In extenuating circumstances (e.g.,

appropriately documented medical situations), a missed assessment will simply be removed from

the calculation of your final score. In the absence of fully documented extenuating circumstances,

missed assessments will receive a score of zero.

ATTENDANCE POLICY All of my students are adults, and I feel they should be treated with the respect and autonomy that

are expected in adulthood. As a result, it is up to you whether or not you physically attend class

sessions. I have only two attendance requirements. First, if you are going to attend, you must attend

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during your assigned section’s time. It is not possible for you to attend during another section’s

time. Second, please be prepared for and engaged in any class session that you do attend. If you

need to miss class session, do so; but when you attend, please respect yourself and your peers

enough to be ready to participate.

ELECTRONIC DEVICE POLICY You should not use mobile phone during class for talking, texting, or internet browsing (unless

directed to for a specific class activity). If you have an emergency situation that requires you

monitor your phone during class, please notify me beforehand.

OUT-OF-CLASS COMMUNICATION PowerPoint files, assignment/project guidelines, other class-related files, and grades will be posted

on UM Learn. Moreover, any announcements outside of class will be sent by e-mail from UM

Learn. It is your responsibility to check your UofM e-mail account frequently so that you don’t

miss these emails.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Session Date Topic Activity Reading Assignment

DUE

1 Jan 9,

2018

Welcome &

Introduction:

What is HRM?

Simulation: Setting

your Strategy

Chapter 1;

Simulation

Instruction

s

2 Jan 16,

2018

Strategic HRM

& Planning

Case Discussion Chapter 5;

Case 1:

Southwest

Airlines

Student Info

Sheet Due;

Case Sheet

Due

3 Jan 23,

2018

Job Analysis &

Design

Simulation: D1

(Job Analysis)

Chapter 4 Team

Strategy Sheet

Due

4 Jan 30,

2018

Legal issues &

diversity

Simulation: D2

(Sexual

Harassment Vs.

Lying)

Chapter 2;

Case 2:

Australian

Army

Case Sheet

Due

5 Feb 6,

2018

Recruitment Simulation: D3

(Recruitment of

Temp employees)

Chapter 6

6 Feb 13,

2018

Selection Simulation: D4

(Selection)

Chapter 7

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Feb 20,

2018 Winter Break

7 Feb 27,

2018

MIDTERM Simulation: D5

(Staffing)

Chapters 1,

2, 4, 6, 7

8 Mar 6,

2018

Orientation,

Training

Simulation: D6

(Self-Managed

Work Teams)

Chapter 8

9 Mar 13,

2018

Development Simulation: D7

(Employee Health

and Assistance)

Chapter 9

10 Mar 20,

2018

Performance

Management

and Feedback

Simulation: D8

(Performance

Appraisal)

Chapter

10; Case 3:

Black &

Dekker

Case Sheet

Due

11 Mar 27,

2018

Compensation &

Benefits Theory

Presentations Chapter 11

&13; Case

3: Black &

Dekker

12 Apr 3,

2018

Engagement &

Resilience

Exam

Preparation

Presentations Chapter 12 Final Report

Due

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INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

AACSB Assurance of Learning Goals and Objectives

The Asper School of Business is proudly accredited by AACSB. Accreditation requires a process of

continuous improvement of the School and our students. Part of “student improvement” is ensuring that

students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their careers. To do so, the Asper

School has set the learning goals and objectives listed below for the Undergraduate Program.The

checked goal(s) and objective(s) will be addressed in this course and done so by means of the items listed

next to the checkmark.

Goals and Objective in the Undergraduate Program

Goals and

Objectives

Addressed in

this Course

Course Item(s)

Relevant to these

Goals

and Objectives

1

Quantitative Reasoning

A. Determine which quantitative analysis

technique is appropriate for solving a

specific problem.

B. Use the appropriate quantitative method in

a technically correct way to solve a

business problem. HR Planning

C. Analyze quantitative output and arrive at a

conclusion.

2

Written Communication

A. Use correct English grammar and

mechanics in their written work. Final Exam

B. Communicate in a coherent and logical

manner

Final Exam

Case Study

Group work

C. Present ideas in a clear and organized

fashion.

Final Exam

Case Study

Group work

3

Ethical Thinking

A. Identify ethical issues in a problem or case

situation

Legal Issues &

Diversity

B. Identify the stakeholders in the situation. Performance

Management

C. Analyze the consequences of alternatives

from an ethical standpoint.

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D. Discuss the ethical implications of the

decision.

Legal Issues &

Diversity

Selection, Safety

4 Core Business Knowledge Entire course

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY It is critical to the reputation of the Asper School of Business and of our degrees that everyone associated with our faculty behave with the highest academic integrity. As the faculty that helps create business and government leaders, we have a special obligation to ensure that our ethical standards are beyond reproach. Any dishonesty in our academic transactions violates this trust. The University of Manitoba General Calendar addresses the issue of academic dishonesty under the heading “Plagiarism and Cheating.” Specifically, acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to:

using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and without referencing the source of these words

duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas

of another person, whether written or verbal (e.g., personal communications, ideas from a verbal presentation) without referencing the source

copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment taking any unauthorized materials into an examination or term test (crib notes) impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the

purpose of submitting academic work or writing any test or examination stealing or mutilating library materials accessing test prior to the time and date of the sitting changing name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without

discussions with the instructors involved Group Projects and Group Work

Many courses in the Asper School of Business require group projects. Students should be aware that group projects are subject to the same rules regarding academic integrity. All group members should exercise special care to ensure that the group project does not violate the policy on Academic Integrity. Should a violation occur, group members are jointly accountable unless the violation can be attributed to specific individuals.

Some courses, while not requiring group projects, encourage students to work together in groups before submitting individual assignments. If it’s unclear whether it is allowed, students are encouraged to seek clarification from the instructor to avoid violating the academic integrity policy.

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In the Asper School of Business, all suspected cases of academic dishonesty in undergraduate courses are reported to the Dean's office in order to ensure consistency of treatment. See following table for typical penalties for academic dishonesty in the Asper School.

Typical Penalties for Academic Dishonesty in the Asper School

In case of the student being from another Faculty, the student’s Home Faculty often matches the suspension and/or adds penalties beyond the Asper School’s.

F-DISC on transcript indicates the F is for disciplinary reasons.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY PENALTY

Cheating on exam (copying from or providing answers to another student)

F-DISC in course Suspension from taking Asper courses for 1 year Notation of academic dishonesty in transcript

Possession of unauthorized material during exam (e.g., cheat notes)

F-DISC in course Suspension from taking Asper courses for 1 year Notation of academic dishonesty in transcript

Altering answer on returned exam and asking for re-grading

F-DISC in course Suspension from taking Asper courses for 1 year Notation of academic dishonesty in transcript

Plagiarism on assignment F-DISC in course Suspension from taking Asper courses for 1 year Notation of academic dishonesty in transcript

Submitting paper bought online F-DISC in course Suspension from taking Asper courses for 1 year Notation of academic dishonesty in transcript

Inappropriate Collaboration (collaborating with individuals not explicitly authorized by instructor)

F-DISC in course Suspension from taking Asper courses for 1 year Notation of academic dishonesty in transcript

Group member had knowledge of inappropriate collaboration or plagiarism and played along

F-DISC in course Notation of academic dishonesty in transcript

Signing Attendance Sheet for classmate

F-DISC in course Notation of academic dishonesty in transcript

Impersonation on exam Suspension from all Faculties for several years or possible expulsion from University of Manitoba

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STUDENT SERVICES AND SUPPORTS The University of Manitoba provides many different services that can enhance learning and provide support when needed. You are encouraged to visit the below websites to learn more about these services and supports:

Academic Calendar

Library Resources

Registrar’s Office

Writing and Learning Support

Your rights and responsibilities

Student Accessibility Services

Student Discipline

Student Advocacy

Student Counselling Centre

Student Support Case Management

University Health Service

Health and Wellness

Live Well @ UofM

Respectful Work and Learning Environment

Violent or Threatening Behaviour