COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE:
BU 404 (N01) Human Resource Management
6:00-8:45 Tuesday Room RH 404
(Three Semester Hours Credit - 45 contact hours)
INSTRUCTOR OF RECORD:
Dr. Dee Anne Larson
OFFICE LOCATION AND HOURS:
Reneau Hall Room 203
329-7152 (Divisional Office); 329-7251 (My Office); 329-7458 (FAX);
E-mail: dlarson@muw.edu; Web page: http://www.muw.edu/~dlarson/
Office Hours:
I will be in class during the following times:
Monday 10:00 - 11:00
Monday 11:00 - 12:15
1:30- 3:30
Tuesday 2:30 - 3:45; 6:00 - 8:45
Tuesday 4:00 - 6:00
Wednesday 11:00 - 12:15
Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00; 1:30 - 3:30
Thursday 2:30 - 3:45
Thursday 1:00 - 2:00 (Advising Center)
Friday By Appointment
It advisable to find times other than just prior to one of my classes
to stop by my office for a visit. I am usually preparing for class
and will not be able to give you my undivided attention. If my office
hours do not fit with your schedule, please give me a call and we will
make an appointment that is beneficial for both of us.
On Thursday from 1:00 - 2:00 I will be in the Advising Center in room 102 of Reneau Hall. Feel free to come see me at that location.
PREREQUISITES:
BU 381 - Principles of Management - C or better
REQUIRED:
1. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, by Mondy, Noe and Premeaux.
2. E-Mail address and access to the World Wide Web.
3. Four scantron forms.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Objectives, functions, and organization of personnel programs.
Emphasizes training, selection, placement, job evaluation, employee service,
employee relationships, safety and health, industrial relations and personnel
research.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of the course is to assist you in understanding the principles,
policies, and practices related to procurement, development, maintenance,
and utilization of human resources. You will be able to describe
the interactions that are involved in the human resource functional areas.
These include:
1. Human Resource Planning, Recruitment and Selection
2. Human Resource and Development
3. Compensation and Benefits
4. Safety and Health
5. Legal Issues in HRM
GRADING:
Exam #1 100
Exam #2 100
Exam #3 100
Exam #4 100
Assignments 60
Paper 60
Total possible points 520
GRADE DETERMINATION:
500 - 450 A
449 - 400 B
399 - 350 C
349 - 300 D
299 - 0 F
Do not call me at the end of the semester asking me to give you a higher
grade. I do not change grades. The only exception to
this is if I made a mistake in calculating or recording your grade.
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT:
No form of cheating will be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited
to, using unauthorized materials during an exam, submitting assignments
that are not the student’s own, plagiarism, and looking at another person’s
answers during an exam. If you do not understand the specifics of
plagiarism read Plagiarism: What it is and how to recognize and avoid it
(http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html). Disciplinary action
will be dealt with in accordance with the procedures found in the MUW Student
Handbook.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
Any student who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully
participating in the class should contact me so that we may discuss accommodations
necessary to facilitate your educational opportunities.
ATTENDANCE:
A student’s grade indirectly contains an attendance component.
Therefore, I strongly advise everyone to come to class well prepared and
ready to participate. If you are close to a higher grade at the end
of the semester I will use your attendance record to determine if you get
the higher grade or not.
Please be on time for class. It is very disruptive when students
come in at various times during the class period. If you do come
in late and I have already checked roll, you will need to come up to me
after class so that your name is taken off the absenteeism sheet.
If you are continually late, there may be a point at which I decide to
count you as absent when you come in late, so please make every effort
to be on time.
There will be assignments given out throughout the semester. If you miss a class you are responsible for finding out what was missed. If you are not there the day that the assignment is given out, you will still be required to turn in the assignment on the given due date. There will be a 10% penalty per day for any assignments that are turned in after the due date.
PARTICIPATION:
To make a good grade in the course, it is important that you read the
required material prior to class. You are expected to be prepared
and actively involved in every class. In this course, we discuss
many aspects of everyday organizational life, and almost all of you have
at least some organizational experience. Verbalization of your thoughts
and views on workplace behaviors will lead to increased learning for all
involved.
Reading assignments and practice exercises are included on the syllabus agenda. I expect each and every one of you to have completed all of the reading and exercises prior to class.
I am working on the assumption that you are here because you want to
learn. The more you learn about business now, the better are your
chances for an excellent career later. Learning is a personal experience.
I can not make you learning anything. I can only give you the materials
that will assist your learning process. Studies have shown the more
students read and participate in class, the more they learn. It is
a self directed process. If you choose to put forth minimal effort
in the class, your rewards will be limited. However, if you choose
to put forth a lot of effort, you will receive the greatest reward of all
- knowledge. Remember, knowledge is power!
EXAMS:
There will be 4 exams during the semester. Each exam will be
multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and short answer.
You will need 4 scantron forms for the exams.
FINAL EXAM:
The final exam for this class is scheduled for Tuesday, May 11 from
6:00 - 8:45. Under no circumstance will there be any final
exam make-ups given. This includes giving exams early. Please
check your final exam schedule before making any travel plans. If
an emergency arises and you are not able to take the final, you need to
contact me so that we can take actions that are in accordance with our
divisional policy.
ASSIGNMENTS:
There will be three assignments due throughout the semester.
The assignments will include Internet exercises, case studies, written
assignments and other exercises that are appropriate for the subject area.
The assignments will be worth 20 points each. There will be
a 10% penalty per day for any assignments that are turned in after the
due date.
MAKE-UP POLICY:
Please make plans to take the exams and turn in the assignments at
the designated times. If you see that you cannot make a deadline,
you must contact me prior to the deadline with a legitimate excuse.
All make-ups are essay.
I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY EXCUSES AFTER THE FACT!
A missed exam or class assignment that has not been approved prior to the deadline will result in a zero grade.
PAPER:
You will have to write and present a paper during the semester.
We will provide you with several paper topics from which to choose.
The paper should be no less than 6 pages (and not more than 7 pages) in
length, double spaced, and in a 12 point font. You will need to have
at least 6 supporting articles. The paper should include proper citations
and a bibliography. Failure to properly cite your sources both in
the text and in the bibliography will result in a lower grade. You
should follow the APA writing style.
Your paper should be primarily comprised of information that cannot
be found in your text. In other words, we do not want you to reiterate
the information found in your text. My goal is for all of us to learn
something new, something in addition to the information presented in the
text.
You cannot use a paper that has been or will be submitted for credit
in another course. Part of the goal of this assignment is to improve
your writing skills. Good writing comes with experience, therefore
the paper you submit for this course should be an original. Also,
this paper will be graded for grammar and punctuation, so use all methods
to proofread your paper prior to submitting it.
You will also have to present the paper to the class. This portion
of the assignment will be worth 20 points. The presentation should
be around 5 minutes in length and no more than 8 minutes. I will
take off points if you go over 8 minutes. I will evaluate your presentation
skills by examining the following areas:
1) Are you reading or are you presenting the material?
2) Are you making eye contact with the audience?
3) Do you seem well prepared?
4) Do you have visuals to support the material being presented? (Maximum
of 3, minimum
of 1)
5) Do the visuals support the material being covered sufficiently?
6) Are the visuals easy to read and understand?
7) Do the visuals grab the readers attention?
Paper Topics:
1. Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action.
2. Background Checks and Negligent Hiring.
3. A Closer Look at The Connection Between Workplace Violence and Employer
Actions such as Grievance Handling, Disciplinary Action, and Terminations.
4. The Importance of Performance Appraisals to the Organization and
It’s Employees.
5. Benefits: The Importance and Changing Nature of Benefit Programs
in Corporate America.
6. Trends and Innovations in Compensation: A Link Between Pay and Performance.
7. Accident Prevention: The Development of Safety Programs.
8. Job Accountability: Should Companies Use Performance Appraisals?
9. Employee Development: The Value of a Well-Trained Workforce.
10. Trends in Employee Training Programs.
11. Pros and Cons of Employee Selection Tests.
12. Interviewing 101: Ways to Make the Interviewing Process a More
Valid Predictor of Employee Success.
13. Workforce Discrimination: Does it Still Exist?
14. Managing the Diverse Workforce.
15. Job Applications and Interviewing: Legal Implications and Other
Related Issues.
16. Sexual Harassment Issues in Corporate America.
17. Men and Women in the Workforce: Similarities and Differences.
18. Company-sponsored Wellness Programs.
19. The Role of Labor Unions in Today’s Workforce
20. Reverse Discrimination
21. Demographics changes and their effects on the work force.
To facilitate time management and improve writing skills, the process
of writing the term paper will be broken into a series of easy steps due
throughout the semester. The steps include:
1) topic approval
2) submission of preliminary references and outline approval
3) first draft critique by your partner
4) final paper due
Furthermore, you will be required to break into groups of two. In step #3 you will need to exchange copies of your first draft with your partner. You will then critique each other’s papers and provide constructive criticism. This step has the potential to improve your overall paper grade, therefore, you should pick your group member wisely. The first drafts (including a copy of the critique) will be submitted to me for review. Extra points will be given to group members who provide exceptionally good critiques. The critiquing process should prove to be a valuable experience for you. You will need to make turn in a photo copy of the paper that you critiqued (make sure your comments are easy to read).
The due dates for each step are listed below and are included on the
agenda. Failure to submit any portion of the paper on time and/or
submission of poor quality work will result in a lower overall paper grade.
January 27 Group Member Decision
Paper Topic Approval Due
* I will provide you with a list of possible paper topics. You
will need to pick a topic that interest you. Only one
person will be allowed to write on each topic.
* Write down a short list of information you think you might want to
discuss regarding the topic. As you go along, you may find other
information that you want to add to the paper. Therefore, this part
of the paper process is subject to change.
* I will give you feedback on the paper topic. For instance,
I may suggest that you add some topics to your list or that you narrow
your focus.
February 24 Outline Approval and Preliminary Reference List
Due
* You will need to submit a thorough outline of the information you
are planning to discuss in the paper. This will allow me to make
sure you are headed in the right direction with the paper. This will
require some preliminary research.
* You mist also submit a preliminary list of your references.
This is not to say the list can not change. The goal of this step
is to get you to start culling through the material.
March 30 First Draft Due to Your Group Member
* You are to submit a copy of your first draft to your
partner.
* The partner will then do a thorough critique of the
paper.
April 13 Critiqued Paper Due
* You will need to give the critiqued paper back to your
partner and provide me with a copy of the critiqued paper. Extra
points will be given to group members who provide exceptionally good critiques.
April 20 Final Paper Due
Always come to class prepared and ready to discuss the material. You should read the chapter prior to coming to class and you should read, print and bring to class any Web articles included in the chapter discussions. The Web articles are listed in the agenda. There may be pop quizzes to evaluate your preparedness for the class discussion.
Jan 13 Introduction to Human Resource Management - Chapter 1
Jan 20 The Environment - Chapter 2
* external environment, diversity, corporate culture
Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action -
Chapter 3
* laws affecting HRM, discrimination, bona fide occupational
qualification, ADA, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Civil Rights Act, Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, Sexual Harassment, Affirmative Action,
four-fifths rule
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on staffing, recruitment,
recruit; read, print and bring to class 1) ADA Quiz, 2) ADA -Compliant
Recruiting
Jan 20 Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action (continued)
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on legal compliance
/ sexual harassment / prevent and train; read, print and bring to class
1) test your sexual harassment knowledge, 2) guidelines for developing
a sexual harassment policy, 3) avoiding liability for sexual harassment.
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on legal compliance
/ sexual harassment / respond to complaints; read, print and bring to class
1) harassment investigation guide
Jan 27 Partner Due
Paper Topic Due
Job Analysis - Chapter 4
* What is job analysis?, Job analysis methods, Job description,
Job specification
Feb 3 Human Resource Planning - Chapter 5
* Forecasting techniques, Human resource requirements, Human
resource availability
Feb 10 Exam #1
Recruitment - Chapter 6
* external recruitment, internal recruitment, trends in recruitment
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on legal compliance
/ EEO- diversity toolkit / recruit fairly; read, print and bring to class
1) recruiting women, 2) recruiting older workers, 3) recruiting from minority
groups, and 4) recruiting workers with disabilities.
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on staffing, recruitment,
recruit; read, print and bring to class 1) calculate the cost of a bad
hire
Feb 17 Recruitment (continued)
Selection - Chapter 7
* environmental factors affecting the selection process, applications,
resumes, selection tests, interviewing, background checks and negligent
hiring
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on legal compliance / EEO-
diversity toolkit / recruit fairly; read, print and bring to class 1) common
disclaimers and statements on application forms
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on staffing, recruitment,
interview; read, print and bring to class 1) avoiding interview related
lawsuits and 2) pre-interview checklist.
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on staffing, recruitment,
screen; read, print and bring to class 1) policy issues in pre-employment
testing.
Feb 24 Paper Outline and Preliminary Reference List Due
Selection (continued)
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on staffing, recruitment,
select; read, print and bring to class 1) reference release form. 2)reference
check form, 3) telephone reference check, and 4) tips to use when giving
references.
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on staffing, recruitment,
recruit; read, print and bring to class 1) application rejection letter
and 2) offer letter.
(http://www.hrtools.com); click on staffing, recruitment, screen;
read, print and bring to class 1) screening and background checks
* In class exercise - 8 “red” flags exercise
* Give Out the Behavioral Interviewing Assignment
Mar 2 Training and Development - Chapter 8
* coaching, mentoring, videotapes, evaluating training
and development, job orientation
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on staffing / new hires
/ orient; read, print and bring to class; 1) management’s orientation duties
and 2) new employee orientation checklist.
Mar 19 Spring Break - No Class
Mar 16 Exam #2
Mar 23 Performance Appraisal - Chapter 10
* Why performance appraisals are so important?, appraisal period,
performance appraisal methods, problems in performance appraisals
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on legal compliance
/ discipline and termination / coach; read, print and bring to class 1)
coaching skills for managers and 2) confronting a troubled employee.
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on training and performance,
performance management, appraise; read, print and bring to class 1) legally
defensible performance appraisals and 2) performance appraisal tips for
managers.
Mar 30 First Paper Draft Due
Switch papers with your partner for the critique process.
Compensation - Chapter 11
* types of compensation, problems with compensation, compensation
as a motivator, bonus, wage, salary
April 6 Benefits and Other Compensation Issues - Chapter 12
* types of benefits, the benefits of benefits, compensating
professionals, FLMA, Workman’s Comp, Social Security, Health Insurance,
pension plans, Unemployment Insurance
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on benefits and compensation,
benefits, FMLA; read, print and bring to class 1) Take the FMLA quiz.
* Give out Benefit and Compensation Assignment
April 13 Exam #3
Give critiqued paper back to your partner.
Turn in to me a copy of the critiqued paper.
Internal Employee Relations - Chapter 16
* Disciplinary Action, Grievance Handling, Termination, Resignation,
Workplace Violence
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on legal compliance
/ discipline and termination / discipline; read, print and bring to class
1) discipline documentation form and 2) written warning checklist.
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on legal compliance / discipline
and termination / terminate; read, print and bring to class 1) employee
exit interview, 2) conducting the termination meeting, and 3) how to avoid
wrongful discharge suits.
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on safety, workplace
violence, violence prevention; read, print and bring to class 1) supervisor’s
review of workplace violence warning signs.
April 20 Final Paper Due
A Safe and Healthy Work Environment - Chapter 13
* laws, burnout, stress, alcohol and drug abuse
* (http://www.hrtools.com); click on safety, drugs and
alcohol testing, employee assistance; read, print and bring to class 1)
how can employers deal with substance abuse? and 2) detecting workplace
substance abuse.
April 27 Operating in a Global Environment - Chapter 17
* global staffing, compensation, safety and health, cultural
barriers
May 4 Paper Presentation
Failure to be at this class will result in a lower paper grade.
May 11 Final Exam - 6:00 - 8:45
** Note: The exam dates and times will not change; however, the material to be covered each day may vary to some extent depending on class participation.
HELPFUL WORLD WIDE WEB LINKS:
www. dushkin.com/online/
At this site you will find tips on how to study more effectively, how
to write term papers, time management, problem solving techniques, how
to learn in class, and much more.
http://muw.edu/career/
career planning, job resources, job listings, graduate school information,
internships, interview strategies, resume writing
http:// www.jobweb.com/
job news, resumes, career information
http://businessmajors.about.com/
helpful information on what to expect from careers in business including
job descriptions and salary information.
http://www.collegegrad.com/
how to prepare resumes, how to do interviews, salary information, career
information
http://www.wegeweb.com
salary survey data
http://www.fairmeasures.com
sexual harassment, wrongful termination’s, discrimination, ethics
http://www.hrtools.com
staffing, training, benefits, compensation, free e-mail training sessions
http://www.shrm.org
SHRM online news, HR job information, publications and resources
http://www.visitorinfo.com/gallery/howapp.htm
how to do an employee appraisal
http://www.benefitslink.com/index.shtml
the National Employee Benefits Web Site
http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/bls/index1.html
workplace injury and illness statistics
http://www.ahipubs.com/reports/index.html
AHI’s Employment Law Resource Center
Recommended Books
Life’s Greatest Lessons: 20 Things That Matter by Hal Urban (2003).
New York, NY.
Fish!, by Ludin, Paul & Christensen (2000). Hyperion: NY.
Mastering Self-Leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence, 3rd ed., by Charles C. Manz and Christopher P. Neck (2004). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Eliminate Blame, Complaining and Procrastination: The Question Behind the Question. What to Really Ask Yourself: Practicing Personal Accountability in Business and Life by John G. Miller (2001). Denver, CO.
Thank God It’s Monday: A Took Kit for Aligning Your Lifevision and Your Work by Tim Hoerr (1988). Nashville, TN.