Syllabus for HRM-530

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Human Resource Management examines the role of the human resource professional as a strategic partner in managing today’s organizations. Key functions such as recruitment, selection, development, appraisal, retention, compensation, and labor relations are examined. Implications of legal and global environments are appraised and current issues such as diversity training, sexual harassment policies, and rising benefit costs are analyzed. Best practices of employers of choice are considered.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1. Apply the language and legislation of the H.R. profession. (CO1)
2. Appraise the key HR functions in modern organizations such as recruitment, selection, training, performance management, compensation, and labor relations. (CO2)
3. Compare and contrast the roles and activities of the human resource management function across organizations. (CO3)
4. Evaluate the strategic importance of HR to organizational effectiveness. (CO4)
5. Assess the distinctive human resource management practices of employers of choice. (CO5)
6. Synthesize current literature on a timely HR issue and recommend guidelines for managers. (CO6)

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

1. Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M.  (2010). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN-13: 978-0073530475

1. Textbook Online Learning Center (http://www.mhhe.com/noe7e)

Reference Websites

1. Society for Human Resource Management: http://www.shrm.org

COURSE STRUCTURE

Human Resource Management is a three-credit online course, consisting of six (6) modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

1. Module 1: The HR Profession and the Legal Environment

Course objectives covered in this module include objectives 1, 3, and 4.

2. Module 2: Acquiring Human Resources

Course objectives covered in this module include objective 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

3. Module 3: Training, Assessment

Course objectives covered in this module include objectives 1, 2, and 5.

4. Module 4: Development, Retention and Labor Relations

Course objectives covered in this module include objectives 1, 2, 4, and 5.

5. Module 5: Compensation

Course objectives covered in this module include objective 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

6. Module 6: Special Topics

Course objectives covered in this module include objective 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written activities, take a midterm assignment, and complete a final assignment. See below for more details.

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Discussion Forums

This course requires you to participate in ten (10) graded discussion forums. There are also one ungraded but required introduction forum in Module 1. In addition, there is one discussion forum for team project.

Please participate in online discussions as you would in constructive face-to-face discussions. You are expected to post well-reasoned and thoughtful reflections for each item, making reference, as appropriate, to your readings. A rule of thumb is that each answer should be at least 200-250 words.  Be sure to reference any outside information that you use in answering your questions using APA style. You are also expected to reply to your classmates' posts in a respectful, professional, and courteous manner. You may, of course, post questions asking for clarification or further elucidation on a topic.

Click to view Online Discussion Grading Rubric.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete two (2) written assignments - two individual case studies assigned from the textbook.  

Team Project

You are required to work on a team project. The team will be formed during the first two weeks and each group will include 3 to 5 members depending on enrollment.  The mentor will decide how the team will be formed. Each team will choose one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For 2013” according to Fortune Magazine and prepare a written paper and corresponding PowerPoint of the distinctive HR practices that make this company such a great place to work.

The written paper should be 10-12 double-spaced pages in APA format. The PowerPoint presentation should portray summary points of your findings.

Go to the Team Project area of the course web site for more details.

Midterm Assessment

You are required to take an unproctored midterm assessment that covers modules 1 to 3.  It consists true or false questions and essay questions that are related to module topics.  You will submit this midterm assessment by Saturday of Week 6 (see the course Calendar), doing it in the same way you have for your written assignments in this course.

The midterm assessment is located in the Midterm Assessment area of the course Web site.

Final Assessment

You are required to take an unproctored final assessment that covers modules 4 to 6. The final assessment consists of true or false questions and essay questions that are related to module topics.  You will submit your final assessment by Saturday of Week 12 (see the course Calendar), doing it in the same way you have for your written assignments in this course.

The final assessment is located in the Final Assessment area of the course Web site.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

1. Discussion forums (10)—30 percent
2. Written assignments (2)—10 percent
3. Team project—20 percent

1. Team project paper—15 percent
2. Team PowerPoint Presentation—5 percent

4. Midterm assessment (unproctored, modules 1–3)—20 percent
5. Final assessment (unproctored, modules 4–6)—20 percent

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., assignments, discussion postings, projects, etc.). Graduate students must maintain a B average overall to remain in good academic standing.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

3. Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)

4. Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting activities before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting activities, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.

2. Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students at Thomas Edison State College are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State College expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the College insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty takes the following forms:

1. Cheating
2. Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
3. Fabricating information or citations
4. Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others
5. Unauthorized access to examinations or the use of unauthorized materials during exam administration
6. Submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the mentor
7. Tampering with the academic work of other students

Academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the College. Students who submit papers that are found to be plagiarized will receive an F on the plagiarized assignment, may receive a grade of F for the course, and may face dismissal from the College.

A student who is charged with academic dishonesty will be given oral or written notice of the charge. If a mentor or College official believes the infraction is serious enough to warrant referral of the case to the academic dean, or if the mentor awards a final grade of F in the course because of the infraction, the student and the mentor will be afforded formal due process.

If a student is found cheating or using unauthorized materials on an examination, he or she will automatically receive a grade of F on that examination. Students who believe they have been falsely accused of academic dishonesty should seek redress through informal discussions with the mentor, through the office of the dean, or through an executive officer of Thomas Edison State College.

Plagiarism

Using someone else's work as your own is plagiarism. Although it may seem like simple dishonesty, plagiarism is against the law. Thomas Edison State College takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing will be severely penalized. If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > "Citing Sources.")

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else's. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.