THE HELLER SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL POLICY AND MANAGEMENT
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
HS254
Human Resource Management
Fall 2014
Professor Jody Hoffer Gittell
Schneider 206
jgittell@brandeis.edu
Class: Tuesdays 9:00-11:50
Teaching Assistant Ashley Arnold
ashleyja@brandeis.edu
Google Hangout: Sundays 6:30-7:30 pm
Office Hours: Tuesdays 12-2:00
Course Description: This course explores human resource management as a tool for achieving
high levels of organizational performance. A premise of this course is that treating workers well
is also one of the fundamental social responsibilities of any organization, and a starting point for
achieving other aspects of the organization's social mission. We will focus on practices and
skills that can increase your ability to enhance the value of people in the organizations you serve.
These practices and skills include job design, hiring, training, performance measurement,
promotion, compensation and benefits, retention, discipline and firing, and policies regarding
diversity, workplace stress and work/family accommodation.
We will use background readings as well as a series of cases that illustrate both successes and
failures, as well as management memos, role-plays and simulations to practice critical HRM
skills. It is also important that we take advantage of the experience of class members. So,
where relevant, please feel free to bring your own experiences and illustrations into class
discussion. Throughout the course we will consider how what we are discussing differs
across countries. Students with global experiences are encouraged to bring this knowledge
into the classroom. The employment relationship in the U.S. is different in many respects
from other countries, so it is important that as managers we appreciate these differences in
how human resources might be framed differently in other cultures. If we are to meet our
goal of increasing your effectiveness in managing human resources, it is important to explore
how, why, and under what circumstances various approaches work. Your previous
experiences, both positive and negative, are a valuable source of data for this learning.
Management Discipline Skills and Competencies: Please see above.
MBA Learning Goals: In Human Resource Management, we will address four of the MBA
Learning Goals – Mobilizing and Developing Capabilities and Social Impact Management, as
well as Communication Skills and Collaboration Skills.
Mobilizing and Developing Capabilities. The main theme of this course is Mobilizing and
Developing Capabilities. People are the primary resource of most mission-driven
organizations, and their support is critical for achieving mission. At the same time, missiondriven organizations often work under severe budget constraints and are challenged to offer
pay and benefits that are comparable to what other organizations can offer. In this course we
explore how human resource practices can help to motivate people as well as build their skills
and manage their performance. We will also explore how people can be motivated as
members of an organizational community characterized by shared goals, shared knowledge
and mutual respect.
Traditional human resource practices are designed to develop the skills and performance of
staff members as individuals. However there is increasing evidence that people act not only
as individuals but also as members of communities. We will draw upon the theory of
relational coordination, which shows how relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge
and mutual respect among employees who perform interdependent tasks help organizations
achieve their desired outcomes. We will learn how to design human resource practices that
develop not only individual skills and individual performance, but also relational skills and
collective performance.
Social Impact Management. Human resource management can play a strategic role in
organizations by helping organizations to achieve their desired outcomes. This strategic role
suggests that all human resource practices should be assessed in terms of whether they in fact
do help a particular organization achieve its desired outcomes. The course therefore focuses
on assessing the effectiveness of particular HR practice for achieving desired outcomes. One
desired outcome in many organizations is to increase staff diversity along some dimension,
such as gender, race, religion, socioeconomic background or sexual preference. Organizations
like other social networks tend to be self-replicating, and unless a clear effort is made, the
same types of people tend to be hired and promoted over and over again. This course
addresses strategies for breaking this pattern to achieve staff diversity goals, and strategies for
managing a diverse workforce.
Communication and Collaboration Skills. Management memos, journalling, case
discussions, role-plays, simulations and team presentations will help you to develop the
communication and collaboration skills needed for successful human resource management.
Course Requirements:
Management Memos
Reflections on Mindful Communication
Class Participation
Midterm Exam
Team Presentation
Final Exam
20%
10%
10%
10%
25%
25%
Management Memos. You will prepare three management memos during the semester,
regarding three of the cases assigned for class. In this memo you should:
1) Play the role of an individual in the case or an outside consultant
2) Identify who you are writing to - e.g. CEO, executive director, chair of the board, director
of human resources
3) Analyze the situation based on the case and background readings
4) Recommend actions based on your analysis.
Memos will be graded based on
1) Your analysis of the situation,
2) The comprehensiveness and persuasiveness of your recommendations, and
3) Your use of logic, precision and evidence in making arguments.
Memos should be 3 pages plus any exhibits you wish to include. Memos are due at the
beginning of the class in which the case will be discussed. At least one must be submitted
before the middle of the semester and at least one must be submitted afterwards.
Reflections on Mindful Communication. You will be asked to complete four reflections
throughout the semester on mindful communication. You will have weekly options to choose
from. These are not graded but rather an opportunity to reflect on and improve your own
communication patterns as they relate to your role as a manager, a professional and a human
being. These reflections can be submitted privately to the professor and teaching assistant or
posted on our class blog, as you choose.
HRM in the News. On occasion there will be an opportunity to earn extra credit by posting a
relevant news article or court case to Latte. These opportunities will be announced a week in
advance in class and on Latte. Articles will be incorporated into class during case discussion
and/or small groups at the discretion of the professor. This option provides not only an
opportunity to boost your grade and inform class discussion but can also help you establish a
personal practice of becoming informed about current HRM issues.
Class Participation. Class participation grades reflect our assessment of your total
contribution to the learning environment in case discussions, role-plays and simulations. This
reflects not only the frequency of your contributions in class, but also their quality (ability to
draw on course materials and your own experience productively, ability to advance or sharpen
in-class discussion and debate, willingness to take risky or unpopular points of view, use of
logic, precision, and evidence in making arguments), and the professionalism of your conduct
(attendance, punctuality, preparedness, and showing respect to all class members and their
class contributions).
Team Presentation. Early in the semester, you will form teams of 3 people and choose an
HRM topic you would like to present about. Your team's presentation will be given either at
the midpoint of the semester (October 22) or at the end of the semester (December 3),
depending on the topic you choose. Each team will have at least 20 minutes to present, and 10
minutes to engage the class in discussion.
HRM Information Sources. Web links that can be used to find information on HR topics
include:
 DOL.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)
 ILO.org (International Labour Organization)
 SHRM.org (Society for Human Resource Management)
 NEHRA.org (Northeast Human Resource Association)
 Compasspoint.org
 Boardcafe.org
Laptops and internet may be used during class only for purposes directly related to class.
All other uses are prohibited and will be grounds for negative evaluation of class participation.
Attendance. All absences must be excused. For an unexcused absence, you will get a zero for
class participation for that class.
Course Reading: We will use a textbook called Human Resource Management: A Managerial
Tool for Competitive Advantage, by Lawrence S. Kleiman, available online at atomicdog.com.
We will also read The Southwest Airlines Way: Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve
High Performance, by Jody Hoffer Gittell, available in paperback on amazon.com. We will also
draw upon a book called Communicating Mindfully: Mindfulness-Based Communication and
Emotional Intelligence by Dan Huston. All other readings are available on LATTE and Harvard
Business Online.
Provisions for Feedback: Management memos will be returned to you within two weeks of
submission. Feedback on class participation will be given mid-semester and at the end of the
semester. Verbal feedback on team presentations will be given in class, followed by written
feedback the following week.
Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is central to the mission of educational excellence at
Brandeis University. Each student is expected to turn in work completed independently, except
when assignments specifically authorize collaborative effort. It is not acceptable to use the
words or ideas of another person - be it a world-class philosopher or your lab partner – without
proper acknowledgement of that source. This means that you must use footnotes and quotation
marks to indicate the sources of any phrases, sentences, paragraphs or ideas found in published
volumes, on the internet, or created by another student. Violations of university policies on
academic integrity, described in Section 3 of Rights and Responsibilities, may result in failure in
the course or on the assignment, and could end in suspension from the University. If you are in
doubt about the instructions for any assignment in this course, you must ask for clarification.
Notice: If you have a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and require
accommodations, please bring it to the instructor’s attention prior to the second meeting of the
class. If you have any questions about this process, please contact the disabilities coordinator for
The Heller School.
Human Resource Management
Course Schedule
Class/
Date
1
(9/2)
2
(9/9)
3
Topic
Readings
The HR
Challenge:
Building
Relationships
for High
Performance
Introduction to
Mindful
Communication
Case: “Urban Community Homemakers and Home Health”
“HRM and Competitive Advantage,” Kleiman
"How SWA Uses High Performance Relationships to Overcome
Strategic Challenges," Gittell
“SWA vs. American: The Power of Relational Coordination,” Gittell
"How Relational Coordination Works in Other Industries," Gittell
Recommend: “A Relational Model of How High Performance Work
Systems Work”
Guest Speaker: Siiri Morley, Heller MBA Alum and founder of
Prosperity Candle, and Prosperity Catalyst
Achieving and
Managing
Diversity
Case: ”Shifting the Diversity Climate: The Sodexo Solution”
“Understanding the Legal and Environmental Context of HRM,”
Kleiman
“Making Diversity Work,” Peleg and Brynen
“From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity,” Thomas
Guest Speaker: Expert on Diversity Practice or Diversity Research
Job Analysis
and Design
Case: “SCORE! Educational Centers”
“Analyzing Jobs,” Kleiman
“Keep Jobs Flexible at the Boundaries,” Gittell
“Create Boundary Spanners,” Gittell
Recommend: “Relational Job Design and the Motivation to Make a
Prosocial Difference,” Grant
Recruitment
and Selection
Case: “Club Med (B)”
“Recruiting Applicants,” Kleiman
“Selecting Applicants,” Kleiman
“Hire and Train for Relational Competence,” Gittell
(9/16)
4
(9/30)
Guest Speaker: Linnea Löf, Office of Career Support, Heller School
5
Training and
Development
Case: “American Airlines: Committing to Leadership”
“Training and Developing Employees,” Kleiman
“Invest in Frontline Leadership,” Gittell
Recommend: "In Defense of Middle Management"
Performance
Evaluation and
Supervision
Case: “Fairfield Inn (A)”
“Appraising Employee Job Performance,” Kleiman
“Measure Performance Broadly,” Gittell
Recommend: “Paradox of Coordination and Control”
Recommend: “Supervisory Span, Relational Coordination and Flight
Departure Performance: Reassessing Post-Bureaucracy Theory”
(10/7)
6
(10/14)
7
(10/21)
8
Team
Presentations/
Midterm
Pay and
Benefits
(10/28)
Case: “Nordstrom: Dissension in the Ranks”
“Determining Pay and Benefits,” Kleiman
“Implementing Productivity Improvement,” Kleiman
Recommend: “Enron Bonuses”
Recommend: “Exempt vs. Non-Exempt”
Recommend: “Fair Labor Standards Act White Collar Ruling”
"Inequality for All" by Robert Reich (film clip)
9
(11/4)
Conflict
Resolution and
Workplace
Justice
Case: “Firing at Families First Health and Support Center”
“Complying with Workplace Justice Laws,” Kleiman
“Use Conflicts to Build Relationships,” Gittell
"Constructive Conflict," Follett
Guest Speaker: Deborah Jenkins, HR Business Partner, Senior
Employee Relations Specialist, Brandeis University
10
Employee
Representation
(11/11)
Case: “JetBlue Airways: Starting from Scratch”
“Understanding Unions and their Impact on HRM,” Kleiman
The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker, Greenhouse
“Can You Manage With Unions?” Pfeffer
“Maintaining Union-Free Status,” Quisenberry
“Make Unions Your Partners, Not Adversaries,” Gittell
Recommend: “The New Boss: Andy Stern of the SEIU”
Recommend: “Unions Set Workplace Standards”
Recommend: “Unions Follow Suit”
Guest Speaker: To Be Announced
11
Work/Life
Balance
Case: “The Part-Time Partner”
“Bridge the Work/Family Divide,” Gittell
“Charities Face New Challenges Over Benefits,” Joslyn
“Road to Flexible Workplace Has Obstacles,” Jackson
Recommend: “Charities Face New Challenges Over Benefits”
Recommend: “Road to Flexible Workplace Has Its Obstacles”
Recommend: “Motherhood Penalty in the Employment Process”
Recommend: “Significant Changes to the FLSA”
Stress, Layoffs
and Job
Insecurity
Case: "Timberland and Community Involvement"
"Thriving Under Pressure," Gittell
"The New Deal at Work," Cappelli
"The Quiet Crisis" from The World is Flat, Friedman
(11/18)
12
(11/25)
Guest Speaker: Timberland and/or City Year leader?
13
(12/2)
14
(12/9)
Team
Presentations
Final Exam
Take home final exam. 10 questions. Choose 5 questions to answer.
Total page limit is 5 pages.