Human Resource Management
Content (Syllabus outline):
1. Inroduction to personnel management
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personnel management (PM) and human resource management (HRM) definition
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historical development of PM and PM pioneers
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theoretical framework and interdisciplinary of the PM.
2. PM context:
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organization as a whole, external economic, political, business and social environment,
strategic planning, management process, social and technological system of
organization, European Union and globalisation, phenomenas of change, turbulence
and insecurity.
3. PM foundations within organization:
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purpose and goal of PM,
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PM activities (PM as process),
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shaping PM and implementing PM strategy,
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PM as business function: role of PM, PM models, organisation and position of PM
function.
4. Role of PM in organisation’s success:
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theoretical explanatory models (Ferris et al., 1996; Kopelman et al., 1990), empirical
research.
5. Challenges and trends:
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changing role of personnel managers and employees;
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internationalisation and international PM;
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respecting the diversity of personnel structure, providing equal opportunity;
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flexibility as central PM goal (new types of work and employment; ways of enabling the
flexibility of PM function: job rotations and workplace adaptations; advantages and
disadvantages of new types of work, employment and personnel structure flexibility
measures.
6. Individual at work:
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personality;
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aptitude, skills, abilities, knowledge;
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employee opinions and work values
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competencies;
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work motivation;
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work behaviour: factors determining behaviour and individual performance (behaviour
= f(p,o)).
7. Groups and teams in organization:
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what is team and what group, group types, group dynamics, group development
stages, role of group leaders, conflict resolution within group, group effectiveness.
8. PM process and activities:
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work organisation: meso and micro level;
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needs analysis and personnel planning;
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recruitment and selection;
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employee orientation and socialisation;
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training and personnel development (training process, career development, training
and career development methods, management development, management
succession, evaluating training and development effort;
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performance appraisal, rewarding and motivation (performance appraisal, other
methods of performance monitoring, financial and non-financial incentives, other
forms of personnel motivation and rewarding;
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communication, employee relations and employee participation;
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measuring employee satisfaction and opinions;
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developing and monitoring the organisation culture.
9. Meso and micro organisation:
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organisational structure: theories and models;
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organisation design: integrating activities, reporting structure, scope of control;
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organisation structure, job structuring, job description;
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job design and job analysis methods, motivational aspects of work, setting the
responsibility and authority lines;
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performance evaluation and incentive plans / compensation system.
10. Communication and employee participation:
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formal and informal paths and types of communication, leadership role, employee
participation bodies, employee participation forms.
11. Monitoring employee satisfaction and opinions:
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defining organizational climate at the individual (work environment perception, formal
and informal practices) and group (organisational) level;
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determinants of organisational climate (with emphasis on leadership and PM);
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qualitative and quantitative methods of organisational climate analysis;
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methods for changing employee opinions; work satisfaction commitment and
engagement;
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relevance of changing the organisational climate and employee opinions.
12. Developing and changing the organisational culture:
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distinguishing the organisational culture from organisational climate;
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elements of culture and multi-layered culture models;
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culture dimensions;
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sub-cultures and counter-cultures within organisation;
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qualitative and quantitative methods of culture analysis (cases);
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determinants of organisational culture: role of national culture, organisational activities
and leadership;
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organisational culture and climate – their impact on organisations (models linking both
concepts in order to explain the impact of inner social-psychological environment on
organisational productivity);
elements of organisational culture and the role factors determining, retaining, shaping and
changing the organisational culture (emphasis on the role of PM).
Objectives and competences:
Students will develop general competences:

ability to analyse, synthesize and anticipate the solutions and consequences in the field
of PM,

mastery of PM activities and contents,

ability of critical, ethical and moral judgement in the field of PM,

autonomy at work,

development of communication abilities and skills, especially in relations to employees,

Cooperation, team work and tolerance to constructive criticism and comments.
Students will develop course - specific competences:

knowledge and understanding of foundation and history of disciplines in the field of
PM,

ability to solve actual problems with use of scientific methods and procedures
established in praxis,

coherent mastery of fundamental knowledge in the field of PM and its application in
business environment,

ability to search now information in the field of PM,

ability to use information and communication technologies,
knowledge of research methods and quantitative data statistical analysis,
Intended learning outcomes:
Knowledge and understanding:
Student will:

be able to define and distinguish the concepts of PM and HRM,

be able to present the historical development of PM idea,

be able to define elements and factors influencing PM within organisation and relate
them to proper theoretical approach to PM,

be able to understand purpose, goals and role of PM within organisation and its’
strategic development,

understand importance and role of PM in organisational performance,

define recent development in the field of PM: new activities and new roles of PM,

understand the importance of adjusting the PM to international business
environment,

understand the importance of diversity of personnel structure,

define the approaches to ensure the flexibility of personnel structure and understand
their advantages and disadvantages,

define selected concepts of individual psychology,

define and understand the role of factors influencing employee behaviour in work
environment,

understand the concept of team and group an be able to define similarities and
differences,

understand the group development stages,

be familiar with different approaches to group leadership in relation to different group
dynamic factors,

be familiar with different approaches to conflict resolution,

be able to determine the factors crucial for effectiveness,

define specific activities within PM as process,

define elements of organisational structure, their role and relation to organisational
social and technological system,

define the process of job design and job analysis,

define methods of performance appraisal,

define compensation system and understand its role in organisation,

be able to prepare job description by oneself,

to list forms and paths of vertical and horizontal communication and to understand
the importance of communication in organisation,

list the bodies and forms of employee participation according to Slovene legislation,

define the concepts of organisational climate and the factors affecting it,

be familiar with FOCUS organisational climate survey and other standard
surveys/questionnaires on employee opinions,

be able to interpret organisational climate analysis data,

define the concept of organisational culture and distinguish it from the concept of
organisational climate,

understand fundamental concepts used to determine culture: elements of culture,
culture dimensions, sub-cultures and counter-cultures,

be familiar with inner and outer factors determining, retaining, shaping and changing
the organisational culture,

understand the role of inner social-psychological environment on organisational
productivity and other aspects of organisation performance.
Students gradings
Weight (in %)
Assessment:
Type (examination, oral,
coursework, project):
20
Short written casework
Longer written casework
Presentations
80
Final examination
(written/oral)
Other