The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School of Social Work
COURSE NUMBER: SOWO 886.957
SEMESTER: Fall/ Winston-Salem DE; 2010
COURSE TITLE:
Human Resource Management and Supervision
INSTRUCTOR :
Joanne Caye, MSW
School of Social Work
Phone: (919) 962-598
(w)
(919) 933-9883
(h)
Email: jscaye@email.unc.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
Before class and by appointment
Course Description: Addresses the knowledge and skills needed to effectively
institute and carry out HRM, supervision, and consultation processes
in nonprofit, public and for profit settings.
Expanded Course Description
This course combines content on HRM (Human Resource Management) and
supervision to provide an overview of the processes, practices, and systems involved
in employing people in private and public settings. We will examine the place of
HRM in the organization, the tasks that HRM encompasses, and the skills
necessary to carry out those tasks.
Human Resource Management (HRM) encompasses the recruitment,
selection, development, evaluation, and utilization of any organization's most costly
resource-- its employees. Personnel management is a general responsibility of all
people occupying administrative and supervisory positions within the organization,
and familiarity with its components and practices is important for direct
practitioners as well as those focusing on management and community practice.
The class examines the crucial role that supervisors play as the implementers
of HR actions. We will review the administrative, supportive, clinical, and
educational functions of supervision in a range of social work settings. We will
examine the ethical and legal dimensions of supervision, the impact of diversity
upon the supervisory process, and the complex decisions involved when "competing
goods" collide.
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
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1) define and understand the supervisory, educational, and supportive roles of the
supervisor and apply these concepts to practice examples.
2) evaluate critical issues, including ethics and cultural competence, as they apply
to supervisory processes.
3) apply the knowledge base on supervision to their own and others’ professional
development.
4) identify the key characteristics of supervision and consultation and articulate
their similarities and differences.
5) describe the key components of human resource management and the related
terms and concepts and able to apply these concepts to their own
employment experiences.
6) utilize the diagnostic framework, laws and regulations, ethical codes and
principles of equity and efficiency to analyze and respond to personnel
issues, including supervisory obligations.
7) Understand the principles and practices for staff recruitment, selection,
compensation, evaluation and separations and the interlocking nature
of these activities.
8) Examine the various ways that diversity is taken into account in the workplace,
for example in making equitable HRM decisions, developing
nondiscriminatory policies and developing practices that are
supportive of a pluralistic work environment.
9) Use environmental scanning and research to learn about contemporary human
resource management issues as they affect social service settings.
Required Texts
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2007). Fundamentals of
human resource management, 2nd ed.. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Crother, C. and the crew of world famous Pike Place Fish (2004) Catch!: A
fishmonger’s guide to greatness. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Yokoyama, J. and Michelli, J. (2004) When fish fly: lessons for creating a vital and
energized workplace from the world famous Pike Place Fish Market.
New York: Hyperion.
Required readings, which are listed in the class schedule and reading
assignments section below, will come from these assigned texts and from other
sources such as academic journals. Readings will be available on Blackboard under
Assigned Readings, or will have a URL listed with them.
Teaching Methods and Expectations
The success of this class depends on the development of a supportive learning
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environment, reflecting the values of the social work profession. A supportive
learning environment is fostered by listening to the ideas and views of others, being
able to understand and appreciate a point of view which is different from your own,
articulating clearly your point of view, and linking experience and opinions to
readings and assignments. We will appreciate your contributions to making this a
safe and respectful class for learning and growth.
This course will use a variety of teaching and learning methods, including
lectures, group discussion, role-plays, videos, cartoons and handouts. You are
expected to actively participate, drawing from assignments, readings, your field
placements, and other work experience. I will be available by phone and email to
address questions that may arise between class sessions. Please seek me out!
I expect that students will attend all class sessions having read assigned
materials and fully prepared for discussion and assigned activities.
Expectations for written assignments
Students are expected to use good academic English; grades will be lowered
for poor grammar, syntax, or spelling. Those who have difficulty writing are
STRONGLY encouraged to use online resources of the campus Writing Center
(http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/) and/or seek assistance from Diane Wyant or
Susan White in the School of Social Work.
The School of Social Work faculty has adopted APA style as the preferred
format for papers and publications. All written assignments for this course should
be submitted in APA format. A summary was distributed at orientation. The web
sites listed below provide additional information, though students are strongly
encouraged to purchase the following text:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the
American
Psychological Association, 5th Edition. Washington, D.C.: American
Psychological Association.
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html (APA Style for material in electronic formats)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html (general information
about documentation using APA style)
http://www.bartleby.com/141/ (electronic version of Strunk's The Elements of Style
which was originally published in 1918)
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/resources.html (The Writing Center, links to
on-line reference material and many other useful sites for authors)
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/ (The UNC writing center—on-line and tutorial
help at Phillips Annex 962-7710)
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Grading System
The School of Social Work operates on an evaluation system of Honors (H),
Pass (P), Low Pass (L), and Fail (F). The numerical values of these grades are:
H: 94-100
P: 80-93
L: 70-79
F: 69 and lower
A grade of P is considered entirely satisfactory. The grade of Honors (“H”) — which
only a limited number of students attain -- signifies that the work is
clearly excellent in all respects.
Policy on Incompletes and Late Assignments
A paper is considered late if it is handed in any later than the start of class
on the day it is due. Late papers will lose 2 points per day, including weekends. If
a student has extenuating circumstances regarding either a late assignment or
possible consideration of an Incomplete for the course it is the student’s
responsibility to initiate a conversation with the instructor prior to the due date of
the paper. The student should initiate a request for an Incomplete before the end of
the course—instructors have no responsibility to give an Incomplete without such a
request.
Policy on Academic Dishonesty
Most frequently, incidents of academic dishonesty derive from a
misunderstanding, or a disregard for rules governing presentation of another’s
words as one’s own. When completing written assignments, please refer to the APA
Style Guide, The SSW Manual, and the SSW Writing Guide for information on
attribution of quotes, plagiarism and appropriate use of assistance in preparing
assignments. All written assignments should contain a signed pledge from you
stating that, "I have not given or received unauthorized aid in preparing this
written work".
In keeping with the UNC Honor Code, if reason exists to believe that
academic dishonesty has occurred, the student will be notified of this concern, and a
referral will be made to the Office of the Student Attorney General for investigation
and further action as required.
Policy on Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities that affect their participation in the course and
who wish to have special accommodations should contact the University’s
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Disabilities Services and provide documentation of their disability. Disabilities
Services will notify the instructor that the student has a documented disability and
may require accommodations. Students should discuss the specific accommodations
they require (e.g. changes in instructional format, examination format) directly with
the instructor.
Policies On The Use of Electronic Devices in the Classroom
• Use of any electronic devises is restricted to activities directly related to
classwork in progress: research as part of the class activity; note taking,
following a power point presentation, or using the devise as an
accommodation for a disability.
• Use of laptops, cell phones, etc. for email, texting, surfing the net during class
is prohibited. Students who habitually utilize phones or laptops for other
functions during class time will be restricted from their use at anytime
during class.
• Be aware that your activity can be a distraction to your fellow students, so
respect everyone’s learning.
General Information
Papers can be handed in, or emailed to the professor prior to the start of class
on the day the assignment is due.
Grades will be posted on BlackBoard as they are graded, so all papers may
not appear at the same time.
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Course Outline
The class format is based on the understanding that course participants are
prepared and active learners. Reading the assigned materials is a prerequisite to
getting the most out of online and in-class sessions and successfully meeting the
course objectives. Your preparedness allows us to use class time to address
questions and apply the readings to exercises to develop and refine your skills.
Week 1 – August 27, 2010
Readings for today:
Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright,
Chapter 1 Managing Human Resources
Topics:
Introductions
Course Overview
What is HRM?
The spectrum and context of HR decisions
Link to supervision and consultation
Environmental scanning
Exercise:
Supervision timeline, and lessons learned
Environmental scanning homework
Reflection Questions:
1. How do previous life experiences affect the perspective one has about
supervision and management?
2. What kind of environmental scanning did you do before you came to this
class? What types of environmental scanning do your consumers/clients
engage in at your organization? What life experiences do they bring with
them when they connect with your organization?
Week 2 – September 3, 2010
Readings for today:
Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright:
Chapter 2 Trends in HRM
Chapter 3, Providing Equal Opportunity and a Diverse
Workplace
Topics:
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Trends in HRM and supervision
Organizational and regulatory influences on HRM
EEO and Affirmative Action
Reflection Questions:
1. What formal and informal types of environmental scanning occur in your
organization?
2. How do the trends you notice in your organization affect excellence in service
delivery?
3. How would most social work jobs have to be altered to allow individuals with
disabilities and handicaps to work as professional social workers? [recall—
lifting children; reading and writing in case records; completing home visits;
observing a visitation; ]
Week 3 – September 10, 2010
Readings for today:
Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright:
Chapter 4, Analyzing Work and Designing Jobs
Chapter 5, Planning for and Recruiting Human Resources
Chapter 6, Selecting Employees and Placing Them in Jobs
Topics:
Staff recruitment and selection
Designing a job
Hiring Simulation
Reflection Questions:
1. When you applied for a position, were you given the job description? Did you
understand it?
2. Who would be the ideal candidates to apply for social work positions in your
agency? What do you believe are the best ways to recruit for positions that
would encourage those “stars”?
Session 4 – September 17, 2010
Readings for today:
Haynes, R., Corey,G., & Moulton, P. (2003) Clinical supervision in the
helping professions: A practical guide. Ontario: Thomson. Chapter 3The Supervisory Relationship pp 54-80.
Noble, C., and Irwin, J. (2009) Social work supervision: An exploration of the
current challenges in a rapidly changing social, economic and political
environment. Journal of Social Work, 9, 345-358.
Topics:
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Supervision vs. Management
Models and methods
The supervisory relationship
Reflection Questions:
1. Noble and Irwin suggest specific changes in the way supervision is conducted
in human service agencies. Does your agency present some of the same
characteristics, or is it different? How do you account for the changes?
2. How does the work of your organization affect the type and model of
supervision? How could that be accomplished?
Week 5 – September 24, 2010
Supervisory Analysis Due
Readings for today:
Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright:
Chapter 12, Recognizing Employee Contributions with Pay
Chapter 13, Providing Employee Benefits
Haley-Lock, A., and Kruzich, J. (2007) Serving workers in the human
services: The roles of organizational ownership, chain affiliation, and
professional leadership in frontline job benefits. Nonprofit and
Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 37. 443-467.
Topics:
Staff orientation to the agency/ to the profession
Benefits
Reflection questions:
1. What role do you believe salary plays in encouraging social workers to strive
for excellent practice?
2. Compare the factors at play in your work environment, with the results of the
study completed by Haley-Lock and Kruzich or the video?
3. Netflix made the decision as an agency to have unlimited vacation pay as a
benefit. What is your reaction to this?
Week 6 – October 1, 2010
Short presentations: 2 singles OR 1 pair
Readings for today:
Haynes, Corey & Moulton Clinical Supervision in the helping professions.
Chapter 6 Becoming a multiculturally competent supervisor pp 132149.
Burkard, Al, Johnson, Al, Hess, S.A., Madson, M.B., Pruitt, N.T., ContrerasTadych, D.A., Kozlowski, J.M., and Knox, S. (2006) Supervisory
cultural responsiveness and unresponsiveness in cross-cultural
supervision. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(3). 288-301.
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Topics:
Supporting diversity within the organization
Many types of diversity
Cultural issues in management & supervision
Reflection questions:
1. What types of diversity are highly regarded, and what types are unattended
to in the profession of social work?
2. How does a professional social worker acknowledge personal struggles and
beliefs regarding diversity without ignoring the Code of Ethics?
Week 7 – October 8, 2010
Readings for today:
Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright:
Chapter 7, Training Employees
Chapter 9, Developing Employees for Future Success
Yokoyama, J. and Michelli, J. (2004) When fish fly: lessons for creating a
vital and energized workplace from the world famous Pike Place Fish
Market. New York: Hyperion.
Topics:
Staff retention
Professional and personal growth and development
Reflection questions:
1. What does lifelong learning really mean to you?
2. What responsibility does a professional social worker/ supervisor/ human
resource manager have to stay aware of trends and the current literature?
3. How does an agency support continuous learning while still getting the work
done? Are these mutually exclusive concepts?
4. Why, so often, do social workers respond to training opportunities as if they
were impediments, barriers to the “real work”?
5. Where do you think John Yokoyama would be in this discussion?
Week 8 – October 15, 2010
Short presentations: 2 singles OR 1 pair
Readings for today:
Haynes, Corey & Moulton Clinical Supervision in the helping professions.
Chapter 8: Legal Issues in Supervision
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Topics:
Ethics in Supervision
Legal Precedents in management and supervision
Reflection questions:
1. All agencies deal with ethical decision making on an ongoing basis. How does
your agency deal with those complicated choices you face?
2. How would you respond to a colleague/ supervisor/ who believes quite
strongly that all this talk about ethics restricts the organization and
individual social worker from doing their work?
October 22, 2010—FALL BREAK NO CLASS!!
Session 9-October 29, 2010
Short presentations: 2 singles OR 1 pair
Readings for today:
Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright
Chapter 8, Managing Employees’ Performance
Crother, C. and the crew of world famous Pike Place Fish (2004)
Catch!: A fishmonger’s guide to greatness. San Francisco:
Berrett-Koehler.
Topics:
Evaluations
Motivation & Intention
Internal controls
Reflection questions:
1. What is the most common reaction to evaluations among staff at your
agency? What has the organization done to encourage that perspective?
2. Do you think that human service agencies should deal differently with
evaluations than, say, staff at Target? How so and why?
3. What motivates employees and managers at your organization?
Week 10: November 5, 2010
Short presentations: 2 singles OR 1 pair
Readings for today Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright
Chapter 10, Separating and Retaining Employees
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Topics:
Staff reductions
Pink Slip Exercise
Reflection questions:
1. There have been several publicized incidents of employees responding badly
to news of suspension, dismissal, and reductions in force. How might
concerns about staff becoming violent or aggressive when dismissed affect the
actions of an organization? What should be done?
2. Many human service agencies have worked diligently to become
multicultural. How would that affect staff reductions when the diverse staff
are often the most recent individuals hired?
Week 11: November 12, 2010
Short presentations: 2 singles OR 1 pair
Critique Due Today
Readings for today:
Newhill, C.E. (2008). Client violence. in T. Mizrahi & L.E. Davis (eds)
Encyclopedia of Social Work. Oxford. [Go to UNC Libraries homepage;
type in Encyclopedia of Social Work; click on the electronic resource
item/ type in Client Violence]
Haynes, Corey & Moulton Clinical Supervision in the helping professions.
Chapter 9, Managing Crisis Situations, pp225-242.
Nelson, M.L., Barnes, K.L., Evans, A. L., & Triggiano, P.L.Working with
conflict in clinical supervision: Wise supervisors’ perspectives. Journal
of Counseling Psychology, 55(2), 172-184.
Topics:
Crises in human services agencies
Change: Four room apartment
Reflection questions:
1. If your had a protocol for you to request assistance for a colleague or
supervisor who seems under tremendous stress, or who is showing signs of
emotional or mental illness, would you use it?
2. What sort of training has the staff in your agency received in regards to
safety?
[Gift of Fear]
Week 12: November 19, 2010
Short presentations: 2 singles OR 1 pair
Readings for today:
Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright
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Chapter 14, Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations
Cousins, C. (2004) Becoming a social work supervisor: A significant role
transition. Australian Social Work, 57 (2). 175-185.
Topics:
Employee relations & teamwork
Changing roles, changing rules
Workplace privacy
Workplace safety
Formal Labor relations
Week 13 – December 3, 2009
Final paper[Problem Analysis] due electronically
Topics:
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Excellence in supervision
Leadership
Preparation and continuing education and consultation for supervisors
Class Assignments
Several methods will be used to determine your progress in the class and
your achievement of the course objectives. The assignments and grading criteria are
described below. All written assignments should use references following APA
format and be typed or word processed using correct grammar, punctuation and
spelling.
#1: Participation
This counts for a total of 15 points toward your final grade, because class
sessions will focus extensively on skill development, practice and role plays. All
class members will receive a standard score of 100 for participation, in recognition
of a norm of attendance, contributions to small group assignments, and
participation in class and online discussions based on readings and experience.
Points will be deducted from the base score if you are late, leave early, miss class
sessions, are unprepared, or fail to submit expected materials.
#2: Supervision Interview and Analysis
Select an individual as an interview subject who has experience as a
supervisor in human services. During your interview, learn about his or her
experiences as a supervisor, the preparation s/he received for the role, examples of
instances or supervisees s/he found difficult and those they found rewarding, and
the advice s/he would offer you for becoming an effective supervisor. Let him/her
know you will be sharing your findings in a paper and in class discussion, but that
his/her name will not be written into the paper.
Based on your interview, class readings, and review of at least two outside
readings, prepare a brief (6-8 page) paper on your findings. In it, convey what you
learned from your interview and analyze what you learned in light of our course
material and your research. What might you conclude about the characteristics of
effective supervisors and successful supervisees? What have you learned about the
ethical dilemmas in supervision and the strategies to address them?
Be prepared to summarize your interview findings on blackboard or in class.
Due Date: September 24, 2010 -- 15 points of your final course grade.
#3 Critique
Examine a personnel handbook for your employer or other organization.
•
describe the HR policy briefly giving your perception of strengths and
weaknesses (2-3 pages).
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•
•
•
critique the personnel policy, based on what you've learned in class
and read about in your assignments. You will want to address questions such
as:
o
Is the policy sufficiently clear and detailed to provide guidance
to workers? To supervisors?
o
Does it assure/balance equity and efficiency?
o
Does it reflect current HR practice standards?
o
Does it raise ethical or procedural concerns or provide ideas for
unique ways of addressing personnel issues?
o
Is your understanding of it different than it would have been
prior to taking the course? (3-4 pages)
Recommend one or two areas for improvement and offer a rewrite for that
section with your justifications. (2-3 pages) This section will be stronger if you
support your recommendations with evidence from journals/ books.
Citations are necessary when supportive evidence is presented.
Due Date: .November 19, 2010—20 points toward your final grade
#4: Short presentation: Students will give a short presentation on an issue
about supervision or HRM that the student believes is especially important, or has
been problematic (for him or her personally, or historically). Students may choose to
complete this assignment singly or in pairs. [Single=15 min; Pairs=25 min]
The presentation must include clarification of this issue as a Human
Resource or Supervision problem; research support for the effects of this problem in
the workplace, and how it might affect service to consumers.
Presenter(s) will give the rest of the class a 1 page handout with main ideas
and references.
Five minutes for questions and answers will be scheduled after each
presentation.
Due Date: dates will be sprinkled throughout the semester to accommodate
those who would like to go early, with those who would rather wait.
#5 Problem analysis
Select a personnel-related problem from a current
or past place of employment (for example, safety, recruitment and retention, morale
etc.) Describe the history of the problem, substantiate its existence, and analyze the
way that the problem was created and reinforced by other HR policies and practices.
Based on your readings for the course and your environmental scanning, provide a
specific proposal to remedy the problem. In your proposal, be mindful of the
interaction among policies and practices, and assure that reverberating implications
of your plan are also acknowledged and addressed.
Your paper should be no more that 10-12 pages in length.
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Due Date: December 3, 2010 -- 25 points of your course grade.
Semester due dates at a glance
DATE
Ongoing
ASSIGNMENT
Participation
POINTS
15
September 24
Supervision Interview
20
November 12
Critique
20
October 1-2x1 or 1x2
October 15-2x1 or 1x2
October 29-2x1 or 1x2
November 5-2x1 or 1x2
November12-2x1 or 1x2
November 19-4x1 or 2x2
Short Presentation
20
December 3
Problem Analysis
25
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