Department of Management, California State University, Northridge
MGT 460 – Course Outlines
(FALL 2006)
MGT460: Human Resource Management
Course:
15621
1530 - 1645 TTh JH 1208
Sessions and
Meeting Times
15626
1900 – 2145 T JH 1208
Professor:
Kalyan S Chakravarty
Office:
JH4223, Extension 4524
Email:
kalyan.chakravarty@csun.edu
Office Hours:
One hour before class and by
appointment, if needed
Textbook:
Jeffrey A.Mello, 2006.
Strategic Human Resource Management,
(Second Edition),
ISBN: 0-324-29043-8,
Thomson: South-Western
Bus 302 and 302L, Mgt. 360, and the
Upper Division Writing Proficiency
Exams.
Prerequisites:
Course Description
This course shall attempt to examine both the context of strategic HR
while developing a framework and conceptual model for the practice of
strategic HR and their implementation in a few traditional functional
areas of HR like staffing, performance management, etc.
Among specific inputs, several areas including how effective management
of human resources can help meet competitive challenges, environmental
forces that organizations face in attempting to capitalize on their
human capital, how one should go about designing a purposive
performance management system for reward and recognition programs for
employee motivation, shall be covered.
The Course Objectives are:
1. To help understand the context of strategic HR particularly in
contrast to more traditional approaches to HR.
2. To provide a framework for the practice and meaningful
implementation of strategic HR while developing specific HR
programs and policies in an organization.
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Department of Management, California State University, Northridge
3. To provide skill practice sessions in a few areas like Staffing,
Performance Management System to help appreciate their strategic
implications.
4. To provide focused direction and guidance in understanding and
analyzing a specific organization from a strategic HR stand point
– for corrective actions.
Preparations
The course will have an uniform blend of a number of teaching
methodologies and aids with a strong focus on groupwork and
experiential exercises including the analysis of a number of cases,
articles, etc. The students are expected to prepare themselves well in
advance before each session in order to participate in the discussions
meaningfully. The assigned readings must be read thoroughly before
coming to the class in order to derive maximum mileage from each
session.
Course Work
The evaluation and grading will be based on the following Course Work.
The components described below are designed, both independently and
collectively, to achieve the course objectives. Each component is
important both by itself and as a key part of the overall system (so
any major omission may lead to an F for the course).
A. (30%) Group Project:
Students will form groups of five or less, and each group will conduct
an in-depth analysis of one specific organization (a different one for
each group). They will research the writings related to this
organization specific to its HR practices, and apply the models/other
inputs on the overall HR function learnt in the class to analyze the
organization,philosophy,structure, and other HR programs /initiatives,
etc. Research should be gathered from visits, actual interviews,
organizational publications,brochures and/or other published materials.
The group will then make a formal presentation of their analysis and
recommendations in the class, with each member of the group getting an
opportunity to handle a section of the presentation. The total time
allotted for each group will be 30 minutes. Please practice prior to
the presentation so that you will be able to finish the report within
the given time limit. The presentation of each group will be evaluated
by the instructor as well as the fellow classmates using predetermined
criteria that include presentation quality (introduction, style,
structure, preparation, and visual aids) and substances specified
above. One half of the project grade will be a weighted average of the
above evaluations. Each group will also be required to submit a report.
The instructor shall evaluate this report. The completed report must be
turned in on the day the group makes its presentation. All references
must be specified on a separate page. We will also utilize electronic
submission for the project report.
The specific organization to be analyzed will be determined with
students’
inputs,
and
the
dates
fixed
in
advance
for
their
presentations. The data used for the analysis and presentation should
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Department of Management, California State University, Northridge
be up-to-date and could be from primary or published data sources, and
all the analyses will be conducted in the context of the course and its
coverage. Information about the reference materials may be available in
the textbook and from the library.
B. (20%) Experiential Exercises - Individual Project
Extending from the specific organization analysis group project, each
student will also be allotted an experiential exercise in advance. They
will be required to submit a written report on the allotted assignment
within a specific time frame. Within the framework of the assignment,
while he/she will be free to select the format and length, the general
principle shall be to present a comprehensive paper in a concise
fashion. In addition to the paper, a one-page single spaced Executive
Summary highlighting the major points of his/her paper is required to
be submitted.
The paper should be an individual effort and anyone attempting to share
analyses and ideas will be penalized. Sloppy work in terms of analysis,
content, style, neatness, grammar, syntax, and spelling will be
equitably penalized and points deducted. Late submissions will also be
appropriately penalized. More details will be provided later.
C. (25% x 2) Middle Term Tests:
There will be two middle term tests. They will consist of a combination
of multiple-choice questions, true/false statements, and short essays
on topics related to course curriculum.
Grading
The final letter grade assigned to each student will be based on the
scheme below. The total achievable points are 100. The instructor does
not have scope for any adjustment.
94-100
A
87-90 B+ 84-87
77-80 C+ 74-77
67-70 D+ 64-67
Below 60
B
C
D
90-94 A80-84 B70-74 C60-64 D-
F
Attendance
Class attendance is essential. There will be no penalty for those with
a maximum of three absences. Students with four or more unexcused
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Department of Management, California State University, Northridge
absences will run the risk of even failing in the course. Habitual
lateness and/or leaving the classes early, for whatever reasons, are
evidence of low commitment and will be penalized.
Other Issues
1. The College of Business and Economics at California State
University, Northridge prepares students to be ethical decision
makers. The college maintains high standards of ethical conduct that
students are expected to maintain throughout their academic and
professional careers. Students in the College of Business and
Economics have identified the values of respect, honesty, integrity,
commitment, and responsibility as their guiding principles. Please
visit
http://busecon.csun.edu/dean/values.html
for
a
detailed
description of these core values.
2. This syllabus is the basic guideline for various activities
related to this class. Please read it carefully, and refer to it as
we proceed.
3. Please talk to me as soon as possible
suggestions, questions, problems and concerns.
if
you
have
any
4. Time management is critical when dealing with many, and often
conflicting demands. Such demands could be from your studies, your
work, and/or personal obligations. To deal with them effectively,
you must set up your priorities straight and work accordingly. (When
in this class, you are required to engage fully in activities in
this class)
5. All instances of academic dishonesty will be dealt with strictly
according to the University policies and guidelines.
6. All students are required to use the CSUN computing facility to
send and receive email communications.
Guidelines to Group Effort
Members of each group will work together with little instructor
supervision, and work out potential conflicts within the team. To
ensure cooperation among members in completing the industry project,
each group may initiate disciplinary measures against non-contributing
members as the majority sees fit.
We shall be using a Confidential Team Contribution Evaluation
Instrument to evaluate the relative contribution of each team member to
the preparation and conduct of your team project, using an appropriate
key, to obtain individual responses. This information may be used to
adjust the grade of each individual relative to the team grade on the
project, but will not be disclosed to the other team members
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Department of Management, California State University, Northridge
Fall 2006 - Timetable
Topics, Tasks, Readings
Dates
1:
9/5
Housekeeping, Course Introduction.
Clarifying Mutual Expectations.
The HRM Profession:
What Responsibilities and Roles Do HR Departments Perform?
What Skills Do HRM Professionals need?
THE Sustainability Challenge
2:
9/12
The Evolving/Strategic Role of Human Resource Management:
Strategic HR versus Traditional HR
Barriers to Strategic HR
Readings: Chapter 4 Mello
HR Roles at Mercantile Bank
Strategic Human Resource Management at Southwest Airlines
Strategic Reorganization of the HR Function at
: General Motors
: Wells Fargo Bank
3.
9/19
Human Resource Planning:
Objectives of Human Resource Planning – and Their Fallouts
Types of Planning - and their Strategic Implications
Succession Planning: Why Do They Fail at Most places?
Readings: Chapter 5 Mello
Human Resource Planning at Drexel Heritage Furnishing
Human Capital Management at United States Postal Service
CEO Succession Planning at General Electric
4:
9/26
The Legal Environment: Equal Employment Opportunity
Key Employment Laws – and Their Strategic Implications
Enforcement of Federal Laws Under the EEOC
Affirmative Action
Sexual Harassment: Problems, Strategies for Implementation
And Complications
5:
10/3
Readings: Chapter 7 Mello
Racial Discrimination at Coca-Cola
Employees with Disabilities at IBM
Cleaning Up Sexual Harassment at Dial Corporation
6:
10/10
MIDDLE TERM I
Staffing:
Recruiting: Temporary versus Permanent Employees, Internal
versus External Recruiting, Methods of Recruiting;
MGT 497 Fall 2006
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Department of Management, California State University, Northridge
Fall 2006 - Timetable
Dates
Topics, Tasks, Readings
7.
10/17
Interviewing and Assessment Skills:
Common Problems in Selection
Key Interviewing Principles
The STAR Concept
Readings: Chapter 8 Mello
Skill Practice Sessions
8:
10/24
Performance Management System:
Basic Concepts and Key Principles
Strategic Issues/Implications in PMS
Why Do PMS Fail?
Readings: Chapter 10
9:
10:
11:
Mello
10/31
Case: Knock About Toys
Performance Planning
Performance Monitoring
Writing A Performance Appraisal
Performance Appraisal and Counseling
11/7
Compensation and Employee Benefits:
Equity
Legal Issues in Compensation
Executive Compensation and Benefits
11/14
Readings: Chapter 11 Mello
MIDDLE TERM II
Global Human Resource Management:
How Global HRM differs from Domestic HRM
Assessing Culture
Strategic HR Issues in Global Assignments
Repatriation
12:
11/21
Readings: Chapter 14 Mello
Strategic Global HR at McDonald’s
Expatriate Selection at Kellogg Co.
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
13:
11/28
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
14:
12/5
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
15:
12/12
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
The completed group paper/presentation due
on the day the group makes its presentation.
1 The timetable is subject to change.
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