BUSI 8130: Human Resources Management Fall 2020
Class meetings
Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. «ONLINE»
Instructor
Kelly Gregoire
Office hours
Wednesdays 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. and
by appointment
Office
Blackboard Collaborate
Telephone
519-551-3796
E-mail
kelly.gregoire@uwindsor.ca
Course Website
https://blackboard.uwindsor.ca/
Textbook
Recommended:
Other Materials:
Schwind, H., Das, H., Wagar, T., Fassina, N., and Bulmash, J.; Canadian Human
Resource Management: A Strategic Approach, McGraw-Hill Ryerson; 12th
Edition.
Harvard Business Review Coursepack
 Why Managers and HR Don’t Get Along
 Linking Human Capital to Strategy
 How to Write a Case Based Essay
 On Reinventing Human Resources
Academic Director
Kent Walker
Email
kentwalk@uwindsor.ca
Program
Administrator
Khodr Habib
Email
khodrhab@uwindsor.ca
Graduate Secretary
Sharron Wazny
Email
swazny@uwindsor.ca
The Odette School of Business and the University of Windsor sit on the Traditional territory of the Three
Fires confederacy of First Nations, comprised of the Ojibway, the Odawa, and the Potawatomie.
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
The course introduces the conbribution of the human resource role to organizational performance and
effectiveness. Students will examine the principles of human resources management and develop skills
they can apply in solving authentic problems at work. Particular attention is given to the interaction
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between managers and human resource professionals, in the context of typical HR activities such as labour
relations, health and safety, human rights, recruitment and selection, and more.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses on the role of human resources activities in facilitating the achievement of
organizational effectiveness. Students will gain an understanding of the principles of human resources
management and how these principles intersect with business objectives. Students will learn
foundational strategic human resources theories and legal concepts that are routinely encountered in
Canadian business. Practical exercises such as assessing and action planning usual manager challenges
and analyzing current events will provide opportunity to practice important management skills. Students
will also learn firsthand the value of incorporating these concepts in achieving organizational success.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the course students will be able to:
1. Define human resources management and its roles in organizations
2. Describe and apply the integration of strategic business planning and human resources practices.
3. Develop a strategic staffing plan.
4. Manage the recruitment, selection and orientation process for key employees.
5. Outline the principles of effective reward systems.
6. Apply concepts of health and safety principles and legislation at work, with specific consideration to
COVID in employment matters.
7. Consider employee relations and union issues and collective bargaining.
8. Be aware employment legislation regularly encountered in Canada, in their role of HR or business
professionals.
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COURSE CONTENT:
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KEY DATES FOR EXAMS/ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:
Date
Oct. 23
To be scheduled
Oct. 16,
Oct. 30,
Nov. 6,
Nov. 13
Nov. 20
Nov. 24 OR
Dec. 1
Dec. 10
Exam/Assignment
Job description, resume and cover letter
Mock interview
Test 1 (Material from Classes 2 & 3)
Test 2 (Material from Classes 5 & 6)
Test 3 (Classes 7 & 9)
Test 4 (Classes 10 & 11)
Test 5 (Classes 12 & 13)
Management report OR
HR report
Group paper and team evaluation
%
5%
5%
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
10%
20%
GRADING SCALE POLICIES:
All course work is to be marked and final grades submitted using the 100% scale beginning September 1,
2013. In accordance with the Senate resolution, instructors are to submit whole numbers (e.g., 88, 76, etc.)
as percentages. The following University-wide grade descriptors are in effect and will be printed on the
back of transcripts:
Letter Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CF
Percentage Range
90-100
85-89.9
80-84.9
77-79.9
73-76.9
70-72.9
67-69.9
63-66.9
60-62.9
0-59.9
EXAM/ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS:
Resume and Cover Letter, Mock Interview
Part 1: Resume & Cover Letter
Oct. 15/20 Presentation by Odette Career Services on the preparation and format of an MBA-level
Resume & Cover Letter.
Oct. 23/20: Job description, targeted cover letter and resume assignment due. Full details for the
assignment will be given at the presentation.
Part 2: Interview
Oct. 29: Presentation by Odette Career Services on Interview Preparation & Techniques.
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TBD: Mock interviews using the job selected for the Part 1 assignment. Full details on the mock
interviews, including scheduling instructions, will be given at the presentation.
Tests
Each test will cover lecture and textbook material from the assigned class. The tests will consist of 2-3
questions and will be a maximum of 300 words total. Students are to complete their test individually,
absolutely no collaboration or sharing of answers is permitted, however students are permitted to access
their personal notes or other assigned materials. Tests will be posted by Thursday 9am of the test week
and are due by Friday 6pm (see test schedule). SafeAssign will be enabled on tests to further ensure
academic integrity and prevent plagiarism.
Team Project
Students will be divided into teams and assigned a scenario frequently encountered in business. Team
members will participate in the exercise from the perspective of either “Manager” or “HR Partner”.
The overall objective of this exercise is for students to build skills in assessing a common management
situation and create practical action plans. Successful completion of this project requires the integration of
operational expectations with human resource concepts and legal principles.
Team Project Overview
Each team will be provided with background information for a business scenario. Allowances are made for
Managers and HR Partners to interpret or add reasonable background details for the purpose of analysing
or creating specific plans. Any additions should be reasonable, appropriate to the scenario and context,
and shared transparently with the entire team.
Team Project Flowchart
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Teams are assigned a case study
Each team member is assigned the role of "Manager" or "HR Partner"
Manager Report
Part 1)
Manager and HR Collaboration Meeting #1
HR Report
Part 2)
Manager and HR Collaboration Meeting #2
Part 3)
Joint Report – Final group paper
Each team member evaluates their partners
Report Requirements
Part 1)
Managers will write a report that includes an explanation of the issue/ problem, information and
viewpoints are clear and logical, specific objectives to be accomplished, and conclude with a proposed
action plan. Managers will present their report to the HR Partners with the goal of fully explaining the
information so that the HR Partners sufficiently understand the objectives, priorities, and expected
outcomes
The Manager report should be 5-7 pages
i. double spaced, times new roman, font 12, 1” margins
ii. not including appendices (if applicable) or references
*See “Critical Thinking” rubric
Part 2)
HR Partners will write a report with their recommendations and implementation plan that incorporates
appropriate HR Principals. The report should include an explanation of the issues, supporting evidence
to support their interpretation/ evaluation, recommendations and conclusion. HR Partners will meet
with the Managers to present their report with the goal of explaining recommendations including
rationale and any impact to the Managers original plan.
The HR Partners report should be be 5-7 pages
i. Double spaced, times new roman, font 12, 1” margins
ii. Not including appendices (if applicable) or references
*See “Critical Thinking” rubric
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Part 3)
Both groups will submit a report that synthesizes the perspectives of Managers and HR Partners.
i. A clear definition of the problem statement with evidence of relevant factors
ii. Identifies multiple approaches to address the issues and meet the goals
iii. Propose solutions that consider the various dimensions of the problem
iv. Evaluate potential solutions
v. Detailed implementation plan
vi. Evaluate results including any outstanding issues or actions
Final group report should be 10-15 pages
i. Double spaced, times new roman, font 12, 1” margins
ii. Not including references. References formatted using APA style
Elements submitted in Parts 1 & 2 and this final paper are permitted to vary. Some elements may flex
to incorporate additional information or rationale, objectives may adjust, recommendations may
change or be expanded upon, etc. This project will require you to reference scholarly journal articles
and practitioner magazines/articles to support key elements and recommendations.
*See “Problem Solving” rubric
Peer Evaluations:
Each individual will rate each of their group members using the Teamwork Evaluation rubric. Total
scores will be averaged and calculated with a maximum of 20 marks per evaluation. The evaluation
accounts for 5% of the students final grade.
Example:
Team Member 1 receives an average score of 15/20 or 75% from their peer evaluations.
75% of a possible 5 marks = 3.75. Therefore Team Member 1 will earn 3.75 towards their
total final grade.
Evaluation scores that are +/- ten (10) marks compared to overall team evaluations will not be
included in calculating the team members average score. In other words, one person cannot
significantly influence a grade (up or down).
*See “Teamwork Evaluation” rubric
ODETTE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS COURSE POLICIES:
Please refer to the Odette School of Business Course Policies document for specific information
on the following subjects. This Course Policies document is available electronically on each course
BLACKBOARD site and in paper form outside each Area Secretary’s office on the 4th floor of the
Odette building. (Adopted Fall 2009)
Mental Health Resources
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“Feeling Overwhelmed?
From time to time, students face obstacles that can affect academic performance. If you experience
difficulties and need help, it is important to reach out to someone.
For help addressing mental or physical health concerns on campus, contact (519) 253-3000:
- Student Health Services at ext. 7002 (http://www.uwindsor.ca/studenthealthservices/)
- Student Counselling Centre at ext. 4616 (http://www.uwindsor.ca/studentcounselling/)
- Peer Support Centre at ext. 4551
24 Hour Support is Available
- My Student Support Program (MySSP) is an immediate and fully confidential 24/7 mental health
support that can be accessed for free through chat, online, and telephone. This service is available to all
University of Windsor students and offered in over 30 languages. Call: 1-844-451-9700,
visit https://keepmesafe.myissp.com/ or download the My SSP app: Apple App Store/Google Play.
A full list of on- and off-campus resources is available at http://www.uwindsor.ca/wellness.
Should you need to request alternative accommodation contact your instructor, head or associate
dean.”
Academic Integrity and Code of Conduct
Missed Exams and Late Assignments
Registration, Adding, and Dropping Courses
Odette School of Business Grade Conversion Scale
Odette School of Business Grading Policy
Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET)
SECONDARY DATA USE, EVALUATION, FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS:
This course will be evaluated as part of internal or external quality assurance processes and reporting
requirements to funding agencies and as research data for scholarly use. As a student in this course your
online student data will be used for evaluating the course delivery and your engagement in the various
aspects of the course. This will only occur after final grades have been submitted and approved so it will
no effect on your grade. This course data provides information about your individual course usage and
activity during the time that you are enrolled in the course. Your anonymized, aggregated data may also
be used in the future in reports, articles or presentations.
During the final week of the course you may also be invited to participate in further research about the
course. If you decide to participate you may be asked to fill out anonymous online questionnaires that
solicit your impressions about the course design and student learning in the course. The survey
participation is voluntary and no questions of a personal nature will be asked. Your participation will
have no effect on your grade and your instructor will not know who participated in the surveys.
Finally, at the end of the survey you may also be asked if you want to participate in a focus group or
interviews after final grades have been assigned to gather yours and other student opinions about
specific course delivery methods and technologies used.
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