BUS-MHR 811 - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH METHODS
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
FISHER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
WINTER 2010
Professor:
Office:
Office Phone:
E-Mail:
Office Hours:
Class Hours:
Howard J. Klein, Ph.D.
748 Fisher Hall
292-0719
klein_12@fisher.osu.edu
Tuesdays 12:30-1:00, Thursdays 4:00-5:00, and by appointment
Thursdays, 6:00-9:48 pm, in 305 Gerlach Hall
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Edwards, J., Scott, J., & Raju, N. (2007). Evaluating human resources programs: A 6phase approach for optimizing performance. Pfeiffer. ISBN #978-0-7879-9487-7
Ghauri, P., & Grønhaug, K. (2005). Research methods in business studies: A practical
guide, 3rd edition. Prentice Hall. ISBN #0-273-68156-7
Web Page: Course information, including additional required materials, will be posted on
Carmen (http://carmen.osu.edu). This web site will used to provide you with access
to announcements, session outlines and assignments, handouts, most of my slides,
and grade information. If you have questions or problems with Carmen, call 688HELP or e-mail carmen@osu.edu.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:
Establishing effective human resource management programs, policies, and practices
requires data-driven decision-making. Strategic and operational decisions regarding HR
should be evidence based. This course provides an introduction to the methods and tools
needed to gather the evidence needed for effective HR decision making – the conduct of
HR research in organizations. This course is designed to help you:
 Gain a working understanding of the fundamental concepts involved in conducting
research relating to HR issues in business contexts.
 Identify, collect, analyze, interpret, present, and utilize data for effective HR decision
making.
 Critique the evidence supporting HR practices and policies presented in HR publications
and in vendor materials.
INSTRUCTIONAL PHILOSOPHY:
Each of us is responsible for the success of this class. I have tried to design the course to
maximize your learning and I am committed to creating a positive learning environment in
the classroom. The material in this course is viewed by some as abstract and confusing,
but I am here to help. What you ultimately get out of the course is, however, up to you. My
goal is to strikes a balance between my presentation of material and your involvement in
discussions, projects, cases and exercises. If we both do our parts, this course will be a
positive learning experience for all of us.
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EXPECTATIONS:
1. Attendance. Given the limited number of class sessions, missing a class involves
missing a substantial portion of the course. Regular attendance throughout the
quarter is critical and appreciated. Understanding (not to mention a decent grade) will
not be acquired by reliance on readings instead of class attendance or vice versa.
2. Preparation. Come to class having completed the assigned readings, cases, and
exercises; review those materials prior to class so you are prepared to discuss them,
and bring your course materials with you to class. I structure the class time assuming
that you have completed the assignments. Class time will be spent evaluating,
integrating and supplementing the material covered in the assignments, not reviewing
that material.
3. Contribution. Ask questions and contribute your thoughts and personal experiences
whenever relevant. When students actively contribute to the discussion, everyone
benefits from a more positive learning environment and the class becomes more
interesting and fun. Remember, we are all in this class to learn from one another!
4. Professionalism. Be respectful of each other and demonstrate a high level of courtesy
and professionalism.
GRADING:
Grades will be based on two exams, a team project, and in-class contributions. For each of
these elements, students will receive a letter grade (A, A-, B+, B, … E). The following table
indicates the relative weighing of these requirements in determining final grades.
Exam I
Exam II
Team Project
Contribution to Class Discussions
32%
32%
31%
5%
Total:
100%
Exams. The two exams will each consist of short answer questions assessing students’
understanding of and ability to integrate and apply the basic concepts, processes, and
issues covered in the course. The second exam is not comprehensive. You will be
provided with the population of questions from which the exam questions will be randomly
sampled.
Class Contribution. Note that contributing is not the same as attending or participating
(though one cannot contribute does not attend or participate). Contributing is defined as
providing comments that demonstrate knowledge, application, or integration of course
material, respectful responses to and elaboration on the comments of others, refraining
from overly long monologues or war stories, and actively engaging in in-class activities.
Team Project. Teams of students will complete a project aimed at providing practical
application of the course material. The project involves designing a survey, collecting data
using that survey, analyzing that data, and then summarizing and interpreting the results of
that survey. A detailed description of this project follows.
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Project Description: You will be divided into teams during the second class session in
order to provide practical experience on a simulated human resource consulting team and
application of the course concepts. As a team, you will need to design, administer, and
analyze a research survey. The survey should focus on an HR issue (e.g., an attitude
survey, benefit preference or satisfaction survey, post-exit survey, development needs selfassessment, etc.) and your data collected from sample of employees (exceptions are
possible but must be approved by the instructor).
This project requires (a) determining the research questions, target population, and
sampling procedures; (b) defining the variables of interest and writing (or locating) survey
questions to appropriately measure those variables; (c) administering the survey; (d)
analyzing the collected data; and (e) interpreting and presenting your findings. A Gantt
chart and budget should also be included in your report. The survey should include at least
15 questions and be completed by at least 25 respondents. Exceptions to these minimum
requirements may be granted depending on the nature of the research questions and
target population. Choose your topic (i.e., the research questions) based on your collective
experiences as members of organizations or your interests within HR. Alternatively, you
may want to talk with someone presently working in HR to identify a problem or issue that
a survey would help them address.
A ½ page status report will be due from each team on January 28. Status reports can
be submitted prior to this date if you would like to receive earlier feedback on your project
plans. Additional feedback can be sought from the Professor at any time and you are
encouraged to seek out help if you have questions, if you’re struggling or confused, or if
you need feedback on any aspect of the project (e.g., appropriateness of research
questions, review of draft survey, appropriateness of analyses) or the course.
A written report describing your survey project is due by March 18. There are no
minimum or maximum page limits, the written report should be as long as necessary to
present the relevant material and no longer. The report should be prepared as if you were
presenting it to the executive who commissioned the survey. Your report should be
professional in appearance and demonstrate appropriate application of course material
throughout. Each team will also share a brief summary of their project with the rest of the
class on March 4. These oral reports are primarily for informational and feedback purposes
and only in exceptional cases (good or bad) will they factor into your grade for the project.
Plan on taking 5 minutes followed by questions and comments from the class. Since this is
not much time, your presentations will need to be very concise. Rehearsal is strongly
recommended to ensure that you make good use of your time. The use of visual aids and
handouts to facilitate your presentation is expected. Think of the presentations as
presenting an overview of your report to other members of the HR staff (or your consulting
firm) prior to presenting the report to your client.
Projects will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Clarity of research questions and target population [15%].
2. Appropriateness and execution of sampling procedures [15%].
3. Appropriateness and clarity of survey questions [15%].
4. Appropriateness of design, data collection, and data handling [15%].
5. Appropriateness and completeness of data analyses [7%].
6. Appropriateness, completeness, and clarity of results and interpretation [10%].
7. Completeness of report and application of course material throughout [18%].
8. Professionalism [5%].
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Project Evaluation: Working in teams can be beneficial, fun, and rewarding, but also at
times very frustrating. Learning to work effectively as a team member and leader are
valuable skills, as you will likely be a part of teams throughout much of your career. In
organizations, you will frequently be evaluated solely on the team product irrespective of
individual contributions. Here we can afford to be more equitable. Peer evaluations will be
obtained in which you will be asked to evaluate each team member's relative contributions
to each project. The grades assigned by the Professor will be the grade for your team on
average. The specific grades individuals earn will be determined by the peer ratings. The
peer evaluation form (posted on Carmen) must be received by March 18.
OTHER COURSE POLICIES:
 Anyone needing special accommodations because of a disability or other unique
circumstances should notify me as early as possible. Students with special needs are
responsible for making me aware of their situation.
 Students who are concerned about their class performance should contact me as soon
as those concerns arise. I will work with you to improve your grade where possible but
you must take the initiative to do so and the earlier you do so, the better.
No late assignments or make-up exams will be accepted unless I am advised of a valid
excuse prior to the exam or due date.
 If you have concerns about a graded element, you may submit an appeal. Appeals must
be in writing and must contain (a) a clear identification of what you are appealing and
(b) an explanation of why you think the assigned grade does not reflect the quality of
your performance including support for that position. Appeals must be received within
one week of when the work is returned to you. All such appeals will be carefully
considered and you will receive a written response within one week of when the appeal
was received. I reserve the right to re-grade the entire assignment or exam.

 Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any suspicion of academic misconduct will be
acted upon in accordance with University policy. Examples of academic misconduct
include, but are not limited to plagiarism, collusion (unauthorized collaboration), copying
the work of another student, and possession of unauthorized materials during an exam
(see OSU’s Code of Student Conduct - Section 3335-23-04 for more details). If you have
any questions about this policy or what constitutes academic misconduct in this course,
please contact me. If I suspect that a student has committed academic misconduct, I am
obligated by University rules to report my suspicions to the University’s committee on
academic misconduct. If that committee determines that you have violated the Code of
Student Conduct, the sanctions could include a failing grade in this course and
suspension or dismissal from the University. I also reserve the right to use Turnitin or
similar products to detect plagiarism or excessive undocumented material.
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CLASS SCHEDULE:
An outline, any additional handouts, and selected overheads will be posted on the web for
each class session. General reading assignments are provided below, but the outlines will
specify the more detailed assignments for each class session. All assignments should be
completed prior to coming to class on the day that they are assigned.
DAY
DATE
THURSDAY
(1/7)
TOPIC
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
Assignment: GG Chapter 2; ESR Overview
THURSDAY
(1/14)
RESEARCH PROCESS, QUESTIONS AND SAMPLES
Assignment: GG Chapters 3 & 4; ESR Phases1 & 2
THURSDAY
(1/21)
SAMPLING AND MEASUREMENT ISSUES
Assignment: GG Chapters 9 & 6
THURSDAY
(1/28)
DESIGNING SURVEYS *Status Reports Due*
Assignment: GG pp. 124-131
THURSDAY
(2/4)
THURSDAY
(2/11)
EXAM I
DATA COLLECTION
Assignment: GG Chapters 7 & 8; ESR Phase 3
THURSDAY
(2/18)
RESEARCH DESIGN
Assignment: GG Chapter 5
THURSDAY
(2/25)
DATA PREPARATION AND REDUCTION
Assignment: GG Chapter 10; ESR Phase 4
THURSDAY
(3/4)
INTERPRTING & PRESENTING RESULTS *Presentations*
Assignment: GG Chapter 13; ESR Phases 5 & 6
THURSDAY
(3/11) EXAM II
THURSDAY
(3/18) *Survey Project Due*
GG refers to the Ghauri & Gronhaug text; ESR to the Edwards, Scott, & Raju text.