ECON 4000
ECONOMICS OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Professor Warren
Course Syllabus: Fall 2015
The syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations
announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.
Office Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, T/Th and by appointment; Brooks 504
E-Mail: warren@terry.uga.edu
Class Hours: 2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m., T/Th, Correll 222
Assessments: Tests – 50%: September 29 and November 5
Team Project – 25%: Executive Summary due November 17
Final Exam – 25%: December 10, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Correll 222
Textbook: Lazear and Gibbs (LG), Personnel Economics in Practice, 3rd edition (2015)
Course Objectives: You will learn to apply economic theory to acquire an understanding
of the behavior of workers and firms within the employment relationship and to evaluate
the effects of changes in technology, government policies, and the competitive
environment on this relationship.
Course Prerequisites: ECON 2105 (Macro) and ECON 2106 (Micro) and a willingness to
use the concepts and theories covered in these courses to understand and evaluate humanresource policies. Students who are currently enrolled in or have already completed ECON
4600/6600 cannot receive course credit for ECON 4000. Economics majors may use ECON
4000 as a major-related course but cannot use it as one of the seven major-required courses
for the AB or BBA economics major.
Important Dates:
August 18
September 1
September 29
October 8
November 5
November 17
November 17, 19
November 24, 26
December 1, 3
December 3
December 8
December 10
Class Begins
Resume Due
Test #1
Team Project Proposal Due
Test #2
Team Project Executive Summary Due
Team Project Presentations
No Class (Thanksgiving Break)
Team Project Presentations
Class Ends
No Class (MWF schedule)
Final Exam (3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Correll 222)
I.
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
LG, pp. v-xvi; 1-2
II.
HIRING DECISIONS
LG, Ch. 1
III.
THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
LG, Ch. 2
IV.
EMPLOYEE TRAINING
LG, Ch. 3
V.
EMPLOYEE TURNOVER
LG, Ch. 4
Sept. 29: Test #1
VI.
ORGANIZATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
LG, Ch. 5 – 6
VII.
JOB DESIGN
LG, Ch. 7 – 8
VIII. THE STRUCTURE OF COMPENSATION
LG, Ch. 9 – 12
Nov. 5: Test #2
IX.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
LG, Ch. 13
X.
TEAM PRESENTATIONS
Nov. 17, 19
Dec. 2, 4
Dec. 10: Final Exam (3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Correll 222)
COURSE POLICIES
Attendance: Students are expected to attend classes regularly. A student who incurs an
excessive number of absences may be withdrawn from the class at the discretion of the
instructor. Attendance may be taken randomly throughout the semester. Unexcused
absences on more than three of these occasions will be deemed “excessive” for the
purpose of this policy. http://www.bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/ind/attendance.html.
Examinations: Students are expected to take the tests and final exam at the scheduled
times listed above. No make-up tests will be administered. If you are absent from a test,
the weight of that test will be added to the weight of the final exam in determining your
course grade. An unexcused absence from the final exam will result in a score of zero on
that exam. There are two valid excuses for an absence from the final exam: (1) the
Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs verifies that you have another exam
scheduled for the same time or you have three exams scheduled within a 24-hour period,
in which case you must petition in advance to take the exam at another time
(http://www.curriculumsystems.uga.edu/FinalExamConflicts/FinalExamConflicts.html);
(2) the Office of Student Support Services verifies that you have a family emergency or
personal illness, in which case you must arrange as soon as possible after the scheduled
exam date to take the exam at another time.
Academic Honesty: As a University of Georgia student, you have agreed to abide by the
University’s academic honesty policy, “A Culture of Honesty,” and the Student Honor
Code. All academic work must meet the standards described in “A Culture of Honesty,”
found at www.uga.edu/honesty . Lack of knowledge of the academic honesty policy is
not a legitimate justification for committing a violation of the policy. Questions related
to course assignments and the academic honesty policy should be directed to the
instructor.