2BC3 – Winter 2010 - Page 1 of 7
Commerce 2BC3
Human Resource Management and Labour Relations
Winter 2010 Course Outline
Human Resources and Management Area
DeGroote School of Business
McMaster University
COURSE OBJECTIVES
As a core course in the Commerce program, this course is designed to: (1) facilitate students’ learning
of key principles and concepts of Human Resource Management (HRM) and Labour Relations, (2)
contribute to the development of students’ skills related to HRM, and (3) provide students with the
opportunity to apply knowledge and skills related to HRM.
INSTRUCTOR AND CONTACT INFORMATION
C06
C08
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
9:30-10:20
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 12:30- 1:20
Class Location: TSH 118
Class Location: KTH B135
Lori Burch
Administrative Assistant
burchl@mcmaster.ca
Office: DSB 403
Office Hours: 08:15 – 16:15
Tel: (905) 525-9140 x 24434
Dr. Teal McAteer
Instructor
mcateer@mcmaster.ca
Office: DSB 402
Office Hours: TBA
Tel: (905) 525-9140 x23999
Course Website: www.business.mcmaster.ca/hrlr/profs/mcateer
COURSE ELEMENTS
Credit Value: 3
WebCT: No
Participation: No
Leadership: No
Ethics: Yes
Innovation: Yes
IT skills: No
Numeracy: Yes
Group work: Yes
Global view: Yes
Written skills: Yes
Oral skills: No
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides a basic knowledge of the key aspects of managing human resources in domestic
and multinational organizations, emphasizing the link between human resource policies and practices
and organizational strategy. Topics include human resource planning, job analysis, staffing, the legal
environment, training, performance appraisal, compensation, employment relations, labour relations,
and recent developments and future trends.
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2BC3 – Winter 2010 - Page 2 of 7
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:





Understand the basic principles and concepts of Human Resource Management (HRM) and
Labour Relations (LR)
Appreciate the contribution of HRM to organizational effectiveness.
Understand the Canadian legal environment as it relates to HRM and LR.
Develop and apply their skills and abilities related to the application of HRM.
Appreciate the opportunities, challenge, and complexity of the role of HRM in meeting the
needs of individuals, organizations, and society.
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS AND READINGS
Schwind, H., Das, H., & Wagar, T. (2007). Canadian Human Resource Management: A Strategic
Approach (8th Ed.). McGraw-Hill Ryerson: Toronto.
McAteer, T.: Readings for 2BC3, 2010 (provided weekly in class)
EVALUATION
Learning in this course results from attending to text and lecture material and participating in
discussions, in-class exercises. Your grade will consist of evaluations of both individual and group
work, as indicated in the table below. For group assignments, group members will share the same
grade, adjusted by peer evaluation as appropriate.
Components and Weights
1. Group-based In-class Assignments (10% each)
2. Midterm Exam
3. Final exam
30%
35%
35%
Grade Conversion
At the end of the course your overall percentage grade will be converted to your letter grade in
accordance with the following conversion scheme.
LETTER GRADE
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
PERCENT
LETTER GRADE
90 - 100
85 - 89
80 - 84
77 - 79
73 - 76
70 - 72
C+
C
CD+
D
DF
PERCENT
67 - 69
63 - 66
60 - 62
57 - 59
53 - 56
50 - 52
00 – 49
Communication and Feedback
Students that are uncomfortable in directly approaching an instructor regarding a course concern may
choose to send a confidential and anonymous email to the respective Area Chair at:
http://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/curr/emailchairs.aspx
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2BC3 – Winter 2010 - Page 3 of 7
Students who wish to correspond with instructors directly via email must send messages that originate
from their official McMaster University email account. This protects the confidentiality and sensitivity
of information as well as confirms the identity of the student.
Instructors should conduct an informal course review with students by Week #4 to allow time for
modifications in curriculum delivery. Instructors should provide evaluation feedback for at least 10%
of the final grade to students prior to Week #8 in the term.
In-Class Group Assignments (30%)
The in-class group assignments will occur during normally scheduled class time. The group will be
given specific questions, usually drawn from the textbook, and will be given approximately 50 minutes
to respond, in writing, to the assigned problem. There will be 3 assignments worth 10% each. The
group grade will be shared equally by the group.
Mid-term Exam (35%) and Final Exam (35%)
Both exams will be scheduled by the registrar as two hour exams. The mid-term exam date and
location are to be announced. The date, time, and location of the final exam will be determined and
announced later in the term. Both exams will be composed of 100 multiple choice questions and are
intended to be objective evaluations of your performance in learning the concepts presented in class
and in the text. The final exam will not be cumulative. More details will be provided as we get closer
to the end of the semester.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
It is the student’s responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. Please refer to
the University Senate Academic Integrity Policy at the following URL:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/univsec/policy/AcademicIntegrity.pdf
This policy describes the responsibilities, procedures, and guidelines for students and faculty should a
case of academic dishonesty arise. Academic dishonesty is defined as to knowingly act or fail to act in
a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage. Please refer to the policy
for a list of examples. The policy also provides faculty with procedures to follow in cases of academic
dishonesty as well as general guidelines for penalties. For further information related to the policy,
please refer to the Office of Academic Integrity at:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity
COPYRIGHT
McMaster University has signed a license with the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access
Copyright) which allows professors, students, and staff to make copies allowed under fair dealing.
Fair dealing with a work does not require the permission of the copyright owner or the payment of
royalties as long as the purpose for the material is private study, and that the total amount copied
equals NO MORE THAN 10 percent of a work or an entire chapter which is less than 20 percent of a
work. In other words, it is illegal to: i) copy an entire book, or ii) repeatedly copy smaller sections of a
publication that cumulatively cover over 10 percent of the total work’s content. Please refer to the
following copyright guide for further information:
http://library.mcmaster.ca/about/copying.pdf
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2BC3 – Winter 2010 - Page 4 of 7
POLICY ON MISSED MID-TERM EXAMINATIONS / TESTS
The Faculty of Business has approved the following policy: (updated July, 2008)
Where students miss a regularly scheduled midterm for legitimate reasons as adjudicated by the
Academic Programs Office (APO), the weight for that test will be distributed across other evaluative
components of the course at the discretion of the instructor. Documentation explaining such an
absence must be provided to the APO within five (5) working days upon returning to school. The
approved McMaster Medical Form must be used to document absence for health related reasons. If an
exam is missed without a valid reason, students will receive a grade of Zero (0) for that component.
University policy states that a student may submit a maximum of three (3) medical certificates per year
after which the student must meet with the Director of the program. Please see the following URL for
APO forms:
http://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/UG/register.html
Students unable to write at the posted exam time due to the following reasons: religious; work-related
(for part-time students only); representing university at an academic or varsity athletic event; and
conflicts between two overlapping scheduled midterm exams, have the option of applying for special
exam arrangements. Such requests must be made to the APO at least ten (10) working days before the
scheduled exam along with acceptable documentation. There will be only one common sitting for the
special exam. Instructors cannot themselves allow students to unofficially write make-up exams/tests.
Adjudication of the request must be handled by the APO.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities are required to inform the Centre for Student Development (CSD) of
accommodation needs for examinations on or before the last date for withdrawal from a course without
failure (please refer to official university sessional dates). Students must forward a copy of such CSD
accommodation to the instructor immediately upon receipt. If a student with a disability chooses NOT
to take advantage of a CSD accommodation and chooses to sit for a regular exam, a petition for relief
may not be filed after the examination is complete. The CSD website is: http://csd.mcmaster.ca
RESEARCH USING HUMAN SUBJECTS
Research involving human participants is premised on a fundamental moral commitment to advancing
human welfare, knowledge and understanding. As a research intensive institution, McMaster
University shares this commitment in its promotion of responsible research. The fundamental
imperative of research involving human participation is respect for human dignity and well-being. To
this end, the University endorses the ethical principles cited in the Tri-Council Policy Statement:
Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans:
http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/policystatement/policystatement.cfm
McMaster University has mandated its Research Ethics Boards to ensure that all research
investigations involving human participants are in compliance with the Tri-Council Policy Statement.
The University is committed, through its Research Ethics Boards, to assisting the research community
in identifying and addressing ethical issues inherent in research, recognizing that all members of the
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2BC3 – Winter 2010 - Page 5 of 7
University share a commitment to maintaining the highest possible standards in research involving
humans.
If you are conducting original research, it is vital that you behave in an ethical manner. For example,
everyone you speak to must be made aware of your reasons for eliciting their responses and consent to
providing information. Furthermore, you must ensure everyone understands that participation is
entirely voluntary. Please refer to the following website for more information about McMaster
University’s research ethics guidelines:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/ors/ethics
Organizations that you are working with are likely to prefer that some information be treated as
confidential. Ensure that you clarify the status of all information that you receive from your client.
You MUST respect this request and cannot present this information in class or communicate it in any
form, nor can you discuss it outside your group. Furthermore, you must continue to respect this
confidentiality even after the course is over.
POTENTIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE COURSE
The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The
university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If
either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students
will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of
the student to check their McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any
changes.
CERTIFIED HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONAL (CHRP)
This course can be used as one of the course requirements for obtaining the Certified Human Resource
Professional (CHRP) designation. CHRP is the professional designation offered by The Human
Resources Professionals Association. The courses offered in the DeGroote Commerce program
that contribute to CHRP requirements are: 2BA3 Organizational Behaviour, 2BC3 Human
Resource Management and Labour Relations, 4BB3 Personnel Selection, 4BC3 Collective
Bargaining, 4BE3 Compensation/Reward Systems, 4BI3 Training and Development, 4BL3
Occupational Health and Safety, 4BM3 Strategic Human Resource Planning, 2AA3 Financial
Accounting I, 2AB3 Managerial Accounting I.
More details are available on the Human Resource Professionals Association website,
http://www.hrpa.ca.
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2BC3 – Winter 2010 - Page 6 of 7
COURSE SCHEDULE
Commerce 2BC3
Human Resource Management and Labour Relations
Winter 2010 Course Schedule
WEEK
WEEK OF
TOPIC
READING/ASSIGNMENT
1
Jan. 4-8
Course Outline; Schedule;
Introduction to Strategic
HRM
2
Jan. 11-15
Legal Requirements
Read: Chapter 4
3
Jan. 18-22
Job Analysis & Planning
Read: Chapter 2 & 3
Read: Chapter 5
In-class Assignment #1 (January 29th)
(Based on Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4)
Read: Chapter 1
4
Jan. 25-29
Recruitment
5
Feb. 1-5
Selection
6
Feb. 8-12
Pre-Orientation Issues and
Orientation
Read: Chapter 7
7
Feb. 15-19
Reading Week
NO CLASSES
8
Feb. 22-26
Orientation & Training cont.
Pre-exam Review
MID-TERM EXAM: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH
(7-9 PM)
9
Mar. 1-5
Performance Appraisal
Read: Chapter 8
10
Mar. 8-12
Compensation & Benefits
11
Mar. 15-19
Maintaining High
Performance
12
Mar. 22-26
Labour Relations
Read: Chapter 14
13
Mar. 29Apr. 2
Labour Relations
Read: Chapter 14
14
Apr. 5-8
Pre-exam Review
Final Exam
Read: Chapter 6
(McMaster World Congress Feb. 1 & 2)
Read: Chapter 9 & 10
In-class Assignment #2 (March 12th)
(Based on Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8)
Read: Chapters 11
In-class Assignment #3 (April 7th)
Based on Chapters 9, 10, 11, 14)
Time and date to be determined by Registrar
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2BC3 – Winter 2010 - Page 7 of 7
Commerce 2BC3
Human Resource Management and Labour Relations
Winter 2010
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Teal McAteer is a business consultant who specializes in the areas of strategic human
resource management, motivation, career planning and development, change, stress and time
management, and health and wellness. She counsels on an individual basis and consults to a
variety of organizations. She teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in organizational
behaviour, human resource management, leadership, organizational and individual level change,
and business ethics. Dr. McAteer also teaches within the Director’s College, a joint program of
McMaster University and the Conference Board of Canada.
Dr. McAteer received her Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University, and a
Masters in Industrial Relations and Ph.D. in Business from the University of Toronto. Her work
experience includes human resource management functions with Shell Canada Limited and
Domtar Incorporated, employee benefits consulting with Johnson & Higgins Willis Faber
Limited, and relocation counselling with Peat Marwick Thorne. Currently, Dr. McAteer
maintains her own consulting practice offering a wide variety of services in the HRM field.
Given her continued research interests in transformative learning experiences, the
relationship between stress and health, the importance of maintaining strong self-efficacy, the
power of productive/healthy versus unproductive/unhealthy thinking styles, and stress
management strategies - Dr. McAteer is familiar with both the theory and practice of creating a
healthy and motivated company team.
Dr. McAteer comes to you as a true practising professional. Her experience and approach
to simplifying training concepts generates a productive learning environment.
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