1/19/2015
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Telephone:
Fax:
Email
Web Page:
Web Program
Director:
Dr. Robert Metchick
Virtual
Mondays & Thursdays
3 – 5 pm & 8 – 10 pm (Text
Messages and Email)
(505) 982-7485
(505) 982-7485
Robert.Metchick@nau.edu
BBLearn@nau.edu
Alex.Steenstra@nau.edu
Text: Snell & Bohlander – Managing Human Resources (16 th
Ed. Copyright 2013). E-book version, international editions, and earlier editions of the text do not include all of the subject matter or case studies used in this class.
Catalog Description: Principles, functions, and practices relating to managing human resources in organizations.
Emphasizes managers' social, ethical, and legal responsibilities and basic management processes, including selection, training, appraisal, compensation, and labor relations. Prerequisite: BBA 300 or MGT 300.
Please Note: Section 7129 is an accelerated course, meaning that the materials covered in a standard 16-week course have been condensed into a 7-week course. Students are expected to be able to devote a minimum of 20.5 hours per week to class studies and assignments to successfully complete this course. Students who are unable to do so should contact their academic advisors to make alternate course arrangements.
Learning Outcomes: Learning outcomes articulate the broad expectations for student learning. At the end of this course, students should be able to:
1.
Become familiar with the major laws affecting the employment relationship.
2.
Comprehend the role of diversity, equal employment opportunity, and affirmative action in business.
3.
Comprehend best practices in employee recruiting and selection, including job analysis, job specifications (KSAs), job descriptions, resume construction & analysis, interviewing and other employment screening tools.
4.
Understand the principles of compensation, pay-for-performance and employee benefits.
5.
Understand training and development programs, performance evaluation, and methods of applying appropriate workplace discipline.
6.
Understand the role of unions and the law governing the collective bargaining process.
7.
Apply critical analysis to contemporary human resources issues in the workplace.
8.
Write clear and concise business reports.
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Online Discussions: Since there are no in-class meetings, students are expected to actively participate in online discussions of the readings and other homework assignments. A Discussion Forum will be available for each case study assignment in which the student can ask questions, provide opinions, source information, and interact with both classmates and the instructor. Homework may include reading additional articles, watching online videos, viewing PowerPoint lecture presentations, and discussions of HR case studies.
Case Studies: This class relies heavily on case study methodology.
It is the student’s responsibility to proactively engage in discussions of assigned cases. The purpose of case study assignments is to relate the students’ understanding of the field of human resources management to specific workplace situations as well as to further develop their analytical and business writing skills. Communication should be professional, business-like and succinct. Case study assignments will begin with posted questions to single-issue cases and progress during the course of the semester until we reach multi-issue, comprehensive case studies. Students will be expected to write an in-depth analysis of cases together with their conclusions and recommendations. Credits for case study reports will increase commensurate with the complexity of the case.
It is recognized that this class may be the first encounter with case study methodology for many students and instruction in both case analysis and the appropriate framing of case study reports will be provided.
Student performance in written case study reports will be assessed on the basis of effective business-like communication (this includes clear and effective writing skills). Grading of case study reports will be based on:

Comprehensiveness of Coverage.

Proper Grammar: Poor grammar, sentence structure, and spelling errors will result in lower grades.
Students are to use APA writing style for all citations in their case study reports and to refrain from using casual language, abbreviations, idioms, or contractions.

References: Conclusions must be supported by credible evidence (i.e. business periodicals, generally accepted scholarly or business journals, accepted economic or psychological theories, and/or references to generally accepted business practices). Page numbers are sufficient for citations from the text; non-text citations should follow prescribed APA formatting .

Referencing: all in-text citations and references should match (every citation should key back to a corresponding reference and every reference must have one or more corresponding citations). The Purdue
Online Writing Laboratory has examples of proper APA usage for a wide variety of sources including articles, books, electronic media, interviews, discussions, and movies. Use of a dictionary, Ask?,
Wikipedia or other similar internet information sources are not acceptable as references.

Writing Format: Presentation should follow accepted case study report format using headings and subheadings with a logical development of the information provided. All conclusions should be followed by recommendations, and, conversely, all recommendations must flow from stated conclusions. Specific case study formatting instructions will be provided by the instructor.
Deadlines: The deadlines for all assignments are provided in the accompanying Due Date/Assignment Schedule .
Assignments must be completed and submitted by their respective due dates. Assignments submitted after the due date without prior approval will not receive credit toward a final grade but never-the-less must be submitted in fulfillment of class requirements. Missing assignments at the conclusion of the semester will result in a final grade of Incomplete (I).
Lectures: PowerPoint presentations will be posted with each module to supplement the textbook materials. These presentations can be found in the “Lectures” folder posted for each study module shown in the syllabus. Lecture materials are generally posted on Tuesdays of each week.
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Quizzes and Written Case Studies: There will be a total of four timed online quizzes covering assigned readings and lectures and three Q & A style case studies. There will also be four formal case study reports required as well as a final examination consisting of a comprehensive case study. (Note that not all chapters listed in the textbook will be covered in the course.) Although the quizzes will be open-book examinations, students who have not read the assigned chapters or studied the lectures will have difficulty completing quizzes in the limited time allowed.
(Note: for the purposes of this course the term “Open Book” refers to the use of the assigned textbook, lecture materials, and the student’s own notes. Use of internet sources during the taking of a quiz is not permitted.
Final Examination: The final examination will take the form of a comprehensive case study in which the student will be expected to analyze a human resources case and recommend corrective actions based on the materials covered during the course of the semester. Tutorials covering the analyses and writing style for HRM cases will be provided to students, as well as an opportunity for on-line discussion with the instructor devoted to reviewing the case itself. Handouts and assignment information pertaining to the final examination will be posted in a separate
Final Examination Folder on the class web site control panel on Monday, May 4th , at 12:01 AM. The final examination case report must be turned in no later than Friday, May 8th, at 11:59 PM.
Assignments:
Assignments for each week of class will be posted on the Assignment Board section of the BbLearn Control Panel menu every Monday morning of the semester. In the event of a conflict between the information appearing on the
Due Date schedule and that posted on the Assignment Board, the Assignment Board information will always govern.
The submission of assignments or quizzes are not optional and are expected to be turned in on time and in accordance with the Due Date Schedule (p.8). Assignments or assessments that are submitted late without prior permission will not receive grading credit and those assignments that remain outstanding at the conclusion of the semester will result in a reduction of the final grade of one letter grade for each missing quiz or assignment.
Syllabus Changes: The instructor reserves the right to make changes in this syllabus and accompanying Due Date
Schedule as deemed necessary and appropriate to serve the best interests of the class and the learning experience.
The instructor will announce any changes through BbLearn. Always check the revision date of the Syllabus and
Due Date Schedule (found in the upper right-hand corner of the face page).
Extra Credit: Students may earn a possible maximum of 30 points of extra credit by submitting a formal written report on a subject relevant to class studies. A formal request must be submitted in writing stating the subject of interest for the report, accompanied by a proposed outline on or before Friday, April 24th.
Instructor approval, along with the research parameters and writing requirements, will then be returned to the student. Extra credit assignments must be completed by Friday, May 3rd . There are no extensions permitted and students may not apply for extra credit assignments if they have failed to turn in assignments or assessments by the required due dates during the course of the semester.
Self-Introduction: All students are required to post a short self-introduction covering their educational background, class status, expected graduation date, work experience, military service (if any), future vocational aspirations, contact telephone number, E-Mail address, and any particular human resources interests that they may have.
This self-introduction is to be posted on the class Discussion Forum that has been specifically set-up for this purpose. Postings must be made prior to 11:59 PM on Friday, March 27th.
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GRADING VALUES
GRADE SOURCE
4 Class Quizzes @ 30 pts:
4 Q & A Style Case Study @ 30 pts:
MAX POINTS % of Total
120
120
18.5%
18.5%
4 Multi-Issue Case Studies @ 60 pts ea.: 240 38.0%
Final Examination: 160 25.0%
Total: 640 100.0%
FINAL GRADE DETERMINATION
576 to 640:
512 to 575:
448 to 511:
A
B
C
384 to 447:
383 & Below:
D
F
*Final grade determination may be adjusted based on student progress made during the course of the semester.
Assignments: Assignments will be posted by numbered class week (e.g., Week 1, Week 2, etc.) and will appear in a dedicated “
Assignment Board” folder within the class BbLearn web site. Assignments will be posted on Monday morning of each week and may incorporate changes or modifications of the printed assignments appearing in the
Assignment/Due Date Schedule. Students should make a practice of checking the Assignment Board religiously every Monday before undertaking each week’s assignment.
Student submissions of completed assignments are to be submitted through the “
Student Submissions
” portal of the class web site.
Announcements: Students will automatically be advised of all postings made by the instructor through announcements appearing under the “What’s New”
Announcement Board section of the class BbLearn web site.
Students are advised to monitor their Announcements notifications on a regular basis.
Message Board: Questions raised by students that are appropriate for general consumption, as well as class-related questions asked of classmates, should be posted under the “
Message Board
” section found under the class Control
Panel menu of the BbLearn class site. Students should feel free to offer assistance, share opinions, or answer questions posted by classmates. The instructor will monitor the class “
Message Board” on a regular basis and answer questions as appropriate. Questions relating to an individual’s own performance or classwork should be sent directly to the instructor via E-mail at Robert.Metchick@nau.edu
. The instructor’s office telephone number is also provided on the information section (Page 1) of this syllabus. The instructor also encourages direct telephone contact when time is of the essence. Messages relating to absences or missed assignments should be forwarded directly via Email. In the event that a response is not received within 24 hours, it is appropriate to promptly followup with an E-mail or telephone call to the instructor.
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Due Dates: All work is due (completed and submitted) by midnight (Mountain Standard Time) of the published due date. Typically, quizzes are due on Friday evenings, and case study assignments are due on Sunday evenings.
Work in progress will not be eligible for submission. The posting of case study reports closes at midnight of the due date and work submitted after the due date will not be accepted for class credit (unless extenuating circumstances exist) .
Retests, Late Submissions, and Resubmissions: There will be no retests. Students are expected to take the quizzes and submit assignments as scheduled. If for any reason this is not possible due to reasons beyond a student’s control (documentation may be required), students must make other arrangements with the instructor in advance of the quiz/assignment due date.
Students who perform poorly on case study submissions are encouraged to contact the instructor directly by e-mail or phone to discuss possible ways to improve performance or earn extra credit.
Plagiarism and Cheating : Don’t! It violates NAU policy as well as moral and ethical standards. Students found to engage in cheating or plagiarism may be expelled from the class or the University, depending upon the severity of the incident (see NAU Student Policy).
Communication With the Instructor: Students will receive a response to all emails, texts, or calls typically within
24 hours. This often will exclude weekends and holidays.
Dr. Metchick welcomes direct contact with students to discuss questions or issues related to grades, class material, or the general arena of HRM.
Dr. Metchick has 35 years of experience as a Human Resources executive with extensive domestic and overseas experience and has held HRM positions as a Labor
Relations Supervisor, Plant HR Manager, Division General Manager of HR,
Corporate Director of Compensation and Benefits, Vice President of HR, and
Senior Vice President of HR and Administration in a career that spanned service with two Fortune ‘50 multi-national companies in the packaging and paper manufacturing industries. He has also served as chief spokesman in national and multi-plant labor negotiations with a variety of national labor unions. Dr. Metchick has frequently been called upon as an expert witness in human resources-related court proceedings and has testified before the U.S. Congress as an industry representative on healthcare and employee benefit-related matters.
Following his retirement from industry, Dr. Metchick embarked on a second career as a university professor and industry consultant, providing human resources and strategic management consulting services to a broad spectrum of organizations in manufacturing, health care, insurance, and service industries. His teaching experience includes
15 years as a full-time professor of management, with faculty appointments at American University, Washington
D.C. and the University of New Haven, West Haven, CT. Dr. Metchick holds a Ph.D. in Management from
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Masters Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, and a BBA Degree from the University of Miami.
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15

Week 5
4/20
To
4/26
Week 6
4/27
To
5/3
Week 7
5/4
T0
5/8
WEEK DUE
DATE
Week 1
3/23
To
3/29
3/27
3/29
3/27
ASSIGNMENTS
1/19/2015
ASSESSMENTS
MODULE 1 (Chapter 2): Strategy & HRM Planning ( including
Appendix: Absenteeism Rates, Turnover Rates, & Turnover Costs).
MODULE 2 (Chapter 3): Legal Issues and EEO (including Appendix)..
Case Study #1 : Misplaced Affections (pp. 135-136) Questions 1 – 3.
Self-Introduction Posting Due (Required).
Quiz 1: Module 1, 2 &
Syllabus (30 pts).
Case Study #1 (30 pts)
Week 2
3/30
To
4/5
Week 3
4/6
To
4/12
4/3
4/5
4/10
4/12
MODULE 3 (Chapter 5): Employee Recruitment & Careers.
MODULE 4 (Chapter 6): Employee Selection . Case Study #2:
Cleaning-up the Resu-mess (pp. 284-285). Questions 1-3.
MODULE 5 (Chapter 7): Training & Development.
MODULE 6 (Chapter 8): Performance Management & Employee
Appraisals.
MODULE 7 (Chapter 9): Managing Compensation.
Case Study #3:
Realigning HR Practices at Egans Clothiers (pp. 747-749).
Quiz 2: Modules 3, 4 &
5 (30 Pts).
Case Study #2 (30 Pts):
Quiz 3: Modules 7 & 8
(30 Pts).
Case Study #3 (50 pts)
Week 4
4/13
To
4/19
4/19
4/17
4/26
4/24
MODULE 8 (Chapter 10): Pay For Performance: Incentive Awards.
Case Study #4: Muffler Magic (Hand-out).
MODULE 9 (Chapter 11): Employee Benefits.
Health Care and
Benefit Costs in the Automobile Industry (Handout) .
Case Study #5:
IBM’s 401(k) Plan Sets The Standard
(Handout).
Questions 1 – 6.
MODULE 11 (Chapter 13): Employee Rights & Discipline .
Case
Study #6 : The Last Straw for Aero Engine (pp. 754-755.).
Case Study #4 (50 Pts)
Case Study #5 (30 pts)
Case Study #6 (50 pts)
MODULE 12 ( Chapter 14) : The Dynamics of Labor Relations . Case Case Study #7 (30 pts)
Study #7: The Arbitration Case of Jesse Stansky (pp. 644-655).
Written Arbitration Decision Required (see Assignment Notes).
5/1
5/3
MODULE 13 (Chapter 15 ): International Human Resources.
MODULE 14 (Chapter 16): Creating High Performance Work
Systems.
Case Study #8: MGM Grand Hotel (pp.727-728).
5/8 Final Examination Case Study Report. Case study is a handout and will be available at 8:00 AM on Monday, May 4th.
Final Written Case
Report due no later than midnight Friday, May 8th.
Quiz 4: Modules 13 & 14
(30 pts).
Case Study #8 (50 pts)
Final Exam (160 pts):
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SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY
NAU’s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy prohibits sexual harassment and assault, and discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status by anyone at this university. Retaliation of any kind as a result of making a complaint under the policy or participating in an investigation is also prohibited. The Director of the
Office of Affirmative Action & Equal Opportunity (AA/EO) serves as the university’s compliance officer for affirmative action, civil rights, and Title IX, and is the ADA/504 Coordinator. AA/EO also assists with religious accommodations. You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean’s office or from the NAU’s
Affirmative Action website nau.edu/diversity/ . If you have questions or concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair, dean’s office, the Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), or NAU’s Office of Affirmative Action (928) 523-3312 (voice), (928) 523-9977 (fax), (928) 523-1006 (TTD) or aaeo@nau.edu.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting Disability Resources
(DR) at 523-8773 (voice) or 523-6906 (TTY), dr@nau.edu (e-mail) or 928-523-8747 (fax). Students needing academic accommodations are required to register with DR and provide required disability related documentation.
Although you may request an accommodation at any time, in order for DR to best meet your individual needs, you are urged to register and submit necessary documentation (www.nau.edu/dr) 8 weeks prior to the time you wish to receive accommodations. DR is strongly committed to the needs of student with disabilities and the promotion of
Universal Design. Concerns or questions related to the accessibility of programs and facilities at NAU may be brought to the attention of DR or the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (523-3312).
ACADEMIC CONTACT HOUR POLICY
Based on the Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2-224), for every unit of credit, a student should expect, on average, to do a minimum of three hours of work per week, including but not limited to class time, preparation, homework, studying.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Integrity is expected of every member of the NAU community in all academic undertakings. Integrity entails a firm adherence to a set of values, and the values most essential to an academic community are grounded in honesty with respect to all intellectual efforts of oneself and others. Academic integrity is expected not only in formal coursework situations, but in all University relationships and interactions connected to the educational process, including the use of University resources. An NAU student’s submission of work is an implicit declaration that the work is the student’s own. All outside assistance should be acknowledged, and the student’s academic contribution truthfully reported at all times. In addition, NAU students have a right to expect academic integrity from each of their peers.
Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying potential violations of the university’s academic integrity policy. Instances of potential violations are adjudicated using the process found in the university Academic Integrity Policy.
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RESEARCH INTEGRITY
The Responsible Conduct of Research policy is intended to ensure that NAU personnel including NAU students engaged in research are adequately trained in the basic principles of ethics in research. Additionally, this policy assists NAU in meeting the RCR training and compliance requirements of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-
The America COMPETES Act (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology,
Education and Science); 42 U.S.C 18620-1, Section 7009, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy on the instruction of the RCR (NOT-OD-10-019; “Update on the Requirement for Instruction in the Responsible
Conduct of Research”). For more information on the policy and the training activities required for personnel and students conducting research, at NAU, visit: http://nau.edu/Research/Compliance/Research-Integrity/
SENSITIVE COURSE MATERIALS
University education aims to expand student understanding and awareness. Thus, it necessarily involves engagement with a wide range of information, ideas, and creative representations. In the course of college studies, students can expect to encounter—and critically appraise—materials that may differ from and perhaps challenge familiar understandings, ideas, and beliefs. Students are encouraged to discuss these matters with faculty.
CLASSROOM DISRUPTION POLICY
Membership in the academic community places a special obligation on all participants to preserve an atmosphere conducive to a safe and positive learning environment. Part of that obligation implies the responsibility of each member of the NAU community to maintain an environment in which the behavior of any individual is not disruptive. Instructors have the authority and the responsibility to manage their classes in accordance with
University regulations. Instructors have the right and obligation to confront disruptive behavior thereby promoting and enforcing standards of behavior necessary for maintaining an atmosphere conducive to teaching and learning.
Instructors are responsible for establishing, communicating, and enforcing reasonable expectations and rules of classroom behavior. These expectations are to be communicated to students in the syllabus and in class discussions and activities at the outset of the course. Each student is responsible for behaving in a manner that supports a positive learning environment and that does not interrupt nor disrupt the delivery of education by instructors or receipt of education by students, within or outside a class. The complete classroom disruption policy is in
Appendices of NAU’s Student Handbook.
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