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MANAGEMENT - DOCTORAL SEMINAR IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Instructor:
Bhumika GUPTA, Phd.
Professor of Human Resource Management
INSTITUT MINES TELECOM
TELECOM BUSINESS SCHOOL,
FRANCE
Introduction:
This course provides an in-depth consideration of human resource management (HRM) research. The
range of topics is selective and illustrative of contemporary issues in HRM. There are two primary
objectives of the course: to develop skills to critically evaluate HR research and literature; and to
develop an understanding of the theory, methodology, and application of HR.
Other goals of the course include increasing familiarity with the literature, enhancing understanding of
what academic journals are accepting, and assisting students to develop research ideas and academic
papers. Finally, we are committed to getting students away from relying on faculty directives and
structured learning -- you are close to the point in your education where there will be no more
"supervised learning".
Format:
The course will be conducted in seminar format, with materials presented by both faculty and students.
For the various readings, consider the major findings of the research, methodological issues and
criticisms, and additional research questions drawn from the article. For the first few classes, a list of
required readings will be provided. However, after these first classes, each student will be responsible
for leading one seminar (to be decided in first class).
Seminar Leadership:
Each student will lead one seminar on a topic related to human resource management. The seminar
leader (with faculty assistance) is responsible for developing the required reading list (of about 7 to 10
articles), and making sure that copies of each article are available for the other students and faculty
members. Please have the reading list approved by a faculty member at least two weeks before the
respective seminar in order to get the readings to everyone at least one week before the seminar. The
leader will be expected to get the other class members involved and participating and lead the seminar
(thus the name). All students will be expected to have a solid understanding of all of the articles,
critique the articles. Rather than focus on one narrow topic in HRM, our preference is to expose
students to a variety of issues and methodologies. As a result, students may end up leading a seminar
on a topic that is only moderately familiar to them.
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Expectations:
It is expected that students will attend and be active participants in the seminar. Active participation
will require extensive reading of the current literature. You should bring all articles and notes you have
made on the articles to class. Be prepared to critically discuss the readings and to ask and answer
“thought questions.” Although there will be assigned readings for some components of the course, a
number of the readings in a particular area will require the student to find relevant articles on the
particular subject.
You are expected to attend all classes. However, if you miss a class, you will be required to submit a 6
to 10 page paper critiquing and summarizing the readings (due the following class).
Grading:
Major Paper
• Proposal
• Paper
Job Analysis Group Project:
Presentation
Project
Class Participation/Discussion:
50%
• (15%)
• (35%)
25%
• (5%)
• (20%)
25%
Scholarly and Practitioner Journals:
Listed below are just a few of the scholarly and practitioner journals that have articles addressing
various aspects of human resource management. Please note that this list is not an exhaustive
compilation of the relevant scholarly journals in the field.
Academy of Management Journal
Academy of Management Review
Business Quarterly
Canadian Labour Law Journal
Canadian Public Policy
(Harvard Business Review)
Human Resource Management Journal
Industrial and Labor Relations Review
International Journal of HR Management
Journal of Labor Research
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology
Personnel Psychology
Sex Roles
Academy of Management Executive
British Journal of Industrial Relations
Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences
Canadian Public Administration
Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
Human Resource Management
Human Relations
Industrial Relations (Berkeley)
Journal of Applied Psychology
Journal of Organizational Behavior
Labor Law Journal
Relations Industrielles (Laval)
Strategic Management Journal
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Major Paper:
Each student is required to complete a major paper dealing with some aspect of human resource
management (broadly defined). All papers must be typed, carefully proof read, and prepared in a
professional manner. Note that we do not accept faxed papers or papers sent as e-mail attachments.
Although we hesitate to put a specific number of pages on the paper, we expect most the papers will be
about 25 to 50 pages in length, excluding reference section, notes, and appendix material. It is essential
that papers be rooted in the appropriate literature. In other words, we expect that you will examine the
relevant scholarly writings pertaining to your topic.
We are somewhat flexible in terms of the topic of the major paper. For example, a student could write
the paper on the topic s/he was responsible for as a seminar leader. However, we want students to
explore new areas of inquiry: We do not want a topic that you have used in a previous course and we
do not want a paper that is based on your proposed thesis topic. Some potential paper topics are listed
below (again…these topics are only illustrative).
**Please discuss the topic of your major paper with faculty and have the topic approved before you
begin writing the proposal.
Illustrative Paper Topics:
1. Occupational health and safety
2. Labour standards legislation
3. Issues in industrial relations (arbitration, strikes, union commitment, etc.)
4. Harassment
5. Wrongful dismissal
6. Absenteeism
7. Human rights
8. HRM in the union / nonunion workplace
9. Total Quality Management
10. Downsizing / restructuring
11. Employee involvement
12. Strategic human resource management
13. Compensation
14. Issues in Selection
15. Training
16. Job Analysis / Competencies
17. Recruitment
18. Performance Appraisal
19. HR Decision Making
20. Selection Methods
Paper Proposal
The proposal should be approximately 3 to 5 pages plus a summary outline (table of contents) and list
of references that you plan on using in your paper. It is written in the tone of an academic paper. You
must clearly articulate what you propose to address in your paper.
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Schedule:
Topic
Introduction & Article Critique
Job Analysis
Job Analysis & Recruitment
Selection Issues & Methods
Workforce Reduction and Restructuring
Strategic HRM
Absenteeism / Quits / Retention
Key Issues in Industrial Relations Research
Selection Issues & Methods
Decision Making
READING LIST:
This list will be supplemented by the seminar leader (in conjunction with the faculty).
Please let us know if you are unable to find any of the articles below.
Job Analysis:
Campion, M. A. Job analysis for the future. In Rumsey, M. G. & Walker, C. B. (1994).
Personnel selection and classification. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Harvey, R. J. (1991). Job Analysis. In Dunnette, M. D. & Hough, L. M. (Eds.) Handbook of
industrial and organizational psychology, Vol. 2 (2nd edition). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists
Press, Inc.
Recruitment
Rynes, S. L. (2001). Recruitment research in the 21st Century: Moving to a higher level. To
appear in: W. Borman, D. Ilgen, & R. Klimoski (Eds.) The complete handbook of psychology, Volume
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12: Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Selection Issues & Methods
Hough, L. M. & Oswald, F. L. (2000). Personnel selection: Looking toward the future-remembering the past. In Fiske, S. T., Schacter, D. L., & San-Waxler, C. (Eds). Annual review of
psychology, 51, 631-664.
Ryan, A. M., McFarland, L., Baron, H., & Page, R. (1999). An international look at selection
practices: Nation and culture as explanations for variability in practice. Personnel Psychology, 52, 359391.
Schmitt, N., Cortina, J. M., & Ingerick, M. J. (2001) Personnel selection and employee
performance.**
**I will leave a copy with Sandra (Department of Management secretary).
Wiesner, W. H. & Cronshaw, S. F. (1988). A meta-analytic investigation of the impact of
interview format and degree of structure on the validity of the employment interview. Journal of
Occupational Psychology, 61, 275-290.
Workforce Reduction and Restructuring
Budros, A. 1999. A conceptual framework for analyzing why organizations downsize.
Organization Science, 10(1), 69-82.
Cameron, K. 1994. Strategies for successful organizational downsizing. Human Resource
Management, 33(2), 189-211.
Cascio, W., Young, C., Morris, J. 1997. Financial consequences of employment-change
decisions in major U.S. corporations. Academy of Management Journal, 40, 1175-89.
Freeman, S. 1999. The Gestalt of Organizational Downsizing: Downsizing Strategies as
Packages of Change. Human Relations, 52, 1505-1541.
Havlovic, S., Bouthillette, F., van der Wal, R. 1998. Coping with downsizing and job loss:
lessons from the Shaughnessy Hospital closure. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 15(4),
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322-332.
Lam, H., Reshef, Y. 1999. Are quality improvement and downsizing compatible? A human
resources perspective. Relations Industrielles, 54(4), 727-747.
McKinley, Scherer, A. 2000. Some unanticipated consequences of organizational restructuring.
Academy of Management Review, 25, 735-752.
Wanberg, C., Bunce, L., Gavin M. 1999. Perceived fairness of layoffs among individuals who
have been laid off: A longitudinal study. Personnel Psychology, 52, 59-84.
Wright, B., Barling, J. 1998. The executioners song: listening to downsizers relect on their
experiences. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 15(4), 339-355.
Strategic HRM and Performance
Becker, B., Gerhart, B. 1996. The impact of human resource management on organizational
performance. Academy of Management Journal, 39, 779-801.
Delaney, J., Huselid, M. 1996. The impact of human resource management practices on
perceptions of organizational performance. Academy of Management Journal, 39, 949-969.
Guthrie, J., Spell, C., Nyamori, R. 2002. Correlates and consequences of high involvement
work practices: the role of competitive strategy. International Journal of Human Resource
Management, 13, 183-197.
Hoque, K. 1999. Human resource management and performance in the UK hotel industry.
British Journal of Industrial Relations, 37, 419-443.
Huselid, M. 1995. The impact of human resource management practices on turnover,
productivity, and corporate financial performance. Academy of Management Executive, 38, 635-672.
Ichniowski, C., Kochan, T., Levine, D., Olson, C., Strauss, G. 1996. What works at work:
Overview and assessment. Industrial Relations, 35, 299-333.
Koch, M., & McGrath, R. 1996. Improving labor productivity: Human resource management
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policies do matter. Strategic Management Journal, 17, 335-354.
Osterman, P. 2000. Work reorganization in an era of restructuring: trends in diffusion and
effects on employee welfare. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 53(2), 179-196.
Perry-Smith, J., Blum, T. 2000. Work-family human resource bundles and perceived
organizational performance. Academy of Management Journal, 43, 1107-1117.
Pfeffer, J., Veiga, J. 1999. Putting people first for organizational success. The Academy of
Management Executive, 13, 37-48.
Strategic HRM - A Critical Assessment
Gerhart, B., Wright, P., McMahan, G., Snell, S. 2000. Measurement error in research on human
resources and firm performance: how much error is there and how does it influence effect size
estimates? Personnel Psychology 53, 803-834.
Gerhart, B., Wright, P., McMahan, G. 2000. Measurement error in research on the human
resources and firm performance relationship: further evidence and analysis. Personnel Psychology 53,
855-872.
Godard, J., Delaney, J. 2000. Reflections on the "high performance" paradigm's implications for
industrial relations as a field. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 53(3), 482-502.
Guthrie, J. 2001. High-involvement work practices, turnover, and productivity evidence from
New Zealand. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 180-192.
Huselid, M., Becker, B. 2000. Comment on "measurement error in research on human resources
and firm performance: how much error is there and how does it influence effect size estimates? by
Gerhart, Wright, McMahan, and Snell. Personnel Psychology 53, 835-854.
Ramsay, H., Scholarios, D., Harley, B. Employees and high-performance work systems:
Testing inside the black box. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 38, 501-531.
Wood, S. 1999. Human resource management and performance. International Journal of
Management Reviews, 1(4), 367-413.
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REFERENCES
(Sections are reprinted with the permission of Dr. Stinson, 1998)
Incorrect referencing may results in charges of plagiarism. Ignorance of the rules of plagiarism is no
excuse. If in doubt, please check with us!
The Saint Mary's University 2001-2002 Academic Calendar provides this definition of
plagiarism:
"Plagiarism is the presentation of words, ideas or techniques of another as one's own. Reference to or
appropriation of another's work whether by direct quotation or paraphrase must be acknowledged by
proper citation" (p. 26).
Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional. Unintentional plagiarism often occurs when the
writer misunderstands the function of paraphrase. When paraphrasing, it is not enough to change a few
words or to rearrange a sentence. Any exact use of the language of the source requires quotation marks
and documentation. Moreover, even if the language is your own, the idea of the passage is not your
own. Therefore, you must tell the reader whose idea you are using (by using the proper references).
Paraphrasing does not relieve the writer of the responsibility for proper documentation.
If you have any doubts about the way you have handled your source material in your paper,
discuss your questions with us before handing in the paper.
Unacceptable
• quoting original material without using
quotation marks nor citing the original
source.
•
slightly reordering sentences and
substituting a few synonyms into the
original wording of a cited material
without citing the original source.
• slightly reordering sentences, substituting a
few synonyms into the original wording,