Dr. Kyle Lewis
TMP 291 – Winter 2015
v. 011115 – p. 1
Creating & Managing Human Capital
Professor:
Dr. Kyle Lewis
Meeting time:
TuTh 12:30 – 1:45
Office Hours:
By appt, Phelps 1318
Classroom:
Phelps 1508
Contact at:
klewis@tmp.ucsb.edu
Phone:
805.893.5415
Course Overview
This is an intermediate-level course that seeks to develop business leaders who understand human
resources practices essential to firm performance. The course is relevant for entrepreneurs who are
building successful organizations and aspiring leaders in existing enterprises. In this course you will
examine how to structure and adjust an organization’s basic human capital levers to achieve
superior results.
Managing human capital is different from the “human resources” practices prevalent twenty years
ago. Managing human capital focuses on achieving organizational strategic goals, rather than on
tactical objectives. This focus means that human capital practices need to support an organization’s
ability to change quickly to respond to changes in the competitive environment. Unlike the human
resources practices of the past, managing human capital emphasizes balancing the costs and gains
from investing in employees. There is growing evidence that strategic human capital management
improves firm performance (revenue, stock price, customer satisfaction, retention, factory safety)
and sustains competitive advantage. Unfortunately, many managers continue to engage in
practices that reflect outdated knowledge and beliefs, leading to dysfunctional outcomes that can
be very costly.
This course is designed to help you learn about:
1.
2.
3.
4.
How organizations link organizational requirements, corporate strategy, and human
capital systems with specific business objectives.
Talent management processes, including how companies hire, socialize, appraise,
reward, and retain talent.
The practices and analytical frameworks that help managers leverage human capital.
The factors that affect your success as a developing business leader.
In this course you will exercise your critical thinking skills by analyzing how managers and
organizations apply human capital strategies in practice. The course will develop your skills in
problem solving, creative thinking, and written and oral communication and will broaden your
perspective about the role of managers in determining organizational success.
Course Materials Readings and lectures are available via Gauchospace and Harvard Publishing.
Dr. Kyle Lewis
TMP 291 – Winter 2015
v. 011115 – p. 2
Course Format
This is a discussion-focused class that will require your attendance and engagement. A large
portion of your grade will be based on in-class contributions and leading discussions. Students
should come to class prepared to summarize main points and apply the readings to in-class
exercises and analyses. Other graded components include essays and case analyses.
Evaluation of Student Performance
Weights for each graded component are as follows:
30%: Class Participation
10%: Discussion leader
30%: Three (3) essays
30%: Four (4) case analyses
Letter grades will be assigned as follows:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
Ds and Fs
>= 93.33 %
4.00
>= 90.00 %
3.67
>= 86.66 %
3.33
>= 83.33 %
3.00
>= 80.00 %
2.67
>= 76.66 %
2.33
>= 73.33 %
2.00
Below 2.00, at discretion of instructor
The requirements for each component are outlined in greater detail below.
1. Class Participation (30%). To get the most out of this class, you must be actively
engaged in the class discussions, exercises, and lectures. The class participation
grade will be based on the instructor’s assessment of the consistent quality of
students’ contributions during class exercises and discussions. Instructor
evaluations will be conducted at the end of the quarter using the following indicators
of student performance:
 Showed evidence of thorough preparation for exercises, cases, discussions
 Participated constructively (i.e., listened attentively, volunteered ideas) in
class or in team discussions and exercises.
 Added value to discussions (i.e., integrated material, provided relevant, nonredundant examples, played devil’s advocate, gave constructive feedback).
Dr. Kyle Lewis
TMP 291 – Winter 2015
v. 011115 – p. 3
2. Discussion Leader (10%). You will choose one Case, for which you will be discussion
leader. Discussion leaders should be prepared to introduce the case (setting, key issues and
decisions facing the organization) and to pose provocative questions about the case during
class discussion.
3. Essays (30%). Three (3) one-page essays (12-point font, 1” margins) are due during the
quarter. You may choose when to turn in each essay, provided that: a) only one essay per
week is turned in; b) each essay addresses a different course topic, and c) all essays are
turned in before the last class day. The aim of the essay is to help stimulate deeper
understanding of the topic area, by focusing on ONE of the following:
 Linking the topic to your own work experience
 Linking the topic to your coursework in another functional area
 Developing and answering a question that expands issues raised in the readings.
Essays will be graded on the following criteria:
 Clarity, Organization, Professionalism: Are main ideas presented clearly in a logical
progression? Does the essay conform to the one page limit? Is the essay free of
grammatical and spelling errors?
 Content, Insight: Are class concepts described and applied correctly? Does the essay
show insight? (What from the readings/cases/discussions caused you to reflect on, or
reassess, your previous thinking or behaviors? What are some tangible outcomes of
your insights (e.g., on future behaviors, on your analyses/recommendations).)
4. Case Analyses (30%). There will be four (4) written case analyses, for which you are
required to answer 1-2 questions. Answers must be limited to no more than 1 page
per question, using double-spaced (12-pt font) type. Answers will be turned in on the day
that the case is discussed in class. Case analysis questions are provided on GauchoSpace.
Course Policies
1. Lecture slides. Hardcopies of lecture slides will be provided to you in class, and will
be posted on GauchoSpace (after class). You may view the slides or print a copy for
your personal use. Slides are copyrighted; please do not in any way
distribute or post without Dr. Lewis’ permission.
Course Schedule appears on the following page
Dr. Kyle Lewis
TMP 291 – Winter 2015
v. 011115 – p. 4
Course Outline & Schedule (subject to change)
Date
Topic
1a
1/6 (Tue)
Introduction to class
Value of Knowledge
1b
1/8 (Thu)
Human Capital:
HC Framework
U/V Matrix
Read: Talent Management for the 21st
Century
2a
1/13 (Tue)
Hiring:
Read: Hiring for Smarts
1/15 (Thu)
Competencies, Selection
Hiring, continued
DO: Personality Test (GS)
2b
3a
1/20 (Tue)
Reading/Preparation
Interviewing Personality
Skim: Recent articles on Personality &
Selection (GS)
Hiring, continued
CASE: Mark Pitts Case
<Discuss “Mark Pitts”>
DUE: Case Analysis (see questions on
GS)
3b
1/22 (Thu)
Legal Issues
Read: Best of Intentions (GS)
4a
1/27 (Tue)
Legal Issues, continued
Read: Gender & Technology readings
(GS)
4b
1/29 (Thu)
Motivation
CASE: Lincoln Electric Case
<Discuss “Lincoln
Electric”>
DUE: Case Analysis (see questions on
GS)
Motivation, continued
Read: On the follow of rewarding A,
while hoping for B
5a
2/3 (Tue)
Read: How to motivate problem people
5b
2/5 (Thu)
!! NO CLASS TODAY !!
Read: Readings on GS or handed out
CASE: Case on GS or handed out
GS: Gauchospace
Dr. Kyle Lewis
6a
TMP 291 – Winter 2015
Date
Topic
Reading/Preparation
2/10 (Tue)
Performance & Rewards
Read: Tutorial on Measuring
performance (GS)
v. 011115 – p. 5
DUE: One paragraph description (or
abstract) of your research paper
6b
2/12 (Thu)
Performance & Rewards,
continued
Read: Six dangerous myths about pay
Read: Why incentive plans can’t work
7a
2/17 (Tue)
Managing Teams
CASE: Army Crew case
<Discuss “Army Crew”>
DUE: Case Analysis (see questions on
GS)
7b
2/19 (Thu)
Teams, continued
8a
2/24 (Tue)
HC Analytics
CASE: Royal Bank of Scotland Group
<Discuss “Royal Bank of
Scotland”>
(no case analysis due … please read the
case for discussion purposes only)
Read: The right way to be fired
8b
2/26 (Thu)
Exit
9a
3/3 (Tue)
Exit & Downsizing
9b
3/5 (Thu)
Retention & Job
Satisfaction
Read: Job Sculpting
3/10 (Tue)
Retention & Job
Satisfaction, continued
CASE: SAS Institute Case
10a
10b
3/12 (Thu)
<Discuss “SAS”>
DUE: Case Analysis (see questions on
GS)
Careers
Read: Reinventing your personal brand
Read: Becoming the boss
#
Read: Readings on GS or handed out
CASE: Case on GS or handed out
GS: Gauchospace