MGT 431 Human Resource Management
Week One Staffing
Describe the changing role of human resource (HR) management in response to trends in globalization, technology, diversity, e-business, and ethics.
Evaluate staffing practices and selection tools for effectiveness and legal compliance.
Utilize various recruitment strategies to meet organizational needs.
Course Assignments
1. Readings
Read Ch. 1 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 2 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 3 (Equal Employment Opportunity sections only) of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 5 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 6 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Discussion Questions
What is the new strategic role of human resources (HR)? How does this role affect you in your current position? Is this effect positive or negative? Why?
What is the greatest challenge when it comes to HR in your organization? Also, in your opinion do managers and supervisors contribute positively or negatively to helping HR perform it’s role?
What are some of the legal/ethical issues that must be taken into consideration when it comes to the HR function within an organization?
Briefly discuss and give examples of at least five common interviewing mistakes that interviewers make. What recommendations would you give for avoiding these interviewing mistakes?
What are the major federal laws regarding equal employment? How does your organization incorporate affirmative action into its recruiting strategy? Is your organization¿s recruiting program effective? Why?
3. Individual Assignment: HR Roles and Responsibilities
Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word paper describing the changing role of HR management in response to trends in globalization, technology, diversity, e-business, and ethics. Use at least five references from the reading assignment, Internet articles, Electronic Reserve Readings articles, or HR
journal articles to support your paper.
Format your report according to APA standards.
4. Learning Team Instructions
Select classmates to be on your Learning Team.
Create the Learning Team Charter.
5. Participation: All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week. Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score.
Summary of Week One Deliverables
Assignment Individual or Learning Team Location Due
Bio Individual Chat Room Thursday
Discusison Questions (DQs) Individual Main Ongoing 4 Out of 7 days each week
Participation Individual Main Ongoing 4 Out of 7 days each week
Weekly Summary Individual Main Monday of each week
HR Roles and Responsibilities Paper Individual Assignment/Main Forums Monday, Day 7
Week Two – Employee Development and Training
Evaluate the components of a training program.
Examine how the roles of training and development influence organizational performance.
Utilize methods of career management.
Course Assignments
1. Readings
Read Ch. 7 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 9 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 16 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Discussion Questions
How does HR assist management within your company to meet their training and organizational development needs?
Looking at the various training methods employed within your organization, which ones are most appropriate for OJT, CBT, and institutional, workshops, and or conferences.
How can employee turnover and absenteeism help an organization identify a training need?
With decreasing funds for training and development, how can organizations ensure that they are getting the greatest return on their
training and development investment?
Based upon your own personal experience, with restructuring, reengineering, and downsizing, what role has HR typically played in being a change agent in the organizations you’ve been affiliated with?
3. Learner Team Assignment: Staffing Plan Paper
Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you develop a staffing plan for the organization in which you work, or one with which you are familiar. Determine how many people you need to hire and in what functional areas, such as manufacturing, operations, customer service,
distribution, marketing, and accounting. Develop strategies to recruit the appropriate applicants. Include a discussion of how the strategy is legally compliant. Use the reading assignments, interviews with your HR representatives or staff persons, Web site articles, Electronic Reserve
Readings, and HR journal articles to support your position. Use at least two text references.
Format your report according to APA standards.
4. Participation: All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week. Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score.
Brief Summary of Week Two Deliverables
Course Assignments
1. Readings
Read Ch. 11 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 12 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 13 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Discussion Questions
What is the relationship between compensation and employee morale and retention?
In your opinion does pay for performance really improve performance? Why or why not?
What are incentive plans? How might they help the organization to achieve their objectives? Do incentive plans really improve performance and are they cost effective? Why or why not?
You are applying for a job as a manager and are at the point of negotiating salary and benefits. What questions would you ask your prospective employer concerning benefits? Describe the benefits package you would try to negotiate for yourself.
3. Individual Assignment: Incentive Plans Paper
Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word paper examining how your organization¿s incentive plans relate to organizational objectives. Evaluate how the incentives plans do, or do not, help the organization to achieve its goals and objectives. Utilize at least two references from the reading
assignment, Internet articles, Electronic Reserve Readings articles or HR journal articles to support your paper.
Format your report according to APA standards.
4. Participation: All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week. Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score
Summary of Week Three Deliverables
Assignment Individual or Learning Team Location Due
Participation Individual Main Ongoing, 5 Out of 7 days
Discussion Individual Main Ongoing 5 Out of 7 days
Weekly Summary of Lessons Learned Individual Main Monday of each week
Incentive Plans Paper Individual Assignment/Main Forums Monday, Day 7
Week Four Employee Relations
1. Readings
Read Ch. 8 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 10 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read Ch. 14 of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Discussion Questions
What is HR’s role in the performance appraisal process and how does HR’S role impact the organization’s success?
Using your company as an example, explain the type of performance appraisal system that is in effect in your organization? In your opinion do they motivate employees? Why or why not?
What are some common problems when administering employee policies in an organization? What are the controversies surrounding employment-at-will? How effective are the employee relations programs in your organization? Why or why not?
What are some advantages and disadvantages of various types of performance appraisal systems? (i.e., MBO, graphic rating scale, forced distribution, ranking, 360, etc.,) Which one of these methods would you say is the most effective at helping the organization attain their objectives.
What is employee/labor relations? What is human resources (HR) role in maintaining effective working relationships with unions? How can HR develop proactive policies that reduce the likelihood of union organization?
3. Learning Team Assignment: Total Compensation Methods Paper
Prepare a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper which analyzes the effect of various compensation methods and benefit programs on employees and organizations. Relate salary and benefit administration
strategies to organizational culture and performance. Use at least four references from the reading assignments, Internet articles, Electronic Reserve Reading articles, or HR journal articles in the paper.
4. Participation: All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of during the week. Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score.
Summary of Week Four Deliverables
Assignment Individual or Learning Team Location Due
Participation Individual Main Ongoing, 4 Out of 7 days
Discussion Individual Main Ongoing 4 Out of 7 days
Weekly Summary of Lessons Learned Individual Main Monday of each week
Total Compensation Methods Paper Learner Team Assignment/Main Forums Monday, Day 7
Week Five Safety and Health
Analyze contemporary safety and health management issues in the workplace.
Forecast the relationship of the five primary human resource management functions to organizational success.
Course Assignments
1. Readings
Read Ch. 3 (Safety and Health sections only) of Fundamentals of Human Resource Management.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Discussion Questions
Would you say that your organization is proactive or reactive when it comes to safety management? What are some of the safety issues in your organization?
What is the relationship between safety and health management strategies and employee morale?
What are some safety issues within your organization? What is your organization doing to be proactive with regard to safety management? How can an organization improve its bottom line by reducing safety and health claims?
If you were the HR/safety manager in your organization how would you go about minimizing the occurrence of unsafe acts on the part of employees?
What are some future trends and challenges for human resource (HR) management? What can HR do to support the organization’s strategies for growth and quality? How can technology improve HR decisions?
3. Individual Assignment: Final Examination
Prepare to take the Final Examination.
4. Learning Team Assignment: Trends and Challenges Paper and Presentation
Prepare a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper discussing existing trends and challenges in HR management. Address the following in your paper:
Discuss how a complete performance management system differs from the use of annual performance appraisals.
Evaluate the effectiveness of various performance appraisal methods and possible problems affecting performance appraisals.
Discuss the advantages of managing turnover in organizations.
Examine contemporary safety and health management issues in the workplace.
Include a discussion of future trends and challenges in HR management.
Format your report according to APA standards.
5. Participation: All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week. Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score