Course:Level 7, Bachelor of Business in Management

Subject:Human Resource Management (HRM)

Course:BBS, Management, Level 7, Year 3

Subject:Human Resource Management

Lecturer:Mary Gilmartin

Room No. D2006

Tele: x 290

Email:

Text Book: Human Resource Management in Ireland (2006) by Gunnigle,

Heraty & Morley

Assessment:End of Semester exam:50%

Continuous Assessment:50%

Course Outline

Term 1

Weeks 1 - 3:What is HRM? HR Policy, Procedure & Practice

Weeks 4 -6 :HR Planning

Weeks 8 - 11:Recruitment & Selection

Weeks 12 – 14:Performance Management

Term 2

Weeks 1 - 4:Training & Development

Weeks 5 - 7:Employee Reward

Weeks 8 - 11:Employee Relations & Employment Law

Term 3

Week 1 -2 :Employee Relations & Employment Law

Week 3:Revision


PROJECT BRIEF: Human Resource Management in Practice

The purpose of this assignment is to assess your ability to:

(i)gain a deeper understanding of the human resource function in an organisation

(ii)analyse the role of the human resource function in an organisation

Project details

(i)This assignment is to be completed in groups of four students.

(ii) Identify a human resource manager or human resource specialist in an

organisation to interview. No two teams should interview the same

manager/specialist. However it is possible that teams may interview different

human resource managers in the same organisation. The interview should take

about 45 minutes.

(iii)You are required to write to the manager in advance to confirm and thank them for agreeing to the interview and to send them draft questions in advance so that they have time to prepare. It is vital that you send them the questions and an explanation of the purpose of your assignment. Copies of your communications (emails, letters etc) should be attached to your project as evidence that this took place.

(iv) A suggested interview outline is attached (see next page). You are expected to

prepare additional questions.

(v)The final interview questions, the name of the organisation, the name and job title of the human resource person you plan to interview must be submitted to me for approval prior to conducting any interviews. This information must be submitted to me in typed format by the end of November at the latest.

(vi)You should research the organisation before the interview. You must ensure that you have a good basic understanding of the organisation, it’s product(s)/services etc. before attending the interview. Ask the company to send you as much information in advance. Do your own research on the internet, in newspapers, journals etc.

(vii) Prepare a report (8-10 pages) which covers:

a)a description of the overall organisation and its operations

b)a description of the HR person, their qualifications, career path, how and why the chose HR as a career and their assessement of HR as a career.

c)an detaileddescription of the human resource function in the organisation

d)a detailieddescription and analysis of the aspect of human resources that you explored in-depth.

e)An analysis of the extent to which the organisation’s human resource management practices conform to theoretical prescriptions. If differences are found, discuss why they exist.

f)A summary of your overall impressions of the human resource function in that organisation.

(viii) Assignment must be typed. Use a table of contents and number your pages. Check your spelling and grammar. There is no need to put the report in a folder – a staple will suffice (not a paper clip!). Written presentation is very important and reports should be professional.

(ix)Use appendices for copies of interview questions, samples of materials from the company etc.

(x)Ensure to reference appropriately and include a list of references at the end. There should be at least 10 references in section e) of the report.

(xi)Your title page should include

  1. Title of the assignment
  2. Your names
  3. Title of your course
  4. Name of subject
  5. Due date
  6. Lecturers name

(xii)Due date for final report is 10 February 2010.

(xii)The assignment is worth 40% of your final marks. 30% of the marks are allocated to the written report and 10% for the oral presentations

(xiii)Oral presentations

November Presentation

The purpose of this presentation is to share with the class the details of the company you are investigating and what areas of their HRM function you are going to focus on. This presentation should include the following details:

  • Name of the organisation and the HR manager/specialist you are interviewing
  • Organisation overview
  • Overview of the HR function in the organisation
  • Area you are going to focus on and why
  • Project plan and update
  • Challenges you are facing with the project.
  • Be prepared to answer questions at this presentation!

February Presentation

The purpose of this presentation is to share your finished report with the class with particular emphasis on the findings and conclusions of your report. Be prepared to answer questions!

Interview Outline (some guidelines to help you with the interview).

Part I: Organisation Information

  1. Type of business/industry/organisation
  2. General description of company’s products/services/operations
  3. Brief company history
  4. Type of employees: managerial, administrative, technical etc
  5. Number of employees: managerial, administrative, technical etc.
  6. Organisation structure
  7. Size and structure of the human resource department

Part II: Background of the Human Resource Manager/Specialist

  1. Title
  2. Academic background/Qualifications
  3. Years with the organisation
  4. Years of human resource management experience
  5. Other work experience
  6. Professional association/organisation membership
  7. Why they chose this career
  8. What they think about HR as a career

Part III: Human Resource Management Functions

Ask the human resource manager to check off and rate the human resource activities listed in Form 1. You will also be looking for information about

  • Structure of the department
  • What are the main activities
  • What are the current challenges
  • How do they see the future of HR in the organisation

Part IV: Role of the Human Resource Department in the organisation

Ask the human resource manager the following general questions:

  1. What is the role of the human resource department in your organisation?
  2. To what extent is the human resource department /staff involved in strategic business planning? Explain.
  3. In your opinion, what are some of the most pressing human resource issues faced by the organisations today? Why?
  4. What was the most difficult organisational problem faced by the human resource department in the last five years? How was it resolved? Why?

Part V: In-depth Review of the HRM Function

Explore in depth one of the HRM functions with the HR department (for example: recruitment, selection, reward, training, performance management, employee relations etc.) You should first review the material in the text on the HR function you have chosen and then prepare a set of questions for the manager relating to how that function is carried out in the organisation. Please ensure in advance that the human resource manager is happy to discuss this function in depth. If not then you will need to choose a function that s/he is happy to discuss in depth. During the interview be sure to get enough information so that you can describe their function in detail. Ask the human resource manager to comment on the effectiveness of the function and his/her interaction with line managers in carrying out this function. Try to obtain examples of forms and/or materials used. These may be filed in the appendices.

FORM 1

Form for Ranking of Human Resource Activities by Human Resource Manager

Instructions: Circle the number (on the left hand side)of the human resource activities below which are under your responsibility and indicate the importance of these responsibilities using a scale of 1 (very important) to 5 (not very important). Please add any responsibilities if necessary.

Human Resource Activities Importance

1. Ensure fair and consistent implementation of human resource

policies and procedures______

2. Advise management on employee issues______

3. Design appropriate recruitment policies and programmes______

4. Assist managers in recruitment and selection______

5. Design and implement performance evaluation systems______

6. Administer compensation programmes______

7. Ensure compliance with legislation in all employment practices______

8. Counsel employees on job-related problems______

9. Counsel employee on personal problems______

10. Develop and maintain employee records______

11. Develop and communicate Employment Equality policy ______
12. Ensure compliance with health and safety standards______

13. Oversee the fair application of employee grievance procedures______

14. Provide solutions to employee relations problems______

15. Plan for future human resource needs______

16. Work with senior management on human resource implications of

business plans and strategies______

17. Design and implement employee training and development

programmes______

18. Negotiate with trade unions______

19. Other (please list below)

______

______

______

______

______

______

______