YORK UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
AP/HRM 2600M, Winter 2013
Mondays 7-10pm., Rm. CB 121
Instructor: Dr. Paul Fairlie
Telephone: (416) 736-2100, x33524
Office Hours: By appointment
Office: Atkinson Building, Room 122B
E-mail:
Skype Name: pfairlie
Course Website:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course examines a number of issues in Canadian human resources management, including human resources planning, recruitment, selection, performance appraisal, industrial relations, and training and development. (formerly AK/ADMS 3480 3.0)
NOTE: Not open to students who have taken AK/ADMS 4030 6.0 or AK/ADMS 4040 3.0.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
Belcourt, M., Bohlander, G., & Snell, S. (2010). Managing Human Resources(6thed.). Toronto: ITP Nelson.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
A primary objective of this course is to acquaint students with the basic principles and concepts of human resource (HR) management. In so doing, students will gain an appreciation for the opportunities and challenges facing HR managers in contemporary organizations.
Another objective is to develop the skills and abilities to implement these principles and concepts. An awareness of the basic principles is complemented by the ability to recognize organizational problems and to subsequently prescribe and implement corrective actions.
These objectives will be accomplished through lectures, class discussions, relevant projects, discussion of current events and group interaction during class.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
1 / Jan. 7/13 / Introduction to the course, discussion of course outline, performance evaluation, group formation, and course website.
The World of Human Resources Management
Strategy and Human Resources Planning / 1&2
2 / Jan. 14/13 / Job Analysis, Employee Involvement, and Flexible Work Schedules / 4
3 / Jan. 21/13 / Expanding the Talent Pool: Recruitment and Careers; Employee Selection / 5&6
4 / Jan. 28/13 / Training & Development / 7
5 / Feb. 4/13 / Appraising and Improving Performance / 8
6 / Feb. 11/13 / Mid-term Examination
7 / Feb. 25/13 / Managing Compensation; Pay-for-Performance: Incentive Rewards / 9&10
8 / Mar. 4/13 / Safety & Health / 12
9 / Mar. 11/13 / Employee Rights and Discipline; The Dynamics of Labour Relations / 13&14
10 / Mar. 18/13 / Equity and Diversity in Human Resources Management / 3
11 / Mar. 25/13 / Creating High-Performance Work Systems
(You will need to obtain this chapter online from searching for the textbook authors and title) / 16
12 / Apr. 1/13 / International Human Resources Management / 15
The professor reserves the right to change or alter the syllabus schedule with ample notice to the students. Occasionally the instructor may add an additional reading for a specific class, if he deems it necessary for the better understanding of the topic.
Students are expected to read the appropriate chapter readings in advance of each week’s class. It is easy to fall behind in your reading. In order to do well on the assignments and exams, students must keep up with their readings and attend lectures.
1
COURSE WEIGHTING:
Group Project25%
Peer Evaluation:5%
Presentation:10%
Written Paper:10%
Exams75%
Mid-Term Exam:35%
Final Exam:40%
Total100%
All final grades will be reviewed by the School of Human Resource Management and the School reserves the right to modify them in order to maintain high standards.
COURSE EVALUATION:
Group Project (25%)
This project has three components: a written paper (10%), a presentation (10%), and peer evaluation (5%).Note: There will be onlyone paper and presentation per group, not per group member. All group members will share the same mark for your paper and presentation.
A penalty of 5% for the first day, and 2% for each day thereafter (including each day of a
weekend or holiday) shall apply to all late assignments (i.e., paper, peer evaluations).
Group Formation
All students that are registered in the course have already been randomly assigned to groups of 6 people. The group names, group member names and student numbers, and York email addresses will be available to students soon after the Week 1 lecture, pending student approval of my circulating this information to the rest of the class.
Paper & Presentation Topic
Essentially, your group will study a current HRM issue facing organizations in Canada or elsewhere. There are multiple sources of information for this issue: the news/press, journals, managers and employees, your own experiences, etc. Your group will write a paper and present a class presentation on this topic. Your group paper and presentation must bear the same title.
FromWeeks 4 to 12, three (3) groups per class will submit their group’s paper and present their presentation to the rest of the class. Your paper and presentation should coincide with the topics(s) covered in class during that particular week (e.g., textbook chapters).For example, if you choose to do something on ‘training and development’, you should complete your paper by Week 4 and do your presentation during that class. The reverse is also true. If you want to do your presentation in Week 4, then you should cover something on training and development. The only exception is that you canchoose a topic that was covered in Weeks 1 to 3 and present it in a later week in the course, since no papers and presentations are due during those initial three weeks.
All topics will be approved by me. You will receive an email after the Week 1 lecture, instructing you to access the list of groups, group names, and York email addresses. The email will also contain questions that your group must address, including your topic and chosen week. Your group must meet before Week 2 to 1) appoint a group captain, and 2) answer these questions. Your group captain will then submit your group’s answers to the questions via web survey before the Week 2 lecture. Remember, presentations start in Week 4!.
Here is the link for the survey mentioned above: NOT access this survey if you are not a group captain, your group has not met, and/or your group has not yet addressed and answered the questions contained in the forthcoming email. The link will be repeated in that email. If someone from your group (i.e., group captain) has not responded to the above survey by the Week 2 lecture, your group will be assigned a topic and a week, likely for as early as Week 4. Also, you may or may not get your chosen topic and week, depending on group conflicts. I may have to allocate topics on a first-come, first-served basis if two different groups wish to present on the same topic.
Paper: 10%
Your written paper should be between 5-7 pages, excluding the title page and list of references, double-spaced, and handed in on thesameday as your presentation.
You should cover at least the following in the paper:
- An introduction (i.e., the importance of the topic/issue, etc.).
- A literature review. This includes what it is, and what is known about it.
- Recommendations for organizations on how to manage the issue.
Your paper will be judged on style (grammar, etc.) and content (the extent and quality of your research, analysis, and recommendations).
A template for the paper will be provided at the course website. This must be used for your paper. Papers submitted without the use of this template will not be marked. The filename must be changed to correspond with your group’s topic, course and section, and group name (current filename of the template: Title of Paper-AP_HRM0000-Group Name-Paper).
You must include at least five (5) references on your References list. Three (3) of these five references must hail from peer-reviewed, academic journals or edited academic books. The other two references may hail from human resourcemanagement or business trade magazines. Journal articles and book chapters on your topic can be found by searching PsycINFO and similar resources available at the York University Libraries (i.e., PsycINFO indexes most human resource management and business journals). More information on these requirements are available on the paper template.
Your paper must be submitted in pdf format (i.e., modified Word template ‘printed’ to pdf) via email to the sameday as your presentation. Hard copies are not required.
It is strongly recommended that your group write your paper first and develop your presentation second.
Presentation: 10%
The presentationshould follow the sections and continuity of the paper. However, the presentation is not to be a reading of the paper. Not all members of your group are required to participate in the presentation. You may choose one or two people to present, given time limits. You may also assign different group members to different sections of the presentation. The presenter(s) will stand at the front of the class. Due to time constraints, the presentation will be limited to 10 minutes with an additional 5 minutes for a question and answer period. There is a penalty for going beyond these time limits, so rehearse your presentation in advance. It is a good idea to assign back-up presenters if you are unsure of your ability to attend that particular class.
A template for the presentation title page will be provided at the course website. The information on this template must be used for your presentation. Presentations presented and submitted without the use of this information will not be marked. The filename of your presentation must correspond with your group’s topic, course and section, and group name (filename of the template: Title of Presentation-AP_HRM0000-Group Name-Presentation).
Your presentation must be presented on your scheduled day, and also submitted in pdf format (i.e., Powerpoint or Prezi ‘printed’ to pdf) via email to the same day as your presentation. Hard copies are not required.
The purpose of the presentation is to help develop presentation skill. I will be grading content, structure, clarity, eye contact, audibility, effective use of presentation aids, and interaction with and involvement of the class. The performance dimensions by which your presentations will be marked will soon be available at the course website.Attendance during other groups’ presentations in class will be critical, as some exam questions may derive from them.
Peer Evaluations: 5%
Each student must submit peer evaluationsof their other group members via web survey. A broadcast email will be sent to you with a survey link at the beginning of Week 4. The purpose of these evaluations is to ensure that each member is making consistent and valuablecontributions to the group assignment. You should evaluate each member with respect to participation in group activities, both inside and outside of class. Carefully evaluate each team member’s behaviour during activities with your group. These are CONFIDENTIAL evaluations. Please do notcollude with your team members (i.e., agree to give each other high evaluations).
The peer evaluation survey must be completed within 24 hours of your presentation and paper submission or you will receive a mark of 0/5. Late peer evaluation survey responses will not be accepted.
Shirking responsibility within groups is a form of academic dishonesty. Students that are reported by other group members as shirkingwill be required to meet with me and an administrative representative in the School of Human Resource Management to formally investigate the matter and determine, if necessary, the appropriate academic penalties.
Examinations (75%)
All exams in this class will be closed book, and comprise a combination of objective questions (e.g. multiple choice) and those requiring written answers. In all exams, questions will be based on lectures, text, group presentations, and (if relevant) guest speaker presentations. Therefore, it is a good idea to come to all classes and to read the textbook. Exams will not be returned to students but may be reviewed in my office by appointment.
Note: Not all of the material covered in the text will be discussed in class. Conversely, some of the material presented in the lectures will not be in the text. However, you will be responsible for all the material in both the text and in the lectures.
Mid-Term Examination: 35%
The mid-term examination will be held in our regular classroom during regularly scheduled class time in the sixth (6th) week of the course and will cover material delivered before the mid-term. You will be advised of the final format before the exam. It is imperative that you attend the mid-term since there will be no other alternative dates to write a make-up exam.
Final Examination: 40%
The final exam will be held during the formal examination period for the semester, in a room and location to be announced closer to the exam date. The final examination schedule can be found at
The final exam will cover material delivered after the mid-term. You will be advised of the final format before the exam. More details will follow as the semester progresses.
In accordance with the University Policy, medical documentation will be required if the final exam is missed in order to defer the final exam. A Deferred Standing Agreement must be submitted to the School of Human Resource Management within one week of the missed exam. Deferred exams are common across all sections of 2600,and are cumulative. The dates are set by the School. No make-up dates will be offered during this term. If a student does not write the final exam, and is not able to provide medical documentation, s/he will need to petition for a deferral to the faculty council.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Communications
Please take note the following important communication policies for the course:
- Please use email as a first means of contact. Voicemail is rarely checked more than once a week.
- Students must have a York email address for all broadcast and one-on-one email communications. York email addresses can be obtained here: emails received from non-York email addresses will be unanswered.
- Due to the number of courses that I teach, all emails must include:
- The course number and section. Answers to emailed questions often depend on the course that you’re in.
- Your group name, if your email pertains to your group work.
- Your ‘real’ name, as registered with the Registrar’s Office (i.e., on yourtranscripts, official class lists). No nicknames, abbreviated names, nor adopted English names.
Emails that do not provide any or all of the above information will be unanswered.
- Emails with questions that can be answered by reading this course outline will be unanswered.
- Do not respond directly to broadcast emails to the entire class. They do not reach me. Email me directly at .
- Skype is an alternative option to meeting in person, as long as there are no hard copy materials that we have to review. Arrange a Skype meeting with me via email. My Skype name is pfairlie.
Lecture Slides
Lecture slides will be posted at the course website the night before lectures for printing and use in class. They are not uploaded earlier to avoid students from relying on slides versus reading the textbook.
Class Mannerisms
PDA use in class: There will be a zero tolerance policy for use of devices in the class room for voice or texting (e.g., cell phones, blackberries, iPhones). Should you be seen calling someone or texting you will be asked to leave the classroom. If you are in a situation that requires you to have your cell phone on and/or to receive text, please inform me prior to class.
Talking at the same time as other people: Not only is talking at the same time as someone else distracting, but it is also very disrespectful. Students who are talking at the same time as other people to the extent that it is distracting will be asked to leave the classroom.
Computer Use in Class: Computers in class should ONLY be used for taking class notes.
Student Resources
Nelson Canada offers a variety of additional study resources to students using the required textbook, including practice multiple choice questions, an online learning guide, and relevant websites. These can be accessed at searching for the textbook title and authors.
Material Required for All Examinations
Everyone must bring an HB pencil to the exams, which will be used to complete a computerized scoring sheet. As well, please ensure you bring a sharpener and an eraser. Also, do not forget your student card with your photo. Because of the size of the class, it is absolutely essential to have the appropriate pictured ID or you will not be permitted to write the exam.
Special Accommodation for Examinations
For students with disabilities requiring special accommodation for writing of examinations, please make the necessary arrangements well (at least 2 weeks) in advance of the examination dates and bring the paperwork to me early in the course.
Missed Examinations
You will receive broadcast emails at scheduled times about policies and procedures for missed examinations. There is no need to email me about a missed exam.
Marks and Grades Postings
Midterm examination grades will be posted well prior to the last day to drop the course without receiving a grade. Unofficial marks for all course requirements will be posted at the end of the course.