UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON
MANA 5341-001Staffing and Performance Management –Fall 2010
As of Aug 19
Instructor: Jeanne Michalski
Phone: 817-272-3864
Office: COBA 606
Wednesday6:00 – 6:45p.m.and by appointment
Location:Wed7:00 – 9:50 pm
COBA 251
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course covers the acquisition, deployment, assessment and retention of an organization’s workforce. Basic knowledge of human resources, organizational behavior, and business statistics is required. Class material covers recruitment strategies, methods of selection, development and validation of selection and employee appraisal instruments, and implementation of performance management processes.
In addition to learning the principles of human resource management through readings and classroom lecture, this course will offer practical guidance onskillsincludinginterviewing and conducting performance evaluations. The aim of the course is to provide a foundation making staffing and management decisions based on legal compliance, best practice, and scientific research.
The course material is not only useful for working in human resource departments. At some point in your career, your ability to succeed is likely to depend on your ability to recruit and evaluate others. Ultimately, the tools and skills developed in this course should help you become more effective contributors to organizations.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Understand the practice of human resource staffing and performance management in modern corporations.
- Gain practicalskills in conducting job analyses, writing help wanted ads, interviewing, judging job candidates, and conducting performance evaluations.
- Develop quantitative skills to analyze reliability, validity and adverse impact.
- Appreciate the legal environment for employers in testing, hiring, and performance appraisal.
- Learn concepts and approaches to align staffing and performance management systems with business strategy.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of MANA 5341, students will be able to:
- Detail the various laws that create equal opportunity obligations for employers
- Forecast HR needs using trend analysis and probability tables
- Identify different job analysis techniques
- Assess selection tests for reliability, validity and equal opportunity
- Compare and contrast the different methods used in performance management
- Identify common errors in performance evaluation
- Describe common feedback techniques for supervisors
REQUIRED TEXT
- Human Resource Selection, 7th edition, (2010), Gatewood, Field & Barrick. Southwestern Publishing.
- U. S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration. (1999). Testing and assessment: An employer's guide to good practices. (A free download available at:
- A set of readings are available for purchase through Harvard Business School Publishing. These readings are noted on the syllabus as (HBS). To obtain the HBS readings and cases, you will need to purchase the cases from Harvard’s website.
Course Link:
General Link:
Additional required readings are listed on the course schedule. These readings will be available through Blackboard. Other readings may be assigned or handed out during class.
GRADING
A grade of A (90%), B (80%), C (70%), D (60%), or F (<60%) will be earned based on:
PointsPercentage
Midterm5025%
Final Exam5025%
Individual Paper3015%
Class Participation3015%
Article Presentation2010%
Group Presentation2010%
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200100%
All written assignments should be typed with 12-point font, on 8.5 x 11 inch paper with 1-inch margins. Paper versions of assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late assignments and handwritten assignments will not be accepted. Returned paperwork, unclaimed by a student, will be discarded after 4 weeks.
EXAMS
Exams will take place during normal class times. Bring #2 pencils and scantran form 4521.
Tests will consist of multiple choice, true/false, and short answer and essay questions about the material covered in the course including all assigned readings, videos, and in class exercises.
ARTICLE PRESENATATION
In some weeks students will bring additional articles on selection and lead discussion. Students will sign up in advance for the week they wish to complete this assignment. Grades will be assigned based on: following instructions, article appropriateness and quality, clarity of summary, and presentation. To complete this assignment, students should:
- choose an article from a noted publication such as Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, the Dallas Morning News, HR Magazine, etc. The article should be a legitimate and relevant article, clearly appropriate to the week’s topic. Please bring a copy the article for each student in class. To prevent the duplication of articles students will have the article approved via email on a first-come first-served basis.
- provide aone page type-written analysis of article/findings(1 copy only for professor). This should be not more than 1 page and should emphasize your assessment of the article rather than a summary.
- present to the class on the relevant week. Students will have approximately 10 minutes to present including time for questions and discussion with the class. The presentation should include PowerPoint slides that summarize the article and discuss the relevance to the topic.
GROUP PRESENTATION
One of the sessions on selection tests will consist of group presentations on an assigned chapter or section of Human Resource Selection. This assignment requires you to work in groups of approximately 5-6 classmates which you will select after the first week of class. Each group will be given a single grade shared by each member of the group with the assumption of equal contribution to the material and/or presentation. Groups will have approximately 15 minutes for each presentation including class discussion. Examples and creativity are encouraged. Grades will be assigned based on: following instructions, clarity of summary, and presentation. In addition to the presentation students should:
- include a set of PowerPoint slides that can be distributed electronically to the class that summarizes the tests and highlights the key points. PowerPoint slides should be emailed to prior to class.
- a 1 page “study guide” that summarizes the topic including test descriptions, recommended usage and reliability/validity characteristics. The study guide summary should be intended to help classmates prepare for the mid-term exam. Please bring a copy the summary for each student in class.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Attendance in class is expected. Because this is an interactive class, outside work is important. All required readings should be completed and prepared for discussion before class. Class participation and completion of assignments is essential in order to gain maximum benefit from the course and will count as 15% of your final grade. Your participation is evaluated on your attendance, homework, preparation for class, and the quality of contributions you make to discussions and exercises in the classroom.
INDIVIDUAL PAPER
This paper requires you to analyze how managers of a real organization have dealt with a significant staffing or performance management issue. Research may be done by (1) visiting an organization with more than 25 employees and interviewing at least one manager or, (2) finding one or more articles from the business press which describes a problem at a particular company and how it was handled. Papers should be around 12-15pages in length and should include the following:
Background information: You should begin with a basic description of the organization, their mission, and relevant company history. Also attach to your completed paper information on your source materials. This should include either contact information (names, titles, dates, and phone numbers) for personal interviews and a complete set of references.
Description of the issue and how it was handled: Summarize the issue which you have identified. Provide a short history of events including how the issue came about and what the organization did to address the issue.
Your assessment: Give your critique of the organization’s actions using the material discussed in class. Which concepts – be specific – from the class can be applied to better understand the problem or issue presented by the case? Include reasons why the organization was successful in dealing with the issue or recommendations for what managers could have done differently. Make recommendations for how the organization should proceed using by applying the tools, concepts, and examples from class material.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you are a student who requires accommodations in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), please consult with me at the beginning of the semester. As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide “reasonable accommodation” to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Your responsibility is to inform me of the disability at the beginning of the semester and provide me with documentation authorizing the specific accommodation. Student services at UTA include the Office for Students with Disabilities (located in the lower level of the UniversityCenter or 272-3364) which is responsible for verifying and implementing accommodations to ensure equal opportunity in all programs and activities.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
The University supports a variety of student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success. They include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form at The University of Texas at Arlington. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University.
“Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.” (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2., Subdivision 3.22).
BOMB THREATS
If anyone is tempted to call in a bomb threat, be aware that UTA will attempt to trace the phone call and prosecute all responsible parties. Every effort will be made to avoid cancellation of presentations/tests caused by bomb threats. Unannounced alternate sites will be available for these classes. Your instructor will make you aware of alternate class sites in the event that your classroom is not available.
EVACTUATION PROCEDURES
In the event of an evacuation of the College of Business building, when the fire alarm sounds, everyone must leave the building by the stairs. With the fire alarm system we now have, the elevators will all go to the first floor and stay there until the system is turned off. All those in the North tower side of the building should proceed to the fire escape stairs located on the East and West sides of that wing.
Disabled persons please go to the Northeast fire stairs. We have an evacu track chair located on the 6th floor stairwell. We have people trained in the use of this chair and there will be someone that will go to the 6th floor to get the chair and bring it to any lower floor stairwell to assist disabled persons. Should this be a real emergency, the Arlington Fire Department and UTA Police will also be here to help.
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Tentative schedule
Aug. 31Introduction to Staffing
Sept. 7Legal Issues
HRS Chapter 2 and DOL Chapter 2
Sept. 14Job Analysis
HRS Chapters 7 and 8
DUE: Article on legal issues in selection (see instructions)
Sept. 21Recruitment
HRS pp. 7-16 and Chapter 3
Blackboard: The Definitive Guide to Recruiting in Good Times and Bad
DUE: Article on recruitment
Sept. 28Measurement
HRS Chapters 4, and 5; DOL Chapter 3
Oct. 5Selection 1: Initial Screening
Chapters 9 and 10; DOL Chapters 4, 5 and 6
DUE: Measurement problem set
DUE: Article on employee screening
Oct. 12Selection 2: Testing
DUE: Group Presentations of Selection Tests
Group #1Mental Ability Tests – pp. 533-556
Group #2 Ability and Performance Tests – pp. 556-566; pp. 605-618
Group #3Personality Testing – pp. 571-597
Group #4Assessment Centers – pp. 619-636
Group #5Integrity Testing – pp. 641-652
Group #6 Drug Testing – pp. 652-658
Oct. 19MID-TERM EXAM
Oct. 26Selection 3: Interviewing and Selection Decisions
DUE: Article on testing or interviewing
HRS Chapter 11 and 6; DOL Chapter 7
Nov. 2Strategic Staffing
Blackboard Huselid et al “A” Players or “A” Positions
Blackboard Nalbantian & Szostak How Fleet Bank Fought Employee Flight
Blackboard: Boudreau & Cascio The Economic Value of Job Performance
Nov. 9Performance Management
DUE: Article on performance evaluation
BlackboardNoe et al. Performance Management
HBS Is Forced Ranking Right for My Organization
Nov. 16Goal Setting
HBS Setting Goals that Others Will Pursue
BlackboardComing Up Short on Nonfinancial Performance Measurement
BlackboardGoal Setting
Nov. 23Rewarding Performance
Nov. 30Rewarding Performance continued
DUE: Article on incentives.
BlackboardSix Dangerous Myths about Pay
HBSBrainard, Bennis & Farrell
DUE: Answer the following for Brainard, Bennis & Farrel:
- What tradeoffs are involved in setting partner compensation?
- Assume that the partners represented in Exhibit 2 are a representative cross section of the firm in terms of performance, skill, and background. Allocate 216 compensation “points” among these eight partners (8/37ths of the partner’s 1000 point pool) and be prepared to justify your allocation.
Dec. 7Providing Performance Feedback
HBSConducting a Performance Appraisal Interview
HBSAlternatives to the Annual Performance Review
DUE: Individual papers
Dec. 14FINAL EXAMWednesday 8:15 pm (Following University Exam Schedule)
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