First Class

SCH-MGT 770 Human Resource Management Spring 2006 Professor M. Cecilia McMillen, Ph.D.

AGENDA – Thursday, February 2 1. Introduction to the course and each other 2. Exercise: Experiences in HRM 3. Lecture: The evolving role of HRM 4. Break: 15 minutes 7. Introduction to case discussion 6. Group exercise: Answer case questions, and provide recommendations 10.Class discussion of case analysis 11.Lecture: Overview of the initial chapters 9. Closing remarks, assignments for next class

Course Objectives 1. Develop a comprehensive and actionoriented understanding of human resource management 2. Explore commonly encountered human resource issues and develop decision-making abilities that can be applied in our organizational contexts

3. Explore the organizational implications of applying a strategic perspective to the management of huma resources

How we will work towards these objectives • Readings from the text provide content • Class discussions enhance understanding • Case study analysis enables us to apply our knowledge and experience to concrete situations • Experiential exercises allow us to explore other ways of seeing the topic • Group projects engage others in producing a deeper understanding of HRM in practice

The Syllabus and Course Schedule • Contains all the topics we will be covering in the course • Class by class description of learning objectives, classroom activities planned and assignment due dates • Some class activities may change if required to provide additional depth or pursue a topic of interest relevant to the course • Online access to the syllabus through the course Website: http://intra.som.umass.edu/mcmillen

Exercise: You experiences with HRM 

Individual work: Think about an experience you had recently related to HRM. It could be a positive or a negative experience. Make a few notes on this experience – what happened, who was involved, how that made you feel.

Experiences of HRM – Group Work  2. 3.

4.

In your group: Tell each other your stories Summarize what you learned – positive or negative – about HRM from those stories Select a member of the group to share your conclusions with the class

The changing role of Human Resource Management Stage 1 - Administration of wages and salary,benefits and work rules to ensure efficiency and large volume of production; low concern with employee quality of life. Stage 2 - The above, plus concern about human relations and quality of work life issues; emphasis on selecting and developing the right individuals for specific jobs and predictable careers; psychological contract based on loyalty Stage 3 – The above (minus the predictable careers) plus concern about diversity, changing environment, alignment with strategy, and globalization; profound changes in the psychological contract

Changing Role of HR Management Now emerging on the horizon is the period of strategic integration for organizations who are figuring out how to pull all of the pieces together in a globalized context, between geographically distributed units, within strategic alliances, while bringing diverse units of employees in alignment with diverse segments in customer markets. Bruce J. Avolio, in “The Chief Integrative Officer”, from The Future of Human Resource Management, Losey, Meisinger and Ulrich, eds., 2005, New York, NY: John

Questions for HR Department case: 

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What are the key HRM issues facing Loft securities? What has Luke done right from an HR perspective as HR Director? Where has Luke stumbled on the job? How does top management see HR What advice should Rose give to Luke?

Group Exercise 1. Review individual contributions 4. Decide on a recommendation – What advice should Rose give to Luke? Time assigned for the exercise: 30 minutes Return to the classroom at the end of that time. Hand in a sheet of paper with group member names and written recommendation.

Contribution of the Behavioral Sciences Scientific Management - Fred Taylor Industrial/Organizational Psychology - Woods, Munsenberg Concern: Efficiency in job design, Validity in selection decisions Human Relations: Hawthorne studies, Organizations as social systems Concern: Morale, worker cooperation, group behavior, employee attitudes affect productivity

Current HRM practice pulls from several new theoretical frameworks: Systems Theory - Interrelationship of parts in a whole Sociotechnical Systems Design: Relationship between the technical and human elements in organizations

Behavioral sciences (industrial/organizational psychology) Group behavior, leadership, motivation Strategic Management – Resources and capabilities, competitive advantage

Applying these theories enables HRM to deal with emerging issues • • • • • • • • • •

Changing environment Changing lifestyles Dual career families Larger proportion of minorities in workforce Quality of work life Deteriorating health and pension systems Globalization and outsourcing Aging of the workforce Economic factors The changing social contract

HRM and Organizational Performance Internal Environment

Structure

External Environment

Technologial And Physical Resources

Management Philosophy

Leadership Style Human Resource Management Individual Financial Motivation and Resources Performance Organizational Team Culture and Behavior and Climate Performance

Organizational outcomes

A New Mandate for HRM Future Orientation

Strategic Partner

Process

Change Agent

• Contribute to business • Lead and facilitate change strategy

Administrative Expert

Employee Champion

• Deliver HR Services

• Foster Employee Commitment

Operational/Day – to – Day

People

Preparation for next class: 1. Review points covered in today’s class and the learning objectives, and feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions 5. Read chapters 1-4 7. Read “A New Mandate for HR” in your coursepack 9. Prepare the homework assignment: “Changing hearts and minds at Home Depot”