Students

HRM 250 – Human Resource Management

2014 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Tutor
Philomena Brandt
Contact via philomena.brandt@mq.edu.au
Before or after tutorial
Other Staff
Deborah Howlett
Contact via deborah.howlett@mq.edu.au
Unit Convenor
Karen O'Connell-Shea
Contact via karen.oconnell-shea@mq.edu.au
E4B104
Thursday 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
HRM107
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit addresses recruitment and selection in organisations and examines measurement and decision making in HR selection, job analysis techniques, performance prediction, interviewing and psychometric assessment. The unit takes a technical approach and both the scholarly literature and applied practices of specialist topics are examined.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Examine the role of HR measurement in selection decision making and explain important measurement principles of selection instruments.
  • Describe and explain the concepts of reliability and validity of selection data in addition to making effective selection decisions.
  • Explain the role of job analysis and describe techniques to collect job information.
  • Analyse job performance measures and the appropriate use and important characteristics of each measure.
  • Identify steps, difficulties and constraints in developing a selection program and examine the range of selection programs in a variety of organisational settings
  • Appraise the ways in which sustainability can be incorporated into recruitment and selection activities.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Early Semester Quiz 10% Wk 4
Essay 30% Wk 7
Group Presentation & Report 20% Wks 7, 8, 9, 10 &11 in tutes
Final Examination 40% University Examination Period

Early Semester Quiz

Due: Wk 4
Weighting: 10%

In tutorial

Extension: No extensions or supplementary available

This assessment is intended to give feedback on student performance and for students to see the type of multiple choice questions used in the final exam.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Examine the role of HR measurement in selection decision making and explain important measurement principles of selection instruments.
  • Describe and explain the concepts of reliability and validity of selection data in addition to making effective selection decisions.

Essay

Due: Wk 7
Weighting: 30%

Word length: 1500 words Please see Ilearn for essay details

Submission: This assessment is to be submitted ONLINE through TURNITIN in week 7 and to be also  handed into BESS by Friday 2nd May 3.00pm 

Extension: No extensions will be granted. Late essays will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline.  Essays submitted after 72 hours will be awarded 0 marks.

Penalties: There will be a deduction of 20% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof (INCLUDING WEEKENDS) that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission - 40% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved.

What is required to complete the unit satisfactorily: This assessment is worth 30% of students' final marks.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Examine the role of HR measurement in selection decision making and explain important measurement principles of selection instruments.
  • Describe and explain the concepts of reliability and validity of selection data in addition to making effective selection decisions.
  • Analyse job performance measures and the appropriate use and important characteristics of each measure.
  • Identify steps, difficulties and constraints in developing a selection program and examine the range of selection programs in a variety of organisational settings

Group Presentation & Report

Due: Wks 7, 8, 9, 10 &11 in tutes
Weighting: 20%

Full details of this assessment is available to enrolled students on iLearn

Submission: During tutorial

Extension: None granted

What is required to complete the unit satisfactorily: Peer review of group members' contribution is required in order for students to be credited with marks from this assessment. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Examine the role of HR measurement in selection decision making and explain important measurement principles of selection instruments.
  • Describe and explain the concepts of reliability and validity of selection data in addition to making effective selection decisions.
  • Explain the role of job analysis and describe techniques to collect job information.
  • Identify steps, difficulties and constraints in developing a selection program and examine the range of selection programs in a variety of organisational settings
  • Appraise the ways in which sustainability can be incorporated into recruitment and selection activities.

Final Examination

Due: University Examination Period
Weighting: 40%

The final exam is worth 40% of the final mark. It is not necessary to pass the final exam in order to pass this unit.

A final examination is included as an assessment task for this unit to provide assurance that the product belongs to the student and the student has attained the knowledge and skills tested in the exam. A 3 hour final examination for this unit will be held during the University Examination period.

 

 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Examine the role of HR measurement in selection decision making and explain important measurement principles of selection instruments.
  • Explain the role of job analysis and describe techniques to collect job information.
  • Analyse job performance measures and the appropriate use and important characteristics of each measure.
  • Identify steps, difficulties and constraints in developing a selection program and examine the range of selection programs in a variety of organisational settings
  • Appraise the ways in which sustainability can be incorporated into recruitment and selection activities.

Delivery and Resources

Classes

The subject consists of a weekly two hour lecture and a one hour tutorial. The timetable is at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/  Note: Students must attend 80% of all tutorials to complete the unit, i.e., miss no more than two tutorials, including medical absences. A log will be taken to record attendance.  Medical certificates are required for medical absences and should be given to your tutor.

You must stay in the tutorial to which you were enrolled as a cap is applied on the number of students to each tutorial in order maximise your learning experience. However, you may change a tutorial, providing the tutorial you wish to change to has a vacancy.  The only way you can do this is via e-student within two weeks of the start of semester.  Changes cannot be made after week two.

Students are expected to arrive on time, certainly before five minutes past the hour and not to leave until the class ends. 

Mobiles should be turned off during classes, not simply set to silent. Texting or other mobile phone activity during class is distracting to the student, the lecturer and other students and is strictly forbidden. Students violating this requirement will be asked to leave the class.

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

The textbook required for this unit is available for purchase at the University Co-op Bookshop and a limited number are available in the Macquarie University library:  

Gatewood, Field, and Barrick (2011). Human Resource Selection. (7th ed.). Cincinnati: Southwestern College Publishing Company. This is an American textbook selected for the thorough manner in which the technical aspects of selection have been addressed. The text is available at the University Co-Op Bookshop and is also available online.

E-text information: Students can access the Gatewood & Barrick text via CengageBrain.com which a single destination for print textbooks, eBook, single eChapters, and study tools.  http://www.cengagebrain.com.au/shop/FAQ.html has some extra links if students are experiencing compatibility issues. On the left hand panel is a link “Requirement and Capabilities”.  For technical help with eBooks or your purchase go to http://www.cengagebrain.com.au/shop/Support.html.  While the print version is $129.95 (GST inc), the eBook is priced at $71.95 (GST inc).  CengageBrain eBooks provide two years of access. While the pricing is below that of the print book, the eBook cannot be on-sold at the end of your studies. The eBook is not able to be copied to another student.

Recommended reading for those interested in less technical side of recruitment:

Compton, Morissey & Nankervis, Effective Recruitment and Selection Practices. (5th ed.). CCH Australia Limited, Sydney.

Knox-Haly (2008). How to stop your workplace going pear-shaped: Readings in HR Risk Mitigation. (1st ed). Tilde Uni Press, Prahan, Vic. This Australian text incorporates legal perspectives on workplace issues and recruitment. 

Recommended reading for sustainable leadership and organisational change:

Avery, G. C. & Bergsteiner, H. (2010). Honeybees and locusts: the business case for sustainable leadership, Allen & Unwin, Sydney. 

Dunphy, D. , Griffiths, A. and Benn, S., Organisational Change for Corporate Sustainability, Routledge, London and New York, 2003; revised edition 2007

Cohen, E., (2010). CSR for HR, Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield 

You should familiarise yourself with the relevant HRM journals in the library:

  • Academy of Management Journal
  • Asia Pacific Journal of HR
  • Australian Journal of Management                      
  • California Management Review
  • Harvard Business Review                                  
  • HRM Journal 
  • International Journal of Employment Studies
  • International Journal of HRM
  • International Journal of Manpower
  • Personnel Journal 
  • Labour & Industry
  • AHRI Asia Journal      
  • Personnel Management
  • Personnel Review
  • Sloan Management Review
  • The Journal of Industrial Relations

Some useful websites

Key research databases for your study of HRM include

Technology Used and Required

Unit Web Page

  • The online resource (iLearn: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au) to accompany this unit is used for student announcements and electronic distribution of materials.
  • Students should check the unit website regularly and a minimum of once a week. The slides for each week’s lectures will be loaded to the iLearn site.
  • Note that the slides presented in the lecture may have been recently updated and not be identical to the slides on iLearn.
  • Lectures are recorded for student use through the Echo system and may be accessed through iLearn. Note, however, that Echo (iLecture) is not intended as a substitute for attendance at lectures.

 

Learning and Teaching Activities

The lecture will generally involve presentation of theoretical material as a basis for more general discussion in the tutorials. Tutorials will focus on practical application of the material, and will emphasise students' own future careers and job searches. Students are expected to have read prescribed reading prior to class and engage in tutorial group discussions.

What has changed from previous offerings of this unit?

Unit changes since last semester have been based on student feedback, pedagogy and movements in the recruitment industry. Specific changes to the unit include increased explicit links between lectures and tutorials,  and a change in the sequence of lectures to more accurately reflect the recruitment process sequence. A change has occurred in the type of group report/presentation and it is based on secondary research this session. The essay is now focussing on Recruitemnt application in a global context.

 

Unit Schedule

Week

Lecture Topic

Tutorial activities

Text readings

 

Assessment tasks and feedback

Week 1:

Introduction to unit, Selection

No tutorial

 Ch 1

 

 

Week 2:

HRM in Selection

Discussion

 Ch 3

 

 

Week 3:

Reliability & Validity

Form groups and select topics

 

Chs 4, 5

 

 

Week 4: Selection Issues

 

Early Semester Quiz

 Ch. 2

 

 

 

 Ass#1:Early semester quiz (10%)

Week 5:

Recruitment of Applicats, Forms and Reference Checks

Selection Issues

 Ch 8 & 9

 

 

Week 6:

Strategies for Selection Decision Making

 Recruitment forms, conducting reference checks

Ch 6

 

 

Week 7:

The Selection Interview

 

 

 Ch 10

 

Ass #2: Essay to BESS (30%)

 

 

 

 

 

Week 8:

Ability Tests, Personality Assessment 

Group presentation

Chs 11, 12

 

 Presentations commence

Week 9: compulsory

Guest: Industry update, Diversity and E-recruitment

Group presentation  Ch 2  

Presentations continue

Week 10:

Performance Tests & Assessment Centres

 

Group presentation Ch 13  

 Presentations continue

Week 11: compulsory

Guest: Australian Recruitment Law

 

Group presentation

Discussion Decision making selection matrix

 

 

 Presentations continue

 

Week 12: compulsory

Job Analysis 

Private Sector Resume - Career service session 

Interviewing skills & role plays

Ch 7

 

 

 

Week 13:

Measures of Job Performance

Exam Briefing

 Diversity and e-recruitment

Ch 15

 

Final exam in exam period (40%)

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Academic Honesty

The nature of scholarly endeavour, dependent as it is on the work of others, binds all members of the University community to abide by the principles of academic honesty. Its fundamental principle is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

  • all academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim
  • all academic collaborations are acknowledged
  • academic work is not falsified in any way
  • when the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately.

Further information on the academic honesty can be found in the Macquarie University Academic Honesty Policy at http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Grades

Macquarie University uses the following grades in coursework units of study:

  • HD - High Distinction
  • D - Distinction
  • CR - Credit
  • P - Pass
  • F - Fail

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Grading Policy which is available at:

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grading Appeals and Final Examination Script Viewing

If, at the conclusion of the unit, you have performed below expectations, and are considering lodging an appeal of grade and/or viewing your final exam script please refer to the following website which provides information about these processes and the cut off dates in the first instance. Please read the instructions provided concerning what constitutes a valid grounds for appeal before appealing your grade.

http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/new_and_current_students/undergraduate_current_students/how_do_i/grade_appeals/

Special Consideration Policy

The University is committed to equity and fairness in all aspects of its learning and teaching. In stating this commitment, the University recognises that there may be circumstances where a student is prevented by unavoidable disruption from performing in accordance with their ability. A special consideration policy exists to support students who experience serious and unavoidable disruption such that they do not reach their usual demonstrated performance level. The policy is available at:

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Examine the role of HR measurement in selection decision making and explain important measurement principles of selection instruments.
  • Describe and explain the concepts of reliability and validity of selection data in addition to making effective selection decisions.
  • Explain the role of job analysis and describe techniques to collect job information.
  • Analyse job performance measures and the appropriate use and important characteristics of each measure.

Assessment tasks

  • Early Semester Quiz
  • Essay
  • Group Presentation & Report
  • Final Examination

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Examine the role of HR measurement in selection decision making and explain important measurement principles of selection instruments.
  • Describe and explain the concepts of reliability and validity of selection data in addition to making effective selection decisions.
  • Explain the role of job analysis and describe techniques to collect job information.
  • Analyse job performance measures and the appropriate use and important characteristics of each measure.
  • Appraise the ways in which sustainability can be incorporated into recruitment and selection activities.

Assessment tasks

  • Early Semester Quiz
  • Essay
  • Group Presentation & Report
  • Final Examination

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Examine the role of HR measurement in selection decision making and explain important measurement principles of selection instruments.
  • Describe and explain the concepts of reliability and validity of selection data in addition to making effective selection decisions.
  • Explain the role of job analysis and describe techniques to collect job information.
  • Analyse job performance measures and the appropriate use and important characteristics of each measure.

Assessment tasks

  • Early Semester Quiz
  • Essay
  • Group Presentation & Report
  • Final Examination

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Examine the role of HR measurement in selection decision making and explain important measurement principles of selection instruments.
  • Describe and explain the concepts of reliability and validity of selection data in addition to making effective selection decisions.
  • Appraise the ways in which sustainability can be incorporated into recruitment and selection activities.

Assessment tasks

  • Group Presentation & Report
  • Final Examination

Research and Practice

  • This unit includes sustainable recruitment & selection practices as a core element.
  • This unit uses research by Macquarie University researcher: Jepsen, D., Grob, S., (2010). Sustainability in Recruitment & Selection: Buidling a Framework of Practices. Working Paper, Macquarie University