Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Senior Lecturer, Moderator
Dr. Nikola Balnave
Contact via Email
E4A 509
By appointment
Lecturer, Tutor, Convener
Ian Dunbar
Contact via Email
By appointment
Yang Yang
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(48cp at 100 level or above) including (HRM201 and HRM250)
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
3cp from HRM300-HRM317
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is aimed at teaching students to apply knowledge and skills gained in human resources management (HRM) in an integrated way to organisations. The unit reviews and applies theoretical perspectives on strategic HRM to case studies of organisations. It provides the intellectual and practical tools for students to evaluate various approaches to the conception, planning, implementation and evaluation of strategic policy and practice in key functional areas of HRM. Students will develop graduate capabilities in critical, analytical and integrative thinking and effective communication in relation to the development of strategic responses to contemporary HR issues.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Tutorial Participation | 10% | No | weeks 2-13 |
Report | 25% | No | Tues 11 April, 2017 |
Case study/group presentation | 25% | No | weeks 9-13 as scheduled |
Final Examination | 40% | No | 13 June - 30 June exam period |
Due: weeks 2-13
Weighting: 10%
The tutorial programme is an integral part of this unit. Tutorials give students an opportunity to clarify material covered in lectures and readings, explore and apply key concepts in discussion, exercises and case studies, and prepare for the assessment for this unit.
Participation is based on:
(1) demonstrating understanding in tutorials of required readings in weeks 1 to 6. Students will be given specific questions to consider in their reading and these will be discussed in class;
(2) active engagement in case study and role play discussions. This will require prior reading of distributed case studies so that students are prepared for the activities in class; and
(3) contributions to the question and answer/discussion sessions which follow group presentations.
Your mark will be calculated from the first tutorial through to the last tutorial in week 12. Constructive involvement in activities is important. Mobile phones and the internet should be turned off during tutorials. Key issues in relation to expectations of students in tutorials are outlined in brief below.
1. Quality of contribution: Students should endeavour to make a regular and informed contribution to discussion.
2. Preparation: In order to make an informed discussion, students should complete the recommended reading and relevant chapters of the textbook.
3. Tolerance and Respect: Students should allow fellow students to express contrary views and be prepared to debate points in a reasoned and tolerant manner. Students should behave in a respectful and courteous manner towards their Tutor and fellow students.
4. Attendance: In order to participate, students must attend tutorials. However students should note also that silent attendance is not sufficient to earn marks for participation.
This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:
Due: Tues 11 April, 2017
Weighting: 25%
Length: 2000 Words (+/- 10%)
Submission Details
Students must submit their reports electronically through Turnitin using the link on iLearn by 4:00pm on the due date.
A hard copy of your report must also be submitted to BESS (E4B) by 4:00pm on the due date.
Hard copies must be identical to the electronic version submitted.
Late submissions
Late reports must also be submitted through Turnitin and a hard copy submitted to BESS in Building E4B to be date stamped and forwarded to your tutor for marking.
No extensions will be granted. A student who submits a late assessment will be penalised by 10% per day. That is, marks equal to 10% of the assignment’s weight will be deducted as a ‘flat rate’ from the mark awarded. This equates to 2.5 marks per day for this assignment. Saturday and Sunday each count as one day. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for disruption to studies is made and approved.
Aims and Objectives
This assessment encourages students to:
This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:
Due: weeks 9-13 as scheduled
Weighting: 25%
Due: weeks 9-12 as scheduled Weighting: 25 % (12.5% individual; 12.5% group)
In the tutorials, students will be formed into groups for the purpose of completing a case study exercise. Groups will have an absolute maximum of 4 members.
Students must submit their reports electronically through Turnitin using the link on iLearn by 4:00pm on the due date (the day of the presentation); and provide a hard copy of the report and any presentation materials (e.g. Powerpoint slides), to their tutor at the beginning of their presentation. The electronic copy submitted through Turnitin must be identical to the hard copy given to the tutor.
Each student group will be allocated a case study (organisation) and required to look at a specific strategic HRM issue which requires research and practical recommendations. The allocated organisation provides an opportunity to research key strategic HRM capabilities that align with business strategy. It is important that students note, this is a strategic HRM project and NOT a detailed research project into broader aspects of the allocated organisation.
Allocation of Company Case studies & SHRM topic will occur during the week 4 tutorials. Group presentations will be scheduled according to the SHRM topic canvassed - between week 9 and 13 (see class schedule on ilearn) Note. No change of schedule or extensions will be granted unless the group provides a written request to their tutor (copying in the Convenor) at least one week prior to the tutorial in which they are scheduled to provide their presentation. Any rescheduling will only be granted under exceptional circumstances.
Each group will be required to give a presentation on their case study findings and recommendations. The presentation requires students to use scholarly literature on the particular SHRM topic as a basis for considering the particular case study organisation's approach to managing people. Students must also provide a set of two or three recommendations for improvements to the company's approach, with a reasoned explanation. Group should also view the Q & A period following the presentation as an opportunity to canvass views about the practicality of recommendations, implementation issues that may arise and so forth, and experiences that other class members may have had with policies being proposed.
The presentation should take the form of a Twenty (20) minute presentation and talk to be followed by a short Q and A (approx 5 mins). The group should hand a summary of the presentation to the lecturer at the beginning of the talk.
Information you must provide in your Presentation includes:
In the research for their presentation, students should draw on sources they can obtain about the company both online and in print eg the company's annual report, articles in business magazines, newspapers, and other press articles and any other independent reports which can build an understanding of the company and the environment in which it is operating. You may also find if you search the library database, that there are articles which contain research on the relevant company in academic journals as well as in HR practitioner journals and business magazines. When using practitioner journals, student should remain conscious that articles generally express particular views rather than being balanced, researched scholarly publications. Business magazines such as Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and the Australian Financial Review, as well as HR Monthly (from AHRI) and journal articles are often a great source of such practices! But, groups must remain practical - and consider such issues as cost, labour skills, market, politics and other challenges in implementing SHRM practices. Please note, you must not approach a company directly - unless of course you are an employee there already
Detailed assessment criteria are also outlined in the Presentation Marking Sheet which will be lodged on ilearn in week 3.
This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:
Due: 13 June - 30 June exam period
Weighting: 40%
A two hour exam will be held during the university exam period.Students will be required to answer a combination of short questions and longer essay-style questions. As a guide, these essay-style responses are expected to be a minimum of 2 pages in length. Note: Exam questions will be assessing students' understanding of both the theoretical concepts covered in the course, functional areas of SHRM, and issues associated with management and organisation of SHRM in different corporate contexts.
Exam attendance: The university exam period for Session 1, 2017 is from 13 June - 30 June. You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in draft form approx 8 weeks before the commencement of examinations and in Final form approx 4 weeks before the commencement of the examinations. http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/exam
The Macquarie University examination policy details the principles and conduct of examinations at the University. The policy is available at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/examination/policy.htm
This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE LECTURER TO MOVE THE EXAM TIME - PLEASE DO NOT ASK.
Classes
This Unit is taught through lectures and tutorials. Classes are held each week of semester unless the class falls on a public holiday. Each lecture is two hours and tutorial, one hour. Lectures provide not only a consolidated account of major concepts and issues in relation to each topic - they also include discussion, questions and answers, brainstorming and other activities. The powerpoint slides posted on iLearn provide the framework for the material covered in classes, but are not and are not intended to be a complete record.
The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at: https://timetables.mq.edu.au.
There is a high degree of correlation between attendance and success in the unit.
Unit Schedule
A Unit schedule is included as a separate document on iLearn. This is where students will find the weekly schedule of lectures and tutorials as well as details of the required reading.
Required and Recommended Reading
Please note: This is a capstone course. Students are required to take considerable responsibility for their own learning. It is expected that every student will already know how to locate materials in the library, using e-journals and other resources. There is a textbook set for the Unit (see below) but this does not cover every topic. A detailed reading list pertinent to each topic is located on iLearn. Students are responsible for locating these readings in the library – teaching staff will not be doing this basic research task for students. Readings with an asterix are those which provide the most substantial cover of a topic and/or the most crucial issue(s). Students need to make their own judgments about how much reading they do, and which readings they select.
All required readings will be available through eReserve.
Textbook
Boxall, P and Purcell, J., (2015) Strategy and Human Resource Management, 4th ed., Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.
Technology Used and Required
Access to a personal computer is required in order to access announcements, course documents and learning materials on iLearn. Students should check iLearn at least once a week. Messages may also be posted to your Macquarie University student email accounts, so these should be checked at least weekly also.
Unit Web Page
The web page for this unit can be accessed via http://ilearn.mq.edu.au Please check the iLearn site at least weekly for announcements and to access teaching and learning materials loaded onto the site as the course progresses.
Research and Practice
This unit provides practice in applying research findings in your assignments. It also provides opportunities to conduct your own research through journal articles, texts and online data bases.
Satisfactory completion of this Unit will require:
A Unit schedule is included as a separate document on ilearn. This is where students will find the weekly schedule of lectures, tutorials and details of required readings.
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_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
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:
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:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Assessments: Essay replaced with report-format assessment. Debate replaced with case study and presentation. Individual component in marks for group/team work.
Additional Recommended Reading
On the ilearn site, students will find a Reading List which contains recommended readings for each topic covered in the Unit. The Unit relies heavily on recent scholarly journal articles and also classic theoretical and research publications.
There are also a number of excellent texts on the subject which cover some, but rarely all the topics in the course. Strongly recommended books include:
Note. * where this book examines topics covered in the course, the relevant chapter is listed in the reading guide.
Journals recommended for HRM study include:
Key research databases for your study of human resource management include:
Also search the websites of well-known consulting organisations such as Watson Wyatt, PWC, Deloitte, DDI, Hewitt Associates etc. These can be an excellent source for information on contemporary techniques and practices.
Additional Recommended Reading
On the ilearn site, students will find a Reading List which contains recommended readings for each topic covered in the Unit. The Unit relies heavily on recent scholarly journal articles and also classic theoretical and research publications.
There are also a number of excellent texts on the subject which cover some, but rarely all the topics in the course. Strongly recommended books include:
Note. * where this book examines topics covered in the course, the relevant chapter is listed in the reading guide.
Sustainability
Students should be aware that sustainability has a much broader meaning than 'green' issues, such as renewable energy and recycling. Companies today must consider their Triple Bottom Line, which means that they must focus on the sustainability of People, Profits and the Planet. Clearly, the people aspect is of interest to HR practitioners and will include discussions on flexible working, employee rights, equity, diversity and inclusion. In turn, these topics may inform discussion on outsourcing, offshoring and recruitment practices, to name a few. Students should familiarise themselves with the ten principles of the UN Global Compact and the Principles of Responsible Management Education, as well as company annual reports that provide insights into these areas.