;’

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

(MGT2013)

2009-2010
Office: Management School , 25 University Square

Office Hours: Thursday & Friday by appointment

Module Lecturer: John Porter

e-mail: J.M.Porter@qub.ac.uk

Lectures: Friday 10 – 12 pm Room 6UQG05

Tutorials: as by Class Group allocation from week 3 (on-line allocation)

Aim:
The aim of this module is to increase understanding of human resource management in a
fast changing working environment.

Objective:
On successful completion of the module students will have:

Gained a comprehensive knowledge of how economic and social transformations

are impinging on the nature of the employment relationship.

Acquired understanding of the main principles and practices associated with the
management of people in organisations.

Explored the relationship between human resource management and

organisational performance

Traced the connections between human resource management and labour market
institutions and rules.

Considered the ethical foundations of human resource management.

Acquired Competencies
On completion of this module, students will have improved their competencies in three
ways:
1. Improved personal transferable skills; by promoting class discussion the module’s
seminar format advances the social, collaborative and persuasion competencies of
the student.

2. New subject specific skills; student will acquire knowledge of important practices
and procedures associated with managing people at work.

3. General conceptual skills; by exploring dilemmas linked to managing the

employment relationship the module enhances student problem-solving and
analytical competencies

CONTENT
The context
Structural shifts away from manufacturing to service-related activities, the rapid diffusion
of technological change and increased competitiveness due to globalisation are changing
the nature of work and employment. Moreover, the rise of new social trends such as the
two-earner family is impacting on traditional patterns of labour market activity.

The Issues
These social and economic transformations are disrupting established methods and
procedures for the management of people at work. Collective bargaining is on the
decline, trade unions on the defensive and old style personnel management is regarded as
moribund. Innovatory policies and practices are being invented to manage the
employment relationship in the new economy. But tricky matters of design and ethics
surround some of the modern techniques to manage human resources.
The module explores some of the new thinking and practices, as well as dilemmas and
tensions, Zsuch as work/life balance associated with managing people in the modern
world of 21st century.

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS

Lectures will be used to highlight the confusion and complexities that arise from
managing the employment relationship. Seminars will be used to allow students to
explore and discuss in greater depth problems identified in lectures.

2
Assessment
Students are required to submit written work and sit and end of module examination.
Continual assessment makes up 50 % of the overall grade and the examination 50%
. The continual assessment consists of one assignment (worth 30% of marks) which
should be a maximum of 3,000 words in length, typed in Word format and submitted
together with a disk copy via the Student Office and a tutorial Group presentation on an
agreed case-study for completion in weeks 11 or 12 (worth 20% of module marks)

Assignment Deadlines
Submission date for the assignment is; Friday 26th March 2010 by
4.30pm
Assignments must be handed in at the Student Office 22 University Square which is
open from 9.30am – 12.30pm and 2.00pm – 4.30pm, using the assignment feedback
and submission form (copy in appendix)
Be sure to complete the submission form and signing-in procedure in student office.
Note; Assignments will not be returned to students, a copy should be retained for your
own records

Reading list
Core texts
Bratton, J and Gold, J. (2007) Human Resource Management, Theory and Practice
(4th edition)London Macmillan Press ISBN 10 0-978-0-230-00174-9 Available in Queens
Bookshop
ESSENTIAL READING
Torrington, D. Hall, L and Taylor, S (2008) Human Resource Management (7th edition.)
FT Prentice Hall Europe ISBN: 978-0-7-1075-2 . Available in Queens Bookshop

Indicative reading
Human Resource Management at Work People, Management and development (3rd
edition) M Marchington & Adrian Wilkinson (CIPD Bookstore (2005)

Storey J (2007) Human resource Management – A critical Text (3rd edition)

Thomson learning

Hiltrop, Jean-Marie The Changing Psychological Contract –The HR Challenge of the

1990s European Management Journal Vol. 13, No3 (September 1993)

Marsden, David –Preparing to Perform – Teachers and Performance Related Pay

Centrepiece Magazine for Economic Performance Vol. 5, issue 2 (Summer 2000)

Wilson, I ‘The new Rules, ethics social responsibility and strategy’

from Emerald Resources, http;www/ninetta.emeraldinsight.com

3
Wood, S.(2000) ‘Putting the cart before the horse. How sure can we be about the
management revolution? from Centerpiece, Magazine for Economic Performance Vol; 5
Issue 1, (Spring 2000).

Teaching Plan for Lectures and Seminars

Lectures, Friday 10.00 – 12.00 noon

Week 1 – Introduction, and the Natutre of HRM

5th Feb. Chapter 1; Bratton and Gold
Chapter 1; Torrington, Hall & Taylor

Week 2 – Strategic HRM

12th Feb. Chapter 2; Bratton & Gold
Chapter 3; Torrington, Hall & Taylor

Week 3 – International HRM

19th Feb. Chapter 3; Bratton & Gold
Chapter 4; Torrington, Hall & Taylor

Week 4 – HRM Planning, Jobs & People

26th Feb . Chapter 6; Bratton & Gold
Chapter 3; Torrington, Hall & Taylor

Week 5 -- Recruitment and Selection

5th March . Chapter 7; Bratton & Gold
Chapters 7 – 9; Torrington, Hall & Taylor

Week 6 – Performance Appraisal and Reward Management

12th March. Chapters 8 & 10; Bratton & Gold
Chapters 11, 12 & 13 & 26, 27 & 28; Torrington, Hall & Taylor

Week 7 - HRM Development

19th March. Chapter 9; Bratton & Gold
Chapters,16 – 19; Torrington, Hall & Taylor

Week 8 - HRM and Employee Relations

26th March. Chapter 12; Bratton & Gold,
Chapters 20 & 21; Torrington, Hall & Taylor

EASTER VACATION

4
Teaching Plan for Lectures and Seminars (continued)

Week 9– Health, Safety and Welfare

. 23rd Apr Chapter 13; Bratton & Gold
Chapter 22; Torrington, Hall & Taylor

Week 10 – Equal Opportunities and Promoting Diversity

30th Apr. Chapters 23 & 24; Torrington,Hall & Taylor
Chapter 6; Bratton and Gold

Week 11 – HRM in Practice, The Future of Work

7th May Chapter 14 Bratton & Gold, Chapter 34 Torrington Hall & Taylor,
Class Group presentations of case studies

Week 12 – Module Review – Retrospective view of the module, discuss revision and
14th May exam technique.
Class Group presentations of case studies

Seminars/Tutorials

Week 3 HRM and Strategy

Key readings; Chapter 2;Bratton & Gold,
Chapter 2 ;Torrington, Hall & Taylor
Key Objectives;
1 Explain the evolution of human resource management
2 Outline the meaning of strategic human resource management
3 Identify and understand the difficulties organisations have in
implementing human resource management policies

Week 4 HRM and the Organisational Design

Key Readings;
Chapter 4; Bratton & Gold, d Article by Stephen Wood ‘
Putting the cart before the Horse’ (Centre Piece Vol.5 Issue1 Spring
2000)
Chapter 31; Torrington, Hall & Taylor
Key Objectives;
1 Explain the meaning of the term ‘job design’
2 Explain how different organisational designs affect Human Resource
Management
3 Organisations do not have a single unified culture. Explain this
proposition in terms of HRM

5
 Seminars/Tutorials (continued)

Week 5 Health and Safety and the HRM cycle

Key readings; Chapter 5; Bratton & Gold, Chapter 31; Torrington, Hall &
Taylor
;Key Objectives:
1 Understand the need for ‘well-being’ and the range and extent of
workplace Health and Safety
2 Be aware of the key developments in health, safety and welfare
internationally
3 Explain the benefits of health and safety in the workplace

Week 6 HR Planning and Jobs

Key Readings; Chapter 6; Bratton & Gold, Chapter 5; Torrington, Hall &
Taylor
Key Objectives:
1 Understand the position of planning in human resource management
2 Understand the different approaches to manpower planning
3 Explain the importance of career management

Week 7 Recruitment and Selection in HRM

Key Readings; Chapter 7 Bratton & Gold, Chapters 11 & 12 Torrington &
Hall
Key Objectives;
1 Understand the place of recruitment and selection in human resource
management
2 Explain the nature of attraction in recruitment
3 Understand the importance of recruitment and selection in the formation of
relationships
Week 8 Learning and Development
Key Readings; Chapter 9; Bratton & Gold, Chapter18; Torrington, Hall &
Taylor
Key Objectives;
1 Explain the various mechanisms used to link pay and performance
2 Describe the drawbacks of performance-related-pay
3 Explain the paradoxes and tensions in reward systems in relation to the
HRM model

6
Week 9 Performance, Appraisal and Reward
Key readings; Chapters 26 – 28; Torrington, Hall & Taylor
Chapters 8, 10; Bratton and Gold
, Article on Diversity from Journal of Industrial Relations
Key Objectives;
1 Explain the purpose and use of performance management
2 Assess various approaches to understanding performance at work
3 Explain the key functions of role and reward management

Week 10 Employee and Union Relations

Key Readings; Chapter 12; Bratton and Gold,Chapters 20, 21; Torrington,
Hall & Taylor
Key Objectives;
1 Understand the contemporary trends in industrial relations
2 Describe the Trade Union attitudes towards workplace partnerships
3 Evaluate the implications of the HRM model for union- management
relations

Week 11 The future of HRM and the New Psychological Contract at Work
Key readings; Chapter 6; Bratton & Gold, Chapter 2; Marchington &
Wilkinson
Key Objectives;
1 Explain the meaning of the term psychological contract
2 Describe the changing character of employment relationships
3 Assess the future of HRM in this new millennium

Week 6 – Includes an Assignment Clinic in Tutorials covering the issues and common
faults in assignments from students

Lectures and Tutorials may be subject to change/modification in the light of

unexpected developments during the Semester

Assignment (due date for submission; Friday 26th march 2010) worth
30% of module marks

Either topic 1) or topic 2)

Topic 1:
Explain the problems of integrating HR Strategy with corporate strategy. How can
these problems be addressed in the modern organisation?

Key readings; Bratton & Gold Chapter 2, Torrington & Hall Chapter 2

7
 Articles on Human Resource Management and Strategy CIPD Web site

Topic 2:
One key question relating to working time and well being is whether long
working hours make it more difficult to reconcile paid work with family or
social commitments. How realistic is it to expect employees to achieve the
goal of work/life balance in today’s economic climate? Discuss.

Key readings; Bratton and Gold; Chapter 4,

Torrington, Hall & Taylor; Chapter 31.
CIPD (2005) study on flexible working impact survey

Format:
Maximum of 3,000 words, typed in Word format and submitted with a disk copy.
(References and Bibliography not included in word count)

J. M. Porter January 2010