Dominican University

Brennan School of Business

BAD 245-02

Human Resource Management

Course Syllabus

Fall 2009

Instructor:                               Gerald M. McCarthy

Office:                                     Fine Arts, F200

Phone:                                     (708) 524-6561

Email:                                      gmccarth@dom.edu

Class meets:  Tuesday & Thursday, 1:00 PM to 2:15 PM

Office Hours: I will be available, in my office, from 11:30 AM through 12:45 PM every Tuesday/Thursday during the semester.  Please feel free to make an appointment to meet with me at any time regarding any questions or issues you might have regarding course material.

Required Materials:  Mondy, Noe, Premeaux, Human Resource Management, 10th edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: 2008.

Course Overview:  This course will primarily consist of lectures and discussion.  Students are expected to read assigned material from the textbook prior to the date it will be discussed in class.  There will also be articles and cases for class discussion that will be handed out from time to time during the semester. Several guest speakers will occasionally participate in classes to discuss their specific areas of expertise in the HR discipline.

Human Resource Management is an introductory or survey course that examines the importance of managing a firm’s most valuable assets, its people. Small family owned businesses as well as global corporations rely on the efforts of individuals, both personally and collectively, in order to achieve the mission defined for the business, by meeting goals and objectives that the organization embraces. Human Resources responsibilities include matching individual skills with specific job needs, performance evaluation, compensation and benefit planning, specific skill as well as management training, governmental regulation compliance monitoring, industrial relations, and assisting management in creating a culture or atmosphere that values employees and their contributions to the business.

Course Objectives: After completing this course students will be expected to be able to:

• Discuss and to value workplace diversity, and understand regulations in this area
• Appreciate the role that Social Responsibility plays in successful businesses
• Describe the process of job analysis
• Identify internal and external sources for employee recruitment
• Understand the employee selection process
• Become familiar with performance appraisal systems
• Understand the importance and application of compensation and benefits planning
• Be familiar with numerous governmental employment regulations, and the monitoring role of HR
• Explain the importance of training and development in maximizing employee potential.
• Value the practices that increase employee motivation
• Be familiar with collective bargaining and labor relations
• Create individual career planning goals.

Course Requirements:  In addition to reading the chapter material from the textbook, exams that demonstrate your understanding of that material, and class participation evaluation, students will be expected to complete the following written assignments:

1. Submit a typewritten (4-5) page paper that provides a brief biographical sketch, outlines your goals when you leave Dominican, defines what you believe you will be doing 10 years after graduation, and details the steps you believe you will need to take to get to that goal.  Due September 17,2009
2. Select three (3) corporations listed in Fortune magazine in the past five years as “one of the best companies to work for”, and submit a (3-5) page typewritten paper explaining (1) why they were selected, and (2) identify their company benefits. The Library and the Internet can be helpful in assisting your research. Due October 22, 2009
3. Submit a (5-7) page paper with your views and your conclusions regarding 401-k plans that have essentially replaced traditional retirement and pension programs in American corporations and institutions in recent years.  What are their advantages? Are there any disadvantages?  Is it in everybody’s interest to participate at the maximum allowable levels?  Do companies have an obligation to match employee contributions?   Comment on your expectations as to how they will impact your future.  Articles cited from publications like Business Week or the Wall Street Journal should be referred to in support of the position you embrace in your paper. Due November 19, 2009

Grading: 

Class attendance                                 10 points

Class participation & discussion         10 points

Paper #1                                              10 points

Paper # 2                                             10 points

Paper # 3                                             10 points

Exam # 1                                             20 points

Exam # 2                                             15 points

Exam # 3 (final)                                  15 points

Total                                                   100 points

A course grade of:

A         will be earned                          90-100 points

B         will be earned                          80-89 points

C         will be earned                          70-79 points

D         will be earned                          60-69 points

F          will be earned                          59 points or below

Class Participation and Expectations:  You are expected to attend all classes and roll will be taken daily.  3 unexcused absences will result in a 0 point class participation grade, therefore, loss of a letter grade. You are expected to be in the classroom promptly at 1:00 PM.  Latecomers are a distraction to the instructor and fellow students.  When you enter the business world, you will learn that unexcused absence and tardiness are just not tolerated.  As a former businessman, I expect students, as young adults, to adhere to this policy as well. 

Each student is expected to contribute to class discussions. 10 points or 10 % of your final grade will also depend on in class discussion of your opinions, your answers to questions, and your analysis and ideas regarding both textbook material and your research for papers.  Prior reading and completion of assigned work enables you to speak up and earn the full class discussion grade component.  Your class discussion grade will reflect the quality and the frequency of your contributions.  Attendance alone does not represent class participation.  Make up exams will not be given and all written papers that are not handed in on or before the due date will receive a grade of “F”. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty will also result in a grade of “F” for that assignment or exam.

Course Calendar: (subject to change)

Date                                                    Assignment for the date of:                                                                         

PLEASE NOTE, CHAPTER ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY IN NUMERICAL ORDER

T          Sept 1                                      Class introductions and Syllabus review

TR       Sept 3                                      Chapter 1

T          Sept 8                                      Chapter 3

TR       Sept 10                                    Chapter 2

T          Sept 15                                    Chapter 4

TR       Sept 17                                    Chapter 5 (Written Paper # 1 Due)

T          Sept 22                                    “Biography goals & plans” discussion

TR       Sept 24                                    Internet recruiting impact discussion

T          Sept 29                                    Chapter 6

TR       Oct 1                                       Guest speaker- Recruitment

T          Oct 6                                       Exam # 1 Chapters 1-6

TR       Oct 8                                       Chapter 8

T          Oct 13                                     Chapter 8 continued

TR       Oct 15                                     Chapter 9

T          Oct 20                                     Chapter 10

TR       Oct 22                                     Chapter 7  (Written Paper #2 Due)

T          Oct 27                                     “Best companies to work for” discussion

TR       Oct 29                                     Guest speaker-Training

T          Nov 3                                      Appendix to Chapter 7

TR       Nov 5                                      Guest speaker-Career Planning

T          Nov 10                                                Exam # 2 Chapters 7-10

TR       Nov 12                                                Chapter 14                                                     

T          Nov 17                                                Chapter 11

TR       Nov 19                                                Chapter 11 continued  (Written Paper #3 Due)

T          Nov 24                                                “401-K discussion”

TR      Nov 26 Thanksgiving Day

T          Dec 1                                       Chapter 12

TR       Dec 3                                       Chapter 12 continued

T          Dec 8                                       Chapter 13     

TR       Dec 10                                     Chapter 13 continued

Week of December 14                       Final exam (#3) Chapters 11-14