Dominican University

Brennan School of Business

BAD 245-01

Human Resource Management

Course Syllabus

Spring 2009

Instructor: Gerald M. McCarthy

Office: Fine Arts, F200

Phone: (708) 524-6561

Email: gmccarth@dom.edu

Class meets: Tuesday & Thursday, 8:30 AM T0 9:45 AM

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

Required Materials: Mondy, Noe, Premeaux, Human Resource Management, 10^th 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.
Understand the influence of globalization on the Human Resources profession

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:

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 January 29, 2009
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 can be helpful in assisting your research. . Due March 5. 2009.
Submit a (4-5) 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 disadvantages? Is it in everybody’s interest to participate at the maximum allowable levels? Do companies have an obligation to contribute/match/exceed employee contributions? What is your personal view of these plans and comment on your expectations as to how they will impact your future? Articles read in publications like Business Week, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal and/or government publications should be cited in support of your views in this paper. Due April 16, 2009.

Grading:

Class Attendance 10 points

Class Participation: 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 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 periodically. 3 or more unexcused absences will result in a 0 point class participation grade, in other words loss of a full letter grade. You are expected to be in the classroom promptly at 8:30 AM. Latecomers are a distraction to the instructor and fellow students. When you enter the business world, you will learn that unexcused absence, tardiness, and inattentiveness are just not tolerated. As a former businessman, I expect students to adhere to this policy as well.

Each student is expected to contribute to class discussions. 10 points, or 10% of your overall course grade will 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 participation grade component. Your class participation grade will reflect the quality and the frequency of your contributions. 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”.

Course Calendar: (subject to change)

Date Assignment for the date of:

TR Jan 15 Class introductions and Syllabus review

T Jan 20 Chapter 1

TR Jan 22 Chapter 3

T Jan 27 Chapter 2

TR Jan 29 Chapter 4 (Written Paper # 1 Due)

T Feb 3 “Biography, goals & plans” discussion

TR Feb 5 Chapter 5

T Feb 10 Internet Recruiting Discussion

TR Feb 12 Chapter 6

T Feb 17 Guest Speaker - Recruitment

TR Feb 19 Exam # 1 Chapters 1-6

T Feb 24 Chapter 8

TR Feb 26 Chapter 8 continued

T Mar 3 Chapter 9

TR Mar 5 Chapter 10 (Written Paper #2 due)

Mar 9 thru 15 Spring Break

T Mar 17 “Best companies to work for” discussion

TR Mar 19 Chapter 7

T Mar 24 Appendix to Chapter 7

TR Mar 26 Guest Speaker Training

T Mar 31 Exam #2 Chapters 7-10

TR Apr 2 Guest speaker-Career Planning

T Apr 7 Chapter 11

Apr 9 thru 12 Easter Break

T Apr 14 Chapter 12

TR Apr 16 Chapter 13 (Written Paper #3 Due)

T Apr 21 “401-K” discussion

TR Apr 23 Chapter 14

Week of Apr 27 Final exam (#3) Chapters 11-14