course material

1. (Mt) – Human Resource Questions
Strategic Human Resource Management Review: What is a business model? • Business
Model • Story of how firm will create value for customers and how it will do so profitably. •
Accounting concepts: • Fixed costs • Variable costs • Margins • Gross margin • The goal of
most for profit organizations is to increase margin (revenue relative to costs) • Quiz: Is
labor a fixed or variable cost? What Is Strategic Management? Components of the Strategic
Management Process • process for analyzing an organization’s competitive situation •
developing organization’s strategic goals • allocation of capital to achieve those goals
Strategy formulation: • strategic planning groups decide on strategy Strategy
implementation: • organization follows through on strategy Requirements for HR to Help 1.
Have input into the strategic plan regarding human capital and capability 2. Have
knowledge of the strategic goals of the organization 3. Know what knowledge, skills,
behaviors, and attitudes are required to support the strategic plan of the organization 4.
Create programs, policies, and procedures to develop them Role of HRM in Strategy
Formulation • Answers the question “With what will we compete?” • The organization
needs to determine what role HR will have in the formulation process Model of Strategic
Management Mission Goals Strategy Formulation External analysis Internal analysis
Strategic choice “Quick” SWOT Analysis for Google STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Expanding
liquidity Issues with Chinese government Operational efficiency Dependence on advertising
segment Broad range of services portfolio Growing bureaucracy OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
Growing demand for remote work Anti-trust legislation Growth in remote education
Political polarization Increases in cloud computing Unionization Exercise • Step 1: What are
RIC’s Mission and Goals? What opportunities and threats does the current environment
pose? • Step 2: How could HR help in a strategy formulation? Strategy Implementation • “An
organization has a variety of structural forms and organizational processes to choose from
when implementing a given strategy.” • Five variables: • Organizational structure • HRM
tasks • Task design • Selection, training, and development of people • Reward systems •
Types of information and information systems Human Resource Needs Organizational
Culture “…a complex set of values, beliefs, assumptions, and symbols that define the way in
which a firm conducts its business.” Helps define relevant stakeholders (employees,
customers, suppliers, and competitors) and how to interact with them. Both strategy and
culture need to be aligned with the value they provide to customers. Talent (Skills &
Behavior) • Individuals who can have a disproportionate (positive or negative) impact on
the firm • Key groups of employees who are critical to driving value in the value chain that

2. drives value to the customer • Vertical alignment occurs when HR practices and processes
address strategic needs of the business. • Link is primarily through people: • Job analysis
and design • Recruitment • Selection systems • Training and development programs •
Performance management systems • Reward systems • Labor relations programs Labor and
employee relations Employees – assets or expenses? How much should employees
participate in decision making? What rights do employees have? What is the company’s
responsibility to employees? Strategic Types Porter’s cost and differentiation strategies: •
Value created by reducing costs • Value created by differentiating a product or service so
the company can charge a premium price relative to its competitors Role behaviors • In cost
strategies: companies define the skills they require and invest in training employees in
these skill areas • In differentiation strategies: employees exhibit role behaviors such as
cooperating with others, developing new ideas, and taking a balanced approach to process
and results Common Strategies and HR Roles Concentration Strategies • Company must
maintain current skills that exist in organization • Need for skill-based training and fair
compensation • Appraisals are more behavioral, and behaviors are established through
extensive experience Internal Growth Strategies • Companies must constantly hire, transfer,
and promote individuals • Compensation weighted towards achievement • Joint ventures
require conflict resolution Mergers and Acquisitions Downsizing • People issues can cause
problems • Different organizational cultures— standardization? • Conflict resolution •
Allows company to “get rid of dead wood” and make way for fresh ideas • Opportunity to
change organization’s culture • Tends to fall short of meeting companies’ financial and
organizational objectives • Has negative effects on employee morale and productivity •
Must “surgically” reduce workforce by cutting less valuable workers • Early retirement
programs usually result in rehiring Strategy Evaluation and Control • Must constantly
monitor effectiveness of both the strategy and implementation process. • Helps identify
problem areas and either revise existing structures and strategies or devise new ones. • •
Emergent Strategies • • Strategies that evolve from grassroots of the organization What
organizations actually do, not what they intend to do Usually identified by those lower in
organizational hierarchy Intended strategies are result of rational decisionmaking process
used by top managers to develop strategic plan • Enhancing Firm Competitiveness •
Develop human capital pool that allows the company to adapt to ever-changing
environments Becoming a “learning organization” • Allows people to continually expand
capacity to achieve desired results Strategic Management of the HRM Function Perceived as
a strategically run business unit within the organization Total quality management
orientation Products of the HRM department must be identified Technologies through
which HRM meets customer needs Customer orientation HOW STRATEGIC IS YOUR HR
DEPARTMENT? THE AVERAGE BREAKDOWN OF HR ACTIVITY WHAT HAS THE MOST
VALUE? BASIC PROCESS OF BUILDING HR STRATEGY Involving Line Executives 01 02 03
04 Provide input Team members to develop HR strategies Receive communications
Approve the strategy Evaluating HRM Effectiveness Audit Approach Analytic Approach
Involves review of customer satisfaction or key indicators related to an HRM functional area
The development of electronic employee databases and information systems has made the
audit approach much easier Involves determining the impact of, or the financial cost and

3. benefits of, a program or practice. HOW DO WE FOCUS ON MORE IMPORTANT ACTIVITY?
Shifting HRM Structure to be Strategic Historical HRM Organizational Structure New HRM
Organizational Structure Using Process Redesign and New Technologies to Improve HRM
Effectiveness Reengineering: Review and redesign of work processes to make them more
efficient and improve the quality of the end product or service. New Technologies: Current
applications of knowledge, procedures and equipment that have not been previously used.
Usually involves replacing human labour with equipment, information processing or some
combination of the two. Self Service: Giving employees online access to HR information.
THE REENGINEERING PROCESS New Technologies for HRM Tech Innovation in HR •
Usually involves automation • Transaction processing, reporting, and tracking • Decision
support systems • Expert systems • Artificial intelligence (AI) • Chatbots Predictive
Analytics • Identify problems before they happen • Employee retention Customization •
Customize employee’s experience • Cafeteria benefit plans, pay mix, life changes Individual
Exercise ◦ Choice: Option 1: ◦ 1) Think about a current work process that could be
reengineered by HR ◦ 2) Describe the process and how you would redesign it ◦ 3) What
obstacles might you face? Option 2: 1) What tech innovations could disrupt your
organization’s HR? 2) What obstacles might you face in using them? Welcome to
Introduction to Human Resource Management Who am I? • PhD in Industrial-Psychology
(’18) • SHRM-SCP (’21) • Taught HRM for 5 years including MBA and MHRM classes • 7
years of consulting experience in talent management • Married in ‘19 • Canadian • Dog
Lover Course Description • Human Resource Management is a strategic function within an
organization designed to develop the human capital required to achieve its mission. •
Organizations are only as effective as their people, and it takes evidence-based systems to
nurture and retain human capital. • We will discuss ‘big picture’ topics such as developing
an HR strategy that achieves organizational goals, creating equitable people systems and
policies that comply with legal standards and managing people in multinational
organizations. • We will also discuss the traditional HR functions required to recruit, select,
develop, protect, and retain talented employees. • These traditional functions include
staffing, training and development, compensation, employee and labor relations, and
occupational health and safety. Course Textbook Noe, R., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhart, B., &
Wright, P. (2023). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage (13th
Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. *Older, international, and online editions are acceptable.
You will not need any access codes. Divided into 4 units • Unit 1 (Strategy and HR Law)
covers Chapters 1, 2, 3, 16 • Unit 2 (Recruitment & Selection) covers Chapters 4, 5, 6 • Unit 3
(Human Resource Development) covers Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10 • Unit 4 (Compensation &
Unions) covers Chapters 11, 12, 13, and 14 Evaluation System The quantity of work you
complete will determine your letter grade range (A, B, C, or D), but the quality of your work
will determine where in each range you fall (e.g., B+ or B-) Grade Level Work Bundle A
Individual Learning Plan 14 Weekly Activities 3 Personal Reflections 2 Knowledge
Assignments with A-Level Question 1 A-Level Group Consultation Assignment B Individual
Learning Plan 11 Weekly Activities 2 Personal Reflections 2 Knowledge Assignments 1 B-
Level Group Consultation Assignment C Individual Learning Plan 9 Weekly Activities 2
Personal Reflections 2 Knowledge Assignments D Individual Learning Plan 7 Weekly

4. Activities 2 Knowledge Assignments Grade Level Letter+ “Exceptional” Letter “Good”
Letter“Adequate” Examples of quality of work throughout the term Exceptional writing
quality and content Exceptional participation in weekly classes Highly responsive to
feedback on assignments Shows significant improvement throughout the term and works
with the writing center Consistently meets requirements Shows some improvement
throughout the term Regular participation throughout term Achieves minimum standards
None or limited improvement throughout the term Limited participation throughout term
Individual Learning Plan Your individual learning plan will be between 2 and 3 pages and
have four components (see Blackboard for full set guidelines): • Introduce yourself. This
section should cover why you are taking the course, an overview of your experience with
human resource management, and what you are most excited to learn in the course. • Your
goal and plan. This section should include your target grade and a detailed plan to achieve
your target grade (e.g., how will you manage your time?). I highly advise using a day planner
or online calendar and task list (e.g., Google or MS Outlook). • Hurdles and needed support.
This section will include any obstacles or hurdles you may face in achieving your target
grade and anything the instructor could do to help your learning. • Self-care plan. How do
you plan to maintain your physical and mental health during the school year? Due Date:
September 9th Weekly Activities Reading Summaries Q&A Papers Position Paper • These
are 500 summaries of your assigned reading • Must be paraphrased and in APA format (no
abstract needed) • Focus on main lessons from assigned reading • Guided reading
assignments with specific questions • Questions will be posted on Blackboard • Must use
APA format (no abstract needed) • Short argumentative paper (350-450 words) • You will
take a side on a controversial topic • Must cover more than one side, address common
points Weekly Activity* Due Date Topic Chapter 09/05 Introduction to HRM 1 Summary
09/12 Strategic HRM 2 & 16 Q&A 09/19 Employment Law 3 Position 09/26 Job Analysis
and Job Design 4 Summary 10/03 Human Resource Planning & Recruitment 5 Q&A 10/10
Screening and Selection I 6 Position 10/17 Screening and Selection II 6 Q&A 10/24 Training
7 Summary 10/31 Development 9 Q&A 11/07 Performance Management 8 Position 11/14
Employee Separation and Retention 10 Q&A 11/28 Pay Structure & Pay for Performance 11
& 12 Summary 12/05 Employee Benefits 13 Q&A 12/12 Labor Relations 14 Position
Personal Reflections • Personal reflections need to be between 300 and 500 words and
require you to focus on a specific issue or two from a class and relate it to a personal
experience. There are three parts to a personal reflection. • 1) Introduce the concept you
plan on discussing. The introduction should include brief definitions of key terms. • 2) Write
your personal experience, including all required background information. Would someone
unfamiliar with your experience understand what you’ve written? • 3) Link the concept and
your personal experience. Your reflections must be on topics from separate chapters.
Deadlines • Personal Reflection 1: September 26th • Personal Reflection 2: October 31st •
Personal Reflection 3: November 28th Knowledge Assignments • There are two ”take-
home” knowledge examinations • These are written, unproctored, and open-book
assignments • Each assignment should take around the same amount of time as an inperson
exam (including studying for the exam), but you are free to take as long as you need. • Each
midterm will be approximately 7-8 pages double-spaced. • Exam 1 is due: October 24th •

5. Exam 2 is due: December 15th Group Consulting Assignment • Your job is to evaluate how a
current or past employer could apply human resource management concepts from class.
Think about a major strategic priority of your employer. Pick two different topics from class
(e.g., recruitment and selection, or pay for performance and performance management) and
apply them to the organization and their priority. • A Brief “B-level” Applied Assignment
needs to be around 600 words plus references. A Comprehensive ‘Alevel” Applied
Assignment needs to be around 100 words plus references. Naturally, the attention to detail
and standards are more stringent for the comprehensive ‘A’ level assignment. Indicate
which format you’re choosing in your submission. • Due December 21st Use Campus
Resources The Writing Center Disability Service Center Counseling Centre Project Excel
Rhode Island Hope Line Human Resource Management Topic 1: Introduction This Photo by
Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC What is Human Resource Management? •
Human resource management (HRM) can be defined as “the polices, practices, and systems
that influence employees’ behavior, attitudes, and performance” • Plays a vital role in
company’s survival, effectiveness, and competitiveness. • Competitiveness can be defined as
“the ability to maintain gain market share” • In the information era, it is extremely difficult
to be competitive without a modern and strategic HR department How did HR influence this
transformation? • HR’s chief human resource officer learned from line managers, technical
experts, and employees what needed to change • IBM overhauled their HR system to attract,
grow, and retain new talented employees with the current skills in cloud computing •
Developed an online performance management tool that allowed managers to provide
timely and continuous feedback to employees • Continuously revised the tool based on
feedback using the company’s new social networking tool • Created “New Collar” program
to educate and train people from underrepresented groups to resolve employment equity
issues • Leverages data analytics and AI to craft and deliver adaptive training to employees
HR Roles It depends on the level of investment Role of HR in the Organization • The average
organization allocates $2,936 per employee to HR • The extent companies spend more or
less than this amount depends on how central HR is to the organization’s strategy • High-
impact HR functions (e.g., IBM’s) are extensive and require much larger budgets, averaging
$4,434 per employee • Low-impact HR functions may receive considerably less or even
have their function outsourced to third-party firms High-Impact HR Functions • More
integrated with the business • Skilled at attracting and retaining employees • Can adapt
quickly • Identify and promote talent from within • Identify what motivates employees •
Continuously building talent and skills Low Impact HR Function • Legal compliance •
Transactional • Administrative • Subordinate function in organizations Example: Hiring a
New Employee Low-impact HR team High-impact HR team • The operations department
and management will determine how to recruit, who to interview, who to hire, and what to
pay • The low-impact HR team will simply execute the plan – they will post the job ad, add
the person to payroll, explain their benefits • An HR “business partner” would actively
consult with the hiring manager, sharing their evidencebased expertise and actively listen
to the needs of the hiring manager • Each step of the hiring process from recruitment to hire
would involve a dialogue to make sure it’s being done in the most effective way HR as
Business with Three Product Lines Strategy Topic 3: The Growing Strategic Role of HRM

6. The Strategic Shift Time spent on administrative tasks is decreasing. Roles as a strategic
business partner, change agent, and employee advocate are increasing. Central place for
administrative and transactional tasks. Shared service model Includes centers of expertise
or excellence, service centers, and business partners. Most outsourced activities:
Outsourcing Traditional HR Functions • Benefits administration • Relocation • Payroll Most
common reasons for outsourcing: • Cost savings • Increased ability to recruit and manage
talent • Improved HR service quality • Protection of the company from potential lawsuits by
standardizing processes such as selection and recruitment Technology is Replacing
Traditional Functions • Reducing HRM role in administrative tasks, maintaining records,
and providing self-service to employees. • Shift to self-service gives employees access to
many HR functions. • HR managers have more time to work with managers on employee
issues. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY Lead efforts focused on
talent management and performance management using the best evidence-based practices
The Strategic Shift Use and analyze data to make a business case for ideas and problem
solutions Use people management skills across the business Structure and responsibilities
changing to ensure strategic role Historically, the majority of HRM professionals were
generalists Traditional HRM as “Legacy Function” Limited business training or acumen
Need to develop the 9 core HR competencies HR Technical Expertise and Practice • Apply
principles of HRM to contribute to success of the business Business Acumen SHRM 9 ‘Core’
Competencies • Understand business functions and metrics within the organization and
industry Critical Evaluation • Interpret information to determine return on investment and
organizational impact in making recommendations and business decisions Ethical Practice •
Integrate core values, integrity, and accountability throughout all organizational and
business practices Global and Cultural Effectiveness • Manage HR both within and across
boundaries Communications • Effectively exchange and create free flow of information with
and among various stakeholders at all levels of the organization to produce meaningful
outcomes Organizational Leadership and Navigation SHRM 9 ‘Core’ Competencies • Direct
initiatives and processes within the organization and gain buy-in from stakeholders
Consultation • Provide guidance to stakeholders such as employees and leaders seeking
expert advice on a variety of circumstances and situations Relationship Management •
Manage interactions with and between others with specific goal of providing service and
organizational success Sustainability • Company’s ability to meet its needs without
sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs • Company must meet
stakeholders’ needs • ESG practices must be part of company’s business model to gain
competitive advantage and reduce legal risks Navigating Modern Challenges Help
organization adapt to Labor Market • Labor Force and Employment Characteristics •
Population is most important factor in determining size and composition of labor force •
Growth is slow as labor force is aging • Diversity is increasing • Importance of service
sector, especially health care • Professional certifications are growing in popularity •
Shortage of qualified workers, especially with STEM skills Understand and Enhance
Intangible Assets and Human Capital Financial assets Physical assets • cash and securities •
property, plant, equipment Intangible assets • human capital, customer capital, social
capital, intellectual capital Examples of Intangible Assets Human capital Tacit knowledge

7. Education Work-related know-how Work-related competence Social capital Corporate
culture Management philosophy Management practices Informal networking systems
Coaching/mentoring relationships Customer capital Customer relationships Brands
Customer loyalty Distribution channels Intellectual capital Patents Copyrights Trade secrets
Intellectual property Emphasize Empowerment and Continuous Learning Give employees
responsibility and authority Hold them accountable Employees share in the rewards and
losses Learning organization Adapt to Change • Change is inevitable • Employees expected
to take more responsibility for own careers • Challenge is how to build a committed,
productive workforce • Changes in the employment relationship • • • • • Gig Economy Aging
workforce Upskilling of workforce Flexibility work arrangements Need for skilled
immigration Skills Needed to Manage a Diverse Workforce 1. Communicating effectively
with employees from various cultural backgrounds 2. Coaching and developing employees
of different ages, educational backgrounds, ethnicities, physical abilities, and races 3.
Providing performance feedback based on objective outcomes rather than values and
stereotypes 4. Creating a work environment that makes it comfortable for employees of all
backgrounds to be creative and innovative 5. Recognizing and responding to generational
issues Engage Employees 1. Pride in employer 2. Satisfaction with employer 3. Satisfaction
with the job 4. Opportunity to perform challenging work 5. Recognition and positive
feedback 6. Personal support from manager 7. Effort above and beyond the minimum 8.
Understand link between one’s job and company’s mission 9. Prospects for future growth
with the company 10. Intention to stay with the company Manage Talent Acquiring and
assessing employees Learning and development Performance management Compensation
Handle Legal Issues • Employment laws and regulations • Eliminating discrimination and
harassment • Health care coverage • Immigration • Data security practices and protecting
intellectual property Promote Ethical Practice Compete through Technology • Social
networking • Facilitates communication, decentralized decision making, and collaboration •
Artificial intelligence and robotics • Provide skills that are difficult to find • Perform some
job tasks previously completed by employees • May eliminate some jobs • High-
performance work systems • Maximize the fit between employees and technology •
Employees, managers, vendors, customers, and suppliers work together • Virtual teams •
Formed within one company or via partnerships with suppliers or competitors • HRIS
stores large quantities of employee data and can be used with a HR Dashboard