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AD024 Human Resources Management
ECTS credits:4 (Semester2,February – June 2017)
Course Overview
Human resource (HR) management is the process of hiring, training, and compensating people, developing
policies relating to the workplace, and developing strategies to retain employees. It involves staffing,
workplace policies, benefits and compensation, retention, training, employment laws, employee protection.
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This course will entail an overview of HR management, a fundamental component of the competitiveness,
effectiveness, and sustainability of any organization. HR activity determines who is hired, how they are
trained, evaluated, and compensated, and what strategies are adopted to retain them. HR management plays
a critical role in both predicting and influencing employees’ behaviour, attitudes, and performance.
During the course we will focus on the functions and duties performed under the general rubric of HR, which
may be executed by human resource personnel, managers, or a number of other employees onto whom
these responsibilities may fall (without always having received ‘HR’ training per se). We will focus on the most
common aspects of HR functions such as hiring, termination, administering pay and compensation, handling
staffing issues, and general coordinating with management and employees with the aim of ensuring a
harmonious and efficient workplace in multiple areas. We will also seek to consider the various contemporary
challenges associated with HR management, such as the local/domestic and global economic climate, the
changing nature of the workforce at large, and rapid technological advancements.
The course will thereby entail a foundation course for those planning to pursue HR or management careers,
whileevoking necessary consideration of HR matters for those planning to work in alternative fields. It is also
designed to apply HR knowledge to students’ professional and academic endeavours, such as application
and interview processes, giving and receiving feedback, and understanding commonplace expectations of
employees and their work in organizations. Understanding HR matters from the perspective of management
and HR personnel can lead to more skilful handling of on-the-job staff related issues and better ability to
navigate such.
While themain text for the course(madeavailable onlinefrom the University of Minnesota, see below section
entitled ‘Readings’) is written with the United States as a point of departure, the course will draw on readings
and discussions from a wider international perspective, with the aim of giving students an insight into HR
practices in a variety of European contexts, and others further afield as far as possible.
Related courses
AD024 is the introductory course for the human resources area in the degree programme. Subsequent
related courses include: Multicultural Management; Business Ethics; Management abilities: Communication
2, and Teams and organization management.
1 Adaptedfrommain course text Human Resources Management (unnamed author,2016)

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Course Objectives
This course seeks to assist students in:
 Developing a broad understanding of HR management and the strategic role of HR management
within an organization.
 Understand the primary functions, duties and responsibilities of HR personnel and thosewho engage
in HR oriented work.
 Developing an awareness of the common constraints and considerations within organizations that
come into play in the HR decision-making process, including broader ‘macro’ factors that influence
HR management, i.e. local environment, the international work arena, the global economic climate,
politics, technological factors.
 Gaining an insight into typical corporate expectations and demands of their employees.
 Becoming familiarized with the interview and selection process from the HR and management
perspectives, and knowing how to prepare for it.
 Building on existing skills in problem solving and decision making: using the relevant information,
applying appropriate methods and locating issues within the entire organization.
 Further developing the necessary skills for critiquing literature and writing academic essays, drawing
on publications both within and related to the HR domain.
Learning Outcomes
On the completion of this course students should be able to:
 Understand the broad field of HR management and the many responsibilities and ethical considerations
which work therein incurs.
 Be able to explain the various duties which fall under the general rubric of HR management.
 Understand the multiple constraints and factors which may influence or dictate HR derived processes
and activity in organizations.
 Understand decision making processes from the perspectives of HR personnel and management staff
in organizations (taking into account economic, social, ethical factors)
 Discuss the ethical implications and legal requirements in both hiring and handling staffing issues in
both the U.S. and further afield.
 Produce a curriculum vitae and cover letter to a high standard.
 Be better equipped to write an academic style essay incorporating peer reviewed journals or other
published work, and to critique literature which has been published in the field.
Course structure and calendar
The following lists the main topics that will be covered. The order in which they are covered may vary, but
each topic is directly connected to a chapter from the required text.
Topic 1 (Week of 6-10th
February, 2s)
Chapter 1: Introduction to HR management
Welcome and introduction to the course
Discussion of course objectives, syllabus, requirements and evaluation process
Discuss assignments, referencing and use of Mendeley

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Topic 2 (Week 13-17th
February, 2s)
Chapter 3: Diversity and Multiculturalism in HR management
Explore the importanceof diversity and multiculturalism within an organization and in the related HR
processes.
Topic 3 (Week 20-24th
February, 2s)
Chapter 4: Recruitment
Learn about the process of drawing together a suitable pool of candidates for interviewing.
Work on developing curriculum vitae and cover letters to a high standard.
Topic 4 (Week 27th
February – March 3rd
, 2s)
Chapter 5: Selection
Learn about the interview and selection process, evaluation of candidates.
Discuss interview preparation strategies.
Topic 5 (Week 6th
– 10th
March, 2s)
Chapter 6: Compensation and Benefits
Understand the process of compensating and motivating staff through pay, benefits, vacation time, and
other incentives.
Topic 6 (Week 13th
– 17th
March, 2s)
Chapter 7: Retention and Motivation
Learn about the retention strategies and techniques which are used to keep staff motivated and reduce
turnover rates.
Midterm exam (Week 20 – 24th
March, 0s)
Exam date TBC
Topic 8 (Week 27-31st
March, 2s)
Exam review
Midterm exam results to be distributed. Go over answers to midterm exam. In-class time for review of
other grades and tying up any ‘loose ends’, addressing any concerns or questions.
Continue in-class presentations based on students’ readings of one journal article.
Topic 9 (Week 3-7th
April, 2s)
Chapter 9: Successful Employee Communication
Discuss the various aspects of employee communication, covers aspects including emotional intelligence,
effective and ineffective behavioural styles, as well as different management approaches and models.
 NB: Writing assignment will be due April 14th.
Topic 10 - (Week 18-21st
April, Group A - 2s; Group B - 1s)
Chapter 10: Managing Employee Performance
Consideration of the various methods of evaluating employees’ on-the-job performance.
Topic 11 (Week 24 – 28th
April, 2s)
Chapter 11: Employee Assessment
Look at various approaches to performanceevaluation of employees in different organizations.

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Topic 12 (Week 8-12th
May, 2s)
Chapter 14: International HRM
Identify HR management concerns in terms of an organization’s international dealings. Consider various
cultural aspects of HR in different global locations.
Topic 13 (Week 15 – 19th
May, 2s)
Presentations/project work
TBD, finishing presentations/project work in class.
Topic 14 (Week 22-26th
May, 2s)
Review session
Review of work covered to date in preparation of final exam.
Assignment of extra task for making up missed grades where necessary.
In-class time allocated for review of overall grades, addressing exam related concerns etc.
Final Exam (dates TBC)
Course evaluation
EVALUATION:
The course grade will be based on the following point breakdown:
• 25% - Attendance and participation (including completion of in-class tasks)
• 35% - Writing assignment and presentation(s)
• 20% - Midterm exam: short answer and discussion questions on concepts studied to
date
• 20% - Final exam: discussion questions (a selection of topics from the entire course)
NB: An assignment to make up extra point for missed grades will be allowed.
NB: 3 missed classes for any reason acceptable, percentage calculated thereafter
RETAKE POLICY:
Point breakdown for the retake exam:
70% Written exam
30% Exercises and activities to be submitted
Maximum grade of 5 can be awarded.
Methodology
Classes are designed with an interactive ‘theorythen application’ approach in mind. Theformer is imparted
through assigned readings, lecturing and videos, while application is accomplished via team work,
presentations, group discussions, hypothetical scenarios, and other activities, both in and out of class. While
managed by the professor, classes are ultimately the co-creation of both students and the professor, since
much emphasis is to be placed on student input and participation during this course. Students are expected
to take a proactive, business-minded approach to their own learning, invited to give their opinions and
show critical thinking throughout classes with regard to topics covered. Team-work is considered an
essential element in improving student’s communication skills, and paves the way for working with

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colleagues in real business contexts. During this course students will also be given an opportunity to write
their own CVs and will gain insight into general interview processes and how best to prepare for them.
Readings
In addition to thecases we will be discussing in class, you will be provided with a range of additional materials
through eStudy.
Required Textbook
Human Resource Management, ebook made available online by University of Minnesota Libraries
Publishing:
https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/BookDetail.aspx?bookId=71
Other recommended Textbooks
 Becker, G. S. (1962). Investment in Human Capital: A Theoretical Analysis. Journal of Political
Economy, 70(5(2)), 9–49.
 Dolan, S. L., Schuler, R. S., Jackson, S., and Valle Cabrera, R. (2007). La Gestión de los Recursos
Humanos: Cómo atraer, retener y desarrollar con éxito el capital humano en tiempos de
transformación. McGraw-Hill. (in Spanish)
 Mondy, E. W. and Noe Robert M. (2005). Human Resource Management. Prentice Hall.
 Legge, K. (2005) Human Resource Management: Rhetorics & Realities; Anniversary Edition
(Management, Work & Organizations), Palgrave Macmillan.
 Lussier, R. & Hendon, J. (2013). Human Resource Management – Functions, Applications, Skill
Development. Sage Publications.
 Snell, S. & Bohlander, J. (2013). Managing Human Resources, South Western-Cengage Learning.
Recommended MOOCs
The following Coursera offered online by University of Minnesota is obligatory for students to complete
prior to the midterm exam:
https://www.coursera.org/learn/managing-human-resources
Course Social Media
The following LinkedIn group is recommended for students interested in following online discussions and
the exchange of ideas within a community of professionals:
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/125177/profile
About the professor
Professor: Carly Collins

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Email : ccollins@salleurl.edu
About the Professor:
Carly Collins is a Phd candidate in sociolinguistics at the Universitat de Lleida, Catalunya, where her ongoing
doctoral thesis is focused on English, neoliberal ideology and inequality. She holds a Masters in Multilingual
Learning and Development from the University of Luxembourg, and a BA of Applied Psychology from UCC,
Ireland. She has over 10 years of work experience in a range of professional sectors including business
administration, investment banking, human resources, and the legal domain, in countries including Ireland,
Luxembourg, and Australia. Today she works as a freelance copy-editor, proof-reader alongside academic
research and teaching commitments.