Special Topics in Human Resource Management

The course covers range of major issues impacting on human resource management in
organizations including demographic and social change, ethics in HRM, managing diversity,
assessment center techniques, the impact of Government legislation on HRM, the contribution
of HRM to improving productivity, managing outsourcing, career development and mentoring.
INTRODUCTION
Human Resource management is a central function of any organization. Generally, 50 percent or
more of an organization’s operating budget is used to pay the people who work there. HR
management can be defined as the effective use of human capital in an organization through the
management of people-related activities. It involves leadership, values, employment planning,
recruiting and selecting employees, training and compensating them, and evaluating their
performance. It also significantly influences the corporate culture and norms.
The general purpose of MGMT E-4240 is to familiarize students with the basic principles and
techniques of human resource management. The course takes a practical view that integrates the
contributions of the behavioral sciences with the technical aspects of implementing the HR
function in the ‘real world.’ Certainly, not everyone who takes this course will become a human
resource professional, although they will learn a great deal about those roles. Indeed, for many
students this course will be the only HR course they take. However, all managers, no matter what
their specialization, play an integral role in carrying out HR policies and practices in their
organization – and they have to deal with their organization’s human resources department.
Thus, a basic understanding of human resource management is essential whether the student
works in a government agency, financial services, hospital, high technology industry, retail,
educational institution, or other type of organization. A key objective of this course is to show
that HR management is more than just accepting employment applications and keeping records;
it is a central and strategic organizational activity of increasing complexity and importance.
 
COURSE OBJECTIVES
These broad intentions can be defined more precisely through an examination of the course’s
specific objectives. By the end of the course the student will be able to:

1. Appreciate the importance of human resource management as a field of study and as

a central management function;
2. Understand the implications for human resource management of the behavioral
sciences, government regulations, and court decisions;
3. Know the elements of the HR function (e.g. – recruitment, selection, training and
development, etc.) and be familiar with each element’s key concepts & terminology;
and
4. Apply the principles and techniques of human resource management gained through
this course to the discussion of major personnel issues and the solution of typical case
problems.

 
COURSE MATERIALS AND WEBSITE 
Note: All of the following materials/texts are REQUIRED reading for this course.
1 - Text Book: The required course textbook is available at the Harvard COOP and online
through Amazon and other textbook sellers. You can chose to rent or buy the text (new or used)
and it is available in an electronic, as well as print, format:
 
Dessler, G. Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (4th Edition, Pearson)
ISBN:   9780133791532
 
http://harvardcoopbooks.bncollege.com/ (Links to an external site.)
 
2 - Course readings packet: This coursepack contains all seven (7) of the case studies, which
you are required to read and analyze. It also contains each of the additional required readings
noted in the schedule and syllabus.
 
Coursepack link: https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/43021439Links to an external
site.
 
(You will be required to register to be able to view and purchase the cases and other required
readings.)
 
Cases in Coursepack:

 People Express
 Merck Sharp & Dohme Argentina, Inc. (A)
 G. Cowen: New Recruits (A)
 Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley (A)
 Performance Pay for MGOA Physicians (A)
 The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co.
 Human Resources at Hewlett-Packard (A)

 
You will submit two written case analyses based on these cases and each figures prominently in
the final exam.
 
It is crucial that the reading for each unit be completed before that unit is covered in class.
Students in class will be expected to contribute effectively to class discussions based not only on
common sense and personal experience, but also on the required readings.
 
Course Website:
 
https://canvas.harvard.edu/courses/8303
 
Consult the website regularly for course updates, additional materials and other resources.
 
Course Graders/Assistants
 
Sally Robinson
srobinson@hbs.edu
 
Michael Thomas
mailmichaelthomas@gmail.com
 
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
 
The Extension School is committed to providing an accessible academic community. The
Disability Services Office offers a variety of accommodations and services to students with
documented disabilities. Please visit www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-
policies/resources/disability-services-accessibilityLinks to an external site. for more information.
 
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
You are responsible for understanding Harvard Extension School policies on academic integrity
(www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-policies/student-conduct/academic-integrityLinks to an
external site.) and how to use sources responsibly. Not knowing the rules, misunderstanding the
rules, running out of time, submitting "the wrong draft", or being overwhelmed with multiple
demands are not acceptable excuses. There are no excuses for failure to uphold academic
integrity. To support your learning about academic citation rules, please visit the Harvard
Extension School Tips to Avoid Plagiarism (www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-
policies/resources/tips-avoid-plagiarismLinks to an external site.), where you'll find links to the
Harvard Guide to Using Sources and two, free, online 15-minute tutorials to test your knowledge
of academic citation policy. The tutorials are anonymous open-learning tools.
 
COURSE CONTENT 
HRM is divided into six instructional units, each of which represents a different set of the
human resource management functions. An instructional unit involves lectures, class discussions,
case analyses, and reading. A summary of each unit of the course is below.
 
Unit 1: Introduction to Human Resource Management
The focus of the first unit is on identifying what the personnel and human resource function is all
about. It explores the typical responsibilities of HR departments and how they are affected by the
corporate culture, environmental forces, and government regulations. It also introduces the topics
of strategic and employment planning.
 
Unit 2: Staffing
Once the organization has determined its strategic and human resource objectives and analyzes
the jobs to be filled, it is ready to fill them. Unit 2 reviews the two steps in the staffing process:
recruitment and selection. Recruitment aims at identifying and attracting the largest possible
number of qualified applicants to hire for each job.
 
Unit 3: Compensation & Benefits
This unit focuses on compensation and related issues. Among the topics to be covered are forms
of and bases for compensation, job evaluation and compensation/evaluation systems.
 
Unit 4: Performance Management
This unit discusses and examines performance evaluation as a system including process and
procedures used in developing reliable and valid standards, criteria, and evaluation mechanisms.
A good performance management system is fair to the employee while also serving the goals and
interests of the organization.
  
Unit 5: Human Resource Development
Employee training and development is another important HR function. More specifically, Unit 5
focuses on deciding who is to be trained, in what and how they are to be trained, and how
effective was the training for the employee and her/his organizational component. To be
effective, training and development programs must be matched to types of employees with
specific skill deficiencies and to new skills anticipated to be needed by the organization.
 
Unit 6: Global Human Resource Management & Future Issues
Declining productivity, substantial demographic shifts, changing employee attitudes and
expectations, innovation technologies, and government regulations will continue to affect human
resource management into the 21st century. This final unit deals with the most significant trends
in human resource management and how they can be addressed through innovative and effective
organizational strategies.
 
COURSE SCHEDULE 
 
Please refer to the Course Schedule document for a week-by-week and unit-by unit summary,
including assigned readings and dates of specific assignments, including written case analyses.  
This is available on the course web site. 
 
QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN CASE ANALYSES 
Each in-class case study discussion and each written case analysis requires you to review the
case and answer key questions. In submitting the written case analysis, students should focus on
the specific questions noted below, giving equal attention to each.
 
Case # 1 and case questions:
People Express

1. Is the People Express approach to human resource management effective? Why or

why not?
2. Analyze Don Burr’s philosophy of human resource management. What advice would
you give him to improve HRM at People Express?
3. If Don Burr decided to try building a new People Express type of airline again today,
would you accept his offer to become Vice President of Human Resources?       What
would you do differently from your predecessor?

 
Case #2 and case questions
Merck Sharp & Dohme Argentina, Inc (A). 
 1. What is the culture of Merck Sharp & Dohme? What implications does it have for
leadership and transformation?
2. Evaluate the leadership of Antonio Mosquera. Was he effective? Why or why not?
3. What specific advice would you give to executives of Merck Sharp & Dohme to
effectively transform the organization?

 
Case #3 and case questions:
SG Cowen: New Recruits (A)

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of SG Cowen’s recruiting and job search process. To what
extent do they result in finding the best candidates for SG Cowen?
2. Compare and contrast how the different bankers approached finding the best
candidates. To what extent is their approach aligned with Chip Rae’s strategy?
3. How effectively did Chip Rae and SG Cowen evaluate the background and personal
factors in the hiring and selection process? What changes would you suggest?

 
Case #4 and case questions: 
Performance Pay for MGOA Physicians (A)

1. What are the values and culture of the hospital? What is important to them as an
institution? To what extent is the compensation system aligned with those values?
2. Evaluate the new compensation system that is linked to profitability. What are the
pros and cons? Does it help the hospital fulfill its mission?
3. In a competitive labor market, does this compensation system help recruit and retain
the right talent? Explain – and if not, what would you do to make it more effective?

 
Case #5 and case questions:
Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley (A)

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Morgan Stanley performance assessment and

management system.
2. To what extent was Rob’s manager responsible for making Rob successful and how
do you think he did? What could he have done differently? What challenges did he
face?
3. What should the HR Manager recommend in terms of Parson’s performance? Should
Rob stay with the company? If so, how should the performance assessment and
management system be altered?

 
Case #6 and case questions:
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Ritz’s training and development system. To what
extent does the system create the leadership, values, and culture of the Ritz? What
specific aspects of the training program help new recruits understand what it is to be a
Ritz employee?
2. How do you balance quality standards against the need to empower employees to
customize their responses to specific situations? Give specific examples as they relate
to the Ritz.
3. Do you think this training approach would work in other service industries? Why or
why not?

 
Case #7 and case questions:
Human Resources at Hewlett-Packard (A)

1. Discuss the ‘HP Way’ in terms of how Hewlett-Packard manages people?

1. What are the primary values?
2. What are the company personnel policies and internal structures which
support these values?
3. What other business policies support the HP Way?
2. Discuss the pros and cons of working for a company such as Hewlett-Packard.      
Would you like to work for this kind of company? Why or why not?
3. Can Hewlett-Packard continue to apply its HRM approach as the company grows and
moves into new businesses? How will it be able to adapt to a changing competitive
environment and future trends in business and Human Resource management?