FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

PV2101, Strategic Human Resource Management, 15,0 higher education credits Strategiskt personalarbete, 15.0 hgskolepong
Second Cycle 1. Confirmation
The course syllabus was confirmed by Faculty of Social Sciences on 2009-10-13 and was last revised by Faculty of Social Sciences on 2011-07-01 to be valid from 2011-09-01. Field of education: Social Sciences 100 % Department: Department of Sociology

2. Position in the educational system

The course is a programme course given within the Master Programme in Strategic Human Resource Management within the Faculty of Social Sciences. It is a core course. Main field of studies Specialization Human Resource Management and Labour Relations A1N, Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements

3. Entry requirements
To be eligible for the course, the student must be accepted to the Master Programme in Strategic Human Resource Management within the Faculty of Social Sciences.

4. Course content
This course aims at deepening students knowledge about leadership and human resource management. The focus in this course is on the relationship between different organizational goals and HR strategies, and on the translation of these goals into HRM strategies. The students will be able to compare and analyse, from different theoretical perspectives strategic HRM issues like competence, work environment, organizational and change processes. The course is organized in three themes: 1) Introduction to HRM and strategy, 2) Research paradigms in Organizational studies and 3) Individuals, organizations, HRM plans and strategies.The first theme, Introduction to HRM and Strategy starts with an introduction to the concepts of

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HRM and strategy. The development of HRM will be analyzed with the aim to understand its practical work and the point(s) of departure in specific historical periods of time, with a certain focus on the socialhistorical-context(s) of Sweden. The starting point for strategy is the business perspective, but with an interest to understand how this concept could be used in other contexts, and especially how it is related to HRM. The second theme, Research Paradigms in Organizational Studies captures the changing historical and institutional context in which knowledge about organizations including Strategic HRM has being produced. Some of the fundamental questions about the knowledge interests will be raised and discussed, such as: What is knowledge? Knowledge, for whom? And, for what purposes? The (possible) answers on these questions will provide different directions for theorizing and researching organizations and the relationship between Strategic HRM and different personnel practices. Thus, this part of the course aims of developing the students capabilities for understanding and critiquing theorizing about organizations, Strategic HRM and related phenomena from the standpoints of alternative organizational approaches. The third theme, Individuals, organizations, HRM plans and strategies develops a strategic perspective on HRM with a special attention to the relationship between the employees and organizations, as well as on the analyzing HRM strategies in different organizational (and sociality) contexts. Issues such as the increasing labor market flexibility, individualization of work, work systems, employee relations, and diversity in organizations will be analyzed, as well as the value added and performing aspects of HRM work. Leadership, competence and change processes are important parts of the inner processes of HRM. HRM plans and strategies will here be concretized through the lenses of different theoretical perspectives.

5. Learning outcomes
After completion of the course the student is expected to be able to: Knowledge and understanding 1. Describe and explain the concepts of HRM and strategy and how they are used in theories and practices. 2. Understand, analyze and explain the roles of HRM within the organizations strategic plans. Skills and abilities 3. Develop relevant HRM strategies for a specific organization. Judgment and approach 4.Critically analyze HRM strategies and plans in relation to different contexts and characteristics, as well as through different theoretical perspectives.

6. Literature
See separate literature list

7. Assessment
Forms of teaching used in this course include: group paper presentation (4,5 hp), individual written examinationin an examination hall (7,5 hp), mini-lecture (1,5 hp), literature seminar (1,5 hp) and seminars with compulsory attendance.

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The first learning outcome will be examined by a group-paper presentation, and a literature seminar. The second and forth learning outcome will be examined by a written individual examination in an examination hall. In addition, the second outcome will be examined by a mini-lecture seminar. The third learning outcome will be examined by a literature seminar. The mini-lecture seminar, literature seminar and group paper presentation will be examined at the seminars with compulsory attendance. A student who has failed the same examination twice has a right to request a change of examiner. The request is to be in writing and submitted as soon as possible. The department is to grant such a request without undue delay. In cases where a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, students should be guaranteed, within a period of one year, at least three examination opportunities (including the regular opportunity) based on the previous format of the course.

8. Grading scale
The grading scale comprises Fail (U), Pass (G), Pass with Distinction (VG). To obtain Pass for the whole course, the student must have at least Pass in all individual tests and papers written in teams. To obtain Pass with Distinction requires at least Pass with Distinction for the individual written examination and one of the papers written in teams.

9. Course evaluation
It is the department responsible for the course that is to provide evaluations and to have the results processed. The results of the course evaluations are to be made accessible to students. Processed results should be made available no later than eight weeks from the end of course.

10. Additional information

Language of instruction: English. All lectures, seminars, exercises and tests will be in English.