ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD (Department of Business Administration)

Course: Human Resource Management (527) Level: MBA

Semester: Autumn 2011

CHECKLIST
This packet comprises the following material: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Text book Assignment no. 1, & 2 Course outline Assignment forms (2 sets) Schedule for submitting the assignments

In this packet, if you find anything missing out of the above-mentioned material, please contact at the address given below: The Mailing Officer Mailing Section, Block # 28 Allama Iqbal Open University Sector H/8, Islamabad. Tel: (051) 9057611, 9057612

Dr. M. Majid Mahmood Bagram Course Coordinator

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD (Department of Business Administration) WARNING

1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING THE ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD OF DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM OTHER(S) AS ONES OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN AIOU PLAGIARISM POLICY.

2.

Course: Human Resource Management (527) Level: MBA

ASSIGNMENT No. 1
(Units: 14)
Q. 1 (a) (b) Q. 2 (a) (b) Q. 3 (a) (b) Q. 4 (a) (b) Q. 5 (a) (b)

Semester: Autumn 2011 Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 40

How can we communicate a picture as realistic as possible of a job and of the organization to prospective employees? What kinds of issues are most crucial to them? (10) What screening and selection methods are available, and which ones are most accurate? Explain. (10) As jobs become more team-oriented, assessment centers will be used more often for non-management jobs. Do you agree or disagree? (10) What are the key issues that should be addressed in the design, conduct, and evaluation of training programs? (10) Should managers and non-managers be appraised from multiple perspectives for example, by those above, by those below, by coequals, and by customers? (10) What is the best way to develop pay systems that are understandable, workable, and acceptable to employees at all levels? (10) How are the various factors of production affected by global competition? Do we manage people any differently in a globally competitive environment? (10) From a strategic perspective, how can senior management make the best use of the human resource function? (10) What should be the components of a fair policy with regard to collecting, maintaining, and disseminating information about employees? (10) What control mechanisms might be most appropriate to ensure that action plans match targeted needs? (10)

GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNMENT # 1 The student should look upon the assignments as a test of knowledge, management skills, and communication skills. When you write an assignment 2

answer, you are indicating your knowledge to the teacher: y Your level of understanding of the subject; y How clearly you think; y How well you can reflect on your knowledge & experience; y How well you can use your knowledge in solving problems, explaining situations, and describing organizations and management; y How professional you are, and how much care and attention you give to what you do. To answer a question effectively, address the question directly, bring important related issues into the discussion, refer to sources, and indicate how principles from the course materials apply. The student must also be able to identify important problems and implications arising from the answer. For citing references, writing bibliographies, and formatting the assignment, APA format should be followed.

ASSIGNMENT No. 2
(Units: 19)
This assignment is a research-oriented activity. You are required to obtain information from a business/commercial organization and prepare a report of about 1000 words on the topic allotted to you to be submitted to your teacher for evaluation. You are required to select one of the following topics according to the last digit of your roll number. For example, if your roll number is P-3427180 then you will select topic # 0 (the last digit): Topics: 0) Employee stock ownership plans 1) Pay structures 2) Job evaluation 3) Compensation strategy 4) Labor management relations 5) Career planning 6) Labor market conditions 7) Benefits administration 8) Collective bargaining 9) Job safety and health The report should follow the following format: 0) Title page 1) Acknowledgements 2) An abstract (one page summary of the paper) 3) Table of contents

4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11)

Introduction to the topic (brief history & significance of topic assigned) Practical study of the organization (with respect to the topic) Data collection methods SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats) relevant to the topic assigned Conclusion (one page brief covering important aspects of your report) Recommendations (specific recommendations relevant to topic assigned) References (as per APA format) Annexes (if any)

GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNMENT # 2: y 1.5 line spacing y Use headers and subheads throughout all sections y Organization of ideas y Writing skills (spelling, grammar, punctuation) y Professionalism (readability and general appearance) y Do more than repeat the text y Express a point of view and defend it. WORKSHOPS The workshop presentations provide students opportunity to express their communication skills, knowledge & understanding of concepts learned during practical study assigned in assignment # 2. You should use transparencies and any other material for effective presentation. The transparencies are not the presentation, but only a tool; the presentation is the combination of the transparencies and your speech. Workshop presentation transparencies should only be in typed format. The transparencies should follow the following format: 0) Title page 1) An abstract (one page summary of the paper) 2) Introduction to the topic (brief history & significance of topic assigned) 3) Practical study of the organization (with respect to the topic) 4) Data collection methods 5) SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats) relevant to the topic assigned 6) Conclusion (one page brief covering important aspects of your report) 7)Recommendations (specific recommendations relevant to topic assigned) GUIDELINES FOR WORKSHOP PRESENTATION:  Make eye contact and react to the audience. Don't read from the transparencies or from report, and don't look too much at the transparencies (occasional glances are acceptable to help in recalling the topic to cover).

A 15-minute presentation can be practiced several times in advance, so do that until you are confident enough. Some people also use a mirror when rehearsing as a substitute for an audience.

WEIGHTAGE OF THEORY & PRACTICAL ASPECTS IN ASSIGNMENT # 2 & WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS Assignment # 2 & workshop presentations are evaluated on the basis of theory & its applicability. The weightage of each aspect would be: Theory: 60% Applicability (practical study of the organization): 40% PREPARE ASSIGNMENTS AS PER THESE GUIDELINES AND IT MAY BE REEVALUATED BY THE QUALITY ASSURANCE CELL, DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, AIOU, ISLAMABAD AT ANY TIME.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Course Outline (Code # 527)

COURSE COORDINATOR: Dr. M. Majid Mahmood Bagram Assistant Professor Department of Business Administration, AIOU, Islamabad. Tel: (051)-9057406 COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course covers the current issues within human resource management, and provides a complete, comprehensive review of essential human resource management concepts and techniques. Considering the intensely competitive nature of business today, this course focuses on both the theoretical and practical aspects of the broad human resource functions that all managers can use to deal with their HRrelated responsibilities, while being able to defend their plans and contributions in measurable terms. The theoretical discipline is based primarily on the assumption that employees are individuals with varying goals and needs, and as such should not be thought of as basic business resources, such as trucks and filing cabinets whereas HRM is seen by practitioners as a more innovative view of workplace management than the traditional approach. HRM is also seen by many to have a key role in risk reduction within organizations. This course starts with introduction to the role of human resource management, and then covers recruitment and placement, training and development, performance management and appraisal, managing careers, compensation, labor relations and collective bargaining, ethics, justice, and fair treatment in HR management and employee safety and health, and managing global human resources.

BRIEF COURSE OUTLINE: Unit # 1: Introduction Human Resource Management Unit # 2: Recruitment and placement Unit # 3: Training and development Unit # 4: Performance management and appraisal Unit # 5: Managing careers Unit # 6: Compensation Unit # 7: Labor relations and collective bargaining Unit # 8: Ethics, justice, and fair treatment in HR management and employee safety and health Unit # 9: Managing global human resources DETAILED COURSE OUTLINE: UNIT-1: INTRODUCTION HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT The Strategic Role of Human Resource Management:  Importance of HR management  Line and staff aspects of HRM  The new HR manager proficiencies  Need to know your employment law  HR certification  HR and technology The Strategic Human Resource Management and the HR Scorecard:  The strategic management process  Types of strategic plans  Achieving strategic fit  HR and competitive advantage  The HR Scorecard Approach: Creating an HR Scorecard Using the HR Scorecard approach UNIT-2: RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT Job Analysis:  The nature of job analysis  Methods of collecting job analysis information  Writing job descriptions Personnel Planning and Recruiting:  Planning and forecasting  Know your employment law  Internal and external sources of candidates  Recruiting a more diverse workforce Employee Testing and Selection:  Basic testing concepts

 Types of tests Interviewing Candidates:  Types of interviews  Designing and conducting the effective interview UNIT-3: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Training and Developing Employees:  Orienting employees  The training process: The strategic context of training The five-step training and development process Training, learning, and motivation  Training methods: On-the-job training Off-the-job training  Evaluating the training effort UNIT-4: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND APPRAISAL  Basic Concepts in Performance Appraisal and Performance Management: Comparing Performance Appraisal and Performance Management Why Performance Management? Defining the employee`s goals and work efforts  An introduction to Appraising Performance: Why appraise performance? Realistic appraisals Steps in appraising performance Graphic rating scale method  Appraising Performance: problems and solutions: Potential rating scale appraisals problems How to avoid appraisal problems  The Appraisal interview UNIT-5: MANAGING CAREERS  The basics of career management: Careers today Career development  Roles in career development  Managing promotions and transfers: Making promotion decisions Handling transfers  Career management and employee commitment: The new psychological contract Commitment-oriented career development efforts

UNIT-6: COMPENSATION  Establishing Strategic Pay Plans: Steps in establishing pay rates Pricing managerial and professional jobs Competency-based pay  Pay for Performance and Financial Incentives: Money and motivation Employee incentives and recognition programs Incentives for managers and executives Team/group variable pay incentive plans Organization-wide variable pay plans  Benefits and Services: The benefits picture today Pay for time not worked Insurance benefits Retirement benefits Flexible benefits programs UNIT-7: LABOR RELATIONS AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING  The labor movement: Brief history Why do workers unionize? What do unions want?  Unions and the law  The collective bargaining process: What is collective bargaining? What is good faith? The negotiating team Bargaining items Bargaining stages Bargaining hints Impasses, mediation, and strikes The contract agreement  Grievances: Sources of grievances The grievance procedure Guidelines for handling grievances  The union movement today and tomorrow UNIT-8: ETHICS, JUSTICE, FAIR TREATMENT IN HR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEE SAFETY AND HEALTH  Ethics and Fair Treatment at Work: The meaning of ethics

     

Ethics and the law Ethics, fair treatment, and justice What shapes Ethical behavior at Work? Individual factors Organizational factors The Boss`s influence Ethics policies and codes The organization`s culture The Role of HR Management in Fostering Ethics and Fair Treatment: Why treat employees fairly? HR ethics activities Safety laws Management commitment and safety How to prevent accidents? Work-place health hazards problems and remedies

UNIT-9: MANAGING GLOBAL HUMAN RESOURCES  HR and the internationalization of business: The HR challenges of international business How inter-country differences affect HRM?  Global differences and similarities in HR practices: Personnel selection procedures The purpose of the performance appraisal Training and development practices  Staffing the global organization: International staffing: home or local? Off-shoring Values and international staffing policy RECOMMENDED BOOKS (LATEST EDITIONS) y Human Resource Management by Gary Dessler; Pearson/Prentice-Hall Pub. ISBN: 0-13-144097-7. y Legge, Karen. Human Resource Management: Rhetoric and Realities, Anniversary Edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-403-93600-5. y A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, Armstrong, Michael, London: Kogan Page. ISBN 0-7494-4631-5. y Managing Human Resources by Wayne F. Cascio (International Edition). y Organizational Success through Effective Human Resources Management by Ronald R. Sims, Publisher: QUORUM BOOKS, Westport, London

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