School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Strategic Human Resource Management
  • Unit Code

    MAN3205
  • Year

    2018
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Alan John COETZER

Description

Students who take their first course in Human Resource Management (HRM) typically study the classical functions of HR practice - job design, recruitment, selection, training and development, compensation and so forth. This is intended to develop their understanding of the HR basics, sometimes referred to as the functions toolkit. However, you should not limit your study to the functions toolkit if you wish to become actively involved at the strategic level of an organisation. The learning experiences in this unit will help prepare you to perform the role of strategic partner through developing a strategic mindset or way of looking at and thinking about the management of work and people in organisations. HR practitioners play a strategic partner role when they have the knowledge and skills to be an essential part of the senior management team running the organisation and translate business strategy into action. As part of your preparation for enacting the role of strategic partner you will need to become familiar with the theory, concepts and research in the field of Strategic HRM. Strategic HRM integrates the fields of Strategic Management and HRM, and is a field of study that is still taking form. Two broad themes are apparent in the emerging body of literature on Strategic HRM. First, an organisations human resources are of critical strategic importance. This means that all the experience, knowledge, skills, judgement, risk taking propensity and creativity of individuals associated with the organisation have the potential to provide both the foundation for strategy formulation and the means for strategy implementation. Second, a firms HR practices are instrumental in developing the strategic capability of its pool of human resources. In Strategic HRM you learn about how the tools in the functions toolkit can be used to develop and organisations strategic capabilities.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must have passed MAN2145.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Analyse the array of factors that might influence strategic choices in HRM.
  2. Apply Strategic HRM theory and concepts to a range of problems in authentic contexts.
  3. Appraise the line managers role in implementing HR strategy.
  4. Compare the idealised role of HRM in the strategic management process to the actual role of HRM in contemporary organisations.
  5. Critically evaluate research into the link between HRM and organisational performance.
  6. Distinguish HRs role in the managing strategic change.
  7. Make a persuasive case for viewing employees as a potential source of sustainable competitive advantage.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to strategic human resource management.
  2. Organisational culture change.
  3. Assessing performance of the HRM function.
  4. The goals of human resource management.
  5. Strategy and the process of strategic management.
  6. Theories underpinning HRM-performance research.
  7. Linking HR systems to organisational performance.
  8. 'Best fit' versus 'best practice'.
  9. Employee engagement and voice.
  10. Work systems.
  11. Managing strategic change.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

On-campus students will attend a single, weekly seminar. These seminars include a range of teaching and learning activities such as lectures, analysis of case studies and small group discussion of questions and problems. Students make oral presentations to the class on journal article readings and complete a written report on an organisation-based assignment. Off-campus students will cover the same content as the on-campus unit. Off-campus students complete a range of learning activities such as analysing case studies, answering review questions and participating in on-line discussions. Students complete a written report on an organisation-based assignment. Off-campus students access this unit via Blackboard. Regular on-line access is required.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationContribution to the learning environment20%
ReportWritten report on an organisation-based project40%
ExaminationExamination40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationDiscussion Board Assignment20%
ReportWritten report on an organisation-based project40%
ExaminationExamination40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

MAN3205|2|1

School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Strategic Human Resource Management
  • Unit Code

    MAN3205
  • Year

    2018
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Alan John COETZER

Description

Students who take their first course in Human Resource Management (HRM) typically study the classical functions of HR practice - job design, recruitment, selection, training and development, compensation and so forth. This is intended to develop their understanding of the HR basics, sometimes referred to as the functions toolkit. However, the student should not limit their study to the functions toolkit if they wish to become actively involved at the strategic level of an organisation. The learning experiences in this unit will help prepare the student to perform the role of strategic partner through developing a strategic mindset or way of looking at and thinking about the management of work and people in organisations. HR practitioners play a strategic partner role when they have the knowledge and skills to be an essential part of the senior management team running the organisation and translate business strategy into action. As part of the student's preparation for enacting the role of strategic partner they will need to become familiar with the theory, concepts and research in the field of Strategic HRM. Strategic HRM integrates the fields of Strategic Management and HRM, and is a field of study that is still taking form. Two broad themes are apparent in the emerging body of literature on Strategic HRM. First, an organisations human resources are of critical strategic importance. This means that all the experience, knowledge, skills, judgement, risk taking propensity and creativity of individuals associated with the organisation have the potential to provide both the foundation for strategy formulation and the means for strategy implementation. Second, a firms HR practices are instrumental in developing the strategic capability of its pool of human resources. In Strategic HRM students will learn about how the tools in the functions toolkit can be used to develop and organisations strategic capabilities.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must have passed MAN2145.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply Strategic HRM theory, principles and concepts to organisations across countries.
  2. Analyse the array of factors that might influence strategic choices in HRM.
  3. Develop policies, programs and practices that align employee behaviour with the organisations strategic priorities and core values.
  4. Evaluate research into the link between HRM and organisational performance.
  5. Collaborate effectively in team settings to produce measureable outcomes.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to strategic human resource management.
  2. Organisational culture change.
  3. Assessing performance of the HRM function.
  4. The goals of human resource management.
  5. Strategy and the process of strategic management.
  6. Theories underpinning HRM-performance research.
  7. Linking HR systems to organisational performance.
  8. 'Best fit' versus 'best practice'.
  9. Employee engagement and voice.
  10. Work systems.
  11. Managing strategic change.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

On-campus students will attend a single, weekly three-hour seminar. These seminars include a range of teaching and learning activities such as lectures, analysis of case studies and small group discussion of questions and problems. Students make oral presentations to the class on journal article readings and complete a written report on an organisation-based assignment. Online students will cover the same content as the on-campus unit. Online students complete a range of learning activities such as analysing case studies, answering review questions and participating in on-line discussions. Students complete a written report on an organisation-based assignment. Online students access this unit via Blackboard. Regular online access is required.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Literature ReviewLiterature review on factors shaping HRM35%
ReportTeam report30%
Reflective PracticeReflection on teamwork experience20%
ParticipationContribution to the learning environment15%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
Literature ReviewLiterature review of factors shaping HRM35%
ReportTeam report30%
Reflective PracticeReflection on teamwork experience20%
ParticipationDiscussion board assignment15%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

MAN3205|3|2