This module covers the key concepts and issues involved in the management of people and in particular the practices and controversies associated with contemporary Human Resource Management (HRM). During the module, students will look at the environmental context within which HRM operates and consider the relationship between strategic management and HRM, both in a national and international context. In the first semester, students will be introduced to the employment relationship: industrial relations and personnel management, before focusing on key issues and debates within the functional areas of employee resourcing, employee development, employee relations and performance management and reward. In the second semester, students will consider a variety of perspectives on HRM: contrasting the functional perspective with the critical; evaluating the high commitment and high control models of HRM; and assessing the potential contribution of HRM to business ethics and corporate social responsibility.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the origins and development of HRM and critically evaluate the reason for its prominence in the contemporary work environment
critically appraise the way in which and effect to which HRM impacts on the competitive advantage of the firm;
critically evaluate the impact of HRM policies and practices in various industrial sectors and for various occupational groups:
demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the relationship between HRM and more traditional forms of participation such as collective bargaining and industrial relations and evaluate the impact of the former on the latter;
Critically assess the contribution of HRM to business ethics and corporate social responsibility