University of Alberta
SMO 416
1Performance Management and Rewards
2Fall 2015
Class Information
Section: Day: Room: Time:
A1 Tues, Thurs BUS 1-10 3:30 PM – 4:50 PM
Contact Information
Instructor: Dr. S. Bruce Thomson
Office: BUS 2-33
Office Phone: (Shared) 780- 492-8314
Email: [email protected]
Website https://ulearn.ualberta.ca/webapps/login
Office hours: 1pm to 3pm Tuesdays and Thursdays or by appointment
Course Description3
We all like to be paid for our labors but each one of us may have a different idea of what is fair compensation. Benefits are considered part of a compensation package and here again each one of us may require different benefit plans to fit our life circumstances. Further all this can be used as motivational tools within the workplace. Therefore, how and what we pay employees (compensation and reward system) will be a major influence on the success of an organization. In today’s knowledge and service based economy it comes as no surprise that employee compensation is often the single greatest expense for an organization.
The purpose of this course is to help individuals identify, create, and implement a compensation and reward system that is fair and equitable to the employees well maintaining organizational objectives.
Objectives
The objectives of the course are:
To gain an understanding of the compensation choices available
To develop a knowledge of the purpose of compensation.
To facilitate awareness of the need for a strategic outlook on compensation
To gain a deeper understanding of the process of determination of market value, implementation of a compensation system and evaluation of a compensation system.
1 SMO 416 formerly ORGA 416; SMO 311 (Formerly ORGA 311), is a pre or co-requisite for this course.
2 Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.
3 My sincere thanks and appreciation to Dr. Michelle Inness for her kindly allowing use of her Fall 2013 course outline
as a framework for this outline. Any mistakes in the outline are mine not hers.
2 Course Materials
1. Long, Richard J. (2010, 2014). Strategic Compensation in Canada, 4th or 5th edition. Scarborough: Nelson Thomson Learning.
2. Students are responsible for all assigned readings, including materials presented in lectures, class discussions, mini-cases, etc. Slides from lectures will be posted to the course website but should not be viewed as a substitute for the material dealt with in class.
Method of Evaluation
This course offers students several opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of course material.
Performance in the course will be evaluated on the following basis:
Participation 10%
Mid-term Exam 20%
Final Exam 30%
Paper 25%
Presentation 15%
Total 100%
Evaluation Breakdown
Participation
Participation means active involvement in and contribution to learning in class. In this course, an important aspect of that is working with and supporting other class members. Participation will be assessed on 10 or 11 separate occasions during the semester (these days are identified with the word ‘Participation’ on the course schedule at the end of this syllabus). To facilitate this, students will be assigned to discussion groups and will work in those groups on several occasions. Groups will be expected to answer questions, and present solutions. Students must attend the full class on participation days and actively contribute to their group, with participation being assessed on each day on a pass/fail basis. Where students are able to show just cause for being unable to attend a participation day, a written solution to the case questions may be submitted prior to class for a participation day credit. It is expected this option will be used sparingly, and except in emergencies, approval prior to class is needed to avail of this option. If a student uses this option, a grade will be assigned on the basis of the accuracy of their responses. Following the midterm, there will be several days for student presentations. On these days participation marks will be assigned on the basis of being present and engaged during fellow students’ presentations, and asking questions (Inness, 2013).
Examinations
There are two examinations scheduled in this course, a mid-term exam on Tuesday, October 6th worth 20%, and a final exam on Thursday, December 12 worth 30%. The mid-term will be 75 minutes in length and held during class time. The midterm will consist of short answer and long answer questions.
The final exam will be held in the designated time slot by the School of Business and will be 180 minutes in length. In the final exam, students will be permitted to use two, double-sided cheat sheets no more than 8.5 by 11 inches in dimension. In theory, the final exam will be cumulative, but as a practical matter, the emphasis will be on material covered in the second-half of the semester. The final exam will involve short answer and long answer questions as well answering a series of questions related to a business mini-case, and will involve
3 the application of concepts and methods learned in class.
Paper
Students must choose a topic, and must submit a paper on that topic, (worth a total of 25% of the course mark.
Topic
There are two possible types of topics that you can choose from:
1. Most students opt to analyze the compensation and reward system a job or organization with which they are familiar (perhaps a former or current job, or a job that someone close to them has had). Analyzing a job means strategically choosing and appropriate managerial strategy, developing a reward and compensation system, and making suggestions for improvements over the current reward and compensation system in that job.
2. If you do not wish to do an analysis of a compensation and reward system, you can also choose to introduce the class to an idea related to compensation strategy/structure that the book has not covered. Some example topics used in past classes have been papers on executive compensation, salary caps, expat compensation, to name a few. Be careful to select a topic that is meaningful to you, sufficiently rigorous, and focused on rewards/compensation (Inness, 2013).
Paper
Your final paper is 25% of your grade. Papers must be a minimum of 2500 words (approximately 10 pages – Times New Roman font 12). Format and APA style will be discussed in class. It is due on Thursday, December 3rd, 2013 at the beginning of class (3:30pm). It is important that you cover the topic you have chosen, while focusing on rewards/compensation concepts covered in the course.
Assessment will focus on the illustration of a critical understanding of concepts, the application of those concepts, a clear rationale in your argument, clarity and quality of writing, and flow/organization. Some things to avoid:
(i) not identifying a specific question or theme;
(ii) not staying focused on answering a question or developing a theme; and/or (iii) papers that simply describe or re-state the book or class material (Inness, 2013).
Presentation
A 20 minute presentation of the concepts covered in your paper will be 15% of your grade. There will be an opportunity for class discussion at the end of each presentation. The presentation will be graded on clarity, how well you understand the concepts, and presentation skills which includes adhering to the allotted time frame.
Reference
Inness, M. (2013). SOM 416 Outline Winter 2013. University of Alberta.
4 Grading
Range Grade
90 – 100 A+
85 – 89.5 A
80 – 84.5 A-
77 – 79.5 B+
74 – 76.5 B
70 – 73.5 B-
67 – 69.5 C+
64 – 66.5 C
60 – 63.5 C-
55 – 59.5 D+
50 – 54.5 D
0 = 49.5 F
A grade of D or better is necessary to pass this course – grades will not be curved.
*A penalty of 5% a day will be deducted for papers that are handed in late. If you realize that you will be late with the paper please contact me as soon as possible to assess possible alternative arrangements.
Academic Integrity
“The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty.
Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in expulsion from the University” (Innes, 2013).
Course Schedule
Day Date Chapters Covered Topic
Tue Sept 1 ---- Course Overview; Begin organizing groups
Thu Sept 3 Ch 1
Begin Ch 2 (pp. 23-57)
Introduction to basic compensation and reward concepts;
A Strategic Framework for Compensation Tue Sept 8 Ch 2 (23-57) Cont’d A Strategic Framework for Compensation Thu Sept10
Ch 3 (59-107). Note that we will not cover the theories of motivation on pages 81-96
A Behavioural Framework for Compensation.
Tue Sept 15 In-class assignment (Participation)
Thu Sept 17
Ch 4 (111-116; 124-136). Ch 4 addresses various forms of pay, but mainly base pay. I will focus on base pay this week, and other forms over the next 2 weeks ----
Base Pay
Tue Sept 22 In-class assignment (Participation)
5 Thu Sept 24 Ch 4 (116-118); Ch. 5 (149-195);
Ch 11 (396-421).
Fundamentals of Performance Pay from Ch 4 Performance pay choices
Designing performance pay plans Tue Sept 29 Ch 4 (118-124); Ch 12 (428-458) Fundamentals of Indirect Pay
Designing indirect pay plans Thu Oct 1 Review for Midterm
Tue Oct 6
MIDTERM EXAM
Tue Oct 8 Term paper overview /APA / Format
Tue Oct 13 In-class assignment (Participation)
Thu Oct 15
Ch 6 (197-222). We will not be covering utility analysis or
‘special ee groups’ from this chapter.
Forming the Reward & Compensation Strategy
Tue Oct 20 Ch 7 (262-293); Ch 8 (295-330) Evaluating Jobs (Ch 7) & The Point Method (Ch 8)
Thu Oct 22 Ch’s 7 and 8 cont’d Finish Evaluating Jobs (Ch 7) and The Point Method (Ch 8)
Tue Oct 27 Ch 9 (333-357) Evaluating the Market
Thu Oct 29 Ch 10 (359-380); Parts of Ch 13
Evaluating Individuals (Ch 10); Managing the Compensation System (Ch 13)
Tue Nov 3 PRESENTATIONS (Participation)
Thu Nov 5 PRESENTATIONS (Participation)
Tue Nov 10
Fall Term Class Break – No class
Thu Nov 12
Fall Term Class Break – No class
Tue Nov 17 PRESENTATIONS (Participation)
Thu Nov 19 PRESENTATIONS (Participation)
Tue Nov 24 PRESENTATIONS (Participation)
Thu Nov 26 PRESENTATIONS (Participation)
Thu Dec 1 PRESENTATIONS (Participation
Thu Dec 3 FINAL PAPER DUE 3:30 pm PRESENTATIONS (Participation)
Wed Dec 16
