SMO 418 Syllabus – Winter Term 2008 Page 1 of 3 THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION
SMO 418, lec B2
Human Resource Management in the Public Sector (Public Sector Employee Relations)
Winter Term 2008
Commencing Tuesday 8th January 2008 Instructor: Mr. Rahim Jamani
Office: HUB Mall Classroom: BUS 3 05
Tel: 780 970-1822 Tuesday & Thursday: 4:30-5:50 pm
Email: [email protected]
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It is essential that students are present at the first session on January 8th.
Course background
While the proper application of all disciplines of management is essential for the continuing success of any organisation, possibly the hardest to get right is the management of human
resources (HR). This applies to organisations in the public sector as to those in the private sector, if not more so. The principles that underpin HR Management are basically the same for both public and private sectors: however what differentiates HR in these two sectors is the context in which they operate. Contextual issues in the public sector include, for example:
• The achievement of “more for less.”
• The need for staff to maintain continuity of service and yet react to the changing political imperatives.
• How senior managers in the public sector can best relate to their political masters and yet remain loyal to their own departments.
• How can staff in the public sector relate to the private sector when new methods of working suggest that this will be increasingly the norm?
SMO 418 Syllabus – Winter Term 2008 Page 2 of 3
We will look at this challenging environment in a series of informal lectures and discussions as well as listening to the practical experiences of a range of guest speakers. Additionally there will be individual and group work. This course is suitable for those students who have previously taken courses in which the fundamentals of HR Management have been covered; as far as possible the lectures will be structured around the practical aspects of the topic rather than the underlying principles.
Course textbook and readings
There is no set textbook for this course.
Course Requirements
Regular attendance and punctuality are essential to get the best from this course. In particular, you are asked to be sure to attend those sessions where guest speakers have taken time out of their busy schedules to be with us. You must participate fully within any teams to which you are assigned.
Learning Goals
Business fundamentals : to understand the clear link required between overall organisation strategy and the HR strategy that support this
Communication Skills: there will be a number of opportunities to improve oral and written communication skills
Critical thinking: students will be able to analyse problems and use a rigorous intellectual approach to dealing with them.
Ethical awareness: ethical problems arising from the application of HR strategies will be highlighted and solutions developed
Global awareness: HR does not exist in a vacuum and the real world of work will be used as a contemporary backdrop for theoretical applications.
Team work: students will improve their ability to work in teams.
SMO 418 Syllabus – Winter Term 2008 Page 3 of 3
Assignments and grading
All assignments and group projects must be completed by the due date in order to be graded out of 100%. Work that is up to one week late will be marked out of 75%, and 50% thereafter.
Grading for this course, for which there is no examination, will be based on the following:
Individual assignment 50%
Group portfolio 25%
Group presentation 25%
Details of the individual assignments together with the group work will be given at the first session. The individual assignment is due to be handed in on Thursday 28th Feb 2008.
Final grades will be determined by cut-off points rather than a particular distribution. Raw scores will be given out of 100 points for each element and, generally, cut-off points should fall quite closely to:
95+ A+ 80+ B+ 65+ C+ 50+ D+
90+ A 75+ B 60+ C <50 F 85+ A- 70+ B- 55+ C-
Please note:
“The policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.” (GFC 29 SEP 2003)
“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 which 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 suspension or expulsion from the University.” (GFC 29 SEP 2003).