The University of Lahore

Lahore Business School

Human Resource Management

Masters of Business Administration

Semester: Fall 2019

Instructor: Saadia Qaiser Email: saadiaqas@gmail.com

Course Code: MBA1Y02193 Course Cr. Hrs.: 03

 Course Description:
In this course, we will learn from the basics of what HR managers do to more advance level of how today’s HR function
helps companies meet the challenges of globalized competition. We’ll see that HR management – activities like recruiting,
hiring, training, compensating, appraising, and developing employees – is part of every manager’s job. And, we will see
that HR is also a distinct function, with an HR manager assisting the firm’s other managers in important ways.
The main topics we’ll cover include the manager’s human resource management jobs, crucial global and competitive
trends, and how HR managers use technology and modern HR measurement systems to create the high-performance
work systems employers need today. We will get the knowledge on how to deal effectively with equal employment
opportunity questions on the job and how to develop an HR system that supports, and makes sense in terms of, the
company’s strategic goals.
As we understand that we are taking this course to polish our skills to become an effective HR manager in future, so to
accomplish that we will dive deep into HR functions. We will learn how to analyze jobs and what kind of people the firm
should hire for the job, what tools and techniques we can use to hire the best candidates, and once they are hired how
can we orient and train them to better fit in their jobs. Once employees have been on the job for some time, we will
further learn how to evaluate their performance, manager their career-related issues, and how to compensate them.
Accordingly, we will be learning how to maintain employee relations by taking care of issues regarding justice, safety, and
health.
Finally, we will be opting a problem-based learning style, so major chunk of our discussions will be surrounding around
the case studies (written & visual) and role plays. Further, we will be following Human Resource Management textbook’s
content roadmap to guide our learning path. Cases and reading material will be shared with you in advance, and our
expectation is that we all have read the assigned material before we come to the class. In case you need strict motivation,
it is to let you know that your class participation counts significantly in your final evaluations. Furthermore, we will have
at least one guest speaker to share with us his experience in local industry.
Now, let’s have an interesting and productive learning experience together.

 Course Objectives (COs):

Main objectives of this course are to:
 Explain what HRM is and how it relates to the management process.
 Describe important traits and competencies of today’s human resource managers.
 Understand why diversity management is important and how to install a diversity management program.
 Define and explain strategic human resource management and HR metrics
 Understand the job analysis process, specifically a competency-based job analysis
 Familiarize with the main techniques of employment planning and forecasting
 Explain how to recruit a more diverse workforce
 Explain what is reliability and validity and describe the categories of selection tests

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  List and give examples of the main types of selection interviews, further to give examples of situational
questions, behavioral questions, and background questions
 Brief the purpose and process of employee orientation, training, and development
 Describe the appraisal and performance management process
 Describe a comprehensive approach to retaining employees and discuss what employers and supervisors
can do to support employees’ career development needs
 List the basic factors determining pay rates and explain the differences between competency-based and
traditional pay plans
 Explain how to price managerial and professional jobs
 Explain how to apply four motivation theories in formulating an incentive plan.
 Outline the main employees’ services benefits and explain the flexible benefit programs
 Discuss important factors that shape ethical behaviors at work and describe grievance procedure and
explain ways to prevent accidents
 Explain with examples how to implement a global human resource management program
 Illustrate with examples how intercountry differences affect HRM

 Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
 List and describe each of the important trends influencing human resource management
 Understand the implications of labor legislations in different HRM decisions
 Give examples of HR metrics and strategic human resource management in practice
 Give examples of what employers can do to have high-performance systems
 Do a job analysis and can write a job description and job specification
 Apply effective recruiting strategies
 Manage to overcome errors that can undermine an interview’s usefulness
 Give examples of the main types of selection interviews
 Interview, test and select employees
 Use training techniques and management development methods
 Evaluate and administer performance appraisal tools
 List and explain the main decision employers should address in reaching promotion and other employee
life-cycle career decisions
 Explain in detail how to establish a market-competitive pay plan
 Discuss the main incentives for individual employees and explain the main flexible benefit programs
 Explain and evaluate fair disciplinary practices
 List workplace health hazards and how to deal with them, and ultimately describe practices that can be
implemented to retain employees

 Soft Skills and Personal Effectiveness:

In term of competencies, students will be able to:
 undertake team work and demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills whilst engaging in
group work;
 demonstrate excellent leadership skills whilst achieving team and personal objectives;
 persevere when faced with setbacks and withstand pressure situations;
 behave professionally and ethically in all business and professional matters;
 demonstrate personal credibility and the ability to influence others;
 demonstrate strong commercial awareness;
 add value by being innovative and proactive;
 adhere to strict deadlines through effective time management
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  pay close attention to detail

 Course Material:

 Human Resource Management, 15th Edition by Gary Dessler and Biju Varkkey, Published by PEARSON
 Human Resource Management Applications: Cases, exercises, incidents, and skill builders, 7th Edition by Nkomo,
Fottler, & McAfee, Published by CENGAGE Learning

 Reference Books:

 Human Resource Management, Gaining a competitive advantage 5th Edition by NOE. HOLLENBECK. GERHART.
WRIGHT 2006. Published by McGraw-Hill Irwin, USA; ISBN 978-0-07-298738-6

Training Methods:

Majorly, case-based learning methodology will be followed in the sessions. Following is the mix of teaching aids that
will be utilized in the classes in a 16 weeks’ semester, 32 sessions, 16 classes in case of 3 hours’ session on weekend
Programme (for details – please refer lesson plan)
 Case studies
 Experiential exercises
 Role plays
 Lecture notes
 Evaluation Criteria:
Quizzes: 08%
Assignments: 08%
Class participation 09%
Project and presentations: 10%
Mid Term Examinations: 25%
Final Term Examination: 40%
Total: 100%

Grading Criteria:

A student’s course score is associated with letter grades as per following grid
Class Score Grade
85% or above A
<= 80% < 85% A-
<= 75% < 80% B+
<= 70% < 75% B
<= 65% < 70% C+
<= 60% < 65% C
<= 55% < 60% D+
<= 50% < 55% D
Less than 50% F
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Week-wise Content Break-up:

All reading resources will be provided by the instructor to students.

Week Contents
1 Introduction to Management + Course orientation
2 Introduction to Human Resource Management
3 HRM strategy & Analysis
4 Recruitment, placement, and talent management
5 Employee testing and selection
6 Interviewing Candidates
7 Training and developing employees + Revision
8 Revision and discussions on previous topics/ case studies.
9 Mid Term
10 Performance management and appraisal
11 Managing employee retention and strategic pay plans
12 Pay for performance, financial incentives, benefits, and services
13 Ethics, employee relations, and fair treatment at work
14 Labor relations, employee health and safety
15 Managing HRM in SMEs & managing global HR
16 Final Project Presentations and Revision
17 Final Exam

 Consultation Protocol:
All relevant inquiries will be encouraged and it is highly advisable to ask them during lecture or consultation time.
However, if any query is missed during those times, please ask via email and/or SMS. Consultation hours will be discussed
by the instructor in the class.
 Final Project:
The objective of this project is to comprehensively asses the Human Resource Management system of a company of their
choice. Studying and observing Human Resource Management practices in different organizations will enable students
to understand the real-time problems companies face in implementing an ideal HR management system that they have
studied in classes. Specifically, meetings with HR personnel would help them understand the problems they face in
aligning HR with company’s strategy, recruiting, hiring, training, compensating, appraising, and developing employees
especially in Local organizations. Further, the comparison of theory with practice would enable these students to identify
the gaps and weaknesses in the studied organization and draft recommendations and improvement plan for them.
Each group of the students will choose two companies from same industry where one organization would be considered
amongst successful organization with a better repute in the industry whereas the other one would be a striving company.
students would make a comparative analysis of the Human resource practices of both of the firms. In the end they would

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 identify that what different practices have been adopted by the Human resource management of the successful company
and make recommendation for the striving one.

 Plagiarism Policy:
LBS have a strict plagiarism policy to discourage all its forms. If found involved, strict disciplinary actions and exemplary
punishments are exercised in accordance with the LBS plagiarism policy and HEC guidelines. For details, please refer to
the exam policy."
Academic offenses like cheating, plagiarism, etc., in any form or type, weaken the distinctive ethical character of the
university. LBS takes them very seriously and holds punishable under the university disciplinary system. For details, please
refer to exam policy.

 Case Studies and Research Papers:

Week Contents Case Study Source

The new director of Human
Resources
Carter cleaning company and a
Introduction to Human Resource
2 question of discrimination
Management and employment law
Analyzing promotion data:
applying the 80% rule
The broken employment
contract
Human Resource
Management, by Gary
Dessler & Biju Varkkey, 14th
Edition, published by
Pearson Education, Inc.
Human Resource
Management Applications:
Cases, exercises, incidents,
and skill builders, 7th
Edition by Nkomo, Fottler,
& McAfee, Published by
CENGAGE Learning

 Human Resource
 Continuing case: Management, by Gary
Improving performance at Dessler & Biju Varkkey,
3
the Hotel Paris 14th Edition, published
HRM strategy & Analysis  Improving performance at by Pearson Education,
the Hotel Paris Inc.

Recruitment, placement, and talent  Continuing case:  Human Resource

4 Management, by
management Improving performance at
Gary Dessler &
the Hotel Paris Biju Varkkey,
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  Employee layoffs at St. 14th Edition,
Mary’s Hospital published by
 The alternative work Pearson
Education, Inc.
schedule
 Human Resource
Management
Applications: Cases,
exercises, incidents,
and skill builders, 7th
Edition by Nkomo,
Fottler, & McAfee,
Published by CENGAGE
Learning
 Human Resource
Management, by
Gary Dessler &
Biju Varkkey,
14th Edition,
 Continuing case: Getting published by
better applicants Pearson
 The use of social media for Education, Inc.
5 Employee testing and selection  Human Resource
employee recruitment and
selection Management
 Which selection procedure Applications: Cases,
is most effective exercises, incidents,
and skill builders, 7th
Edition by Nkomo,
Fottler, & McAfee,
Published by CENGAGE
Learning
 Human Resource
Management, by
 The out of control Gary Dessler &
6 Interviewing Candidates interview Biju Varkkey,
 Continuing case: the 14th Edition,
better interview published by
Pearson
Education, Inc.
 Continuing case: The new  Human Resource
training program Management, by
Gary Dessler &
 Management
7 Training and developing employees Biju Varkkey,
development: The I-MBA
14th Edition,
request published by
 The mentoring problem at Pearson
Walnut Insurance Education, Inc.

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  Human Resource
Management
Applications: Cases,
exercises, incidents,
and skill builders, 7th
Edition by Nkomo,
Fottler, & McAfee,
Published by CENGAGE
Learning
8 MID TERM EXAM
 Human Resource
Management, by
Gary Dessler &
Biju Varkkey,
Performance management and appraisal 14th Edition,
 The self-appraisal problem published by
 Mills Paper Company: Pearson
Performance management Education, Inc.
9
or age discrimination  Human Resource
 Continuing case: The Management
performance appraisal Applications: Cases,
exercises, incidents,
and skill builders, 7th
Edition by Nkomo,
Fottler, & McAfee,
Published by CENGAGE
Learning
 Human Resource
Management, by
Gary Dessler &
Biju Varkkey,
Managing employee retention and strategic 14th Edition,
 Google reacts published by
pay plans  Continuing case: The Pearson
career planning program & Education, Inc.
10 The new compensation  Human Resource
plan Management
 The overpaid bank tellers Applications: Cases,
 You be the Judge: Is this exercises, incidents,
job exempt? and skill builders, 7th
Edition by Nkomo,
Fottler, & McAfee,
Published by CENGAGE
Learning

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  Human Resource
Management, by
Pay for performance, financial incentives, Gary Dessler &
benefits, and services Biju Varkkey,
 Continuing case: The new 14th Edition,
Incentive and benefits published by
plan Pearson
 Domestic partner benefits Education, Inc.
11
 Executive perks  Human Resource
 Pay inversion: is it Management
practical and ethical? Applications: Cases,
 Controlling employee exercises, incidents,
benefits costs and skill builders, 7th
Edition by Nkomo,
Fottler, & McAfee,
Published by CENGAGE
Learning
Ethics, employee relations, and fair  Human Resource
treatment at work Management, by
Gary Dessler &
Biju Varkkey,
14th Edition,
 Continuing case: The Hotel published by
Paris’s new ethics, justice, Pearson
and fair treatment process Education, Inc.
12  Violence at work  Human Resource
 Facebook posting: I hate Management
my stupid Boss Applications: Cases,
 Enron, Ethics, and exercises, incidents,
Organizational Culture and skill builders, 7th
Edition by Nkomo,
Fottler, & McAfee,
Published by CENGAGE
Learning
Labor relations, employee health and  Human Resource
safety Management, by
Gary Dessler &
Biju Varkkey,
 Continuing case: The new 14th Edition,
safety and health program published by
13 Pearson
 How safe is my university?
Education, Inc.
 The give back: A case of  Human Resource
union busting Management
Applications:
Cases, exercises,
incidents, and
skill builders, 7th
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 Edition by
Nkomo, Fottler,
& McAfee,
Published by
CENGAGE
Learning
Managing HRM in SMEs & managing global  Human Resource
HR Management, by
Gary Dessler &
Biju Varkkey,
14th Edition,
 “Boss I think we have a published by
problem” Pearson
 Continuing case: Managing Education, Inc.
14 global HR & The new HRIS Human Resource
 Netflix breaks the rule Management
 A clash of cultures in the Applications: Cases,
workplace: German exercises, incidents,
managers in South Africa and skill builders, 7th
Edition by Nkomo,
Fottler, & McAfee,
Published by CENGAGE
Learning
16 END TERM EXAM

Important Note: This course outline works under general policy guidelines and rules & regulations of the university.

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