Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
Nil
Teaching organisation
3 hours per week (two hours of lectures and one hour of tutorial) for 12 weeks or equivalent in intensive mode or onlineUnit rationale, description and aim
The effective management of human resources is an important factor in achieving sustainable business outcomes through ethical practices. To be a skilled human resource practitioner, students will need to understand the issues that shape human resource management policies, systems and practices, and their implementation. The implementation must ensure that individual employees is treated with human dignity and rights in all aspects of work to achieve business outcomes, students will develop students’ knowledge of the strategies, theories and practices of human resource management which contribute to the ethical stewardship of people at work. The aim of this unit is to enhance students’ knowledge of human resource management theories and practices to design and implement strategies, policies, practices and systems for organisations. Students will apply their competencies (knowledge, skill and abilities) gained from this unit to create value for business and society operating in both domestic and international arenas.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - Explain and evaluate different HRM functions, policies and practices required to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of organisations. (GA5)
LO2 - Demonstrate the understanding and implications of HRM process to manage the future digital and sustainability challenges of organisations (GA5, GA8).
LO3 - Describe and analyse the frameworks, strategies, theories and approaches to human resource management to ensure diversity and ethical management of people at work in both local and global contexts (GA1, GA5)
LO4 - Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with peers to construct creative responses to human resource issues in group processes (GA5, GA7)
LO5 - Apply effective written and oral communication skills, individually and in groups (GA5, GA9).
Graduate attributes
GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media
Content
Topics will include:
- Human resource management in contexts
- Contemporary contexts of human resource management
- Human resource management as of today
- Human resource management functions
- Human resource planning,
- Analysing and designing jobs
- Talent management approaches
- Recruitment practices
- Selection processes in practice
- Global human resource management
- Human resource management and future challenges
- Digital human resource management.
- Ethics and HRM
- Sustainable human resource management
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit takes an active learning approach to guide students in the analysis and synthesis of knowledge associated with human resource management to gain business driven capabilities. Students are able to explore the knowledge base underpinning HRM theories and practices to become ethical and credible activists in a series of on campus workshops. These workshops are designed to support students to actively participate in the construction and synthesis of this knowledge both individually and in groups.. This unit takes experiential a formative approach to support students in developing the relational skills required for a solution focused HRM practices by tapping into the knowledge of peers by sharing stories and insights and reflecting on experiences. This approach is designed to interest students who prefer to learn within a social environment and builds in expert support for HR skills development.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, students are required to complete and submit three graded assessment tasks and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking will be in accordance with a rubric specifically developed to measure students’ level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each item of assessment. Students will also be awarded a final grade which signifies students’ overall achievement in the unit. The assessment strategy for this unit allows students to sequentially develop students’ knowledge and skills in human resource management to the point where students can produce a recommendation on a real-world scenario. In order to develop this level of capabilities and behaviours, students will demonstrate knowledge of human resource theories in an analytical essay, further develop students understanding of human resource management theory and practice by analysing an organisation’s external environment and internal environment to understand the contribution of HRM to business outcomes and then apply students’ knowledge and understanding of ethical approaches to human resource management through analysis and development a recommendation to address a real life human resources issue as a final assessment task.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Analytical essay: This assessment task consists of a 1200-word essay. This task requires students to demonstrate their understanding of HRM theories on an essay topic provided (topic listed on LEO) and its implications on the sustainability of the organisation. This assessment asks that students use their communication skills to demonstrate their ability to evaluate frameworks and theories of human resource management to implement business strategy. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Essay Artefact: Written paper Embedding Graduate Attributes GA5 This graduate attribute is achieved through the development of student’s professional knowledge in this assessment GA8 locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information GA9 demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media. | 30% | LO1, LO2, LO5 | GA5, GA8, GA9 |
Assessment Task 2: Group Presentation: This assessment task consists of a 15-minute group presentation in addition to 5 minutes for questions. This task requires students to draw on their communication, team work skills and their critical thinking skills to demonstrate their knowledge of an organisation’s external environment and internal environment, including ethical, social and sustainability issues and the impact that this has on the issue chosen to research. Students will choose from the topics on LEO and investigate a dilemma. The presentation should include an interactive discussion on the dilemma and then the group’s creative solution to ensure long term best practice for the organisation. Group presentation will attract a common mark out of 20 for the presentation with 10 marks for differential student input and performance based on individual members completing Peer Evaluation Tool provided. Submission Type: Group Assessment Method: Presentation Artefact: Presentation notes/written report Embedding Graduate Attributes: GA5 Students professional knowledge is further tested in considering the sustainability of student’s theories and frameworks GA7 Working in teams is very much part of the business landscape, students will have the opportunity to understand the dynamics of teams and how students contribute to the presentation and preparation of the presentation GA9 demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media. | 30% | LO1, LO4, LO5 | GA5, GA7, GA9 |
Assessment Task 3: Best practice recommendation A case study will be provided on LEO that reflects a current HRM issue. Students are to research this issue beyond the case and determine if a policy or a procedure would resolve the issue in a 1750 word Report. Student’s analysis and recommendation should include an outline of a policy or a procedure in the context of ethical implications and understanding of the dignity of each individual and for human diversity and how this will impact on efficiency and effectiveness of organisations. Method: Policy or Procedural recommendation Artefact: Investigative report beyond the case study provided Embedding Graduate Attributes GA1. demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity GA5 This assessment will allow students to prove student’s professional knowledge using best practice modelling | 40% | LO1, LO3 | GA1, GA5 |
Representative texts and references
Armstrong, M 2017 Armstrong's Handbook of Management and Leadership for Hr: Developing Effective People Skills for Better Leadership and Management. Kogan Page Publishers.
Jain, R & Bain, M 2017, Delivering Higher Value Through Higher Performance: Insights On Performance Evaluation And Talent Management In Corporate Communication, Public Relations Journal, 11(1).
Nankervis, AR Baird, M Coffey, J& Shields, J 2017, Human resource management: strategy and practice, 9th Asia-Pacific edition, South Melbourne, Vic. Cengage Learning
Ruël, H & Gbur, M 2017, HRM frames of HR managers and line managers: congruence, consequences and context. European Journal of International Management, 11(5), pp.557-580.
Stone, RJ 2019, Human resource management, 9th edition, Milton, Qld John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
Kramar, R Bartram, T De Cieri, H Noe, RA & Hollenbeck, JR 2017, HRM McGraw Hill, Sydney
Journals
International Journal of Human Resource Management
Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources
Human Resource Management
Human resource Management Review
Human Resource Management International Digest
Journal of Strategic Human Resource Management
Research and Practice in Human Resource Management
Australian Human Resources Management