COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST FOR POLI POLI 457: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT , FIRST SEMESTER 2020/2021 ACADEMIC YEAR

 

 

 

(All Rights Reserved)

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES

FIRST SEMESTER

2020/2021 ACADEMIC YEAR

COURSE SYLLABUS

POLI 457: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (THREE CREDITS)

 

Instructors:    Dr Emmanuel Yeboah-Assiamah                           Dr Akpeko  Agbevade

 

Office:                                                                                     Office:

Political Science Department Room #:

K. Folson Block, 1st Fl. 

Email: eyeboah-assiamah@ug.edu.gh                                   Email: aagbevade@ug.edu.gh

 

Office Hours:                                                                        Office Hours:                                                       

TBA or by appointment                                                         TBA or by appointment                                      

 

Venue and Time:

Sakai LMS, Zoom and other relevant online platforms

 

Course Description

Human resource management (HRM) as a concept has largely replaced the term ‘personnel management’ as a description of the processes involved in managing people in organizations. It is explained to mean the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets – the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the organizational objectives.

 

Learning Objectives

By completing this course, students are expected to

1. learn theories and practices in key aspects of human resource management including staffing, performance appraisal, work and job design, training, compensation, and labor relations.
2. Examine how legal and institutional environment (environmental forces) affect human resource management practice with special reference to Ghana
3.  appreciate the relevance of technology in today’s HR management
4. create alignment between human resource strategies and business strategies.
5.  use compensation and other incentives to attract, retain and motivate employees.
6. familiarize with tools for motivating, training and developing organizational human resources

 

Academic Honesty:

All University policies regarding academic honesty will be strictly enforced. Plagiarism, cheating or academic misconduct in any manner will not be tolerated. If you are not sure about anything, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we can go over it together. We encourage you to familiarize yourselves with the University’s policy regarding academic misconduct. This policy is available at http://www.ug.edu.gh/aqau/policies-guidelines.

 

Students with Special Needs:

Students with special needs should register with the Office of Students with Special Needs, located in the University of Ghana Computing Services (UGCS) building, next to the Student Financial Aid Office; Tel: +233-24-457-5177; E-mail: ossnug@gmail.com.

 

Assessment:

Two assessment mechanisms will be used in this course: (1) Interim Assessment, and (2) Final Exams. The format for these exams will be one or a combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, short essay, and long essay questions. Students will also be given some take home assignments which are to be completed by the end of the semester.

 

Interim Assessment (IA): This assessment component will comprise two online exams which will take place on Sakai LMS. The dates and times will be announced in the course of the semester. The IA will be based on the content of the readings, lectures, discussion sections, and news items covered at the relevant stage of the course. The Interim Assessments and take home assignments will form 60% of the final grade.

 

Final Exam: Worth 40% of the final grade, this exam will be based on the content of the readings, lectures, and discussions covered over the entire course.

 

Grading Scale: Please refer to the Undergraduate Handbook

 

Course Policies

There will be six weeks of online lecture and the following week for revision. Students will be given three additional weeks to submit all outstanding assignments. Regular attendance as well as participation in FORUM discussions is a key determinant of success in this course. Students are expected to do their readings before the lecture period, the readings serve as background, not as a substitute, for the lectures and class discussions. Not only do we expect students to attend classes, but also expect students to ask questions and participate in FORUM discussions.

Please turn off your cell phones or put on silent mode before class begins. The use of cell phones in class is PROHIBITED. In general, please be polite and respectful to everyone in this class. Students are encouraged to attend all tutorial sessions

 

 

Text Books and assigned readings:

Angelo S. DeNisi and Ricky W. Griffin (2008) Human resource management, 3^rd edition, Houghton Mifflin Company

Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management practice 11th edition. Kogan Page, UK

 Berman, E. M., Bowman, J. S., West, J. P., & Van Wart, M. R. (2016). Human resource management in public service: Paradoxes, processes, and problems. SAGE Publications, Inc

Cole, G. A. (2009). Personnel and human resource management (5^th ed.). Thomas Rennie, London.

Torrington, D., Hall, L., & Taylor, S. (2008). Human resource management (7^th ed.). Pearson Education Limited, UK

Yeboah‐Assiamah, E., Asamoah, K., & Adams, S. (2019). Transdisciplinary public leadership theory: Between the extremes of “traditional public administration” and “new public management”. Journal of Public Affairs, 19(1), e1887.

 

 

Please keep in mind that in the course of the semester, relevant supplementary readings or materials may be added where applicable

 

 

Course Readings and Class Schedule:

 

Lecture 1: The Nature of Human Resource Management in Organizations (1)

 

Lecture 2: The Nature of Human Resource Management in Organizations (2)

Readings: Mathis & Jackson, Chapter 1; Michael Armstrong, Chapter 1; Tyson pp 66-96

Lecture 3: The Context of Human Resource Management in Ghana

Readings: Berman et al, Chapter 2; Abdulai, 2000;

Lecture 4: Planning the Organization’s Human Resources

Readings: Cole  pp 137-208; Armstrong Chapters 7, 8 and 25

Lecture 5: Recruitment and selection

Readings: Cole, chapter 14; Armstrong chapters 27-30

Lecture 6: Conditions of Employment

Readings: Mathis & Jackson, DeNisi and Griffin chapter 10

 

Lecture 7: Performance Management and Appraisal

Readings:Mathis & Jackson chp. 10;  Cole 2002 p 298; Armstrong chapters 33-34

 

Lecture 8: Training and Development

Readings: Cole 2002 pp 297-380; Michael Armstrong chapters 36-37

Lecture 9: Employee motivation

Reading Cole 2002 pp 95-105

 

Lecture 10: Employee Relations

Reading: Cole 2002 pp 398-458

Lecture 11: Leadership in organizations

Readings: Cole 2002 pp 65-76;

 

Lecture 12: Emerging Issues in HRM: COVID 19, IT and future of work; work-life balance

Readings: Berman et al 2016 Chapter 8 pp 446-505

                 Torrington et al 2008 Part 7 p. 737

 

Forum

Of great importance in an online learning environment is the use of FORUMS to discuss course topics. Students can communicate their insights and thoughts pertaining to a particular topic, as well as learn from one another in the process. Discussion is also a means for the instructor to identify whether or not a student comprehends required reading and assignments. Forums include instructor-generated questions and suggested topic areas for discussion and student-to-student interaction. Students are expected to engage in forum discussions multiple times during each week.