INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT KOZHIKODE

Post Graduate Programme in Management

Course Outline

Course Code and Course Title PGP 304 - Human Resource Management
Course type Compulsory
Pre-requisites (if any) Nil
Course Credit 3
Total no. of sessions 24
Session Duration 75 minutes
Term II
Year and Batch PGP 25: 2021 – 2023
Instructor Prof. Mousumi Padhi

Consultation Hours Online (upon appointment)

Introduction

“I believe the only game in town is the personnel game…My theory is if you have the right person in right
place, you don’t have to do anything else. If you have the wrong person in the job, there is no management
system known to man that can save you” – Walter Wriston (Ex- Chairman and CEO of Citicorp.)

The above statement is sufficient by itself to situate the significance of this course. An increasing body of
literature contends that a firm’s current and potential human resources are important considerations towards
the development and execution of its strategic business plan in the globalized business environment.
Moreover there is a growing recognition that human resource practices can provide a direct and economically
significant contribution to firm performance on proper configuration with the firm’s competitive strategy
and they can be the most trusted source of sustained competitive advantage for a firm2. In this light, this
course is designed for prospective/practicing human resource managers to appreciate the theoretical basis of
various human resource practices and be exposed to various operational frameworks available in literature.
For the uninitiated the course shall endeavour to educate and for the initiated, the course shall question their
practice. In total, the course hopes to create a human resource manager, who is knowledgeable, critical and
insightful.

Learning Outcomes/Course Objectives

The objective of this course would be

a. To help participants understand the significance of the Human Resources function in the effective and
efficient functioning of organizations.
b. To sensitize participants to the people implications, while handling various roles in the
organization especially the role of a line manager
c. To give an exposure to the participants on the current issues, dilemmas and challenges in
managing the human side of the organization.

Textbooks and Learning Materials

Text Book(s): Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Balkin, D. B., Cardy, R. L., & Carson, K. P. (2013). Managing human
resources. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Reference Book(s)
Pedagogy Used/Learning Process

This course is centered on the method of education and not training; prominence will be on 'why' and
not 'how'. Training focuses on how to do something, providing cookbook recipes for achieving specific
predictable outcomes. Education, on the other hand, focuses on why people do something, helping you
learn to ponder why people like to achieve various outcomes, so that you can yourself identify, if and
when needed, the appropriate means for achieving those outcomes. Education is thus not application-
oriented and immediate usefulness is not the main objective. It focuses on developing your capacity to
think independently and thereby reach your own solutions to various problems.

The learning method shall involve interactive discussions that evolve out of questions and answers drawn
from a thorough reading of the assigned materials for every session. It’s everybody’s responsibility to
get into a constructive dialogue instead of expecting a particular individual to be the provider of
‘solutions’. Skimming through the readings in a superficial manner will not help in this regard. It is
expected that you will come fully prepared to every session to engage in a fruitful deliberation. The
instructor’s role in this interaction is that of a guide and facilitator, inserting useful additional material at
times, but seldom interpreting the readings for you.

Group Project

Further, in order to facilitate an active learning, a group project would also have to be undertaken in
parallel. Some guidelines pertaining to it are listed below:

1. Each group (6-7 members) would have to make a short proposal (on any aspect of HR – specific themes
it may like to explore. The themes are indicated in the session outline). By the beginning of the 3rd session,
the proposal needs to be submitted (it is encouraged to have discussion with the instructor before finalizing
on the proposal). Kindly note that irrespective of the chosen theme, the project should focus on a critical
examination of issues and complexities widespread in the practice of HR. Its purpose is to delve deeper
into the intricacies of HRM prevalent in the Indian business organizations. The final presentation as well
as a project report will be spread through the course.

2. The class representative (CR) may please submit the names of the group coordinators and the group
members by the end of the end of the 2nd session.
3. The project will be evaluated against the following criteria
• comprehensiveness of the literature reviewed
• depth of analysis and unique insights
• attempts to further the discourse in existing literature/practice.
The APA style guide for citation (Refer: http://www.apastyle.org ) ought to be used for authoring the report.

Kindly note that the instructor reserves the right to call upon any member of the group to present the project.

Evaluation Components/Assessment of Student Learning

This section lists the various assessment/evaluation methods to be used, their weights, and a
description about how the assessment would be done.

Assessment Tool Percentage Description

Short-notice Quizzes 20% The motive underlying these tools are
to assess and evaluate the students on
Submission based assessment 20%
their
understanding of concepts as well as
End term Exam 30% their identification and usage of
appropriate tools and techniques, given a
problem/situation/case
 Students are expected to work in teams for
Class Participation (Case 10% case analysis. Chiefly, one would be
Analysis/Class Exercises) examined on their critical inputs during
the discussion, as well as sharing of
ideas in the class towards an enhanced
learning experience.
Group Project 20 % This will examine the students’ ability to
integrate the information and the skills
accumulated during the course to solve a
field problem. One will also be examined
on one’s skills in oral and writing
communication

Session Plan

Session Title Learning Objectives Chapter No. / Case /

Reading Activity
material
1 Introduction • To stimulate the
and Course participants about the
overview importance of HR in an
organization
• To appraise the
students about the
role and function of
HR professional
•Explain the growth and
trend of HR as a
function

2-3 Strategic • Discuss the strategic Chapter 1- Meeting Case - SouthWest

Human role of HR Present and Emerging Airlines: Using Human
Resources • To learn the linkage Strategic Human Resources for
Management between strategy and Resource Challenges Competitive
Human Resource Advantage (A)
Management Note: Be prepared with
the Case in Session 2

4 HR planning, and • Learn and implement Chapter 2- Managing

design of work the concept of Job Work Flows and
Analysis ( Job Conducting Job Activity – Problem
Description, Person Analysis. Solving to understand
Specification) manpower flows
• Define Job design and
describe specific Job
design strategies
5-6 Job analysis and • Understand and
Competencies identify the Activity – Decode Job
competency specification and
requirement of a job. competencies from a Job
• A brief Description
understanding of
competency
mapping
7-8 Recruitment • Understand the Chapter 5- Activity –Decide on
and Selection various channels of Recruiting and the recruitment and
recruitment Selecting employees selection method for
• Determining a particular job
effectiveness of
various selection
technique

9-10 Training and • Determine when Chapter 8 – Activity: Preparation of

Development employees need Training the a training module for an
training and the best Workforce organization
type of training given
a company’s Case: Ritz Carlton
circumstances
• Recognize the
characteristics that
make training
programmes
successful.

11-12 Performance • Explain the purpose Chapter 7 – Appraising

Management and uses of appraisal and Case – A Day in the
• Understand the Managing Performanc Life of Alex Sander
different (222) Note: Read the case and
assessment the chapter reading for
methods and Session 11.
appraisal
techniques

13 Career • Academic Chapter 9-

Management examination of career Developing Case – A Day in the
management Careers Life of Alex Sander
• Appreciation of Groysberg, B.,
Note: Read the case and
career development the chapter reading for
Nanda, A.,
for the employee on Session 11.
&Nohria, N.
part of the (2004). The risky
organization. business of hiring
stars. Harvard
business review,
82(5),
92-101.
14-15 Rewards and • Explain the key Chapter 10: Activity: Job evaluation
compensation function of reward Managing exercise
management Compensation
• Describe the job
evaluation process Chapter 11:
• Significance of Rewarding
establishing equity in Performance
compensation
16 Industrial • To examine the Bhattacherjee, D. Case: Bosch and Honda
Relations: An meaning and scope (2001).
Overview of Industrial The evolution of
Relations Indian industrial
• To understand the relations: a
key concepts and comparative
actors of Industrial perspective.
Relations Industrial
• To Assess the Relations Journal,
changing nature of 32(3),
employment 244-263.
relationship

17-18 Introductory • To understand the Chapter 14- Case: Maruti Suzuki

discussion on legal environment Respecting
some important and its impact on Employee Rights
labour Organization’s And
legislations employee policy and Managing
employee relations Discipline

Chapter 15-
Working with
Organized
Labor
18 Managing • To become aware Chapter 14- Activity: Process of
Discipline& about the process of Respecting Handling Indiscipline
Engagement at handling discipline Employee Rights
work And Managing
Discipline
19 HR in small and • How is HR different Case: The Delivery Guy
emerging in small firms and Compensation
business firms • Role of owner-
managers in setting
culture and HR
practice in small
firms

20 Building • To understand the Chapter 4- Case: Terror

Culture and the linkage and Managing at the Taj Bombay:
role of Human obligation of Diversity
Resources Organization towards
function the ethical and
diversity concerns
21-22 International • To understand the Chapters 17- Case: Fred Bailey
HRM HR challenges of International
global operation HRM Challenges
• To learn the
difference in HR
practices from a
domestic and
international
operation.
23-24 Gamut of HR • Appreciate the Remaining Group Project
practices in practical aspects and Presentations and report
Industry challenges of the HR submission at the start of
practices 23rd session.
• Learn the HR
policies and practices
of the industry
• Create the interface
between industry and
academics which will
help the students to be
a better management
professional.

Note: The instructor reserves the right to change or modify course materials / schedule /
evaluation scheme/session plan based on circumstances that may arise during the course of
the trimester.