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Human Resource Management (Osaka University)

What's new


-Final report submission deadline: February 8th. See below for the detail.
-About class participation: Those who did not have a chance to make a short presentation may submit a supplemental report with the final report paper. The detail of the report will be announced soon.
-Homework assignment has been updated (see below)
-CLASS CANCELLATION: December 7th.
-Schedule has been updated.

Final Report Paper

Choose one case (except for Google) from the comprehensive cases in the textbook and develop answers for all questions attached to the case. You can use any format for your paper. Submit your term paper to the Administrative Office (Kyomu) either in Toyonaka or Suita campus. The deadline of submission is February 8th.

Additional case (you can choose this case for the final report, too).

Additional Report (for those who did not make a short presentation in class)

Describe the major characteristics of human resource management practices in your country. It should include staffing, developing, evaluating and compensating employees. The characteristics of legal environment and labor relations could also be included.

Homework assignment (updated)

For Jan. 18 (Google's case)

  1. The benefits that Google pays obviously represent an enormous expense. Based on what you know about Google and on what you read in this book, how would you defend all these benefits if you’re making a presentation to the security analysts who were analyzing Google’s performance?
  2. To support its growth and expansion strategy, Google wants (among other traits) people who are super-bright, and who work hard, often round-the-clock and who are flexible and maintain a decent work-life balance. List five specific HR policies or practices that you think Google has implemented or should implement to support its strategy, and explain your answer.
  3. What sorts of factors do you think Google will have to take into consideration as it tries transferring its culture and reward systems and way of doing business to its operations abroad?
  4. Given the sorts of values and culture Google cherishes, briefly describe four specific activities you suggest they pursue during new-employee orientation.

For Jan. 25 (Q & A session)

  1. You may want to know more about some topics covered or not covered in this human resource management course. Write at least four questions that you want to ask in the Q & A session or discuss with classmates in the final class.

Useful links

100 Best Companies to Work For
Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden Turner. "Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business 2/E: 2nd edition" the book in which the cross-cultural studies (the car and the pedestrian, the bad restaurant) are introduced.


O*NET OnLine
http://online.onetcenter.org/


Career Matrix
http://cmx.vrsys.net/TOP/

Business School Podcast
http://www.oculture.com/2007/02/business_school.html

iTunes University
http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/

Required Text

Gary Dessler, A Framework for Human Resource Management (5th ed.), Pearson Education (Available at Toyonaka Seikyo Bookstore).

Course Objectives

Managing human resources is critical to the success of modern business organizations. The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of human resource management especially from strategic and international perspectives. The topics covered in this class include staffing, compensation, performance appraisal, training, labor relations, and global human resource practices.

Methods of Instruction

The class format will be a combination of short lectures, videos, class discussions, and other exercises. In order to make the most of our class time, be sure to read assigned chapters before the class. I assume that all participants in my class have already read and understood the content of the chapters when class starts. Then I am open to any questions or discussions regarding the study topics.

At the begging of each class, one or two students are expected to give a short speech (about five to ten minutes) that includes the summary of the assigned chapter, your relevant experience, and issues that you want to discuss in class. You may want to bring handouts, newspaper or magazine articles, and so forth as supplemental material.

Methods and Criteria of Evaluation

Grades will be determined based on homework and class participation (80%) and a final report paper (term paper) (20%).

Course Schedule

  • This schedule is tentative and subject to change. Some classes may be canceled due to the instructor’s business trips to foreign countries or other reasons.

1. Oct. 5. Orientation

2. Oct. 12. Chapter 1 (Managing Human Resource Today)

3. Oct. 19. Chapter 3 (Personnel Planning and Recruiting)

4. Oct. 26. Chapter 4 (Testing and Selecting Employees)

5. Nov. 2. Chapter 5 (Training and Developing Employees)

6. Nov. 9. Chapter 6 (Performance Management and Appraisal)

7. Nov. 16. Chapter 7 (Compensating Employees).

8. Nov. 30. Chapter 8 (Ethics and Fair Treatment in Human Resource Management)

9. Dec. 7. NO CLASS

10. Dec. 14. Chapter 9 (Managing Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining)

11. Dec. 21. Chapter 10 (Protecting Safety and Health)

12. Jan. 11. Module A (Managing HR Globally)

13. Jan. 18. Case Discussion: Google (in the textbook)

14. Jan. 25. Wrap up (Q&A and Discussion)