Human Resources and Employment Relations (HRER)

Similarities and differences of various aspects in industrial relations assessed within the political, economic, and historical contexts.

Legal context of employment in the United States.

This course takes an individual, group, and organizational perspective to deepen students' knowledge of individual and team behavior in organizations.

Seminar course exploring human resource studies from an international perspective.

Theory, process, and issues of employment relations, including collective bargaining and contract administration.

Current human resource topics in the context of organizational strategy, planning, and responsibility.

An overview of professional development and research activities of scholars of Human Resources and Employment Relations.

HRER 512 Gives students an overview of empirical analysis of the employment relationship. Through training in issue identification, model building, specification, sampling and data collection, quantitative and qualitative analysis, recognition of statistical significance and error, and careful interpretation of results, this course provides a solid foundation on which the student will question and build human resources practice and theory. HRER 512 focuses on specific methodological approaches such as survey research that can be applied in a workplace setting. The course includes applied skill-building activities in the areas of problem identification, exploration of alternative solutions to resolve problems in the work setting, survey design, basic analysis of information obtained from surveys, and evaluation of the results of research studies. Students will develop extensive skills in using spreadsheet software, including data cleaning and management, table formatting, charting, functions, and data analysis tools including correlation, t-test, ANOVA, and regression.

Continuation of research design, validity and reliability; experimental design and ANOVA; survey design, and multiple regression models.

Neoclassical, institutional and systemic theories of external and internal labor markets and their dynamics.

The course will provide students with an analytic framework for understanding how social inequalities in race, class, and gender shape experiences in families and the workplace. HRER (WMNST) 523 Seminar in Work-Life Dilemmas, Practices, and Policies (3) This course investigates many of the invisible challenges people face in the 21st century labor market including: what happens when a worker's child is sick; whether mothers are discriminated against in the labor market; what happens to men at work when they have children; whether a person's health is influenced by their work; and if the division of labor at home benefits some people more than others. This course will provide answers to these questions and more through an in-depth investigation of the institutions that structure work-family life in 21st century America. First, the class will consider how work and families have changed in the last 50 years. Second, the students will investigate how inequalities based on gender, race, class, and family structure manifest at work. Third, the course will investigate how work responsibilities impact home life and how this differs according to race, gender, class and family structure. Finally, the course will ask what solutions may fix some of today's most pressing work-life dilemmas.

This course covers the strategic management of talent into, through, and out of organizations including recruiting, selection, and employee transitions. This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, staffing, and prepares students to be effective staffing professionals. The course focuses on the effective management of the flow of talent into, through, and out of organizations. Particular attention is given to the impact of business strategy, internal and external labor markets, recruiting, selection, and analytics on staffing practices. We will cover human resource planning, layoffs, career transitions, and other workforce movement. Experiences focusing on the transfer of course material to real-world situations will be an integral part of the class.

This course focuses on HR/ER consulting capabilities, change management efforts, and the strategic development of talent and competencies required to execute strategy and attain individual and organizational goals. Change management and talent development efforts are anchored in organizational goals and strategies. The entire change management or talent development initiative must be understood within the broader organizational system of which it is a part. Due to external forces such as technology and globalization, the pace and intensity of change and development efforts have increased dramatically. Effective implementation of such efforts rests on a deeper understanding of the theories and models that guide practice so they may be critically evaluated, adapted, and supported to maximize the likelihood of success. The outcome of these efforts are enhanced employee competencies that are of strategic value to the organization and improved support of organizational change efforts. As organizations evolve, change efforts must be adapted and the talent profiles and competencies required to support strategic execution must evolve. This course provides the depth and analytical understanding that will enable students to evaluate and flexibly adapt change and talent development theories and models to fit specific organizational contexts.

Women and minorities in the workplace.

This is the capstone research course designed to support students as they synthesize prior learning with a topic of interest about which they will conduct research. This capstone course incorporates a review and synthesis of material from across the entire human resource management and employment relations curricula. Domestic and international research and issues relevant to workers, other stakeholders in the employment relationship, and the effective acquisition and management of organizations' human resources will be central to the course, as will the legal, ethical, and diversity related issues that pertain to them. Topics to be reviewed and integrated include: - Strategic human resource management - International human resource management - Functional areas of human resource management - Employment relations and global worker rights - Data analytics - Legal, ethical, and diversity related issues By way of an example, if a student were interested in exploring the rise of the gig economy, they would be encouraged to observe this phenomenon first from the perspective of how this impacts the HRM strategy of an organization. They would then look at the global implications of the gig economy, and then consider how this might affect different HRM functions such as performance management or training of gig economy workers. The topic would then be considered from the perspective of how employment relations theories enhance understanding of gig economy workers. In the following two weeks, students would explore empirical evidence through data analytics specific to the gig economy. Finally, they would review the legal, ethical and diversity issues related to the gig economy. In this way, the student week-by-week constructs an in-depth research paper that adopts a multi-perspective approach based on both theory and empirics.

Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

Supervised off-campus, nongroup instruction, including field experiences, practicums, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required.

Creative projects, including nonthesis research, that are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently; several different topics may be taught in one year or semester.

Full-time graduate-level foreign study at overseas institution with whom linkages have been established.

No description.

Survey of employment and labor laws around the world that shape the practice of international human resource management (IHRM). HRER 801 Comparative and International Employment and Labor Law (3) This course surveys how the employment and labor laws of countries around the world help to shape the practice of international human resource management (IHRM). It examines such laws and regulations as they affect a representative spectrum of HR concerns, ranging from hiring and contract formation, to anti-discrimination laws and union relations, to personal privacy. The course first examines the role of culture and employment and labor law in the field of international human resources management (IHRM). Students will be asked to address how different national legal regimes affect important HR policies and practices involving the formation of compensation, firing or layoff of employees, anti-discrimination measures, works councils, and mergers and acquisitions. In addition to comparative (national) law, a growing body of "supra-national" regulation - much of it issued and supervised by the International Labor Organization - sets the stage for the latter weeks of the course. These lessons examine how international labor standards are created and can then adopted as part of unilaterally issued corporate codes of conduct or incorporated into bargained-for international framework agreements (between multinational companies and global union federations). Upon completion of the course, students should have a solid foundation for navigating through national and international law in their formation and implementation of HR policies and practices.

This course helps students understand individual and team behavior in organizations and its impact on individual, team, and organizational effectiveness. HRER 802 Organizations in the Workplace (3) Through the case method, students will be challenged to think critically about real-world problems faced by employees, managers, and organizational leaders. Incorporating basic theoretical principles, we will brainstorm and explore possible approaches to diagnosing those problems and implementing solutions. The approach to learning is purposefully interactive and open-ended, although each module will include some readings summarizing relevant current academic research that provide a framework for thinking about the case. Team exercises and a term paper also provide opportunities for more in-depth exploration of one or more issues introduced during the course of the semester. Students should leave the class with (a) practice in critical thinking; (b) tools for analyzing and managing their own careers in organizations; (c) exposure to some basic concepts from organizational and management science; (d) knowledge about several real-world managers, companies and industries. Evaluation will be based on participation in online case discussions (40%) and written case memos (20%), an individual career and network assignment (20%), and an individual or team option final project involving a paper (10%) and presentation (10%). All letter grades will be assigned in accordance with the University's grading policy.

This course examines current human resource management (HRM) systems world- wide and the influence of globalization on HRM practice.

HRER 805 Human Resource Management provides students who are relatively new to the field with a foundation in human resource management (HRM) as a career and a strategic view of the field of HRM. Understanding the importance of alignment among different HRM functions, having a systems perspective, and creating an awareness of multiple stakeholders and their impact on the practice of HRM are central to the course. How the different HRM functional areas including staffing, training, compensation, benefits, safety and health, and performance management individually and interdependently influence organizational performance and success will be emphasized. In addition, the role of ethics and the various forces that shape the talent philosophy and human resource management strategy of an organization will be covered. The role of the HR function as a strategic business partner in the creation and implementation of business policy and competitive strategy for both domestic and global organizations will be considered. Current trends in HRM and priorities including managing a diverse workforce and the challenges and opportunities of globalization, virtual work, changing performance management trends, and the changing nature of work relationships will also be covered. Various HRM career options and professional competencies required for success will also be explored.

This seminar deals with the development and application of legal rules covering employment relationships in the United States. It will be attractive to the auditory, visual and kinesthetic learner. Among other topics, it covers civil rights laws, common law rules, and statutory protection for employees and the responsibilities and legal protections for employers. In addition, agencies strongly aligned with Employment Law such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will be presented and dissected. Students will be empowered to understand the state and federal court systems so that they embrace the navigational journey and complexities of employment law issues. Moreover, workplace issues related to Employment Law will be showcased such as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, Microaggressions, Gaslighting and Implicit Bias. In terms of adragogy and pedagogy the course will emphasize a high level of critical thinking where the student will synthesize, analyze and evaluate case studies and customized vignettes. An appropriate amount of content will integrate Labor Laws which have a strong nexis to the employment law narrative. Furthermore multimedia will be utilized as well as small group cohort exercises, large group exercises, inventories and fishbowl demonstrations. A special feature of the course will be to expose students to SME's who are experts in Employment Law. (Law firms, advocacy groups etc)These industry experts will be showcased individually and as part of a panel/colloquium.

Advanced topics in labor and employment law; such areas as immigration, unemploymnet compensation, and safety/health.

Neoclassical economic and institutional theoretical perspectives on labor supply, demand for labor, internal labor markets, wage determination and labor policies. HRER 816 Labor Market Analysis (3) Virtually everyone will eventually develop an intimate acquaintance with the domain of labor markets--the job market, workplace, labor force and household. This course is intended to help students better analyze general issues surrounding work, the market for labor and the employment relationship. It will reveal the interdependence of the economy, workplace structures, labor organizations, household and family structure and public institutions and policies. It will prepare students to more deeply analyze the determination of earnings and employment, and the influence of organizational and individual behavior, government policies and labor relations. The course will examine the structures and processes that comprise the labor market and the range of theoretical perspectives that can be used to understand its operation. It will rely heavily on applying, and critically appraising, the various perspectives from the field of economics, integrated with other approaches. Its scope will include analyzing the level and types of employee compensation, employment opportunities, labor force participation, work and non-work time, earnings inequality, work-life conflict, etc. It also examines how labor markets, employers and workers are affected by interventions such as government regulatory policy, labor unions, discrimination, and technological advancement. Each unit will focus on an issue within labor markets, and how it may be analyzed in a rigorous way, -the individual's decision to participate in the labor force and how much time to devote toward paid work as opposed to leisure, studying and family; - the individual and employer decision to invest in their own "human capital" (employees' skills) via payment of training and higher education; - the employer's demand for labor resources in both the short-run and long-run and its determinants such as output demand; - the determination of wages in perfectly competitive or internal labor markets; - the effect of working conditions, such as hazardous or insecure jobs, on pay; - the influence of employee compensation schemes on productivity and turnover; - the effect of labor unions and collective bargaining on levels of pay, productivity, profitability and employment; - the effect of government subsides, taxes, minimum wage, maximum hours and family leave regulations on labor supply and demand, worker earnings and well-being; - the effect of various types of discrimination present in the labor market on gender, race and age earnings differentials; - the influence of the "new economy" (technology, networking) on unemployment and quality of employment (e.g., temporary jobs, work schedules) and income inequality.

This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, employee compensation, and prepares students to create and implement effective compensation systems. Compensation systems play a critical role in a variety of ways in creating effective and efficient organizational outcomes. The types and levels of pay are important in an organization's ability to recruit talent. Similarly the ability to retain talent, particularly in the context of competitive global markets, is related to the quality of types and levels of compensation. In this latter context, the course will connect compensation to the manner in which HRER professionals are able to support organizational strategy. The course will also provide illustrations of the primary ways in which compensation contributes to the entire talent management process. For example, the course will provide tools to understand the role equity plays in influencing employee satisfaction with pay policies and practices, and the resulting ways in which employees respond to their assessment of such circumstances. In this context students will learn how compensation policies influence employee motivation, satisfaction, and employee engagement, as well as other ways in which HR professionals respond to compensation-related issues (e.g. employees perception of unfair pay practices).

This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, employee benefits, and prepares students to create and implement effective benefit practices consistent with organization strategy. The course focuses on the systematic assessment required to determine the alignment between employees' benefit needs and organizational goals, as well as the actual creation of an effective and efficient benefit system. In this regard, students will study various benefit options and special topics in benefits (e.g. benefits for executives, comparative international benefit programs).

This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, total rewards, and prepares students to be effective compensation and benefits professionals. In this course, students will develop a detailed understanding of the many choices employers make when deciding how to compensate, support, and reward employees, and the consequences of those choices. Students will also learn to think systematically about how the external environmental conditions and internal organizational considerations influence the design and management of an organization's compensation and benefits systems. Experiences focusing on the transfer of course material to real-world situations will be an integral part of the class.

This course connects Business Strategy, Financial Tools, and HR to an organization's strategic business objectives. HRER 825 Strategic Business Tools for HRER Professionals (3)Students will learn critical concepts associated with business strategy initiatives, including the application of the experience curve, the growth-share matrix and blue ocean strategies. Students will particularly focus on an analysis that supports the creation of a sustained competitive advantage. This process will expose students to the basic accounting processes from which the statements are built, personalize the understanding of the purpose and use of each of the statements, and address many of the financial concepts which will help students gain credibility with other organizational decision makers. Also, students will address such issues as calculating Return on Investment (ROI), other cost/benefit tools, as well as the conceptual framework around which risk management issues affect financial calculations. HR students will develop a comprehensive understanding of tools that link HR policies and practices to the support of business strategy. In this context the critical concept is the use of metrics designed to provide continuous feedback concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of HR efforts. Students will learn how to identify appropriate metrics based on specific initiatives (e.g., talent management), create metrics that are valid and reliable measures of success, and create dashboard (i.e., balanced score cards) designed to provide comprehensive data to all corporate stakeholders.

This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, staffing, and prepares students to be effective staffing professionals. The course focuses on the effective management of the flow of talent into, through, and out of organizations. Particular attention is given to the impact of business strategy, internal and external labor markets, recruiting, selection, and analytics on staffing practices. We will cover human resource planning, layoffs, career transitions, and other workforce movement. Experiences focusing on the transfer of course material to real-world situations will be an integral part of the class.

This course covers one of the main functional areas of Human Resource Management, training and development, and prepares students to be effective training and development professionals. The course focuses on the systematic assessment required to determine actual learning needs, identifying where learning is best achieved in a training and development intervention, as well as the actual creation of effective and efficient training classes. In this regard students will study training methods, program design elements, and training program assessment methods.

This course examines workplace diversity, gender and race challenges facing employers and employees, and the skills for managing diversity. HRER 836 Diversity in the Workplace (3) This course will examine gender and race issues challenging employers and employees in an age when demographic changes and globalization are significantly increasing the diversity of the U.S. workforce. This course will provide an opportunity for students to explore the various ways in which ethnicity, race and gender, sexual orientation, national origin, and disability impact the workplace. Specific issues to be examined include employment and discrimination laws, work and family policies, human resource practices (such as recruitment and selection), and sexual harassment. The course will also explore various workplace accommodations and strategies for managing diversity in the workplace; sex roles; occupational choices made by women and minorities; and career development. This course is one core requirement for the Masters Degree Program in Human Resources and Employment Relations. It provides graduate course level coverage of topics addressed in L I R 536: Labor Diversity in the Workplace. Mastery of course material will be evaluated through both informal and formal assignments which include case studies, exercises and group activities, participating in on-line discussion, and short essay exams.

Use of normative elements associated with ethical decision making, as well as the emerging interest in descriptive ethics, to address important problems human resource managers confront. HRER 860 Ethical Decision Making for HR Practitioners (3) Increasingly board members, CEOs, Managers (including Human Resource practitioners) and employees are expected not only to understand and apply core organizational values, but also be capable of engaging in ethical decision making at those moments where they are confronted by competing moral demands. HR practitioners find such dilemmas in a wide variety of contexts. Students will study the application of the decision-making model to interpersonal, HR policy making and application, as well as situations involving business strategy. Students will also engage in a detailed examination about how stakeholders actually behave when confronted with moral dilemmas. The need for this insight emerges in related lessons that help prepare students to manage ethical programs. They will learn how to construct a code of ethics and what helps to make codes effective in promoting ethical awareness and eventually ethical action. They will also learn specific techniques that can help create valuable training initiatives that, again, promote ethical awareness and eventually ethical action. One of the themes that will constantly emerge in this course is the unique and important role HR practitioners play in helping groom the ability of all stakeholders to avoid careless decision making when confronting moral choices that are critical to the organization's ability to sustain itself and the communities in which it seeks to thrive.

This course will help students understand the importance and significance of advancing diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and ethical decision-making in the workplace. The course introduces theories and concepts, research, and practice regarding diversity management and inclusion in the workplace. Adopting psychological, sociological, and economic perspectives, we uncover how biases and stereotypes form and combine with organizational and societal structures to introduce inequality within and across organizations. The course also explores how organizations and managers can engage in a structured, ethical decision-making process as they evaluate options for addressing these inequalities.

This course will provide foundational knowledge required by HR and ER practitioners to serve effectively as thought leaders, solutions providers, enablers of organizational growth and success, and trusted advisers to C-Suite executives during the age of AI. This includes focusing on the core knowledge, skills, and abilities required to create and add value throughout the employee life cycle, and related policies, processes, and procedures designed to develop organizational capabilities. In addition to discussing the potential of AI, the course will also explore the potential perils of AI. This includes algorithmic bias and explainability, misinformation, disinformation, cybersecurity, impact on the development of an inclusive workplace, and organizational governance challenges. Fundamental to accomplishing the above is knowledge of digital firms, their strategies and operating models, core competencies, and international guidelines and toolkits on ethical and socially responsible AI. Students will have an opportunity to undertake an AI related project to demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired from the course.

Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis. HRER 894 Research Topics (1-15) The course presents an opportunity for students to demonstrate that they can apply the principles, theory, and content studied over the course of the degree to an applied issue of importance in the field of human resources and employment relations. In addition to a description, analysis, and interpretation of the project or findings, all papers will require a literature review, explicit theoretical framework, and standard bibliographical format. Each student will have a faculty mentor who will assist the student during the research and writing phases, and who will evaluate the final paper.

Formal courses given on a topical or special interest subject which may be offered infrequently; several different topics may be taught in one year or semester.