COMM_V 203 - Managing the Employment Relationship

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the essential elements of the relationship between employers and employees. The course engages students in making decisions regarding forming, developing and managing a workforce and then evaluating feedback regarding the impact of their decisions on business results. We also examine the importance of effective employee relations for organizational effectiveness and business success. The course is designed to familiarize students with the complexities of effectively managing a workforce in any organizational setting.

Learning objectives

At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

• • Understand how strategic HRM practices can affect a business organization’s competitiveness.
• • Explain the importance that HRM planning plays in the success of an organization.
• • Understand the core HR functions: HR planning, recruitment and selection, performance management, compensation and benefits, and health and safety.
• • Explain the connection between adopting “strategic” human resource practices, and their relationship to improving business outcomes for organizations.
• • Understand the impact of the legal environment on decisions regarding basic HR functions.
• • Develop the skills necessary for recruiting, selecting, training, developing, evaluating, and retaining employees in business organizations.
• • Identify and evaluate HRM problems and develop strategic solutions to problems in business organizations using critical thinking skills.

Prerequisite: COMM 192 (formerly numbered as COMM 292) and either (a) all of ECON 101, ECON 102 or (b) ECON 100.