Unit 1.  Setting the Agenda

Contents

1  Introduction

1.1  Learning how to manage intangible assets
1.2  Learning how to manage change
1.3  Learning how to manage innovation
1.4  Learning objectives for this unit

2  Personnel management and human resource management

3  The need for a strategic approach

3.1  The historical roots of SHRM
3.2  A model of SHRM

4  Choosing and implementing HR strategies

4.1  The role of line managers
4.2  Changes in key HR policies and practices
4.3  Beliefs and assumptions

5  Ethics and SHRM

5.1  Why is SHRM inseparable from an ethical approach to business?
5.2  The individual focus

6  Summary and conclusions

Unit 2.  The Strategic Management of People

Contents

1  Introduction

Learning objectives for this unit

2  The potential benefits of SHRM

2.1  Securing employee commitment
2.2  Creating an ethical organisation
2.3  Achieving superior quality
2.4  Improving stakeholder value

3  Types of strategic integration

3.1  Best practice
3.2  Best fit
3.3  The choice of human resource strategies

4  How might strategic integration be achieved?

4.1  Measures of SHRM
4.2  Resource-based approach to SHRM

5  Summary and conclusions

Unit 3.  Managing for Performance

Contents

1  Introduction

Learning objectives for this unit

2  Performance management systems (PMSs)

2.1  What is meant by PMSs?
2.2  The origins of performance management and its relationship to other management techniques
2.3  Theoretical perspectives on performance management

3  Setting goals and measuring performance

3.1  Linking strategic and individual goals
3.2  Reviewing and measuring performance

4  Taking action: rewards, development and corrective steps

4.1  Rewards
4.2  Development
4.3  Corrective action: modifying goals and actions
4.4  Getting the balance right: rewards versus development

5  The system and its evaluation

5.1  Linking together the different components of PMSs
5.2  Monitoring and evaluating the PMS

6  Performance management in context

6.1  International diversity and performance management
6.2  Employment systems and performance management
6.3  The commitment system - a new employment system?

7  Summary and conclusions

Appendix: 'Performance management: the new MBO?'

Unit 4.  Managing Organisational Structuring and Restructuring

Contents

1  Introduction

Learning objectives for this unit

2  Organisational structures and forms: an overview of types, choices and trends

2.1  What are organisational structures and why do they matter?
2.2  The classic bureaucratic form
2.3  The HR implications of bureaucracy

3  Reforms within the bureaucratic paradigm

3.1  Decentralisation
3.2  Demergers, mergers and acquisitions
3.3  Downsizing
3.4  Delayering

4  Restructurings which break from the bureaucratic paradigm

4.1  Lean and process-based organisations
4.2  Network organisations
4.3  New structures, new problems, new management?
4.4  Towards a synthesis?

5  Summary and conclusions

Appendix: Case Studies

Unit 5.  Managing Employment Relations

Contents

1  Introduction

Learning objectives for this unit

2  Orientation: concepts, frameworks and the scope for choice

2.1  Orientation: concepts and perspectives
2.2  The scope for 'strategic choice' in employment relations

3  The changing context

3.1  Small firms and employment relations
3.2  Globalisation

4  Management choices concerning trade unions

4.1  Recognition and derecognition
4.2  What are employment relations like in non-union firms?

5  Choices about collective bargaining

5.1  The bargaining unit
5.2  Industry, company or workplace level?
5.3  Resolving conflict

6  Choices about partnership

6.1  Partnership agreements
6.2  Partnerships and collective bargaining

7  Choosing an overall employment relations strategy

8  Summary and conclusions

Unit 6.  Learning in Organisations

Contents

1  Introduction

Learning objectives for this unit

2  Organisational learning and SHRM

3  The learning organisation

3.1  The emergence of the concept
3.2  Defining the learning organisation

4  Organisations and learning

4.1  Analysis of the theory of the learning organisation
4.2  Different levels and types of learning

5  Organisations and organisational learning - a critique

5.1  Difficulties with the systems view
5.2  Facilitating organisational learning

6  Limits to achieving learning in organisations

6.1  Individual attributes and behaviours
6.2  Structures
6.3  Cultures
6.4  Decision-making systems and processes

7  Summary and conclusions

Unit 7.  Competences and Capabilities

Contents

1  Introduction

Learning objectives for this unit

2  Human capital formation

2.1  The individual
2.2  The organisation
2.3  The State

3  Competences

3.1  Core competences
3.2  The categorisation of competence
3.3  Occupational competences
3.4  Behavioural competences
3.5  What makes a good manager?

4  A development model

4.1  The context of development
4.2  Policy for development
4.3  Procedures of development
4.4  Methods of development
4.5  Development outputs
4.6  Development outcomes

5  Summary and conclusions

Appendix: MBA survey results References

Unit 8.  Changing Cultures

Contents

1  Introduction

Learning objectives for this unit

2  Corporate culture

2.1  Different approaches to culture in organisations
2.2  Where did the idea of corporate culture come from?

3  Corporate culture: the critique

3.1  Conceptual and definitional criticisms
3.2  Corporate culture as the management of meaning

4  The impact of corporate culture projects

4.1  Changing cultures: is it possible?

5  Change and culture

5.1  Change management models
5.2  Problems with top-down change

6  Summary and conclusions

Unit 9.  Evaluating Human Resource Initiatives

Contents

1  Introduction

Learning objectives for this unit

2  Evaluating SHRM - the research evidence

2.1  The closed approach
2.2  The open approach
2.3  The critical perspective

3  Approaches to evaluation

3.1  Strategic evaluation
3.2  Operational evaluation

4  Designing and conducting evaluation

4.1  Evaluation criteria
4.2  The problem of cause and effect
4.3  Gathering data
4.4  Who should carry out evaluation?
4.5  Attaching a financial value to HR practices
4.6  The politics of evaluation
4.7  Evaluation as organisational learning
4.8  Evaluating evaluation

5  Summary and conclusions

Unit 10.  Choices and Constraints

Contents

1  Introduction

Learning objectives for this unit

2  Markets and managerial choice

3  A role for ethical choice in SHRM?

3.1  The scope for moral choice
3.2  A stakeholder perspective

4  The role of government

4.1  Regulation
4.2  Deregulation
4.3  Policy and pay
4.4  The European Union

5  Choices and constraints in SHRM: revisiting course themes

5.1  A strategic approach to HRM?
5.2  Human capital and organisational learning
5.3  Co-ordination and control

6  The future of SHRM

6.1  Legislation
6.2  The nature of the employment contract
6.3  The role of unions
6.4  Technology
6.5  The relationship between HRM and strategy

7  Summary and conclusions

Course Guide

Contents

1  Welcome to the course

2  Aims and objectives of BZR824 Managing Human Resources

3  Components of the course

4  Structure of the course

5  Assessment

6  Audio-visual notes

7  Residential School

8  The Course Team References

Information Search Guide

Contents

1  Introduction

1.1  Contents of fliis Guide
1.2  Study notes
1.3  'Top 15' sources
1.4  Ó÷åCase study: finding information on knowledge management

2  Managing your information, by Una O'Sullivan

3  Library search technique

4  Libraries and how to use them

5  Sources of information: 'the basics'

5.1  Books and how to trace them
5.2  Abstracts and indexes: finding journal articles
5.3  Journals - printed and online
5.4  Newspapers
5.5  Company information
5.6  Computer databases and the Internet

5.6.1  Searching databases
5.6.2  A selection of databases
5.6.3  The Internet

6  Sources of information: specialized areas

6.1  Guides to information sources, subject bibliographies
6.2  The UK government and its publications
6.3  Standards
6.4  Patents
6.5  Statistics and market data
6.6  Trade literature and product data
6.7  Reports
6.8  Conference papers
6.9  Theses

7  Organizations

7.1  Tracing organizations (directories)
7.2  Names and addresses

8  Case study: finding information on knowledge management

A Strategic Introduction

Contents

Part 1  SHRM: A New Way of Managing?

1  The Nature, Origins and Implications of SHRM
2  Linking Organizational and Human Resource Strategies
3  SHRM in a Global Context

Part 2  Managing Performance

4  Performance Management Strategies
5  Training and Development Strategies
6  International Human Resource Strategies

Part 3  Managing Structures

7  Organizational Structuring and Restructuring
8  Beyond Organizational Structure: The End of Classical Forms?
9  Employment Relations

Part 4  Managing Learning

10  Learning Organizations
11  Promoting Learning in Organizations
12  Managing the Process of Training and Development

Part 5  Managing Change

13  Change Management Strategies and Assumptions
14  Change Management Choices and Outcomes
15  The Role of Culture in Organizational Performance
16  The Possibilities of Culture Change

Part 6  Managing Meaning

17  Some Key Difficulties
18  SHRM - The Redefining of People and Organizations

A Reader

Contents

Strategic human resource management: the theory of practice and the practice of theory Christopher Mabey. Graeme Salaman and John Storey

Part I  Human Resource Management in Economic and Social Context

1. The morality of HRM, Karen Legge
2. Strategy and the ethical management of human resources, Paul Miller
3. Governing economic life, Peter Miller and Nikolas Rose
4. The culture of the customer, Paul du Gay and Graeme Salaman
5. Redefining the field of European human resource management: a battle between national mindsets and forces of business transition?, Paul R.Sparrow and Jean-Marie Hiltrop
6. International comparisons of training policies, Charles Noble

Part II  Human Resource Management and Business Performance

7. The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance, Mark A. Huselid
8. Playing God? The performance of appraisal, Tim Newton and Patricia Findlay
9. Performance-related pay, John Storey and Keith Sisson Strategic human resource management - a reader
10. Human resources as strategic assets: an evolutionary resource-based theory, Frank Mueller
11. Checking out service: evaluating excellence, HRM and TQM in retailing , Patrice Rosenthal, Stephen Hid and Riccardo Peccei

Part III  The Emergence of New Organizational Forms and Relationships

12. The emerging flexible organization: perspectives from Silicon Valley, Homa Bahrami
13. Managing through networks, E. Ferlie and A. Pettigrew
14. The mutual gains enterprise, Thomas Kochan and Paul Osterman
15. Human resource management, trade unions and industrial relations, David E. Guest
16. It's a small world: managing human resources in small businesses, Nicoias Bacon, Peter Ackers, John Storey and David Coates
17. Managing for the next century - or the last?, Ray Jacques

Part IV  Building Organizational Capability

18. A critique and a proposed reformulation of strategic human resource management, Ken Kamoche
19. Reform as routine, Niis Brunsson and Johan P. Olsen
20. The knowledge-creating company, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotafea Takeuchi