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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Business School : Business Studies

Undergraduate Course: Human Resource Management: Current Issues and Controversies (BUST10105)

Course Outline
SchoolBusiness School CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) Credits20
Home subject areaBusiness Studies Other subject areaNone
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionThe aim of this course is to build upon students¿ existing knowledge of Human Resource Management (HRM) from previous courses, particularly Level 2 courses in Managing Employment Relations and Organisation Studies, by focusing on key contemporary issues in the study and practice of managing human resources. The course is not aimed at mapping all debates in HRM: rather, the course is a topics-based approach to HRM research and practice. The course begins with an overview of the HRM debate to date and key controversies in HRM research which provides the basis for the subsequent sessions. Thereafter, prominent debates in HRM are critically assessed, including flexible working, trust in HRM and managing well-being; the changing nature of contemporary workplaces and the management of work-life balance. The course concludes with sessions on the significance of evidence based management and leadership. The overarching themes of the course will be the interplay between the theory and practice of HRM, the challenges of managing human resources and the state of contemporary HRM research. The course will provide knowledge and understanding of both academic and practical relevance to students of management and organisation studies and will encourage students to think critically and analytically about some of the more popular solutions offered to the problems of managing people in the workplace.

Students will be expected to have previous general knowledge of human resource management issues and to apply critical analytical skills developed from other courses on organisations and management.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Managing Employment Relations (BUST08010) OR Organisation Studies (BUST08011)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesA pass in Managing Employment Relations (BUST08010) OR
Organisation Studies (BUST08011) equivalents.

Visiting students should have at least 3 Business Studies courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1) Learn enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 16/09/2013
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 20, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Revision Session Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 172 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 70 %, Coursework 30 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)2:00
Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Part-year visiting students only (VV1) Learn enabled:  No Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 16/09/2013
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 20, Revision Session Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 174 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
No Exam Information
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of the course, students should be able to:
¿ describe and discuss key issues and controversies associated with current debates in human resource management;
¿ critically assess the objectives, rationales, uses and limitations of various managerial policies and practices in human resource management;
¿ identify the scale and nature of adoption of specific human resource policies;
¿ identify the perspectives of key stakeholders in the theory and practice of human resource management
¿ understand the nature of contemporary HRM research;
¿ consider the longer term consequences of current trends in HRM.
Assessment Information
The assessment is made up of one continuous assessment essay (30% of final mark) and degree exam (70%). The continuous assessment project normally comprises an individual piece of work of around 3,000 words. In previous years, P&G have sponsored a prize for best assignment and we hope to continue to offer this.
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Recommended Texts

Students are strongly encouraged to purchase one of the following books:

Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S and Atkinson C (2011) Human Resource Management (Eighth Edition). FT Prentice Hall. Pearson Education.

Roper, I., Prouska, R. and Na Ayudhya, U.C. (eds.) (2010) Critical Issues in Human Resource Management, CIPD books: London.

This course relies heavily on academic journals and students should be familiar with the University Library¿s electronic journals system. In addition, students will be expected to keep up-to-date with developments in the area through newspaper and business reports.


Relevant Journals
There are a number of relevant journals in this area. Useful material is to be found in the following:

Human Resource Management Journal (available in electronic form)
Employee Relations (available in electronic form)
People Management (available in hard copy in the library)
Personnel Review (available in electronic form)
International Journal of Human Resource Management (available in electronic form)
British Journal of Industrial Relations (available in electronic form)
Industrial Relations Journal (available in electronic form)
Work, Employment & Society (available in electronic form)


Relevant Websites
Some relevant websites are listed below.

http://www.bis.gov.uk/
www.cbi.org.uk
www.cipd.co.uk
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/
www.theworkfoundation.com
www.tuc.org.uk
http://www.bestcompanies.co.uk/
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsHRMCIC
Contacts
Course organiserMrs Tina Kowalski
Tel: (0131 6)50 3809
Email: Tina.Kowalski@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Paul Kydd
Tel: (0131 6)50 3824
Email: Paul.Kydd@ed.ac.uk
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