Postgraduate Course: International HRM Policies and Practices (CMSE11677)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Business globalisation is profoundly impacting human resource management, making it crucial for organisations to approach HR from an international perspective rather than as a series of domestic concerns. This course aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of International Human Resource Management (IHRM). Through a mix of readings, discussions, and written assignments, students will explore essential IHRM concepts, relevant theories, and the diverse environments in which multinational companies (MNCs) operate. |
| Course description |
Today's business leaders and decision-makers must make informed decisions and address HRM challenges across diverse national and cultural contexts. Alongside the core objectives, this course will examine theories, models, and concepts in international management, cross-cultural management, and other emerging fields, highlighting their impact on international HRM policies and practices. These theories and concepts will be applied through lectures, discussions, and case studies. Topics will include key management issues influencing international HRM, such as practice transfer, global mobility, sustainability, strategic IHRM, flexible working. The course will also address international HRM challenges related to recruitment and retention, training and development, performance management, expatriation and repatriation, and career development. Finally, we will explore future directions, challenges, and developments in international HRM.
Outline content
Syllabus:
-Introduction to international HRM
-International HRM challenges and approaches
-Global staffing and international assignment
-HRM practice transfer and implementation
-Culture and International HRM/ Cross-culture management
-Strategic International Human Resource Management
-Technology and global HRM
-Flexibility and work-life balance
-Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability through Ethical HRM Practices
Student learning experience
The course is taught using lectures, individual and small group flipped classroom activities and case analyses.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This course is for students on MSc International Human Resource Management |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
30% Case study analysis (Individual) - 1,500 words - Assesses all course Learning Outcomes
70% Essay (Individual) - 2,500 words - Assesses all course Learning Outcomes |
| Feedback |
Formative: Formative feedback will be given to students at the mid-course point on their chosen focus and outline for the individual assessment, which they will be invited to discuss and share with the lecturer in the first half of the course.
Summative: Summative feedback will be given to students alongside the mark awarded for their completed individual assessment after its completion and submission, and within the appropriate School-wide working-day limit for returning moderated marks and feedback. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of globalisation and the key debates surrounding its impact on HR and broader business practices.
- Understand the main challenges and considerations in managing human resources in an international context.
- Analyse HR policies and practices in multinational enterprises and across different countries.
- Critically assess and develop management policies, practices, and systems in the field of international human resource management.
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Reading List
| B. Sebastian Reiche, Anne-Wil Harzing and Helene Tenzer (Eds.). (2022). International Human Resource Management. London: SAGE |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Cognitive Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Be self-motivated; curious; show initiative; set, achieve and surpass goals; as well as demonstrating adaptability, capable of handling complexity and ambiguity, with a willingness to learn; as well as being able to demonstrate the use digital and other tools to carry out tasks effectively, productively, and with attention to quality.
Knowledge and Understanding
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of contemporary organisational disciplines; comprehend the role of business within the contemporary world; and critically evaluate and synthesise primary and secondary research and sources of evidence in order to make, and present, well informed and transparent organisation-related decisions, which have a positive global impact.
Identify, define and analyse theoretical and applied business and management problems, and develop approaches, informed by an understanding of appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative techniques, to explore and solve them responsibly. |
| Keywords | HRM-IHRMPP |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Keyan Lai
Tel:
Email: Keyan.Lai@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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