THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2022/2023

DRAFT EDITION: to be published 26/Apr/2022
Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Business School : Common Courses (Management School)

Postgraduate Course: HR Issues in Outsourcing (CMSE11283)

Course Outline
SchoolBusiness School CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits15 ECTS Credits7.5
SummaryThis course explores the evolutionary change HR as a profession is experiencing, gives an envisioned future, and shows how to transform once and for all (HR services) into a strategic role that adds value and delivers results.
Course description The objectives of this course are as follows:

1. Introduce what is HRO and provide vital background information.
2. Understand the various components that must be considered when evaluating the outsourcing proposition.
3. Lay the groundwork for the decisions needed in building a complete outsourcing program.
4. Comprehend the effects of outsourcing on people and resultant culture change process.
5. Shed light on different aspects involved in the designing the business processes, defining the deployment approach and build the HR operating model.
6. Recognize the metrics to be used to assess the effectiveness of the outsourcing effort.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. A secure knowledge and understanding of the various debates surrounding the outsourcing phenomenon.
  2. Appreciate the market and industry forces reshaping the modern corporate human resources organisation and the importance of an integrated sourcing approach.
  3. Provide guidance on how to think about the what, why and why not of outsourcing.
  4. Recognise the threshold question for evaluating the business rationale for outsourcing.
Reading List
Lawler III, E. E., Ulrich, D., Fitz-Enz, J., & James Madden, V. (2004). Human resources business process outsourcing: Transforming how HR gets its work done. John Wiley & Sons.

Beaman, K. V. (Ed.). (2004). Out of Site: An Inside Look at HR Outsourcing. Rector-Duncan.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Knowledge and Understanding:
By the end of the course, students will have had the opportunity to:
-A secure knowledge and understanding of the various debates surrounding the outsourcing phenomenon.
-Appreciate the market and industry forces reshaping the modern corporate human resources organisation and the importance of an integrated sourcing approach.
-Provide guidance on how to think about the what, why and why not of outsourcing.
-Recognise the threshold question for evaluating the business rationale for outsourcing.

Intellectual skills:
By the end of the course students will have developed or enhanced:
-A broad range of additional considerations (factual and theoretical) with counter arguments for and against outsourcing including the role and impact of outsourcing on HR activities.
-Be able to review and evaluate in written work critical competence and confidence to challenge contrary viewpoints.

Professional/subject-specific/practical skills
On completion of the assessed course work, students should have enhanced their ability to:
-Understand the reasons why organisations change the structure and location of HR service provision by analysing the changing context of HR outsourcing.
-Critically evaluate different models of HR service delivery available to contemporary organisations.
-Critically discuss the reasons for measuring the impact of HR outsourcing and the measurement indicators used.
-Understand the facts, complexities and the future of HR outsourcing within Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America

Transferable skills
On completion of the course students should:
-Be able to competently communicate and exchange ideas in both large and small group settings;
-Be able to critically evaluate evidence and present a balanced argument;
-Be able to plan, organise and prioritise work effectively.
KeywordsHRM-IO
Contacts
Course organiserDr Yumeng Yue
Tel: (0131 6)50 3809
Email: yumeng.yue@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Carrie Innes
Tel: (0131 6)51 3757
Email: carrie.innes@ed.ac.uk
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