Human Resources Management

The underlying premise of this course is that Human Resources Management (HRM) is a responsibility shared by both HR specialists and the firm's managers. HRM is viewed as a key component of business strategy and as a potential, though often under exploited, source of competitive advantage. The course highlights the numerous challenges facing today's firms: growing pressures for continuous productivity improvement, better quality goods and services, more flexible production systems, as well as, changing employee expectations. These pressures are straining the traditional HRM model leading to a realignment of HR practices and the restructuring of relationships among the firm's major players (i.e. executives, managers, employees and unions).