Lecturer:

UNIVERSITYOFWATERLOO
HRM301STRATEGICHUMANRESOURCESPLANNING
FallTerm2008

VinceDiRuzza,Director,HumanResourcesConsulting
SunLifeofCanada
Phone:(519)8883900ext.5791

Email:vince.diruzza@sunlife.com

OfficeHours:

Text:

6:006:30pmThursdaysinPAS2083orbyappointment
Belcourt,Monica,andMcBey,Kenneth,StrategicHumanResourcesPlanning
(ThirdEdition).

TeachingAssistants:

LectureTime/Location:

DepartmentContact:

CourseWebPage:

HRMwebsite:

JoeBerry
Email:jwberry@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca
GrahamNagyEmail:g2nagy@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca
NOTE:OfficehoursforTAsTBA
Thursdays6:309:20pminPAS2083
TheresaBauer,HRMAdvisor,DepartmentofPsychology
tbauer@uwaterloo.ca
PostingsonthecourseACEpageinclude:thecoursesyllabus,officehours,
lecturehandoutsandpowerpointslides,announcements,andsoforth.On
yourbrowser,typein:http://uwace.uwaterloo.ca.ProvideyourQuest/UWdir
useridandpassword,andthenclickonHRM301.
http://www.psychology.uwaterloo.ca/hrm/index.html

INTRODUCTION:
Thiscourseisofimportancetothosewithinterestsinthefieldofhumanresourcesaswellastomanagersinall
functionalareasofanorganizationwhoneedtobuildanddeveloptheknowledge,skillsandattitudesto
effectivelymanagepeople.

OrganizationsgainsustainablecompetitiveadvantagethroughpeoplethusmakingHumanResources
Managementanimportantpartnerinthestrategicplanninganddecisionmakingprocess.Overall,youwillgain
anunderstandingofwhyeffectivehumanresourcepracticesarecriticaltothesuccessofanyorganizationand
beintroducedtothestrategicplanningrolethatHumanResourcesProfessionalsnowplayinorganizations.

LEARNINGOUTCOMES:
Uponsuccessfulcompletionofthiscourse,studentswillbeableto:
Understandorganizationalstrategiesandthebenefitsofstrategicplanning
Understandhowtheworldaroundusincludingtheeconomy,competition,legislationandother
environmentalinfluencesaffecttheimportanceofHumanResourcesPlanning
GainabetterunderstandingandknowledgeregardingvariousHRtopicsincluding;jobanalysis,HR
forecasting,successionplanning,downsizingandrestructuring,internationalHRMtonameafew.
UnderstandwhytheHRProfessionalisanimportantbusinesspartner
UnderstandhoweffectiveHRPcancontributetotheoverallsuccessoftheorganization.

THECLASS:
Classeswillbeacombinationofthefollowing:
1) Lecture:Youwillbeguidedthroughtheinformationrepresentingthevariouschaptersinthetext.Not
alltextmaterialwillbecoveredinclasshoweveryouwillberesponsibleforthisinformationforthemid
termtestandfinalexam.
2) Groupexercisesandreviewofspecificcases.
3) GroupPresentationsNovember6,13&20

APPRAISINGSTUDENTPERFORMANCE:
25%
MidtermTest
(Chapter1toChapter8)
35%
FinalExam
(Totalcoursecontent)
20%
GroupAssignment
(DueNovember6,2008)
10%
GroupPresentation
10%
Participation
(PeerEvaluation)

GroupAssignment
Thegroupassignmentservesavarietyofpurposes;foremost,youandyourteamwillalignyourselveswitha
HumanResourcestopicyoufindofinterest.Yourteamhastwooptionsforthegroupassignment:
Option1:(TargetsaHumanResourcefunctiontoaspecificorganization.)
Describeandcriticallyevaluateahumanresourcesmanagementactivityusedbyanorganizationyourgrouphas
interestinorisacquaintedwith.Basedonyouranalysis,suggestswaysofimprovingthewaytheorganization
managesthisactivity.YouwillalsoneedtoreviewtheorganizationsstrategicplansandevaluateiftheHR
Activityunderreviewisalignedwiththestrategicplansoftheorganization.
Option2:(TargetsaspecificHumanResourcesfunction.)
Describeandcriticallyevaluateahumanresourcesmanagementfunctionofinteresttothegroup.Youwillbe
responsibletoidentifyyourissueandproviderelevantresearch.Youwillneedtoproviderecommendations
andstrategiesthatwillhelporganizationseffectivelymanagethefunctiondiscussed.

Forbothoptions:
Theassignmentisworth20%ofyourfinalgrade.Youwillberequiredtopresentyourassignmenttothe
classwhichisworthanadditional10%.
Maximumlength:12pagesnotincludingappendices
DueDate:seecourseschedule
Characteristicsofexcellentwork:executivesummary,tableofcontents,introductoryparagraphwhich
discussesthesignificanceofyourchosentopic,useofoutsidesourcesofinformation,thorough,
practicalandcreativerecommendations,logicalsummary.

GroupPresentation
Yourgroupwillprepareanddelivera30minutepresentationonyourassignmenttopic.Evaluationcriteriawill
bediscussedinclass.

Note:Tobefairtoeveryonethedatesfortheassignments,tests,andfinalexaminationarefinal.Inaccordance
withUWregulations,supportivedocumentationisrequiredshouldyoubefacedwithamedicalor
compassionatedilemma.

AVOIDANCEOFACADEMICOFFENCES:

AcademicIntegrity:inordertomaintainacultureofacademicintegrity,membersoftheUniversityofWaterloo
communityareexpectedtopromotehonesty,trust,fairness,respectandresponsibility.

Grievance:Astudentwhobelievesthatadecisionaffectingsomeaspectofhis/heruniversitylifehasbeenunfair
orunreasonablemayhavegroundsforinitiatingagrievance.ReadPolicy70StudentPetitionsandGrievances,
Section4,http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm

Discipline:Astudentisexpectedtoknowwhatconstitutesacademicintegrity,toavoidcommittingacademic
offenses,andtotakeresponsibilityforhis/heractions.Astudentwhoisunsurewhetheranactionconstitutesan
offense,orwhoneedshelpinlearninghowtoavoidoffenses(e.g.,plagiarism,cheating)orabout'rules'for
groupwork/collaborationshouldseekguidancefromthecourseprofessor,academicadvisor,orthe
UndergraduateAssociateDean.Whenmisconducthasbeenfoundtohaveoccurred,disciplinarypenaltieswill
beimposedunderPolicy71StudentDiscipline.Forinformationoncategoriesofoffensesandtypesof
penalties,studentsshouldrefertoPolicy71StudentDiscipline,
http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm

Appeals:Astudentmayappealthefindingand/orpenaltyinadecisionmadeunderPolicy70StudentPetitions
andGrievances(otherthanregardingapetition)orPolicy71StudentDisciplineifagroundforanappealcanbe
established.ReadPolicy72StudentAppeals,http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm

STUDENTSWITHDISABILITIES:
TheOfficeforPersonswithDisabilities(OPD),locatedinNeedlesHall,Room1132,collaborateswithall
academicdepartmentstoarrangeappropriateaccommodationsforstudentswithdisabilitieswithout
compromisingtheacademicintegrityofthecurriculum.Ifyourequireacademicaccommodationstolessenthe
impactofyourdisability,pleaseregisterwiththeOPDatthebeginningofeachacademicterm.

HRPAEDUCATIONREQUIREMENT:
StudentstakingthiscourseforcredittowardsHRPAsCHRPeducationrequirementmustachieveaminimum
gradeof65%orhigherasrequiredbytheHumanResourcesProfessionalsAssociation(HRPA).SeetheHRPA
website(http://www.hrpa.ca/hrpa)forfurtherinformation.

HUMANRESOURCESPLANNINGFALL2008WeeklySchedule

Week
Date
1
September11

Chapters

September18

Chapter1
Chapter2
Chapter3

September25

Chapter4
Chapter5

October2

Chapter6
Chapter7

October9

Chapter8

October16

October23

Chapter9
Chapter10

October30

Chapter11

November6

Chapter12

10

November13

Chapter13

11

November20

12

November27

Chapter14

Topic/Activity
Introduction,Reviewcourseoutlineandexpectations
Assignmentofgroups&classadministration
Trends/ChallengesinHRmanagement
ReviewChapter1:StrategicManagement
ReviewChapter2:AligningHRwithStrategy
ReviewChapter3:EnvironmentalInfluences
*GroupExercise
ReviewChapter4:JobAnalysis
ReviewChapter5:InformationTechnologyforHRPlanning
*GroupExercise
ReviewChapter6:TheHRForecastingProcess
ReviewChapter7:HRDemand
*GroupExercise
DUE:GroupAssignmentOutline
ReviewChapter8:AscertainingHRSupply
*GroupExercise
NOTE:TestReview
***INCLASSTEST
GroupReviewandPresentation

ReviewChapter9:SuccessionPlanning
ReviewChapter10:DownsizingandRestructuring
*GroupExercise
ReviewChapter11:StrategicInternationalHRM
*GroupExercise

ReviewChapter12:MergersandAcquisitions
Presentations:Groups1,2,3*
Due:GroupPaper
ReviewChapter13:Outsourcing
Presentations:Groups4,5,6,*

CareerDevelopmentDiscussion
Presentations:Groups7,8,9,10*

ReviewChapter14:EvaluationofHRProgramsandPolicies
ClassReview
NOTE:ExamReview

FinalExamtotalcoursecontentworth35%offinalgradewillbeheldduringtheUniversitysFinalExam
Period.Requestsforearlysittingsandspecialconsiderationtoaccommodatetravelplansaretypicallynot
granted.YouarestronglyadvisednottomaketravelplansuntiltheUniversityhaspostedthefinalexam
schedule.

*GroupExerciseswilltakeplaceiftimepermits.Timeisallocatedforeachclasstoparticipateingroupand
classdiscussionsregardingthematerialbeingreviewedthisisanimportantaspectofHRM301.