ASOK05078U Human Resource Management

Volume 2014/2015
Education
MA Theme course
BA-Undergraduates from foreign countries can sign up for this course.
Content

Since the mid-20th century, the importance of the individual has been increasingly emphasised within sociology. This has also been the case within related and interdisciplinary founded disciplines such as management theories. The appearance of a more knowledge-based production and the subsequent growing need for optimising the management of human resources are important reasons for the strong interest for HRM in today’s working life. During the last decades, the administration and the supervision of employees have become increasingly important in terms of HRM in private as well as public enterprises. It has increasingly been recognised that employees have to be considered not only as labour, but also as ’living people’ who possess a manifold of skills and resources which must be utilised optimally both to the benefit of the enterprise as well as to the benefit of the individual employee.

 

The concept of HRM has its theoretical and practical roots in the Anglo-Saxon world. Considered in a comparative perspective, however, the implementation of HRM concepts in Denmark are characterised by a certain time lag and the use of HRM strategies are relatively low. Among other things, this is caused by the specific structure of Danish industry, characterised by mainly small and medium size companies, but also due to the relatively low priority of HRM in Danish enterprises until only recently. Furthermore, in the aftermath of the sweeping public sector reform during the last decades, the increasing use of HRM-strategies in public administration plays an important role as regards the implementation of HRM concepts in Denmark.

 

Main issues within the HRM analysis of enterprises are, for instance, the question of recruitment and access possibilities, qualification levels and transaction costs, job design and promotion rules, career options and engagement, management development and evaluation systems, but also further training and employee participation. Furthermore, comparisons of various cultures are important when it comes to the issue of the so-called international HRM, focusing on how national business systems differ in terms of institutional configurations. This is important for multinational companies in the first place, but it is also relevant when considering whether different national management strategies are characterised by convergence or divergence. Finally, the institutional embeddedness of enterprises is an important issue, for instance, regarding changes in the relationship between the labour market parties due to an increased implementation of HRM concepts at enterprise level.

Learning Outcome

The aim of the course is to give students the skills required for: a) understanding and analysing enterprises according to a HRM approach, b) assessing changes in the management of human resources in private as well as public enterprises, c) doing further studies in the field of HRM strategies both regarding the enterprise level as well as the comparative perspective, d) classifying HRM analysis in relation to the neighbour disciplines.

Examination requirement app. 800 pages

Requirement readings/syllabus will be distributed during the first session.

An e-Compendium (around 400 pages) and the textbook:

Bratton, John & Gold, Jeff (2012), Human Resource Management. Theory and Practice, 5th ed., Houndmills et al.: Palgrave Macmillan

An additional course compendium (around 400 pages).

 

The textbook can be purchased at the Akademisk Boghandel, CSS, Øster Farimagsgade 5, building 7, at the beginning of the semester.

Not for undergraduates from Danish departments
BA-Undergraduates from foreign countries can sign up for this course.
Lectures including discussion. During the course, students will be encouraged to apply the acquired theoretical and methodological approaches on selected cases, e.g. by using some of the planed enterprise visits where meetings with HRM managers or employee representatives will be organized.
Kurset fungerer også som liniefag for specialiseringsretningen: Organisation, Ledelse og Arbejdsmarked.

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  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Exam
  • 123,5
  • Preparation
  • 123,5
  • Total
  • 275,0
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination
individual exam
Assesment: 7-point grading scale

See details concerning form of examination exam in the curriculum
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiners
Exam period
Submission dates and time will be available on the homepage of Sociology / education Site / Exam.
Criteria for exam assesment

Please see course aims

Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Individual/group
Assesment: 7-point grading scale

See details concerning form of examination exam in the curriculum
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal examiners
Exam period
Submission dates and time will be available on the homepage of Sociology / education Site / Exam.
Criteria for exam assesment

Please see course aims