Assignment Prompt & Instructions
– 2 years ago
**files (3)**
– ## Module1Overview.docx
– ## Module1Case.docx
– ## Module1Resource.docx
**## Module1Overview.docx**
**Module 1 – Overview**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Module Objectives**
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following objectives:
· Module
· Analyze and assess the strategic role of human resource professionals in organizations.
· Case
· Design solutions to strengthen the link between organizational strategy and human resource activities.
· SLP
· Evaluate an article in
_HR Magazine_ related to a topic in this module.
· Discussion
· Analyze and assess the role of human resource management in an organization.
**Module Overview**
Module 1 is an introduction to human resource management and a close-up look at HR’s role in an organization with a specific focus on strategic planning.
The Case Assignment is our first look at The King Company organization. You will see as you examine the Company that HR activities are entwined with nearly all other functions in running a business.
The SLP in Module 1 provides an opportunity for you to become familiar with a popular publication written for HRM professionals. The publication examined in this Module is
_HR Magazine_ produced by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).
In the Discussion forum for Module 1, you and your classmates will be examining actual HR activities in the HRM field.
**## Module1Case.docx**
**Module 1 – Case**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Assignment Overview**
This Case Assignment focuses on recognizing the link between organizational strategy and HR activities.
You are the new director of human resources at The King Company. As director, you must play a large role in resolving the organizational issues confronting the company and develop solutions for the functional and managerial issues facing the HR department.
Click
[_The King Company Background_](https://tlc.trident.edu/content/enforced/223276-MGT509-2025APR07FT-1/THE%20KING%20COMPANY%20BACKGROUND.docx?ou=223276) to review information on the company.
[Note: You may want to download/print the company background information provided in this module so that you have it handy as you work on subsequent module assignments.]
**Case Assignment**
After reading the fictional King Company case, address the following questions in an essay format which includes an introduction and conclusion (not a Q & A format):
· Describe the current relationship between organizational strategy and HR activities at The King Company. Give three examples and analyze the relationships.
· What improvements are needed to HRM’s strategic role at King? Discuss.
For the Case Assignment, utilize information from at least two sources from the Trident Online Library to help strengthen and validate your discussion.
Provide private-sector employer examples of HRM programs, systems, processes, and/or procedures as you address the assignment requirements. Provide names of the employers. Use different employer examples than what have been used previously in your other papers and courses.
Make reasonable, cost-effective assumptions in your paper. It is not an option, however, for you to hire additional help (temporary or otherwise). State your assumptions in the beginning of your discussion.
Paper length:
**3–4 pages** (not counting the cover and reference pages).
**Assignment Expectations**
_Your paper will be evaluated using the criteria as stated in the Case rubric. The following is a review of the rubric criteria:_
·
**Assignment-Driven:** Does the paper fully address all aspects of the assignment? Is the assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
·
**Critical Thinking:** Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
·
**Business Writing:** Is the essay logical, well organized and well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
·
**Effective Use of Information:** Does the submission demonstrate that the student has read, understood, and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality sources? Do additional sources used provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
·
**Citing Sources:** Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all sources cited in the paper been included on the References page?
·
**Timeliness:** Has the assignment been submitted to TLC (Trident’s learning management system) on or before the module’s due date?
**## Module1Resource.docx**
**Module 1 – Resources**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Introduction to HRM**
Human Resource Management (HRM or simply HR) is one of the most exciting fields to study in business. It is the utilization of people to help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. Executives, managers, supervisors, and other employees are all in the organization because there is work to be done. People who work in HR departments work with constant change and challenges—staffing needs, legal compliance, special compensation issues, and technological changes, for instance.
**What are some of the functions of HRM?**
**Staffing:** ensuring that the organization has the proper number of employees with the right skills and behaviors to get the jobs done. Some of the major areas often grouped closely with the staffing function are job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment, selection, and on-boarding/new employee orientation. We will look at the staffing function in Module 2.
**Talent Development:** training and developing employees as well as career planning, organizational development, performance management, and performance appraisal. Talent development, along with performance management, and organizational development are the topics for Module 3.
**Total Rewards:** what people receive in return for performing work in an organization. This is a concern for employees and employers alike. The total of all rewards include pay (direct financial compensation), benefits (indirect financial compensation) and non-financial compensation (satisfaction from the job itself or from the psychological environment and/or the work environment itself). Employee compensation with a strong motivational component (referred to as “total rewards”) is discussed in Module 4.
**Employee and Labor Relations:** “Labor relations” (sometimes called “industrial relations”) pertains to the employer-union-employee relationship when a union is present. The term “employee relations” normally represents the broader scope of workplace relationships—including employee morale, corrective action, terminations, and resignations. Module 4 pertains to total rewards, employee and labor relations, and also global HRM.
Keep in mind this course is an overview course—not a how-to course. The more advanced courses in the MSHRM degree program (MGT511, MGT516, HRM520, HRM522, and HRM599) go into more detail of the how-to of these and other HRM functional areas.
**HR’s Role in Organizations:** The role of HR professionals is under constant change. Many changes have been made so that HR professionals play a more strategic role. Because of this strategic emphasis, the question becomes, Who will perform the usual administrative roles associated with the many HR functions listed above? Many employers have turned to outside vendors or the use of HR technology systems in-house. Some HR duties have disappeared. The focus has switched to one of cost cutting—lean budgets in a global environment. HR staffs have been reduced and operating budgets are smaller. The most efficient organizations typically spend nearly 30% less per employee on HR and operate with 25% fewer HR employees (Controller’s Report, 2011).
Please note that the following links will open in a new window and may require activation of a LinkedIn account on the first attempt. Trident students may use their student email address to access this free subscription to LinkedIn Learning as a part of this course.
[_Human Resources: Leadership and Strategic Impact_](https://tlc.trident.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=223276&type=lti&rcode=TUI-505569&srcou=104372) – LinkedIn Learning
[_Human resources basics_](https://tlc.trident.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=223276&type=lti&rcode=TUI-505570&srcou=104372) – LinkedIn Learning
Also, read the following on putting the “human” back into strategic HRM:
Wright, P. M., & McMahan, G. C. (2011). Exploring human capital: Putting 'human' back into strategic human resource management.
_Human Resource Management Journal, 21_(2), 93-104. Retrieved from EBSCOhost in the Trident Online Library.
Today, the following now contribute in large part to the completion of many traditional HR activities:
**Line managers:** Line managers using technology are performing HR processes that require approvals, record-keeping, or input. They are working on recruiting, selection, and performance appraisals through the use of automated systems, without HR’s continuous input in the process.
**Outsourcing organizations:** This is the process of organizations hiring external HR professionals to perform HR work that was previously performed in-house. Organizations decide what competencies they want to keep in-house and assign other activities to externals to perform. This allows HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives.
**Shared service centers:** A shared service takes routine, transaction-based duties dispersed throughout an organization and consolidates them in one place. For example, a company with 15 locations might consolidate their benefits and pension administration, payroll, relocation assistance, recruitment, and training and development into one center.
**Professional employer organizations (PEOs):** This is a company that leases employees to other businesses. The PEO continues to be the employer (issuing pay and benefits to its leased-out employees for performing HR work for an external organization). This frees up the external organization’s HR employees to work on HR strategic plans.
So, we see that the goal today is for HR to be more focused on strategic HR—on the bottom line of the organization, leaving the administrative tasks to technology and others (Schein, 2010).
**Sources used to prepare this section:** Despite Recession, World-Class HR Organizations Reduce Costs by 13 Percent. Controller’s Report 2011 (August 2011). 1-19.
Mondy, R. W. (2014). Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Schein, E. H. (Fall 2010). The role of organization development in the human resource function. OD Practitioner (42) 6-11.
**Optional Sources:**
The following two sources may be helpful if you choose to prepare a slide presentation for your SLP 1:
Wienot Films. (2011, May 9).
[_How to give an awesome PowerPoint presentation [Video file]_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68a6M5FFBc). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68a6M5FFBc
**Also**
Society for Human Resource Management. Browse SHRM’s monthly publication, HR Magazine (available though ProQuest in the Trident Online Library) for pertinent HR topics. Also visit the SHRM website,
[_www.SHRM.org_](https://www.shrm.org/), for membership information as well as for information on HR topics (some do not require paid membership for access, others do).
**## Module1Resource.docx**
**Module 1 – Resources**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Introduction to HRM**
Human Resource Management (HRM or simply HR) is one of the most exciting fields to study in business. It is the utilization of people to help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. Executives, managers, supervisors, and other employees are all in the organization because there is work to be done. People who work in HR departments work with constant change and challenges—staffing needs, legal compliance, special compensation issues, and technological changes, for instance.
**What are some of the functions of HRM?**
**Staffing:** ensuring that the organization has the proper number of employees with the right skills and behaviors to get the jobs done. Some of the major areas often grouped closely with the staffing function are job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment, selection, and on-boarding/new employee orientation. We will look at the staffing function in Module 2.
**Talent Development:** training and developing employees as well as career planning, organizational development, performance management, and performance appraisal. Talent development, along with performance management, and organizational development are the topics for Module 3.
**Total Rewards:** what people receive in return for performing work in an organization. This is a concern for employees and employers alike. The total of all rewards include pay (direct financial compensation), benefits (indirect financial compensation) and non-financial compensation (satisfaction from the job itself or from the psychological environment and/or the work environment itself). Employee compensation with a strong motivational component (referred to as “total rewards”) is discussed in Module 4.
**Employee and Labor Relations:** “Labor relations” (sometimes called “industrial relations”) pertains to the employer-union-employee relationship when a union is present. The term “employee relations” normally represents the broader scope of workplace relationships—including employee morale, corrective action, terminations, and resignations. Module 4 pertains to total rewards, employee and labor relations, and also global HRM.
Keep in mind this course is an overview course—not a how-to course. The more advanced courses in the MSHRM degree program (MGT511, MGT516, HRM520, HRM522, and HRM599) go into more detail of the how-to of these and other HRM functional areas.
**HR’s Role in Organizations:** The role of HR professionals is under constant change. Many changes have been made so that HR professionals play a more strategic role. Because of this strategic emphasis, the question becomes, Who will perform the usual administrative roles associated with the many HR functions listed above? Many employers have turned to outside vendors or the use of HR technology systems in-house. Some HR duties have disappeared. The focus has switched to one of cost cutting—lean budgets in a global environment. HR staffs have been reduced and operating budgets are smaller. The most efficient organizations typically spend nearly 30% less per employee on HR and operate with 25% fewer HR employees (Controller’s Report, 2011).
Please note that the following links will open in a new window and may require activation of a LinkedIn account on the first attempt. Trident students may use their student email address to access this free subscription to LinkedIn Learning as a part of this course.
[_Human Resources: Leadership and Strategic Impact_](https://tlc.trident.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=223276&type=lti&rcode=TUI-505569&srcou=104372) – LinkedIn Learning
[_Human resources basics_](https://tlc.trident.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=223276&type=lti&rcode=TUI-505570&srcou=104372) – LinkedIn Learning
Also, read the following on putting the “human” back into strategic HRM:
Wright, P. M., & McMahan, G. C. (2011). Exploring human capital: Putting 'human' back into strategic human resource management.
_Human Resource Management Journal, 21_(2), 93-104. Retrieved from EBSCOhost in the Trident Online Library.
Today, the following now contribute in large part to the completion of many traditional HR activities:
**Line managers:** Line managers using technology are performing HR processes that require approvals, record-keeping, or input. They are working on recruiting, selection, and performance appraisals through the use of automated systems, without HR’s continuous input in the process.
**Outsourcing organizations:** This is the process of organizations hiring external HR professionals to perform HR work that was previously performed in-house. Organizations decide what competencies they want to keep in-house and assign other activities to externals to perform. This allows HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives.
**Shared service centers:** A shared service takes routine, transaction-based duties dispersed throughout an organization and consolidates them in one place. For example, a company with 15 locations might consolidate their benefits and pension administration, payroll, relocation assistance, recruitment, and training and development into one center.
**Professional employer organizations (PEOs):** This is a company that leases employees to other businesses. The PEO continues to be the employer (issuing pay and benefits to its leased-out employees for performing HR work for an external organization). This frees up the external organization’s HR employees to work on HR strategic plans.
So, we see that the goal today is for HR to be more focused on strategic HR—on the bottom line of the organization, leaving the administrative tasks to technology and others (Schein, 2010).
**Sources used to prepare this section:** Despite Recession, World-Class HR Organizations Reduce Costs by 13 Percent. Controller’s Report 2011 (August 2011). 1-19.
Mondy, R. W. (2014). Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Schein, E. H. (Fall 2010). The role of organization development in the human resource function. OD Practitioner (42) 6-11.
**Optional Sources:**
The following two sources may be helpful if you choose to prepare a slide presentation for your SLP 1:
Wienot Films. (2011, May 9).
[_How to give an awesome PowerPoint presentation [Video file]_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68a6M5FFBc). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68a6M5FFBc
**Also**
Society for Human Resource Management. Browse SHRM’s monthly publication, HR Magazine (available though ProQuest in the Trident Online Library) for pertinent HR topics. Also visit the SHRM website,
[_www.SHRM.org_](https://www.shrm.org/), for membership information as well as for information on HR topics (some do not require paid membership for access, others do).
**## Module1Overview.docx**
**Module 1 – Overview**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Module Objectives**
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following objectives:
· Module
· Analyze and assess the strategic role of human resource professionals in organizations.
· Case
· Design solutions to strengthen the link between organizational strategy and human resource activities.
· SLP
· Evaluate an article in
_HR Magazine_ related to a topic in this module.
· Discussion
· Analyze and assess the role of human resource management in an organization.
**Module Overview**
Module 1 is an introduction to human resource management and a close-up look at HR’s role in an organization with a specific focus on strategic planning.
The Case Assignment is our first look at The King Company organization. You will see as you examine the Company that HR activities are entwined with nearly all other functions in running a business.
The SLP in Module 1 provides an opportunity for you to become familiar with a popular publication written for HRM professionals. The publication examined in this Module is
_HR Magazine_ produced by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).
In the Discussion forum for Module 1, you and your classmates will be examining actual HR activities in the HRM field.
**## Module1Case.docx**
**Module 1 – Case**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Assignment Overview**
This Case Assignment focuses on recognizing the link between organizational strategy and HR activities.
You are the new director of human resources at The King Company. As director, you must play a large role in resolving the organizational issues confronting the company and develop solutions for the functional and managerial issues facing the HR department.
Click
[_The King Company Background_](https://tlc.trident.edu/content/enforced/223276-MGT509-2025APR07FT-1/THE%20KING%20COMPANY%20BACKGROUND.docx?ou=223276) to review information on the company.
[Note: You may want to download/print the company background information provided in this module so that you have it handy as you work on subsequent module assignments.]
**Case Assignment**
After reading the fictional King Company case, address the following questions in an essay format which includes an introduction and conclusion (not a Q & A format):
· Describe the current relationship between organizational strategy and HR activities at The King Company. Give three examples and analyze the relationships.
· What improvements are needed to HRM’s strategic role at King? Discuss.
For the Case Assignment, utilize information from at least two sources from the Trident Online Library to help strengthen and validate your discussion.
Provide private-sector employer examples of HRM programs, systems, processes, and/or procedures as you address the assignment requirements. Provide names of the employers. Use different employer examples than what have been used previously in your other papers and courses.
Make reasonable, cost-effective assumptions in your paper. It is not an option, however, for you to hire additional help (temporary or otherwise). State your assumptions in the beginning of your discussion.
Paper length:
**3–4 pages** (not counting the cover and reference pages).
**Assignment Expectations**
_Your paper will be evaluated using the criteria as stated in the Case rubric. The following is a review of the rubric criteria:_
·
**Assignment-Driven:** Does the paper fully address all aspects of the assignment? Is the assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
·
**Critical Thinking:** Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
·
**Business Writing:** Is the essay logical, well organized and well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
·
**Effective Use of Information:** Does the submission demonstrate that the student has read, understood, and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality sources? Do additional sources used provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
·
**Citing Sources:** Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all sources cited in the paper been included on the References page?
·
**Timeliness:** Has the assignment been submitted to TLC (Trident’s learning management system) on or before the module’s due date?
**## Module1Resource.docx**
**Module 1 – Resources**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Introduction to HRM**
Human Resource Management (HRM or simply HR) is one of the most exciting fields to study in business. It is the utilization of people to help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. Executives, managers, supervisors, and other employees are all in the organization because there is work to be done. People who work in HR departments work with constant change and challenges—staffing needs, legal compliance, special compensation issues, and technological changes, for instance.
**What are some of the functions of HRM?**
**Staffing:** ensuring that the organization has the proper number of employees with the right skills and behaviors to get the jobs done. Some of the major areas often grouped closely with the staffing function are job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment, selection, and on-boarding/new employee orientation. We will look at the staffing function in Module 2.
**Talent Development:** training and developing employees as well as career planning, organizational development, performance management, and performance appraisal. Talent development, along with performance management, and organizational development are the topics for Module 3.
**Total Rewards:** what people receive in return for performing work in an organization. This is a concern for employees and employers alike. The total of all rewards include pay (direct financial compensation), benefits (indirect financial compensation) and non-financial compensation (satisfaction from the job itself or from the psychological environment and/or the work environment itself). Employee compensation with a strong motivational component (referred to as “total rewards”) is discussed in Module 4.
**Employee and Labor Relations:** “Labor relations” (sometimes called “industrial relations”) pertains to the employer-union-employee relationship when a union is present. The term “employee relations” normally represents the broader scope of workplace relationships—including employee morale, corrective action, terminations, and resignations. Module 4 pertains to total rewards, employee and labor relations, and also global HRM.
Keep in mind this course is an overview course—not a how-to course. The more advanced courses in the MSHRM degree program (MGT511, MGT516, HRM520, HRM522, and HRM599) go into more detail of the how-to of these and other HRM functional areas.
**HR’s Role in Organizations:** The role of HR professionals is under constant change. Many changes have been made so that HR professionals play a more strategic role. Because of this strategic emphasis, the question becomes, Who will perform the usual administrative roles associated with the many HR functions listed above? Many employers have turned to outside vendors or the use of HR technology systems in-house. Some HR duties have disappeared. The focus has switched to one of cost cutting—lean budgets in a global environment. HR staffs have been reduced and operating budgets are smaller. The most efficient organizations typically spend nearly 30% less per employee on HR and operate with 25% fewer HR employees (Controller’s Report, 2011).
Please note that the following links will open in a new window and may require activation of a LinkedIn account on the first attempt. Trident students may use their student email address to access this free subscription to LinkedIn Learning as a part of this course.
[_Human Resources: Leadership and Strategic Impact_](https://tlc.trident.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=223276&type=lti&rcode=TUI-505569&srcou=104372) – LinkedIn Learning
[_Human resources basics_](https://tlc.trident.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=223276&type=lti&rcode=TUI-505570&srcou=104372) – LinkedIn Learning
Also, read the following on putting the “human” back into strategic HRM:
Wright, P. M., & McMahan, G. C. (2011). Exploring human capital: Putting 'human' back into strategic human resource management.
_Human Resource Management Journal, 21_(2), 93-104. Retrieved from EBSCOhost in the Trident Online Library.
Today, the following now contribute in large part to the completion of many traditional HR activities:
**Line managers:** Line managers using technology are performing HR processes that require approvals, record-keeping, or input. They are working on recruiting, selection, and performance appraisals through the use of automated systems, without HR’s continuous input in the process.
**Outsourcing organizations:** This is the process of organizations hiring external HR professionals to perform HR work that was previously performed in-house. Organizations decide what competencies they want to keep in-house and assign other activities to externals to perform. This allows HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives.
**Shared service centers:** A shared service takes routine, transaction-based duties dispersed throughout an organization and consolidates them in one place. For example, a company with 15 locations might consolidate their benefits and pension administration, payroll, relocation assistance, recruitment, and training and development into one center.
**Professional employer organizations (PEOs):** This is a company that leases employees to other businesses. The PEO continues to be the employer (issuing pay and benefits to its leased-out employees for performing HR work for an external organization). This frees up the external organization’s HR employees to work on HR strategic plans.
So, we see that the goal today is for HR to be more focused on strategic HR—on the bottom line of the organization, leaving the administrative tasks to technology and others (Schein, 2010).
**Sources used to prepare this section:** Despite Recession, World-Class HR Organizations Reduce Costs by 13 Percent. Controller’s Report 2011 (August 2011). 1-19.
Mondy, R. W. (2014). Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Schein, E. H. (Fall 2010). The role of organization development in the human resource function. OD Practitioner (42) 6-11.
**Optional Sources:**
The following two sources may be helpful if you choose to prepare a slide presentation for your SLP 1:
Wienot Films. (2011, May 9).
[_How to give an awesome PowerPoint presentation [Video file]_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68a6M5FFBc). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68a6M5FFBc
**Also**
Society for Human Resource Management. Browse SHRM’s monthly publication, HR Magazine (available though ProQuest in the Trident Online Library) for pertinent HR topics. Also visit the SHRM website,
[_www.SHRM.org_](https://www.shrm.org/), for membership information as well as for information on HR topics (some do not require paid membership for access, others do).
**## Module1Overview.docx**
**Module 1 – Overview**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Module Objectives**
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following objectives:
· Module
· Analyze and assess the strategic role of human resource professionals in organizations.
· Case
· Design solutions to strengthen the link between organizational strategy and human resource activities.
· SLP
· Evaluate an article in
_HR Magazine_ related to a topic in this module.
· Discussion
· Analyze and assess the role of human resource management in an organization.
**Module Overview**
Module 1 is an introduction to human resource management and a close-up look at HR’s role in an organization with a specific focus on strategic planning.
The Case Assignment is our first look at The King Company organization. You will see as you examine the Company that HR activities are entwined with nearly all other functions in running a business.
The SLP in Module 1 provides an opportunity for you to become familiar with a popular publication written for HRM professionals. The publication examined in this Module is
_HR Magazine_ produced by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).
In the Discussion forum for Module 1, you and your classmates will be examining actual HR activities in the HRM field.
**## Module1Case.docx**
**Module 1 – Case**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Assignment Overview**
This Case Assignment focuses on recognizing the link between organizational strategy and HR activities.
You are the new director of human resources at The King Company. As director, you must play a large role in resolving the organizational issues confronting the company and develop solutions for the functional and managerial issues facing the HR department.
Click
[_The King Company Background_](https://tlc.trident.edu/content/enforced/223276-MGT509-2025APR07FT-1/THE%20KING%20COMPANY%20BACKGROUND.docx?ou=223276) to review information on the company.
[Note: You may want to download/print the company background information provided in this module so that you have it handy as you work on subsequent module assignments.]
**Case Assignment**
After reading the fictional King Company case, address the following questions in an essay format which includes an introduction and conclusion (not a Q & A format):
· Describe the current relationship between organizational strategy and HR activities at The King Company. Give three examples and analyze the relationships.
· What improvements are needed to HRM’s strategic role at King? Discuss.
For the Case Assignment, utilize information from at least two sources from the Trident Online Library to help strengthen and validate your discussion.
Provide private-sector employer examples of HRM programs, systems, processes, and/or procedures as you address the assignment requirements. Provide names of the employers. Use different employer examples than what have been used previously in your other papers and courses.
Make reasonable, cost-effective assumptions in your paper. It is not an option, however, for you to hire additional help (temporary or otherwise). State your assumptions in the beginning of your discussion.
Paper length:
**3–4 pages** (not counting the cover and reference pages).
**Assignment Expectations**
_Your paper will be evaluated using the criteria as stated in the Case rubric. The following is a review of the rubric criteria:_
·
**Assignment-Driven:** Does the paper fully address all aspects of the assignment? Is the assignment addressed accurately and precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length requirements?
·
**Critical Thinking:** Does the paper demonstrate graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and analysis?
·
**Business Writing:** Is the essay logical, well organized and well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding, or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of direct quotations?
·
**Effective Use of Information:** Does the submission demonstrate that the student has read, understood, and can apply the background materials for the module? If required, has the student demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of relevant and quality sources? Do additional sources used provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in shaping the overall paper?
·
**Citing Sources:** Does the student demonstrate understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate? Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these properly cited? Have all sources cited in the paper been included on the References page?
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**Timeliness:** Has the assignment been submitted to TLC (Trident’s learning management system) on or before the module’s due date?
**## Module1Resource.docx**
**Module 1 – Resources**
**Intro to Human Resource Management; HRM’s Role; Strategic HRM**
**Introduction to HRM**
Human Resource Management (HRM or simply HR) is one of the most exciting fields to study in business. It is the utilization of people to help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. Executives, managers, supervisors, and other employees are all in the organization because there is work to be done. People who work in HR departments work with constant change and challenges—staffing needs, legal compliance, special compensation issues, and technological changes, for instance.
**What are some of the functions of HRM?**
**Staffing:** ensuring that the organization has the proper number of employees with the right skills and behaviors to get the jobs done. Some of the major areas often grouped closely with the staffing function are job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment, selection, and on-boarding/new employee orientation. We will look at the staffing function in Module 2.
**Talent Development:** training and developing employees as well as career planning, organizational development, performance management, and performance appraisal. Talent development, along with performance management, and organizational development are the topics for Module 3.
**Total Rewards:** what people receive in return for performing work in an organization. This is a concern for employees and employers alike. The total of all rewards include pay (direct financial compensation), benefits (indirect financial compensation) and non-financial compensation (satisfaction from the job itself or from the psychological environment and/or the work environment itself). Employee compensation with a strong motivational component (referred to as “total rewards”) is discussed in Module 4.
**Employee and Labor Relations:** “Labor relations” (sometimes called “industrial relations”) pertains to the employer-union-employee relationship when a union is present. The term “employee relations” normally represents the broader scope of workplace relationships—including employee morale, corrective action, terminations, and resignations. Module 4 pertains to total rewards, employee and labor relations, and also global HRM.
Keep in mind this course is an overview course—not a how-to course. The more advanced courses in the MSHRM degree program (MGT511, MGT516, HRM520, HRM522, and HRM599) go into more detail of the how-to of these and other HRM functional areas.
**HR’s Role in Organizations:** The role of HR professionals is under constant change. Many changes have been made so that HR professionals play a more strategic role. Because of this strategic emphasis, the question becomes, Who will perform the usual administrative roles associated with the many HR functions listed above? Many employers have turned to outside vendors or the use of HR technology systems in-house. Some HR duties have disappeared. The focus has switched to one of cost cutting—lean budgets in a global environment. HR staffs have been reduced and operating budgets are smaller. The most efficient organizations typically spend nearly 30% less per employee on HR and operate with 25% fewer HR employees (Controller’s Report, 2011).
Please note that the following links will open in a new window and may require activation of a LinkedIn account on the first attempt. Trident students may use their student email address to access this free subscription to LinkedIn Learning as a part of this course.
[_Human Resources: Leadership and Strategic Impact_](https://tlc.trident.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=223276&type=lti&rcode=TUI-505569&srcou=104372) – LinkedIn Learning
[_Human resources basics_](https://tlc.trident.edu/d2l/common/dialogs/quickLink/quickLink.d2l?ou=223276&type=lti&rcode=TUI-505570&srcou=104372) – LinkedIn Learning
Also, read the following on putting the “human” back into strategic HRM:
Wright, P. M., & McMahan, G. C. (2011). Exploring human capital: Putting 'human' back into strategic human resource management.
_Human Resource Management Journal, 21_(2), 93-104. Retrieved from EBSCOhost in the Trident Online Library.
Today, the following now contribute in large part to the completion of many traditional HR activities:
**Line managers:** Line managers using technology are performing HR processes that require approvals, record-keeping, or input. They are working on recruiting, selection, and performance appraisals through the use of automated systems, without HR’s continuous input in the process.
**Outsourcing organizations:** This is the process of organizations hiring external HR professionals to perform HR work that was previously performed in-house. Organizations decide what competencies they want to keep in-house and assign other activities to externals to perform. This allows HR professionals to focus on strategic initiatives.
**Shared service centers:** A shared service takes routine, transaction-based duties dispersed throughout an organization and consolidates them in one place. For example, a company with 15 locations might consolidate their benefits and pension administration, payroll, relocation assistance, recruitment, and training and development into one center.
**Professional employer organizations (PEOs):** This is a company that leases employees to other businesses. The PEO continues to be the employer (issuing pay and benefits to its leased-out employees for performing HR work for an external organization). This frees up the external organization’s HR employees to work on HR strategic plans.
So, we see that the goal today is for HR to be more focused on strategic HR—on the bottom line of the organization, leaving the administrative tasks to technology and others (Schein, 2010).
**Sources used to prepare this section:** Despite Recession, World-Class HR Organizations Reduce Costs by 13 Percent. Controller’s Report 2011 (August 2011). 1-19.
Mondy, R. W. (2014). Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Schein, E. H. (Fall 2010). The role of organization development in the human resource function. OD Practitioner (42) 6-11.
**Optional Sources:**
The following two sources may be helpful if you choose to prepare a slide presentation for your SLP 1:
Wienot Films. (2011, May 9).
[_How to give an awesome PowerPoint presentation [Video file]_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68a6M5FFBc). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i68a6M5FFBc
**Also**
Society for Human Resource Management. Browse SHRM’s monthly publication, HR Magazine (available though ProQuest in the Trident Online Library) for pertinent HR topics. Also visit the SHRM website,
[_www.SHRM.org_](https://www.shrm.org/), for membership information as well as for information on HR topics (some do not require paid membership for access, others do).