FAST School of Management – MBA - Fall 2017

Course Title: Strategic Human Resource Management and Leadership

Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours
Course Structure: Section –A ; Tuesdays (11:00 AM to 2:00 PM)
Section –B ; Thursdays (11:00 AM to 2:00 PM)

Instructor: Dr. Hamid Hassan

Email hamid.hassan@nu.edu.pk
Phone: +92 (042) 111 128 128 Ex. 252
Office hours To be announced after the first session

Course Description:
This course provides an understanding of the strategic use of human resources management from multiple
perspectives and defines its contribution for value creation in combination with an appropriate and successful
leadership style. The course will blend theory and practice by focusing on application side and linking it with
the theoretical underpinnings. In the first part, it discusses how operational view of HRM –i.e., by using and
Organizational behavior theory, AMO theory and transactional cost theory etc. – can be translated into
strategic view – by using resource-base, resource-dependence the institutional theory etc. In the later part the
course will discuss leadership theories and practices and role of effective leadership in organizational success.
The focus will remain on managerial leadership that can influence followers (i.e., employees) and transform the
pertinent utilization of (human) resources into a strategic success.

The main parts of the course will include:

 The conceptual framework and the practice of Strategic Human Resource Management
 Strategic Planning of Human Resource
 Strategic Management of Human Resources
 Leaders and Leadership from Ancient to Modern Perspective
 The Role of Leadership and the Strategic Success
 Suitable, Effective and Successful Leadership for Modern Organizations
Text:
 Armstrong’s Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management 5 th edition by Michael Armstrong,
KoganPage (2011)
 Strategic Human Resource Management 4th Edition By Alan Nankervis, Robert Compton & Marian
Baird, Thomson (2002)
 Leadership in Organizations Seventh Edition By Gary Yukl, Pearson Education (2011)

Selected case studies and articles will be distributed in the class

Selected Text will be included from following books:

 Strategic Human Resource Management 2nd edition, Edited by Randall S. Schuler and Susan E. Jackson,
Blackwell Publishing (2008)
 Human Resource Strategy – A Behavioral Perspective Tata McGraw-Hill Edition for South Asia By
George F. Dreher & Thomas W. Dougherty, McGraw-Hill (2005)
 Leadership – Theory, Application & Skill Development Second Edition By Lussier & Achua, Thomson
(2004)
Requirements

Class Conduct: The course is designed to be an interactive one, and much of your learning depends upon your
active involvement with the subject matter. This means I expect you to read the text, think about the class
material, and analyze the issues both before and after the class sessions. A high level of participation from you
will make this course an enjoyable learning experience. Major sources are the required textbook and your
lecture notes. Although there will, of course, be a large overlap between the textbook and the lecture, these
sources are not interchangeable. The lecture may deviate from the textbook in that (a) some parts of the
textbook are dropped or only touched upon briefly in the lecture, and/or (b) topics not addressed or only very
briefly summarized in the textbook are presented in more depth during the lecture. You will need to know both
the textbook and the lecture notes. In the rare cases that information in the lecture contradicts that provided
in the textbook, the information in the lecture is relevant for exam.

You are fully responsible for reading, listening to, and recording the required materials. I will not repeat the
lectures personally for those who did not attend classes. I may provide additional materials, like lecture slides,
on a discretionary basis but I do not feel obliged to do so. If you missed a class, please find a classmate who is
willing to share lecture notes with you. I will be available to give you additional help, if you need to discuss
some specific topic or course related / project related issue. You may visit me during office hours or otherwise
set an appointment by email for this purpose.

Group Activities: The class will be divided into groups that maintain the same members throughout the term.
By maintaining intact groups, the groups become a focal point for learning and skill development. There will be
group projects and group feedback reports. You are required to form your groups having not more than five
members, during the first week of the course. After the first week if you are not a member of any group, I will
assign you groups and there will be no change in groups after that. The first group meeting will be on first class
day of second week of the term. Failure to be part of this group formulation will result in not being able to earn
any of group project points for the course.

Examinations: Quizzes will be multiple choice and unannounced, Midterm may contain short answer
questions/case study, Final will contain descriptive questions/case study

Attendance: The absence allowance should give you enough flexibility to deal with unexpected illness or
emergency. There is a penalty for missing class/group activities. Showing up after a class has begun will count
as an absence, as will leaving early. In no case, there will be exception to this policy.

Class Participation (CP): Class participation is welcomed, expected, and extremely important for the overall
success of this course. I expect all class members to contribute to class discussions. This should be based upon
prior reading, lectures and class exercises. If you feel uncomfortable getting involved in large group discussions,
get an appointment and see me about strategies for increasing your involvement. You will get CP points in each
class, ranging from negative 1 to positive 10. If you are absent you will get zero for that class.

Group Project: Each group will select living organization and analyze the Strategic HRM system in that
organization. A written report (50-60 pages- double spaced, 12 fonts, Times New Roman) is to be submitted
before presentation of the project. For written report consider the following.
 1- A cover sheet with the title of your report, the course name and number, your name and student
number, and the date of submission.
2- Introduction of the organization and industry and an idea of prevailing HRM practices in the industry.
3- Vision and mission of the organization
4- Explain the prevailing HRM system and compare it with reference to Ideal SHRM view.
5- Explain how strategic HRM can produce tangible outcomes for this organization
6- Identify the problem areas with reference to # 4
7- Recommend immediate actions. Explain why other issues do not need immediate action.
8- Conclusions
9- List of references

Typing and writing: Assignments/ reports must be typed on A4 size paper. Well written English and good
spelling are expected; I will deduct 10% of the available points for five or more spelling and/or grammar errors
on any assignment. Put your name, registration number and on all assignments/ reports/ evaluations.
Assignments/ reports not fulfilling the above conditions will not be accepted.

Late submissions: I will deduct 25% of the available points for late submissions. Further 10% will be deducted
for each day after the 25% deductions. No point will be given once an assignment/exam is returned to the rest
of the class. There will be no exception to the policy.

Academic dishonesty: Academic dishonesty will result at minimum grade “F” for the course. These also include
copying the assignments/ reports.

Evaluations:

 Quizzes and Assignments: 10%

 Group activities and presentations
o Class participation & Critical case Analyses 20%
o Project presentation 7%
o Project report 8%
 Midterm 15%
 Final 40%
Total : 100

Class Schedule:

WEEK CONTENTS

#1 - Course Introduction; Details of class participation, projects reports and evaluations

- Looking inside for competitive advantage: strategic view and HRM margins
- Case study/group activity
#2 - The concept of HRM
- The concept of organizational strategy, culture and structure
- The concept of Strategic HRM
- Case study/group activity
#3 - Monitoring Operationally Steering Strategically
- Case study/group activity
#4 - The strategic role of HRM Congruence model of organizations
- Case study/group activity
#5 - Implications of Conflicting values and Use of Quinn's Model for Strategic HR
- Case study/group activity
#6 - Implications of Conflicting values and Use of Quinn's Model for Strategic HR
- Case study/group activity
#7 - Strategic HR and Strategy making tool
- The McKinsey 7-S model
- Case study/group activity
#8 - Strategic HR and Strategy making tool
- The McKinsey 7-S model
- Case study/group activity
#9 - Strategic HR and Strategy making tool
- The McKinsey 7-S model
- Case study/group activity
Mid Term

# 10 - Leaders and leadership in organizations

- Trait and great-man theories and emergence of leadership
- Case study/group activity
# 11 - Behavioral perspective and effective leadership
- Case study/group activity
# 12 - Contingency /modern perspective and suitable leadership
- Case study/group activity
# 13 - Project presentations

# 14 - Project presentations

# 15 - Project presentations