Human Resource Administration
Psc 5253-900 (on-campus) Spring 2004

Monday, 7-9.40 p.m.
Classroom: DAHT 906
Instructor: Dr. Jos C.N. Raadschelders, DAHT 304
phone:  325-6620
e-mail:  raadschelders@ou.edu
Office hours:  Monday 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Course Description:
HRA has been called the ‘last frontier’ of management, and indeed without people few organizations would be able to function at all. In this class attention is paid to the activities of HRA (e.g. HRA proper: recruitment, selection, training, pay etc.) as well as to the context of HRA (e.g. political environment, labor unions, representativeness, current challenges etc.). In whatever position you will start out your career, your masters degree will get you into jobs where some leadership is expected that, inter alia, requires understanding of HRA and the role and positions of people entrusted to you. It is important to understand that organizations can resort to various techniques to manage the human resource, but that these techniques are not enough. A problem-oriented approach during the discussion time should bring that message home. The discussion-time also serves as a means to firmly lodge theoretical information into memory and to apply theory to practical (individual) experiences.

Class format
Each class has lecture or student presentation followed by discussion. In weeks 1 to 8, 30-40 minutes will be set aside to give the groups the opportunity to discuss division of labor (Jan.12) and progress and particular problems that need further attention (Jan.26-March 8). During that time the instructor will visit every week with each group to inquire about the work progress. When the student presentations (March 22-29) are concluded some time is set aside during two weeks to discuss progress toward finalization of the group research paper (April 5-12) which is due on April 19 and must be turned in immediately prior to class. Again, both weeks the instructor will meet with every group to answer questions, and provide advice. Detailed discussion of expectations of student presentations and papers can be found following the class schedule.

Academic Misconduct:  University policy will be followed.  See the Academic Misconduct Code, printed in full in the 1998-99 OU Student Handbook.

Students with disabilities:  Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational opportunities.

Religious Holidays:  It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays.

Assignments: group presentation (20% of grade, 100 points maximum, individual assessment), group paper (40% of grade, 200 points maximum, group assessment), final exam (40% of grade, 200 points maximum, individual assessment).
Grading scale: A = 500-451, B = 450-401, C = 400-331, D = 330-281; F = 280->.

Literature:
- Shafritz, Jay M., David H. Rosenbloom, Norma M. Riccucci, Katherine C. Naff, Albert C. Hyde (2001). Personnel Management in Government. Politics and Process. New York/Basel: Marcel Dekker. ISBN 0-8247-0504-1 ($ 65.00).
- Frank J. Thompson (2002, third edition). Classics of Public Personnel Policy. Florence, KY: Thomson/Wadsworth, ISBN 0-15-506278-6 (pbk).
- Joyce M. Najita, James L. Stern (2001). Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector. The Experience of Eight States. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 0-7656-0755-7 (pbk., $ 23.95)

Class schedule

I Introduction
(JS = Jay M. Shafritz et al.; FT = Frank J. Thompson; JN = Joyce M. Najita et al.)

January 12:
1. Conceptions and Definitions of Human Resource Administration
- Introduction to class; learning and teaching style (30 minutes)
- Lecture (60 minutes)
- Literature: JS introduction, FT ch.4
- Discussion and at random selection of presentation/paper assignments (30 minutes)
- Group work (30 minutes: briefly discussing plans for how to proceed, division of labor)

January 19: Martin Luther King Day

January 26:
2. Types of Personnel Systems in Historical and Contemporary Perspective    
- Lecture (70 minutes)
- Literature: JS chs. 1-2; FT chs.1, 2, 3 and 7
- Discussion (30 minutes)
- Group work (40 minutes: progress report)

II Functional Areas or Clusters of Human Resource Administration

February 2:
3. Functional Area I: Planning, Job Description, Position Classification, and Compensation
Lecture (70 minutes)
- Development over time: career system development, ever more detailed job descriptions
- Instruments: Career line, career system, etc.; job descriptions (content, underlying motives); position classification (from detailed to broad); pay grades and scales.
- Purpose: objectivity through standardization
Literature: JS chs. 4 and 5 and 8; FT ch.8
Discussion (30 minutes)
Group work (40 minutes, progress report)

February 9:
4. Functional Area II: Recruitment and Selection
Lecture (70 minutes)
- Development over time: word of mouth to advertisement;
- Instruments: recruitment criteria; interview techniques etc.; ILM v. external labor market
- Purpose: finding best person for the job through elaborate recruitment procedures
Literature: JS ch.6, FT chs. 7 and 9
Discussion (30 minutes)
Group work (40 minutes, progress report)

February 16:
5. Functional Area III: Employee Training, Learning and Job Modifications
Lecture (70 minutes)
- Development over time: volontairs, on-the-job-training; to pre-entry prep., mix of training and learning; from non-negotiable to negotiable work conditions
- Instruments: Goals of training and learning; minor and major job modifications
- Purpose: developing employee potential and facilitating employee needs
Literature: JS ch.8
Discussion (30 minutes)
Group work (40 minutes, progress report)

February 23:
6. Functional Area IV: Performance Appraisal, Promotion and Termination
Lecture (70 minutes)
- Development over time: from subjective judgment to mix of comparative and individual methods
- Instruments: Types of performance appraisal; promotion as means of incentive in ILM
- Purpose: controlling subjective evaluation through objectivity and standardization
Literature: JS ch.7
Discussion (30 minutes)
Group work (40 minutes, progress report)

March 1:
7. Functional Area V: Unionization and Collective Bargaining
Lecture (70 minutes)
- Development over time: diverging developments private v. public sector; development and scope of collective bargaining in public sector, different perspectives on collective bargaining
- Instruments: collective bargaining and/or mediation/arbitration, etc., (see Shafritz book)
- Purpose: enhancing loyalty between organization and employee, protection of whistleblowers
Literature: JS chs. 12 and 13, FT chs. 23-27; JN entirely.
Discussion (30 minutes)
Group work (40 minutes, progress report)

March 8:
8. Functional Area VI: Diversity (EEO, AA) and Public Sector Reform
Lecture (70 minutes)
- Development over time: public sector size and representativeness
- Instruments: EEO and AA re. individual employees and reform re. organization at large
- Purpose: enhancing diversity of workforce (motives of representative bureaucracy), creating more efficient, effective, economical and fair and democratic public sector (principles of HRA).
Literature: JS chs. 9-11, FT chs.10-11, 14-22 and 28-30
Discussion (30 minutes)
Group work (40 minutes, finalizing presentation format and division of labor; who will present what?)

March 13-21: Spring Break

III Functional Areas or Clusters of Human Resource Administration Revisited
This section is taught by the students. See below for details on the student presentations and the content and format of their papers.

March 22:
9. Pre-Entry Personnel Management
a) Job Description, Position Classification, and Compensation
Student presentation (30 minutes) and discussion (20 minutes).
b) Recruitment and Selection
Student presentation (30 minutes) and discussion (20 minutes).
10. Post-Entry Personnel Management
a) Performance Appraisal and Promotion
Student presentation (30 minutes) and discussion (20 minutes).

March 29:
b) Employee Training, Learning and Job Modifications
Student presentation (30 minutes) and discussion (20 minutes).
11. Human Resource Administration in its Environmental Context
a) Unionization and Collective Bargaining
Student presentation (30 minutes) and discussion (20 minutes).
b) Diversity (EEO, AA) and Public Sector Reform
Student presentation (30 minutes) and discussion (20 minutes).

IV Expectations of Civil Servants and Personnel Management
April 5:
12. Political-Administrative Relations and Power Bases of Civil Servants
Lecture (70 minutes)
Literature: none
Discussion (20 minutes)
Group work (50 minutes, finalizing final paper)

April 12:
13. Public Sector Ethics, Integrity and Accountability as Organizational Culture
Lecture (70 minutes)
Literature: JS ch.3
Discussion (20 minutes)
Group work (50 minutes, finalizing final paper)
April 19:
14. A Holistic Perspective upon Personnel Management
Lecture (60 minutes): General framework of studying HRA
Literature: none
Discussion (30 minutes)
Preview and Q&A final exam (60 minutes)

Final Exam April 26, 2004, 7-9,40 p.m.


Student Presentations and Content and Format of Papers
In the first class meeting students will be randomly assigned one of the six functional areas discussed in lectures three up to eight. This is a group assignment and requires the active participation of all group members. Dependent upon class size the groups have two to five members each. A group project is beneficial to preparation for a public sector career, given that jobs for which a masters level education is required generally demand both cooperation and division of labor between employees of the same unit. Hence, group members must discuss a) the format of ~ b) the progress toward ~, c) the division of labor for ~, and d) the specific content of ~ and e) the presentation of the research paper. To facilitate the progress toward the presentation and research paper, 30-40 minutes of each class are set aside for the group project.
        The student presentations are about 30 minutes, during which each of the group members will present part of the work done. The students must make sure that they discuss each of the six  components of the final paper (see below), but have the liberty to emphasize one or more components.
        The general content and format of the research paper is predetermined and must contain attention for the following components:
a) Brief overview of the historical development of the function at federal, state and local levels
(students can draw upon the introductory remarks made in the lectures).
b) Legislation relevant to the development of the function with attention for constitutional law (e.g., Civil Rights Act 1964, etc.), statutory law (e.g., Position Classification Act 1923, etc.), and regulatory law (e.g., executive orders) (in each of the lectures 3 to 8 attention will be given to the legal context).
c) Case study or studies of how the function is managed in one or more public organizations (federal, state, and/or local) (the students can draw from their experience in their own organization, can contact a public organization of their choice, can search the web for examples, can interview personnel managers, contact assessment centers, etc.).
d) Discussion of how the function reinforces and/or interacts with other personnel functions (students can draw upon lectures and discussion).
e) A review of the current literature in academic journals about the function (e.g., Public Administration Review, Review of Public Personnel Management).
f) What are in your view the three main challenges public organizations face in the management of this function?
        For two reasons student presentations and discussions are placed in the weeks of march 22 and 29. First,  because it serves as immediate reinforcement of and provides further detail to the lectures from February 2 to march 8. Second, it allows for time (April 5-12) to finalize the paper in light of group discussion and instructor comments and suggestions. The final paper must be submitted to the instructor on April 19.
        Paper size can vary with group size but must be at a minimum 25 pages of substantive text, double spaced, with 1" margins. It is not a problem when you need more pages!  A front page, the table of contents, and list of references,
must be included while (if relevant) a list of interviewees, and (if considered illustrative) a list of appendices (e.g., example of performance evaluation form, etc.) can be included. These pages, however, are not regarded as substantive pages.
        Each group must make its final research paper available to the members of the other groups. These provide each student with substantive and useful information about the functional areas of human resource administration. This helps preparing MPA- and Ph.D.-students for their career and/or for their comprehensive exams.

Grading criteria for the research paper

1. Content of Assignment, Exam, Paper (40%)
- complete/incomplete
- close to literature or also original/novel insights
- balance between detail and broad outline
- accurate/inaccurate reflection of literature
- clarity of argument
- balance between scholarly (neutral, at a distance) argument and personal opinion
2. Understanding of Theory and Application of Theory to Practice (30%)
- understanding of theory: correct/incorrect, proper definitions, etc.
- is theory applied to real-life situations (i.e. other than personal experiences)
- is personal experience assessed in terms of theory
3. Structure / Organization of Text (20%)
- structure (clear sections; paragraphs, sentences, etc.)
- flow (logical or not)
- length of text (no unnecessary language)
- proper page length
- cover page; beginning, middle, conclusion; list of references
- typed, 1" margins, line-spacing 1,5 or less, page numbers, stapled
4. Writing style and use of English language (10%)
- correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, clear acronyms
- rambling or fluid
- proper use of references and citations
- on time.