MBA 713: Managing Human Capital Master Syllabus
Course Instructor:
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Course Materials:
Course Website: Canvas
Course Objectives & Format
This course will expose students to the strategic role human resources play in maximizing the value of the workforce. Organizations in today's economy rely not only on the knowledge and skills of their employees, but also on their engagement with the work and each other and their commitment to the organization's mission. As such, the management of human talent is a responsibility of every manager, in partnership with the HR function, and is vital to the success of any organization. The coverage of course concepts will be approached from both from a general manager's perspective as well as from an HR perspective. Students in this course will be acquainted with current talent management matters facing organizations in today's business environment and will be challenged to generate and debate creative solutions to prevalent issues.
MBA/GBUS Program Learning Goals Assessed in this Course
- Collaborative communication and leadership (written communication).
- Knowledge of functional discipline (functional knowledge).
- Analytical decision-making (critical thinking).
- Knowledge of contemporary issues in business (global awareness).
Course Learning Objectives. At the end of this course students should be able to:
- Understand the strategic role of human resources management in supporting the business objectives of an organization.
- Identify human resource systems and practices available to build a skilled and motivated workforce.
- Explain the laws and regulations affecting human resources management as well as to apply ethical decision making to situations involving human resources.
- Critique, improve, and integrate various components of a human resources system.
- Demonstrate skill in analyzing human resource problems and determine appropriate solutions.
Format
The course will focus on active learning. Successful active learning requires a major investment from both of us. It is imperative that you complete all work assigned between class meetings and be prepared to contribute to the class and group discussions. As you will note in the description of how your course performance is evaluated, I place a significant emphasis on the quality of your preparation, as evidenced by your participation in class discussions and activities. You should become a partner in the learning environment, which means asking questions, sharing your reactions, giving feedback to your colleagues and myself, and staying on top of the workload. This active learning approach results in the development of a dialogue that will further your understanding of issues facing organizations as it relates to human capital. Class time will be divided between lecture, group work, and class discussion of cases, articles, and concepts.
Required Materials
Text
A Framework for Human Resource Management, Gary Dessler, 7th ed, Pearson; ISBN: 978-0-13257614-7
Cases and Articles
Free access to articles and cases (mostly from Harvard Business Review and HR Magazine) is provided though Perusall, a social reading platform that we’ll use in the course. The Mason library retains the source material for these cases, so you can access the cases free of charge. For the cases that come from Harvard Business Review, you are only responsible for reading the case itself (you don’t need to read the commentaries at the end of the case).
General Policies
Appointments and e-mail Communication
I strongly urge you to contact me to ask questions, clarify assignments, or obtain additional help. It is best to contact me via email to set up a phone or Zoom appointment (cparker8@gmu.edu).
Student privacy is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and is an essential aspect of any course. George Mason Email must be used at all times for correspondence with the instructor. No exceptions. Students should clearly identify themselves and their course number and section in any Email correspondence. I cannot respond to messages sent from or send messages to a non-George Mason email address.
Absence
If you miss a class, you may access course materials on Canvas. I would strongly suggest that you also ask a classmate for their notes as our group discussions will not be captured on the slides.
Costello College of Business Standards of Behavior
The mission of the Costello College of Business at George Mason University is to create and deliver highquality educational programs and research. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni who participate in these educational programs contribute to the well-being of society. High-quality educational programs require an environment of trust and mutual respect, free expression and inquiry, and a commitment to truth, excellence, and lifelong learning. Students, program participants, faculty, staff, and alumni accept these principles when they join the Costello College of Business community. In doing so, they agree to abide by the following standards of behavior:
- Respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others
- Honesty and integrity in dealing with all members of the community
- Accountability for personal behavior
Integrity is an essential ingredient of a successful learning community. Ethical standards of behavior help promote a safe and productive community environment, and ensure every member the opportunity to pursue excellence. The Costello College of Business can and should be a living model of these behavioral standards. To this end, community members have a personal responsibility to integrate these standards into every aspect of their experience at the Costello College of Business. Through our personal commitment to these Community Standards of Behavior, we can create an environment in which all can achieve their full potential.
Honor System and Code: By choosing to take this course, you agree to uphold the George Mason University Honor Code. Please refer to the Academic Standards website for further details.
George Mason University Honor Code: To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust, and fairness among all members of the George Mason University community and with the desire for greater academic and personal achievement, we, the student members of the University Community have set forth this: Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal, and/or lie in matters related to academic work.
In your work on all written assignments, keep in mind that you may not present as your own the words, work, or the opinions of someone else without proper acknowledgement. You also may not borrow the sequence of ideas, the arrangement of material, or the pattern of thought of someone else without proper acknowledgement.
Please note: Faculty are obligated, without exception, to submit any Honor Code violations or suspected violations to the Honor Committee.
All work submitted must be your original, independent work. If you are repeating this course you may not submit work from a previous attempt.
| Type of Violation | First Offense | Second Offense |
|---|---|---|
| Plagiarism, Lying, Cheating on an assignment, homework, or including representing other’s work as your own | An F in the class | An F in the class and dismissal from program |
| Egregious Violation [e.g., stealing an exam; passing on confidential course material; cheating on an exam, project, or otherwise violating specified rules for an exam or project; etc.] | An F in the class and dismissal from program | An F in the class and dismissal from program |
* Approved by School of Business Faculty Spring 2019.
** Preliminary determination of nature of violation qualifying as “egregious” is made by faculty and referred to the Program Director and Associate Dean of Graduate programs for further consideration if found in violation by Office of Academic Integrity (OAI).
Writing Guidelines
Your Research Paper assignments should be double-spaced, standard font, 12-point font, and 1-inch margins. To cite and reference professional or academic sources, please use APA style. Specific instructions for in-text citations and referencing are found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 6th Edition or at The Purdue Owl.
Electronic devices
Cell phones are to remain off and put away during the entire class. Students who choose to talk on cell phones or text message will be asked to leave the class. You may use a laptop computer during class to review cases and articles, take notes, and complete class activities. The use of your laptop computer for non-class activities is not permitted and will negatively impact your participation grade. You may be asked to discontinue your computer use if it is distracting to me or your fellow students.
Special Accommodations
If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at (703) 993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.
Late Assignments
Unless stated otherwise on the syllabus, assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. A 25% deduction of points will be taken immediately and 15% deductions will be taken for every 24 hours the assignment is late. NO assignments will be accepted after 72 hours from the time the assignment was due. Late Reflect & Respond submissions will NOT be accepted, as we will be discussing these articles and cases in class.
Inclement Weather/Campus Closure
In the event of inclement weather, please consult George Mason’s website or call the main information line (703) 993-1000. If the University remains open during an inclement weather event, our class will meet as scheduled, unless you receive an email from me to the contrary. In the event of inclement weather I will communicate our meeting plan via email, so please check your email before attempting to come to campus. If the University closes or our class does not meet in person due to inclement weather, we’ll meet at our normal class time via Zoom.
Evaluation
Your learning in this course will be evaluated by the following six components:
Point Values of Each Evaluation Component
| Component | Total Points | % of Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Research Paper | 30 | 15% |
| Class Participation | 30 | 15% |
| Reflect & Respond | 50 | 25% |
| Mid-term Exam | 45 | 22.5% |
| Final Exam | 45 | 22.5% |
| Total Points | 200 | 100% |
Research Paper (15%)
The field of human resource management is dynamic and evolving. In order to be of strategic value to their organization, leaders must continually monitor external forces and maintain awareness of contemporary issues that impact human capital. For this assignment, you will choose one emerging human capital “challenge” or issue that is (or might be) relevant to your current (or recent) employer, research the issue and identify best practices/current guidance, discuss how various organizations have confronted the challenge, and summarize your thoughts on how organizations should continue to manage the challenge. You will research and write the paper from the perspective of how the issue may impact your organization.
Instructions for this assignment are posted on Blackboard and will be reviewed during class. This project is worth a maximum of 50 points. There are two graded components of this project: an annotated bibliography containing at least five sources related to the topic of the paper (10 points), and the final research paper (40 points). You must submit both components of this assignment to SafeAssign (on Canvas). The due dates for the annotated bibliography and the final paper are noted on the syllabus.
Class Participation (15%)
The collaborative nature of this course requires your preparation and willingness to share your insights with the class. Your participation grade will be formally evaluated through the quality of your contributions to our class case discussions and contributions to and engagement in class activities. Prepare for case discussions by thoughtfully considering each case and be prepared to share your insights and solutions to the problems presented in the case. Consistent, high-quality verbal contributions to class discussions will be the most significant contributing factor toward your participation points. Please note that your participation points will be based on the quality of your contribution (e.g., incorporating course and HR/management concepts, adding unique insights or ideas, identifying less-obvious solutions or underlying issues).
In addition to consistent verbal contributions, respectful and professional behavior will also contribute to your participation points. These behaviors include: Giving full attention to class exercises, remaining attentive during lectures, keeping mobile electronic devices off, arriving to class on time, and remaining present during the duration of the class. Failure to attend class, arriving late to class, and leaving class early or at the break will also decrease your participation points.
I will track participation points throughout the module and I will provide participation feedback at mid-module. Your final participation points will be posted on Canvas after our final class (before the final exam). If you have any concerns about your participation grade at any point during the module, please ask me.
Reflect & Respond (25%)
In between most of the modules you will be asked to review some form of content – articles or cases – and respond to questions embedded within the content. To complete these assignments, you’ll be using an online social learning tool called Perusall to access the content, respond to questions, and engage in discussions with your classmates. During our first class session I’ll walk though how to use the tool. Each assignment will include specific instructions regarding your level of engagement. In most cases, you’ll be asked to respond to each question with at least 50 words, incorporating course concepts into your responses, and also comment on/respond to the posts/comments of at least two classmates.
Each assignment is worth a maximum of five points. Your responses must be submitted to Perusall. As we will be discussing this content during the class session immediately following the due date, late responses will not be graded. Failure to complete the assignment will result in a grade of zero. Your grade will be based on some or all of the following criteria: Contributing thoughtful questions and comments to the class discussion, spread throughout the entire content, breaking the reading/listening/viewing into chunks (instead of trying to do it all at once), reading/listening/viewing all the way to the end of the assigned content, posing thoughtful questions and comments that elicit responses from classmates, answering questions from others, and upvoting thoughtful questions and helpful answers.
You are not expected to consult external sources in forming your responses to the questions. If you do use external sources (such as your textbook, websites, or any other sources) they must be cited appropriately. Failure to appropriately cite external sources or attempting to use someone else’s work as your own is a form of plagiarism and will be referred to the Honor Committee for investigation as an Honor Code violation. DO NOT USE generative AI to respond to the questions.
Mid-Term (22.5%) and Final Exam (22.5%)
Exams provide the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to apply knowledge of topics covered in this course. The exams will be taken outside of class on the course Blackboard site. The Mid-Term will cover weeks 1 – 4 of the course, and the Final Exam will assess content covered during weeks 5 - 8. You will have approximately one week to complete each exam. The exam questions will be short answer/essay format and you be able to refer to your notes and course reading material when preparing your typed answers. However, accessing any other information, including websites, during the exam is not allowed and would constitute an honor code violation. Please note: The exams are individual assignments. Communicating with or sharing information with others about the exam will constitute an honor code violation.
Grading Scale
Your grade will be assigned based on the number of points you earn as noted above. Below is the grading scale.
| Grade | Total Points |
|---|---|
| A+ | 193-200 |
| A | 187-192 |
| A- | 180-186 |
| B+ | 174-179 |
| B | 167-173 |
| B- | 160-166 |
| C | 140-159 |
| F | Below 140 |
Course Schedule
Work to complete before Module 1
- Read Chapter 1 – Managing Strategic Human Resources Today (text)
- Read Instructions for Research Paper assignment (on Canvas)
Module 1 – Course Introduction
Work to complete before Module 2
- Watch and take notes on Equal Employment Opportunity concepts video lecture.
- Read: Gonzales, M. (2023). A time for Change. (cover story). HR Magazine, 68(4), 32–45.
- Complete Module 2 Reflect & Respond: Why Diversity Programs Fail
- Read Chapter 2 – Managing Equal Opportunity and Diversity (text)
Module 2 – Legal Issues/Diversity (No “live” class due to Labor Day holiday, complete asynchronous work)
- Watch and take notes on Sex-based Discrimination, Disability-based discrimination, and Religious-based discrimination video lectures
- Complete Module 2 Reflect & Respond: Sexual Harassment – Groping for Answers
- Read Merlini, K. P. (2023). The Disabilities We Can't See. HR Magazine, 68(4), 89.
Work to complete before Module 3
- Read Fryer, B., Kirby, J., Weyers, H., Solovay, S., Roehling, M. V., & Wilensky, A. (2005). Fat Chance. Harvard Business Review, 83(5), 33-44.
- Complete Module 3 Reflect & Respond: Fat Chance
- Read Krell, E. (2015). Look Outside or Seek Within? HR Magazine, 60(1), 60-64.
- Complete Module 3 Reflect & Respond: Look Outside or Seek Within
- Watch and take notes on Affirmative Action, Job Analysis, Overview of Selection, and Application Phase of Selection video lectures
- Read Chapter 3 – Personnel Planning, Recruiting, and Talent Management
Module 3 – Jobs, Recruitment, Selection (start)
Work to complete before Module 4
- Watch and take notes on Background Investigations, Medical Exams and Inquires, and Metrics video lecture
- Read Fleck, C. (2016). An Algorithm for Success. HR Magazine, 61(5), 130-135.
- Complete Module 4 Read & Respond: Mind Over Matter
- Submit Research Paper: Topic Identification and Annotated Bibliography
- Read Chapter 4 – Testing and Selecting Employees (text)
- Read Parker, C. (2007) The Basics of Validity.
Module 4 - Selection (finish)
Work to complete before Module 5
- Mid-term exam
Module 5 – Behavioral Interviewing
Work to complete before Module 6
- Read Chapter 7 – Compensating Employees (text pgs. 187-203; 211-215)
- Watch and take notes on Compensation Strategy, Legal Issues in Compensation, and Valuing Jobs video lectures
- Read Case, J., Sim, V., Bakke, D., Kay, I., & Tulgan, B. (2001). When Salaries Aren't Secret. Harvard Business Review, 79(5), 37-49.
- Complete Module 6 Read & Respond: When Salaries Aren’t Secret
- Read Sammer, J. (2024). 6 Steps to Keep Pay Up-to-Date. HR Magazine, 69(1), 44–51.
- Complete Module 6 Reflect & Respond: Six Steps to Keeping Pay Up-to-Date
- Read Agovino, T. (2023). Performance Reviews are Broken. (cover story). HR Magazine, 68(1), 30–37.
- Read Chapter 6 – Performance Management, Appraisals, and Careers (text pgs. 157-173, 179182)
Module 6 – Compensation and Performance Management
Work to complete before Module 7
- Read Mayo, A. J., Margolis, J. D., & Gallo, A. (2020). CASE STUDY: Give Your Colleague the Rating He Deserves—or the One He Wants? Harvard Business Review, 98(1), 140–145.
- Complete Module 7 Reflect & Respond: Give Your Colleague the Rating He Deserves— or the One He Wants?
- Read Tupper, H., & Ellis, S. (2022). It’s Time to Reimagine Employee Retention. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, 1–8.
- Complete Module 7 Reflect & Respond: It’s Time to Reimagine Employee Retention
- Read Chapter 8 – Managing Employee Ethics, Engagement, Retention, and Fair Treatment (text pgs. 234 – 241)
- Read Chapter 10 – Protecting Safety and Health
Module 7 – Retention, Risk Management, Worker Protection
Work to complete before Module 8
- Finish Research Paper and submit to Blackboard by 7:20pm, October 14
- Read Groysberg, B., Bhogal, M., & Mathews, K. (2020). CASE STUDY Should You Fight to Keep a Star? Harvard Business Review, 98(3), 152–157.
- Complete Module 8 Reflect & Respond Should You Fight to Keep a Star?
- Read Ladika, S. (2022). Parting Ways. HR Magazine, 67(2), 74–79.
- Begin to work on Final Exam
Module 8 – Discipline and Termination
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