ILRHR 690  Comparative Human Resource Management

Fall. 3 credits. Prerequisites: ILRHR 260/560 or permission of instructor. L. Nishii.

Surveys human resource practices in two key regions of the world: Western Europe and the Pacific Rim. The focus is on HR issues related to management of professional and managerial workforce, such as selection and staffing, development, and appraisal and reward systems. Special attention is given to current changes and trends in the human resource management area (e.g., unification of Europe, transformation of Japanese firms). Implications for multinationals operating in these countries are also discussed.

ILRHR 692  Training the Displaced and Disadvantaged

Spring. 3 credits. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. J. Bishop.

Examines public and private efforts to lower unemployment and underemployment of displaced and disadvantaged workers. The seminar examines the scope of the problem, its causes, and why specific programs have worked and others have not. Topics covered include training for displaced workers, rehabilitation of the disabled, job-search training, tax credits for hiring, vocational training, literacy instruction, EEO, public service employment, assisting new business, and industrial policy. The seminar also investigates how the structure of the economy influences the ability of targeted training and job creation to achieve sustained reductions in unemployment and draws lessons from the experience of other societies.

ILRHR 693  Training and Development in Organizations

Spring. 3 credits. Prerequisites: ILRHR 260/560 or equivalent, one course in statistics or permission of instructor. B. Bell.

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with aspects of learning in organizations. We begin by discussing organizational learning, and then focus more narrowly on specific ways in which learning is achieved through the training and development functions. Topics throughout the semester include: how learning is linked to organizational strategy, how to determine that training is needed, issues regarding the design of training programs, current training techniques, evaluation strategies, and management development practices.

ILRHR 694  Competing in Services

Fall, spring. 4 credits. Prerequisite: HR 560 or equivalent and consent of instructor. R. Batt.

Examines alternative service management strategies and outcomes, with particular focus on customer relationship management. Priority is given to analyzing the relationship between business strategy, marketing, customer segmentation, organizational structures, and human resource practices. Student projects focus on critical analysis of service management in particular companies and settings, using live cases where possible.

ILRHR 695  Education, Technology, and Productivity

Fall. 3 credits. J. Bishop.

This seminar investigates the nexus between the education and training in schools and at the workplace and the technological progressiveness, productivity, and competitiveness of firms, individuals, and nations. Students investigate: how technological progress is changing the nature of work and what this implies for reform of education and training; why United States productivity has increased so little in the past two decades; how education and training contribute to growth and competitiveness; why educational achievement has declined; and how the responsibility for education and training should be apportioned among individuals, firms, private nonprofit organizations, and government.

ILRHR 696  Knowledge Management

Fall. 3 credits. Open to seniors and graduate students. S. Snell.

Designed to acquaint students with the systems and strategies used to manage a firm's intellectual capital. Focus is on foundation concepts and frameworks related to intellectual capital (human, social, and organizational), knowledge management, and HRM. Discussions cover both the point of view of the organization (e.g., competitive challenges, core competencies) as well as the employees (e.g., psychological contracts, employment relationships). Ultimately, the goal is to integrate these views to develop a framework of how both the organization and the individual maximize value. Also explores the processes that drive knowledge management. In particular students focus on how firms create, transfer, and integrate knowledge to support learning and innovation. We discuss the managerial methods that support knowledge processes and cover various models and frameworks for integrating elements of knowledge management and intellectual capital.

ILRHR 697  Special Topics in Resource Studies

Fall or spring. 3 credits. Staff.

Areas of study are determined each semester by the instructor offering the seminar.

ILRHR 698  International Human Resource Policies and Institutions

Spring. 3 credits. J. Bishop.

A comparative study of human resource policies and institutions in Western Europe, North America, Japan, and East Asia (with special emphasis on math and science education) and of the effects of these institutions on productivity, growth, and equality of opportunity. The institutions studied include primary and secondary education, apprenticeship, employer training, and higher education. Data on the consequences of policies are presented and an effort made to understand how human resource policies and institutions have contributed to the rapid growth and low levels of inequality in Europe and East Asia. An important focus of the course is understanding the causes of the low levels of achievement of American high school students relative to their counterparts abroad.

ILRHR 699  Advanced Desktop Applications

Spring. 1 credit. Letter grade only. Prerequisite: ILRHR 266 or significant experience (2-4 years) using office applications. C. Homrighouse.

Explores advanced topics for common desktop applications including Windows, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and basic HTML. The course is designed based on student input and instructor recommendations, covering those subjects that students feel would be most useful and relevant in the job market. Examples of areas include working with tables, columns, or sections in Word, pivot tables in Excel; taking a PowerPoint presentation "on the road;" and using join tables to create relationships in Access.

ILRHR 760  Seminar in Human Resource Studies

Fall or spring. 3 credits. Prerequisites: ILRHR 560, ILRST 510/511, and ILRHR 669 and permission of instructor. Staff.

A "floating" seminar designed to give faculty and students an opportunity to pursue specific topics in detail, with an emphasis on theory and research. Topics vary from semester to semester. Interested students should consult current course announcements for details.