21928 People, Work and Employment
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2020 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): Completionof subject 21878 c Organisational Dialogue: Theory and Practice
The lower case 'c' after the subject code indicates that the subject is a corequisite. See definitions for details.
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 21844 Managing Work and People AND 21870 Strategic Human Resource Management
Description
This subject is designed for students whose jobs will inevitably involve responsibility for managing people. A fundamental assumption of this subject is that all students strive to be or are managers who are accountable to their organisation in terms of the impact of their human resource management activities. They are also expected to add value by managing their people effectively. As managers, they are accountable to their colleagues and their subordinates in terms of the quality of work life that they provide. This subject aims to shape and strengthen a student's perception of human resource management as an important function affecting individuals, organisation, and society.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | Identify key strategic choices associated with managing human resources and their implications |
|---|---|
| 2. | Demonstrate an understanding of legislative, economic, technological and other factors impacting upon effective management of people, work and employment |
| 3. | Critically examine the variations in line management involvement in people, work and employment activities and line managers responsibilities in executing these activities |
| 4. | Understand the importance of human resource management procedures in the effective management of various people, work and employment activities i.e. promotion decisions, performance management, disciplinary action and career planning |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following program learning objectives:
- Critically evaluate and apply sustainability principles to decisions in business contexts (4.2)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The subject provides managers with functional-related competencies needed for the effective management of people in a work context and for problem-solving and critical analysis of the challenges facing organisations concerning their human resources. The emphasis of this unit is on the strategic and operational aspects of a line managers role in the acquisition, development and performance management of an organisation’s human resources. That line managers need to know when they are on the edge of deep water.
This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes:
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Attitudes and values
Teaching and learning strategies
The teaching and learning strategies used in in this subject promote critical and reflective thinking, research, evaluation and collaborative learning and also focus on literacy skills. The strategies have been designed to enable students to make progress in their achievement and maximise their accomplishment of the learning outcomes. Students engage in the essential content through lectures, seminar style discussions, case studies and student-led dialogue through face-to-face and online collaboration.
It is expected that students will complete all allocated activities and readings for each lesson prior to attending class. Completing activities and readings prior to class allows for in-class time to be spent on collaborative discussions that address interesting and challenging aspects of the material rather than simply recapping the content and facts.
Formative and summative feedback will be provided to all students studying 21928 People, Work and Employment. Formative feedback exercises are used during tutorials to prepare and assist students with assessments. For example students will be required to share with their peers their responses they have prepared prior to class to tutorial activities. These exercises aim to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work. The practice case study exercises help tutors recognise where students are struggling and address problems immediately through individual and collective class feedback. Students are also required to submit a draft of their individual case study analysis in for peer evaluation to encourage reflection and ownership on the assessment criteria.
Summative feedback will be provided to students for formally composed submissions such as the individual case study assessment (task 1). The goal of the summative feedback is evaluate student learning by comparing it against the prescribed assessment criteria.
Content (topics)
- the link between organisational strategies and people, work and employment
- ethical practice and social responsibility for managers
- sustainability principles for managing people, work and employment
- positioning an organisation clearly, and utilising assets to distinguish an organisation from its competitors in the labour market
- the benefits that derive from the connections and interpersonal relationships of people within and outside an organisation
- the measurement of people, work and employment activities as a valuable method for improving vital decisions about talent and how it is organised
- delivering sad, bad and difficult news
- the legal context of employment decisions
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Case Study Analysis (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 3 This addresses program learning objectives(s): 4.2 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 55% |
Assessment task 2: Final examination (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 45% |
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
Required texts
Highly recommended text:
Cole, K. 2018, Leadership and Management: Theory and Practice, 7th edn, Cengage Learning Australia, South Melbourne, VIC
ISBN 9780170403856
UTS Library call number: 658.302 COLK (ED.7)
In addition to the above text journal articles and other book chapters are also used in this subject. A full list of the weekly readings is available on Canvas.
Recommended texts
A range of relevant resources may be made available as e-readings for this subject via the library website. Additional materials might be distributed in class.
Students interested in pursuing more in-depth information regarding people, work and employment will find links to additional readings, organised in sections around topical content on Canvas. The additional reading material addresses current issues and events and represents a wide-ranging compendium of people, work and employment issues, with formats including both research studies and industry commentary.
References
Cole, K. 2015, 'Management Theory and Practice', Cengage Learning, Australia.
Laasch, O. & Conaway, R.N. 2015, Principles of Responsible Management: Global Sustainability, Responsibility, and Ethics, Cengage Learning, US.
Samson, D., Donnet, T., & Daft, R.L. 2017, 'Management', 6th Asia-Pacific edn, Cengage Learning Australia.
Shaw, W.H., Barry, V., Issa, T., Catley, B. & Muntean, D. 2016, 'Moral Issues in Business', Cengage Learning Australia.
The following academic journals are likely to prove relevant and useful for this subject:
- Academy of Management Journal
- Academy of Management Review
- Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources
- Cyberpsychology and Behavior
- Harvard Business Review
- Human Resource Management
- Human Resource Management Review
- Human Resource Planning
- Industrial Relations Journal
- International Journal of Disability Management
- International Journal of Human Resource Management
- International Journal of Manpower Studies
- International Journal of Workplace Health Management
- Journal of Applied Business and Economics
- Journal of Applied Psychology
- Journal of Industrial Relations
- Journal of Management
- Journal of Managerial Issues
- Journal of Managerial Studies
- Journal of Wolrd Business
- Labour Economics
- Organization Development Journal
- Personnel Review
- Personnel Psychology
- Strategic HR Review
- Work & Stress
The above journals can be obtained from the UTS Library Electronic Fulltext Databases: www.lib.uts.edu.au/databases/search_databases.py
Other resources
Canvas is an integrated teaching and learning component of this subject. It is an internet platform which utilises software called Blackboard. As a UTS student you will be required to become familiar with this software. In this subject, Canvas will be used for the following purposes:
- as a noticeboard for announcements relating to the subject
- as a one-to-many or one-to-one communication tool between staff and students and among students
- as a discussion board for open discussion of ideas relating to the subject
- to provide subject support materials such as the subject outline and lecturer’s PowerPoint presentation slides
- to provide external links to useful web pages
- as a subject feedback tool.