Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PA 3333-001
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Spring 2010
Course Objectives:
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Required Texts
Berman, M. E., Bowman, S. J., West, P. J., & Van Wart, R. M. (2010). Handbook of
Human Resource Management in Government (3rd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications Inc. ISBN: 9781412967433 (Henceforth referred to as Berman)
Reeves. T. Zane. (2006). Cases in Public Human Resource Management (2nd ed.)
Belmont, CA: Thomson-Wadsworth. ISBN: 9780534602406 (Henceforth referred to as
TZR)
In addition to the texts, articles from journals available electronically through the
McDermott library are assigned as readings throughout the semester. Students are
expected to access the journal articles themselves. If you need assistance in making use
of the electronic features of the library, please contact the professor.
Class Requirements
Attendance will be taken in every class; absence in one class is equivalent to missing 9% of
the entire course. Absence in two classes will automatically drop the students grade by one
grade (an A will become an A-, an A- will become a B+; B+ will become a B and a B
becomes a B-). In short, come to class, read the material, take notes, and participate.
Remember every student’s opinion counts, and the more you participate the more meaningful
your learning experience will be.
Quiz – 10%
Five surprise quizzes will be given during the course of the semester. Questions could
range from one word answers to multiple choice responses.
Groups of 3-4 students will present a case study from the Reeves text. Students should be
prepared to make presentations using PowerPoint on a case that they choose (20 minute).
The presentation should: describe the case, present brief background/history revolving
around the case, describe the actors involved, discuss the environment surrounding the
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case, i.e., specific constraints and opportunities affecting the decision. Finally,
recommendations should be offered if you must find yourself in a similar situation.
Students are encouraged to be creative in presenting their case. Presentations will be
followed by a 5-to-10 minute session for questions and answers.
Assignments – 10%
Two experiential exercises, the details of which will be provided on a separate handout
will be due on February 8, 2010 and April 12, 2010. Each assignment comprises 5
percent of your final grade. The write up should not exceed 3 pages, and should not be
less than 2 pages double space.
There will be an in-class closed book midterm examination on March 1, 2010. The
examination is designed to test the student’s ability to understand and critically evaluate
the reading, lecture, and discussion materials covered during the semester. The format for
the test will be: multiple-choice, true/false, and short essay questions. A review session
will be conducted a week prior to the test.
Every week you are required to write a 1-2 page reaction to the assigned readings. Please
keep in mind that it is not an exercise in summarizing the readings. Students should
provide a critique of the material and connect it to their personal experiences. In addition,
students should include newspaper articles or interesting reports that relate to the topics
each week. Each article/report should be printed out and followed by a half page
summary. The journal is due at two different times during the course of the semester
(March 8th and April 26th). You are not required to submit a reaction paper for the first
week of class (January 11th). Overall, you should have 10 entries in the journal.
In groups of 3-4 students you are required to write and present an 8-10 page research
paper assessing a key issue area in public human resource management. You may
examine the practice of any aspect of human resource management (from the list below)
in a public sector or a non-profit organization of your choice in the greater Dallas area.
The student will contact the person in charge of human resources, report basic facts about
the organization (population, number of employees, etc.), problems faced related to the
topic chosen, and possible solutions to the problem that you as a human resource expert
might come up with. A minimum of 5 professional journals should be used in the
preparation of your paper. Students are required to make a brief presentation of their
findings (15 minutes) followed by a five-minute round of questions and answers near the
end of the semester (April 26th and May 3rd).
No two groups can choose to work on the same topic. Topics are due by February 1, 2010
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Students must submit a one page outline for approval by the instructor no later than
February 22nd. Students are encouraged to discuss the progress of their research with the
instructor during office hours or by appointment. A first draft of your paper is due for
review on March 22nd, this will not be graded but the instructor will provide necessary
feedback. The paper comprises 20 percent of your final grade (15 points for the written
paper and 5 points for presentation). Final papers are due on May 3rd no later than 12pm.
A handout will be provided with details of various components of the paper.
The Public Affairs Graduate Faculty has adopted the Turabian Manual for Writers…, 7th
Edition as its exclusive reference manual. Professors expect PA graduate students to use
Turabian for all written assignments. Citations must be used in all assignments where
appropriate. Students should only use footnotes for further explanation of a topic in the
paper; footnotes should not be used for reference citations.
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Aesthetic guidelines:
Grading
Grading Scale
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Classroom Behavior
All students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the
highest behavioral standards.
Students are expected to arrive on time for class.
Electronic devices during the class meeting should be turned off. In the event that
a student legitimately needs to carry a pager or cell phone to class, prior notice
and approval of the instructor is required.
Discussion, inquiry, and expression are encouraged in this class.
Classroom behavior that interferes with either (a) the instructor’s ability to
conduct class or (b) the ability of students to benefit from the instruction is
unacceptable. Examples include routinely leaving the classroom early, using
cellular phones, repeated talking in class without being recognized, talking while
others are speaking, or arguing in any way that is perceived as “crossing the
civility line.” If the instructor feels that a behavior is disruptive, the student will
be asked to leave the classroom for the day. If classroom behavior is determined
to be inappropriate and cannot be resolved between the instructor and the student,
the behavior may be referred for academic or disciplinary review.
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Course Calendar
February 22 Recruitment and Selection Chapters 3 and 4 Berman Case presentation – Group 4
Case 20 TZR
April 12 ASPA Conference Work on your final
Papers Assignment 2 due
Case 5 TZR
April 26 In-class presentations Journal Due
May 3 In-class presentations Final Papers Due
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There are relatively few academic journals that focus on the topic of public human
resources management. Two high quality journals that focus on public HRM are Review
of Public Personnel Administration and Public Personnel Management. Public
Administration Review, Public Performance and Management Review, Public Personnel
Management, and The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, are all top
academic journals that include articles on the topic of public HRM. You can access the
full-text of many of the journals noted above through the University’s web site. You will
need your student I.D. to gain such access.
Note: The instructor reserves the right to makes changes to the syllabus.
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Introductions
Signing up for case presentation and final paper
Overview of Human Resource Management
Readings
• Chapter 1 Berman
• Case 7 TZR
• Battaglio Jr, R. P. and S. E. Condrey. Civil service reform: Examining
state and local government cases. Review of Public Personnel Administration 26,
no. 2 (2006). : 118-138.
Readings
• Case 14 TZR
• Movie – “Crash”
• Carrell, M. R. and E. E. Mann. Defining workforce diversity in public
sector organizations. Public Personnel Management 24, no. 1 (1995). 99-111.
• Riccucci, N. M. Cultural diversity programs to prepare for work force
2000: What's gone wrong? Public Personnel Management 26, no. 1 (1997). 35-
41.
• Von Bergen, C. W., B. Soper, and T. Foster. Unintended negative effects
on diversity management. Public Personnel Management 31, no. 2 (2002). : 239-
252.
Due
Topic for your final paper
Readings
• Chapter 2 Berman
• Case 13 TZR
• Bleau, Denise. The ADA amendments Act of 2008. Labor Law Journal
59, no. 4 (2008). : 277-296.
Due
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Readings
• Chapter 11 Berman
• Case 10 TZR
• Peters, J. B. and J. Masaoka. A house divided: How nonprofits experience
union drives. Nonprofit Management and Leadership 10, no. 3 (2000). : 305-317.
Readings
Due
One page outline of your final paper due
7. March 1, 2010
Readings
Due
Journal Due
Readings
• Chapter 5 Berman
• Case 18 TZR
• Selden, S. C., P. W. Ingraham, and W. Jacobson. Human resource
practices in state government: Findings from a national survey. Public
Administration Review 61, no. 5 (2001). : 598-607.
Due
First draft of your final paper due
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Readings
• Chapter 10 Berman
• Case 19 TZR
• Van Thiel, S. and F. L. Leeuw. The performance paradox in the public
sector. Public Performance & Management Review 25, no. 3 (2002). : 267-281.
• Campbell, D. J. and C. Lee. Self-appraisal in performance evaluation:
Development versus evaluation. Academy of Management Review 13, no. 2
(1988). : 302-314.
Readings
• Chapter 9 Berman
• Case 20 TZR
• Brown, J. Training needs assessment: A must for developing an effective
training program. Public Personnel Management 31, no. 4 (2002). : 569-578.
Due
Assignment 2 due –Identify job-related skills and knowledge that your employer
should provide. How likely is it that your employer will actually help you acquire
these skills? How will not acquiring these skills or knowledge affect your job
performance and career? What can you do to acquire these KSAs? Give your
response in no more than 3 pages.
Readings
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In-class presentations
Due
In-class presentations
Due
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The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility
of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and
regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student
conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is
provided to all registered students each academic year.
The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the
Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1,
Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations
are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-
6391).
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to
discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or
off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.
Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work
done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related
to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s
own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty
involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
proceedings.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from
any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of
turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
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Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication
between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises
some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange.
The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a
student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from
students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual
corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university
personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.
The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level
courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle
withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final
grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
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Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.
Incomplete Grade Policy
As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably
missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An
incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the
subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the
incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is
changed automatically to a grade of F.
Disability Services
Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example,
it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals
(in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment
requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation
for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility
impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or university
may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility
assistance.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty
members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.
The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas
Code Annotated.
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The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible
regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused,
will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time
after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one
week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or
assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the
exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that
exam or assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose
of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the
student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or
examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief
executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or
designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student
and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.
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