| Unit name | International Human Resource Management |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIMM0157 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2D (weeks 19 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Ayetuoma |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
none |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
none |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
none |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Globalisation, technological advancement including the recent pandemic amongst others, has presented a volatile labour market driving acceleration in Global work, workers’ agility, and competition for talent for Multinational organisations. This unit’s discourse is focused on the management and diverse challenges encountered in the management of the international human resource/global talent of Multinational organisations. The global workforce is important to an organisation’s continuous high performance, viability and for maintaining its competitive advantage and hence the importance of International Human Resource Management (IHRM).
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit re-enforces/consolidates learning from taught courses in the first term, fostering transferrable skills that prepare students for the world of work. Through formative and summative assessments, students master synthesis, evaluate different ideological/ theoretical frameworks and perspectives for critical analysis of real-world problems to recommend solutions.
Unit Aims:
An overview of content:
This unit explores key features of international human resource management (IHRM), namely: (i) cross-cultural management, (ii) comparative employment relations and HRM, and (iii) the HR practices of Multinational (MNC) organisations including Emerging Market MNCs. The first approach focusses on the deep-seated cultural values that organisations need to recognise if they are to management people effectively in different countries. The second highlights how differences between nations, most notably institutions such as the body of local employment law, education systems, trade unions, employer associations and the like, will influence management practice in general and the management of human resources. The third approach focuses on key areas of HR practices that influence the performance of Multinational organisations, such as Global resourcing and Talent Management, Training and Development, Performance and Rewards strategies, Trends in IHRM including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Artificial Intelligence and HR Analytics and HR practices in Emerging Market MNCs e.g. Africa, China, Middle East, Latin America amongst others.
How will students personally be different because of the unit:
Students will be able to evaluate key international human resource management problems and recommend evidence-based solutions gained from taught theories and concepts and related case studies.
Students will be able to apply knowledge of cross-cultural issues and comparative HRM to formulating International Human Resource Strategy, policies, and practices for different contexts.
Students will be able to identify the importance of their role to the success of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, international joint ventures and alliances and construct new knowledge of ‘Best Practices’ for managing a firm’s global workforce that are ‘Best Fit’ for their cross-border operations.
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
The Unit combines Lecture and Small Group teaching approaches. Lectures (approximately two-thirds of contact hours) will have the principal purpose of introducing the content of the course, including vocabulary, concepts, theories, perspectives, practices, and trends. The classes are based on ‘real life’ organisational experiences where students will be exposed to practical issues facing managers in contemporary organisations. A variety of teaching methods will be drawn from in the classes, including discussions based on readings and student experiences; case study work involving analysis, problem-solving and decision-making; group and individual exercises; presentations, discussion, reflection exercises and debates. There will also be Guest Speaker(s) presenting current HR practices and Q& A sessions. Hours of teaching and learning is 45 hours (indicatively 30 hours lectures; 15 hours tutorials).
Tasks which help you learn and prepare for your summative tasks(formative):
These are weekly tasks comprising individual and group task assignments (e.g., comprising case study analysis, literature review, group/individual presentations, a client brief, referencing, critical analysis, writing a reflective blog post, a reflective journal) focused on selected international human resource management issues and related challenges. Students will be required to use the relevant academic and practitioner-focused literatures to justify relevance and currency of selected issue and will be assessed using the following criteria on which feedback will be received:
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
There are two summative tasks as presented below:
1st Summative: (30% of overall unit mark) one group project including a 1,500 words group/reflective report and a 15-minute presentation to their tutor. A group mark will be awarded and apply to all group members. Participation and individual contributions will be assured and assessed through group journals, formative feedback and assessment, peer contributions and questioning individuals during the group presentation. A conflict identification and warning system for individuals not fully contributing will run and those students who are not contributing to the group work will not receive the group mark.
2nd Summative: (70% of overall unit mark) 1 x 2000 individual word case study assignment, which will be provided in class and on Blackboard. The assignment is intended to provide you with the foundation for applying what students learn in class to real world examples. This includes the capacity to translate research evidence into recommendations for human resource policy and management practice.
Both summative assessments cover ILOs 1-3
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis.
If a student fails the individual component, the reassessment will take the same format but requiring use of new case study (2,000-word case study assignment) (70% of the overall mark) [ILO 1-3].
If a student fails the group component, the reassessment will be a 3-minute individual presentation (15%) and a 300-word individual report (15%) (30% of the overall mark) [ILO 1-3].
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EFIMM0157).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
