This course examines contemporary challenges in managing people at work. Students explore how human resource management policies and practices shape workplace relationships and organisational outcomes and consider how managers respond to issues such as performance management, fairness, and workplace control.

8 x 1 hour lectures

4 x 2 hour tutorials

None

None

1. Written assignment, including essay; Individual; 1150 words; 65%; ILOs 2-3.
2. Oral assessment & presentation; Group; 3 minutes; 35%; ILOs 1.

The course aims to cultivate students' capacity to make thoughtful, evidence-based decisions about people management in their future roles as line and middle managers. In these roles, students will be responsible for implementing human resource management policies and practices and working as partners with the HR department. Good line management is one of the strongest predictors of individual performance and employee engagement, and our graduates' choices and actions in these positions will have immediate and tangible implications for the provision of fair and decent work (UN Sustainable Development Goal 8; Scottish Fair Work Framework).

Through lectures, tutorials, and assessments, students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds will develop several key skills for business and management graduates: people management, problem-solving and critical analysis, research, managing complexity, and effective business communication. These skills align most directly with UofG graduate attributes independent/critical thinkers and effective communicators.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Interpret contemporary challenges facing people managers using micro, meso, and macro lenses.

2. Appraise implementation of human resource management systems and tools within specific socio-legal, professional, and organisational contexts.

3. Justify middle managers' human resource management decisions in relation to organisational and decent work objectives.