HRM in Modern Organizations, 7.5 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Course offered for

• Master's Programme in Business Administration - Strategy and Management in International Organisation

Entry requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or Economics of at least 180 ECTS or equivalent. Alternatively, a bachelor's degree with/and at least 60 ECTS (two semesters of full-time study) of Business Administration-related courses (for example Accounting, Marketing, Organization Theory, Strategy, Finance, HRM). Documented knowledge of English equivalent to Engelska B/Engelska 6.

Intended learning outcomes

After completion of the course, the student should on an advanced level be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of modern organizational forms, such as project-based organizations, as a context for human resource management on strategic as well as operational levels.
• Search for, collect, and compile relevant empirical data about a specific topic related to the course content.
• Develop an empirical description to communicate an issue that is theoretically and empirically relevant in relation to the course content.
• Apply relevant theoretical frameworks in order to analyze an empirical case.

Course content

The course takes its point of departure in the link between HRM, strategy and competitive advantage, using the resource-based view of the firm (RBV) as a theoretical foundation. This discussion continues into a focus on new ways of organizing to become more competitive, such as project-based forms of organizing, which creates a working-life that is increasingly characterized by project-based work. In relation to this, the course focuses on contemporary HRM challenges in project-based organizational contexts, as well as the roles of, and relations among, key players in the delivery of HRM practices.

Teaching and working methods

The basic learning pillars in the course are designed to support the student’s own learning process in their work with developing a teaching case and a teaching note. This is done by:

• Teamwork with the development of a teaching case, including empirical data collection, data analysis, and writing up a teaching case related to the course content.
• Individual work with a teaching note to the case, in which the theoretical points in the case are highlighted and discussed.
• Readings of central literature to lay a theoretical foundation as well as introducing the students to more practitioner-oriented writings within the field.
• Lectures with the purpose to complement the readings and bring in relevant discussions related to the topics in focus.
• Interactive seminars and workshops to provide arenas for the students to discuss theoretical issues and to support the work process with the teaching cases.

Language of instruction: English

Examination

The course is examined through two main written examinations:

• Teaching case (team)
• Teaching note to the case (individual).

Detailed information about the examination can be found in the course’s study guide.

Students failing an exam covering either the entire course or part of the course twice are entitled to have a new examiner appointed for the reexamination.

Students who have passed an examination may not retake it in order to improve their grades.

Grades

Other information

Planning and implementation of a course must take its starting point in the wording of the syllabus. The course evaluation included in each course must therefore take up the question how well the course agrees with the syllabus. 

The course is carried out in such a way that both men´s and women´s experience and knowledge is made visible and developed.

Department