Part #1

Discussion 1

"Managing Change in Organizations"

Determine why change is so difficult for organizations. Propose ways that human resource (HR) specialists can assist in making change easier.

Propose two ways that HR can prepare its employees for the changes involved with moving from a domestic assignment to an overseas assignment.

Discussion #2

"Future of Human Resource Management"

From the e-Activity, examine three trends in HR. Provide probable causes for these trends. Predict how these trends will affect organizations in a single sector of your choosing.

Examine the duties and responsibilities of a HR specialist. Determine the contributions that someone in this position makes to an organization. Support your position.

Part 2

Discussion #1

"Strategic Approach" Please respond to the following:

Assess Southwest Airlines' strategic approach to human resource (HR) management. Determine how its strategy increases organizational effectiveness.

Propose three ways that HR can use competitive advantage in the marketplace to recruit

Discussion #2

"Diversity" Please respond to the following:

From the e-Activity, propose three ways that an organization can increase diversity within itself. Take a position on whether diversity is or is not important and determine how the methods you provided support your position.

Evaluate ways that an organization can measure and reward compliance. Determine if organizations that measure and reward compliance are more or less likely to experience lawsuits.

Part 3

Discussion 1

"Job Applicants" Please respond to the following:

Examine two ways that companies can recruit qualified job applicants. Determine which method may be most effective and predict how it could benefit the company when hiring new employees.

In this high competitive environment where both retaining as well as hiring new talent is considered to be an uphill task for any organization because the of the presence of high degree of competition in the market. Hence among all the ways that organizations adopt to recruit qualified job applicants the two best way is being discussed and described below:

From the e-Activity, compare two different job descriptions. Recommend two changes to make the job descriptions more marketable. Provide examples to support your recommendations. Be sure to provide details of the job descriptions in case others want to use them.

Discussion #2

"Company Competitive Advantage" Please respond to the following:

Propose two ways that a company can gain a competitive advantage over other companies when striving to recruit job applicants.

Determine whether technology has assisted or hindered the process.

Imagine you are head of the HR department, and you have been asked to review two applicants for the sales clerk position at your company. Alice, the first applicant has 10 years of experience in sales work, but can be easily distracted. She will not work on commission and cannot work weekends. She can be a little obstinate, but has an excellent job history. Mary, the second applicant, has one year experience, but very congenial and loves working with people. Her work schedule is very flexible, but she can become a little stressed at times and has been known for having to quietly leave and regroup for a short time. Determine which candidate would be the "right fit".

Support your decision by describing the thought process that lead up to your decision.

Part 4

Discussion #1

"Employee Testing" Please respond to the following:

Evaluate the types of employee testing that companies may require that are discussed in the text. Determine the two tests that you consider the most important. Support your reasoning.

From the e-Activity, take the test and examine your results. Determine whether you believe this type of personality test is beneficial to an organization. Support your position.

Discussion #2

"Employee Selection" Please respond to the following:

Compare and contrast the structured interview, situational interview, and behavioral interview. Determine which type of interview would be more beneficial when interviewing applicants. Support your selection.

In the selection of the candidate, determine if the manager should make the final choice or if others should be included in the final decision.

Support your position.

Part 5

Discussion #1

"Employee Performance" Please respond to the following:

From the e-Activity, determine whether or not these types of benefits would motivate you as an employee for a long-term commitment. Support your reasoning.

From the e-Activity, determine whether or not these benefits could create more of a balance between family and work. Provide at least two examples to support your reasoning.

Discussion #2"Employee Layoffs" Please respond to the following:

· Determine three ways that employee layoffs can affect other employees in the organization. Examine two additional ways that employee layoffs can affect the organization as a whole.

· Imagine that you are a manager of the HR department of a company and you are required to lay off one of your employees. Propose two ways that you can ensure you are abiding by the laws that govern employment and ethical practices. Respond and evaluate another learner's comment. Ground students will do this through discussion.

Part 6

Discussion # 1

"Performance Appraisals" Please respond to the following:

Determine why organizations can have higher productivity when top managers encourage supervisors to set goals, assess performance, and provide feedback to employees. Support your answer with examples. Then, describe the experience you have had with performance appraisals and how your performance has been influenced by them.

From the e-Activity, rate the importance of measuring performance and providing an opportunity for feedback. Support your position.

Discussion #2

"Performance Measurement" Please respond to the following:

Imagine you are working at an ice cream shop. It is the middle of summer, the shop's busiest season, and the electricity goes out during a storm. Rank the actions that you should take in order of importance, as your performance will be measured regarding your immediate actions.

Assess the advantages and / or disadvantages of having more than one source of performance measurement within a company. Support your position with examples. Of the performance measurement sources you provided, select one that you believe your current or previous company could benefit from and explain why.

Part 7

Discussion # 1

"Training Assessment" Please respond to the following:

Imagine you are a new employee in a human resource (HR) department. Your first task is to develop a stress management seminar for the employees. Determine the topics that should be covered in the seminar. Support your selection of the topics.

Discussion #2

"Training Effectiveness" Please respond to the following:

From the e-Activity, determine if Southwest's method of training is an effective way to conduct training. Support your position. Provide one recommendation for improvement.

Compare the following training methods: presentations, case studies, simulations, and discussions. Determine which training method you believe to be the most effective and explain why.

Part 8

Discussion #1

"Employee Development" Please respond to the following:

Propose three ways that a mentor and a new employee orientation can assist employees with their career development.

Evaluate the following criteria, in order of importance to you, in regard to the workplace: material wealth, success, career satisfaction, and work-life. Determine whether or not you believe there is a way to balance them. Provide two suggestions on how this could be done. Support your position.

Discussion #2

"HR Certifications" Please respond to the following:

From the e-Activity, examine the benefits of obtaining a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification and / or a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification. Rate the importance of these certifications in regard to an HR employee's career.

Examine some of the causes and symptoms of employee burnout. Propose steps that management can take to reduce the possibility of employee burnout.

Part 9

Discussion #1

"Compensation and Government Regulations" Please respond to the following:

Compare job-based pay with skill-based pay and provide an example of each. Determine which pay you would prefer. Support your decision.

Determine how government regulations affect compensation and if the regulations are needed. Support your position with examples

Discussion #2

"Compensation Packages" Please respond to the following:

Examine the common elements of compensation packages. Determine which two elements you believe to be the most motivational to an employee and to you. Support your position.

Compare team and individual bonuses and incentives. Determine which type of bonuses and incentives you would prefer. Support your position with examples.

Part 10

Discussion #1

"Labor Unions" Please respond to the following:

From the first e-Activity, evaluate the intended effectiveness of The Americans with Disabilities Act and The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Determine how these laws affect human resource (HR) management. Speculate what the impact of the Act will be in 10 years. Support your position.

Discussion #2

"Company reorganization and the Future of HR" Please respond to the following:

Provide an example of a company that has done a total "turnaround". Determine if the turnaround has been effective and improved its profitability.

Examine changes and developments that are currently taking place in the field of HR management. Predict two changes and developments that are likely to occur in this field in the next 10 years.

Part 11

Discussion #1

"Sum It Up" Please respond to the following:

The textbook identified several issues that arise in the field of human resource (HR) management. Sum up the responsibility of HR management to address and solve these problems.

Discussion #2

"Best Practices" Please respond to the following:

Create a list of three best practices recruiters should use when screening potential candidates for a HR management position. Justify your selections.

Create a new best practice for HR management based on the information that you learned in this course.