Master 2020/2021

Organization Human Capital Development: Strategy, Problems, Technologies

Type: Elective course (Sociology of Public and Business Sphere)

Area of studies: Sociology

Delivered by: School of Sociology

Where: Faculty of Social Sciences

When: 2 year, 1, 2 module

Mode of studies: distance learning

Instructors: Anna Gogoleva

Master’s programme: Sociology of Public and Business Sphere

Language: English

ECTS credits: 6

Contact hours: 32

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course introduces human capital as a fundamental component of competitiveness, effectiveness, and sustainability of organization. The goal of this course is to provide students with knowledge for understanding practical issues and empirical research of human capital and social relations within organizations. Students will get experience of sociological analysis of relations in business area, will learn how the processes of attraction, retention and development of human capital are implemented in organizational context and what problems and issues are crucial for building robust relationships. This field of knowledge and empirical research provides appropriate example of how sociological knowledge can be applied to find the sources for sustainable growth and development of individuals, groups of people and organizations because organization as an object of research gives opportunities to observe social interactions on different levels: individual, groups, various units and departments, organizations and to trace how programs and projects can align various interests and achieve demanded aims. Multi-disciplinary character of research projects that are discussed allows students to learn main principles of treating HC data of various type, taken from different sources and levels, to reveal issues of interpretation of these data. Besides analysis of international academic research results provides best practices for learning different modes of sociological research made in organizational environment. Assessment of the course is formed of class activities, essay, learning on-line course and final writing exam.

Learning Objectives

• The course aims at teaching students to be able to plan and hold various sociological and diagnostic surveys and studies related to human resources in organizational context
• The course aims at teaching students to be able to make social assessment of policies, programs and projects aimed at human capital devel-opment
• The course aims at teaching students to be able to participate in strategic planning of human resource activities in organizations.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• know various forms and methods of human resource development, human potential assessment, engagement, training and retention
• be able to analyze and evaluate the available human capital in the organization
• be able to identify the interests, attitudes and resources of the main stakeholders of human capital projects
• be able to represent the interests of various groups and stakeholders in discussions affecting the development and use of the organization's human capital
• be able to develop a program of sociological and diagnostic survey and research related to human capital in organizational context
• have skills to analyze the situation according to the methodology of the case study and give presentation and argumentation of the proposed solutions
• know main approaches to strategic development and assessment of human capital in the organization
• have skills to work in a small group, organize interactions with group members, distribute responsibility, improve mechanisms of group work
• know the variety of factors that determine the choice and impact of different human capital-related programs in organizational context
• be able to identify the main social problems that may arise with human capital and offer reasonable and argued solutions
• be able to predict the social impact and consequences of the proposed programs related to the human resources of the organization at different levels (individual, group, organization, society)

Course Contents

• Topic #1 Introduction: Business as a field of research and modern issues of human capital development
  This part introduces and overviews the major topics of the course. First, the issues of grading and readings are presented. Second, key terms and notions of the course are given. We will discuss the notion of human capital, human resources, social organization of business. The focus of this class is on business area as a field of research and human capital as an object of studies. Organization here is presented as integration of social and economic goals so different approaches and models concerning alignment of these different focuses are analyzed. We will examine organizational goals and priorities about human capital management within institutional framework, managerial perspective and experience of human resource activities, individual attitudes and resources as determinants of employee behavior on the job place. The roles of country features, economic environment and national business culture are given as core determinants for aims, strategies and programs implemented in organization. Research agenda of organizational studies provides wide range of methodological models that we will learn: surveys of employees, questioning of group-members and teams-leaders, unit-based researches, comparing of organizations, multi-level studies that combine various sources of data (from different levels in organization and environment). Triangulation as one of most demanded principle of research will be argued. Opportunities and limitation of these modes of research will be examined. Short historical overview of approaches concerning human capital management and treatment of human resources in organizations is essential for full understanding of modern context of these researches.
• Topic #2 Strategies and policies of human resource management: Russian and international perspectives
  The aim of the class is to show how strategy development concerning human resources is imple-mented within organizations. For this goal, we will examine the notion of strategic human re-source management, approaches that are implemented in academic discourse, key accent on or-ganizational performance as one of the strongest arguments in all discussions concerning human capital. Then the role of personnel is examined within the framework of strategic view on com-pany’s competitiveness, level of innovation, sustainability of development. Determinants of con-crete policies and programs related to human capital acquiring and development consist of fea-tures of institutional environment, organizational capabilities and priorities, managerial attitudes. General overview of empirical research results reveals general logic of decision-making process and core problems with human resources about implementation of these decisions. The issue of Russian context of human capital management is presented including empirical studies of human resource practices and experience of Russian companies. The results of research projects will be presented through three main levels: individual, group and organizational.
• Topic #3 Human capital acquiring
  When the role of human resources is defined by organizational management and all determinants are analyzed the issue of concrete sources of personnel and its quality occurs. This class is devot-ed to implementation of strategies developed considering individual-based perspective: what role requirements are to be used in acquiring process? what are the indicators for the quality of human capital to be attracted? what are the main sources for human capital? what priorities to put as foundation for decision-making process? The answers on these questions determine the potential of organization development, they are prerequisite of most decisions made about human relation within organization. Organizational culture, role norms and requirements, personal attitudes, mo-tives and expectations, horizon of planning of all actors are influenced by these results.
• Topic #4 Human capital development
  Saving and heightening human capital of organization create intangible foundation for improve-ment of competitiveness of any organization that is difficult to imitate or repeat. Saving and transferring institutional memory through organizational culture, learning programs, day-to-day interactions of specialists, team-working give stability of functioning and best performance of organization. This part of the course will provide an overview of identifying needs for training and development, determining training and development objectives based on job analysis, tech-niques and methods of training and development, and evaluating of training and development programs.
• Topic #5 Retention of human resources
  In modern global world when boundaries for mobility are relatively low saving and retention of acquired human capital become of primary importance. Missing of this domain of human rela-tions leads to losses of all types of resources for organization. This class discussion covers the topics of material and nonmaterial rewarding of valuable human resources. Compensation is the most important outcome of the employment relationship for most employees. At the same time, the pay for job is one of the most influential instrument managing personnel behavior and per-formance. We will discuss the alignment of business strategies and reward programs. The connec-tion of intrinsic motivation and external rewards, group rewarding, social benefits, executive compensations etc. are examined. Non-material rewarding related to recognition, raising social status, opportunities for self-development and self-actualization are also discussed. Rewarding of employed people is one of the most demanded issue for studies in Russian business so several examples of them we will discuss during our class.
• Topic #6 Sustainability of human capital in organization
  Quality of working life, social effectiveness of organization, alignment of interest of all parties of social interactions in organization are the components of sustainable system of social relations in any organization. This class integrates all topics discussed earlier and provides foundation for building and organizing negotiation process, discussions, strategic sessions etc. related to human capital in the company.

Assessment Elements

• Seminars
  Team presentations and Individual class activity
• Essay
• Results of on-line course
  On-line course is delivered on Coursera.org.
• Final examination
  Exam is made in written form via zoom with camera and mic.
• Seminars
  Team presentations and Individual class activity
• Essay
• Results of on-line course
  On-line course is delivered on Coursera.org.
• Final examination

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (2 module)
  0.3 * Essay + 0.3 * Final examination + 0.2 * Results of on-line course + 0.2 * Seminars

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Daron Acemoglu, Francisco Gallego, & James A. Robinson. (2014). Institutions, Human Capital and Development. Documentos de Trabajo. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.ioe.doctra.449
• Hitt, M. A., Biermant, L., Shimizu, K., & Kochhar, R. (2001). Direct and Moderating Effects of Human Capital on Strategy and Performance in Professional Service Firms: A Resource-Based Perspective. Academy of Management Journal, 44(1), 13–28. https://doi.org/10.5465/3069334
• Nyberg, A. J., Moliterno, T. P., Hale, D., & Lepak, D. P. (2014). Resource-Based Perspectives on Unit-Level Human Capital: A Review and Integration. Journal of Management, 40(1), 316–346. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206312458703
• P. Lepak, Scott A. Snell, & David P. Lepak. (1999). The human resource architecture: Toward a theory of human capital allocation and development. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.8FB541A3
• Performance management. Управление эффективностью работы, Армстронг, М., 2005
• Shaw, J. D., Park, T., & Kim, E. (2013). A resource-based perspective on human capital losses, HRM investments, and organizational performance. Strategic Management Journal (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ), 34(5), 572–589. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2025
• Стратегическое управление человеческими ресурсами, Армстронг, М., 2002
• Управление результативностью : система оценки результатов в действии, Армстронг, М., 2014

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Anna S. Gogoleva, Pavel S. Sorokin, & Azer G. Efendiev. (2014). Quality Of Work Life As Methodological Framework In Organizational Studies: State Of The Art And Perspectives For The Future Research. HSE Working Papers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.hig.wpaper.23man2014
• Armstrong, M. (2016). Armstrong’s Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management (Vol. Sixth edition). London, United Kingdom: Kogan Page. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1193777
• Collings, D. G. (2014). Integrating global mobility and global talent management: Exploring the challenges and strategic opportunities. Journal of World Business, (2), 253. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.eee.worbus.v49y2014i2p253.261
• Elena P. Kostenko. (2017). Institutionalization of Human Resource Management Practice in Russia. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.BF248E84
• Fey, C. F., & Bjorkman, I. (2001). The Effect of Human Resource Management Practices on MNC Subsidiary Performance in Russia. Journal of International Business Studies, 32(1), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490938
• Igor Gurkov, Evgeny Morgunov, Alexander Settles, & Olga Zelenova. (2014). Human resource management in Russia over a century of storm and turmoil: a tale of unrealized dreams. Chapters, 363. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.h.elg.eechap.14408.14
• Lidokhover, T., & Domsch, M. (2006). Human Resource Management in Russia. Aldershot, Hants, England: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=270212
• Zucker, L. G., Darby, M. R., & Brewer, M. B. (1998). Intellectual Human Capital and the Birth of U.S. Biotechnology Enterprises. American Economic Review, (1), 290. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.aea.aecrev.v88y1998i1p290.306