Preface
Mastering Human Resource Management is primarily intended as a survey text for instruction of undergraduate majors and minors in Human Resource Management, Business Administration, and related fields. It may also be appropriate for use as a basic introduction at the master’s level. Talent analytics, employee engagement, and alignment with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Curriculum Guidebook are the unifying, central themes of the book.
I wrote Mastering Human Resource Management with the rapidly evolving work environment kept firmly in mind. My key goal is to provide learners with the state-of-the-art knowledge and skills needed to successfully recruit, develop, and retain top-performing talent. Many textbooks for the human resource management course were first published in the last century. By comparison, I strove to distinguish this first edition with a fresh and practical approach to contemporary work situations I have not seen other books fully address. Mastering Human Resource Management’s key themes of talent analytics and employee engagement, combined with its explicit alignment with the SHRM and Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) curriculum guidelines, support a contemporary and professional competency from day one. Plentiful theory-into-practice exercises ensure learners understand how to implement best practices. Pertinent and reliable expert scholarship supports the realistic, nuanced, and challenging case studies that are found throughout the text, some of which are drawn from my own private-sector work experiences. The result is a distinctive blend of research and practice that ensures students understand when to apply the right HR strategies.
Each chapter includes at least one “HR Talk” feature, based on an interview with a practicing HR professional. This will help students make the transition from textbook learning to how the concepts are applied in the real world of HR. The goal of the book is to provide a learning resource that covers the theory that students need to know about the HR profession, in a concise, easy-to-read, and well-organized format. Students will be prepared to enter the industry with state-of-the-art knowledge, skills, and abilities.
There are three major trends in the field of human resource management that impacted the development of this book:
Increased interest in data analytics and artificial intelligence. The technology for talent recruitment, onboarding, compensation, performance management, and talent development continues to accelerate. This includes Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), and Learning Management Systems (LMS).
A shift away from human resource management solely focused on the employer perspective, to a more balanced approach that focuses on employee engagement and work-life balance, while also achieving organizational goals for competitive advantage, productivity, and profitability. The National Study of the Changing Workforce, conducted by Families and Work Institute and SHRM, is a major study of the U.S. workforce that takes a comprehensive look at employees’ lives both on and off the job. The study examines components of the work environment that benefit employers and employees, and has led to the development of SHRM’s Effective Workplace Index, which consists of the following seven components: Job Challenge and Learning Opportunities; Supervisor Support for Job Success; Autonomy; Culture of Respect; Trust, and Belonging; Work-Life Fit; Satisfaction with Wages, Benefits, and Opportunities to Advance, and Co-Worker Support for Job Success. Each of these seven aspects of employee engagement is addressed in the textbook.
The skills gap continues to constrain business expansion, and human resource professionals will face challenges in finding qualified employees. Business location decisions today increasingly are made based on the presence of a workforce with the appropriate skills. A survey of company executives by Area Development magazine found that availability of skilled labor has become the most important factor in site selection. Studies indicate that eight out of ten HR professionals report that high-demand technical and soft skills are in short supply, and it is imperative that the skills gap be closed. If employers can’t find talent with the skills required for job openings, they must build the talent by investing in employee training and partnering with educational institutions to develop talent pipelines to ensure individuals are prepared to enter the workforce.
Features and Benefits
Throughout the text, these three major themes are developed: Talent analytics, employee engagement, and alignment with SHRM and HRCI guidelines. The following chart summarizes the major features and benefits of the text.
|
Features and Benefits of Mastering Human Resource Management |
|
|---|---|
| Features | Benefits |
| Focus on talent analytics | Conveys the knowledge necessary to utilize talent data in recruitment, onboarding, compensation, performance management, and talent development. This will prepare them to use Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), and Learning Management Systems (LMS). |
| Balanced approach that focuses on employee engagement while also achieving organizational goals for competitive advantage and profitability | Highlights and techniques to enhance recruitment, retention, and performance in an environment of labor shortages and skills gaps. They will be prepared to create a culture of respect and autonomy, which is important to millennials, and to create an effective workplace in a diverse environment. |
| Alignment with SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge (SHRM BoCK™) and HRCI's HR Body of Knowledge (HRBoK™) | Provides students with in-depth knowledge of current and relevant HR concepts. This will also prepare students for the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and/or Professional in Human Resources (PHR) exams. |
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
The learning outcomes for the text are geared toward the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Competency Model. SHRM is the world’s largest HR professional society, representing 300,000 members in more than 165 countries. The SHRM Competency Model covers nine areas of expertise:
Human Resource Expertise (HR Knowledge)
Ethical Practice
Leadership and Navigation
Business Acumen
Consultation
Critical Evaluation
Communication
Global and Cultural Effectiveness
Relationship Management
The learning outcomes expected for a student using this text are how to:
Accurately assess the role of human resource management in creating organizational competitive advantage through alignment with business strategy.
Comply with the legal regulations that apply to the terms and conditions of employment.
Create a culture of employee engagement that values diversity and mutual respect.
Appropriately utilize talent analytics in recruitment, onboarding, compensation, performance management, and talent development.
Develop effective communication, consultation and relationship management skills for working collaboratively with management, employees, and vendors.
Organization
Each chapter includes the following sections and features to support learning:
Chapter-level Learning Objectives
Opening Case with Discussion Questions
Feature Strands:
“Talent Analytics” features demonstrating real-world use of data analytics in HR
“HR Talk” features providing theory in practice from interviews with HR professionals
“HR in the Real World” features highlighting stories from HR professionals
Section-level Learning Objectives, Key Takeaways, and What Do You Think questions
Key Terms throughout the chapter
Chapter Conclusion
Chapter End Matter including the following:
Theory-in-Practice (TIP) Exercises
Case Study with Discussion Questions
Resources
Supplements
Mastering Human Resource Management is accompanied by a robust supplements program that augments and enriches both the teaching and student learning experiences. I wrote all supplements to ensure accuracy and to ensure full alignment with the book’s narrative. Faculty should contact their FlatWorld sales representative or FlatWorld support at support@flatworld.com for more information or to obtain access to the supplements upon adoption.
Instructor’s Manual
The instructor’s manual (IM) includes Learning Objectives and an outline for each chapter. The IM also features possible responses to case discussion questions which encourage students to more deeply engage with course material.
PowerPoint Slides
PowerPoint lecture slides provide a concise but thorough outline for each chapter and include relevant tables, figures, and images from the text to enliven lectures and stimulate class discussions. These PowerPoint slides also include a list of Learning Objectives by chapter. Instructors can use the slides as composed to support lectures or customize and build upon them to suit their particular teaching needs.
Online Quizzes
Quiz questions for student self-evaluation are available by section and by chapter in the online version of this text. Students can use the quizzes to test themselves on their comprehension as they move through the different sections of the text or once they have completed a chapter.
FlatWorld Homework
Accompanying FlatWorld Homework for this text is provided in an easy-to-use interface. Multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, and other question types are available for use and are all auto-gradable. Students who utilize the homework questions should see their performance improve on examinations that are given using the Test Item File questions provided to adopters via Word documents or LMS packages.
Test Item File
The Test Item File (TIF) includes more than fifty questions per chapter in multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and essay-question formats. All answers are provided, including possible responses to the essay questions. The items have been written specifically to reinforce the major topics covered in each chapter and to align with FlatWorld Homework and in-text quiz items. The Test Item File questions are also available in pre-formatted form for easy export into popular learning management systems such as Canvas or Blackboard.
Test Generator—Powered by Cognero
FlatWorld is pleased to provide a computer-generated test program powered by the leading assessment provider Cognero to assist instructors with selecting, randomizing, formatting, loading online, or printing exams. Please contact your local FlatWorld representative or FlatWorld support (support@fwk.com) for more information or to request the program.
Sample Syllabi
Sample syllabi based on either 16-week or 10-week terms provide useful templates that help new adopters transition from their current course textbook to Mastering Human Resource Management. Faculty can download the syllabi from the FlatWorld website (https://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/catalog/editions/mastering-human-resource-management-1#supplements) or they can be obtained by contacting your local FlatWorld representative or FlatWorld support (support@fwk.com).
Human resource management professionals have always been key contributors to an organization’s success, but even more so in the constantly shifting and rapidly evolving work environment that seems to have become the norm. In recognition of this accelerating trend, I grounded Mastering Human Resource Management in engaging real-world and research-based information to ensure students are well-prepared for the many and various situations they may encounter. I trust you will also find this book to be a useful companion and supportive resource to your classroom instruction. If you have any feedback or input on how I can improve this book, I would be delighted to hear from you.
If you are a faculty member, thank you for considering or adopting Mastering Human Resource Management for your course. If you are a student, I hope this book excites you to learn about human resource management and how to leverage that knowledge to make a positive difference in the lives of your work colleagues and organization’s goals.
Sincerely
Derek Crews
dcrews@twu.edu