040608 FK Organization and Human Resource Mgmt. (B): International Personnel Management (2014S)

This course is designed to provide the opportunity for undergraduate students to gain the knowledge which can be employed within a variety of business contexts.

Human resources are key aspects to organizational success or failure. General managers are concerned with setting and implementing overall strategy. Achieving strategic objectives of the firm is only possible with an effective and efficient management of human resources. In this context general managers have leading role to set and implement the HR strategy. The implementation of the firm`s HR policies is best done with at least the participation of line managers in the field, rather than being left to HR specialists. Therefore we focus on the role of general (and other top-level) managers and on the wider spectrum of organizational implications in forming and implementing strategies. Related topics such as the operational details of personnel administration that concern HR specialist will be neglected. Emphasis will be put on the links between human resource practices of managers and strategic objectives of their firms.

More specifically, the first part of the course consists of a basic frameworks and ideas of the subject. We discuss different perspectives on strategy and the central importance of International HRM and Strategic HRM. Besides, we consider a multidisciplinary orientation to the subject, especially by including economic, sociological and psychological contributions and insights. The purpose of illustrating a broader vision (not only restricted to one perspective) should develop a more comprehensive understanding enabling students to increase their ability to adapt this knowledge to real problems. In the second part, we touch on some significant elements that constitute an HR system such as performance evaluation and pay for performance.

Attendance:
Given the limited number of available places I strongly recommend all of you interested in attending the course to attend the first introductory meeting, otherwise vacant places will be fulfilled.

Other information:
Other relevant information regarding the detailed structure of the course, group assignments, office hours, suggested readings will be provided in class.

This course introduces students to the field of international human resource management. The goal is to discuss the most important issues that decision-makers operating in today’s globalized business setting must consider when managing human resource management (HRM) in different national settings. In a first step, we will gain a general understanding of the context and practices in international HRM. To reach that goal, we will start from different perspectives on international HRM to survey the major topics of the field such as international assignments, the transfer of practices, work design and rewards in international context, and global employment relations. Against that background, selected contemporary issues in international HRM are covered: work-life management in multinational corporations, HRM in Sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Asia, and the dark side of international HRM (issues such as sweatshops or social dumping). The course materials consist of readings, movies and case studies. The texts and ideas are from various disciplines, including management & economics, comparative sociology, and business ethics.
Schedule and readings
Note that the texts for each topic are mandatory and therefore relevant for the exam. However, the students presenting on a particular topic are to consider the mandatory readings only as a starting point for further literature search.
http://ipersonal.univie.ac.at/lehre2/lehrveranstaltungen-sose-14/fk-organisation-und-personalmanagement-b-g2/