Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Welcome to the course Societal Issues and Sustainability Concerns in HRM. This course will run in the autumn (September to December) term. Please read this document carefully as it contains important information regarding the structure, delivery, and assessment of the course. The course leader is Professor Wouter Vleugels and his contact details are:
Email: w.vleugels@uliege.be
Office number: N1D 5ème étage
Sustainable HRM has emerged as a new approach to managing the employment relationship. It is a response to the increasing number of organisations which aspire to use their "human resources" in a responsible manner and through that achieve long-term social, environmental, and business goals.
Societal issues that are closely linked to the workplace, such as employee health problems (e.g., burnout), polarization, dehumanization, or difficulties in achieving work-life balance, lead us to rethink HRM and search for more sustainable and socially responsible approaches to organising labour. At the same time, with the growing concerns about climate change and the environment, it is also crucial to explore in more depth how we can use people management to help organisations achieve their business goals while making responsible use of natural resources and without overly burdening the climate.
The need for HRM to balance the interests of a wider range of stakeholders (e.g., corporate investors, employees, non-governmental organisations, community groups) brings us to the subject of sustainable human resource management. One of the key challenges for organisations these days is to sustain long-term economic growth while making responsible use of the resources (e.g., manual labour, technology, raw materials) that are available to them. The primary objective of this course therefore is to address how organisations can attain employee productivity and achieve their business goals while at the same time fostering their social and environmental goals.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
On successful completion of this course you will be able to:
- Analyse and compare theories and models pertinent to the field of sustainable HRM.
- Identify and discuss important societal issues and sustainability concerns in HRM.
- Understand what skills and capabilities organisational leaders and HR professionals need for a successful implementation of sustainable HRM.
- Build and defend a business case for sustainable HRM initiatives.
- Learn to deal with organisational paradoxes which influence the practice of HRM.
- Develop organisational strategies suitable for sustainable HRM.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
A basic understanding of HRM theory is sufficient to complete this cours.
As this cours will be taught in English, a basic command of the English language (reading and speaking) is required also.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Class lectures with a focus on knowledge acquisition, comprehension, and application.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Additional information:
This cours will be taught in English.
Recommended or required readings
The core text for the course is:
Sitko, R. (2023). Sustainable Human Resource Management. Using HRM to achieve long-term social, environmental and business goals. Kogan Page: London.
It is recommended but not mandatory to buy the (e-version of the) textbook. Students should be able to pass the course by relying on the weekly PowerPoint slides and supplementary readings.
The weekly readings will consist of one or more chapters from this designated textbook along with a curated set of articles. These articles may be sourced from academic journals or practitioner outlets like HR Magazine or Harvard Business Review. These supplemental articles will be made available to students via the MyUliège student platform "Lola".
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire ) AND oral exam
Additional information:
Your knowledge about this course will be tested and evaluated via two separate assessments, one group assessment and one individual assessment.
Assessment #1: Group presentation (30% of total marks)
The objective of the first assessment is to conduct a critical analysis of how Human Resource Management (HRM) is impacted by current societal challenges. Students will team up in small groups to explore one of the following four societal themes and their impact on HRM: (1) AI and digitalization (algorithmic management); (2) Diversity and inclusion (diversity management); (3) Burnout and well-being (performance management); and (4) Flexibility and interconnectedness (new ways of working). The aim of the group assessment is to examine the link between these societal issues and HR practices, and to critically discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with these HR practices. Additionally, reflect on the main takeaways for sustainable HRM. The group presentations are scheduled for weeks 8 through 11 of the course (i.e., weeks 8, 9, 10 and 11). Students will be given ample time and resources to prepare for their group presentation. More details on the group assessment will be provided during the first class lecture.
Assessment #2: Case study with multiple choice exam (70% of total marks)
In this assessment, students will be required to analyse a case study and respond to a set of multiple-choice questions. The case study will focus on a current issue in sustainable HRM like (for example) diversity, digitalization, or green HRM initiatives. The multiple-choice questions will assess your theoretical understanding of key concepts, theories and models, as well as your ability to identify and analyse critical issues or challenges pertinent to sustainable HRM.
Work placement(s)
Not applicable.
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The course includes one 2-hour lecture per week. Class lectures will take place on Fridays from 13h30 - 15h30 in classroom 1/3 at N3a (Sainte-Julienne Building, HEC campus)
The course is divided into 3 different modules:
Module 1 : Sustainable HRM, problems, and solutions
- Key concepts, theories and models
- Harm caused by unsustainable HRM
- Regenerating the HR base
- Sustainable HRM as a business strategy
- Measuring and implementing sustainable HRM
- AI and digitalization (algorithmic management)
- Polarization (diversity management)
- Burnout and well-being (performance management)
- Flexibility and interconnectedness (new ways of working)
Contacts
Email: w.vleugels@uliege.be
Office number: N1D 5th floor
Association of one or more MOOCs
There is no MOOC associated with this course.