Course Introduction and Understanding the Organisation Week 1

Course learning outcomes

Demonstrate an understanding of the role of HRM in

contemporary organisations
understand the internal and external organisational

environments to which strategic HRM should be directed

evaluate the magnitude of multi-directional influences on

strategic HRM, and how HR professionals can use these influences to effectively manage contemporary issues within organisations enhance analytical skills appropriate to support the development of strategic HRM plans and policies Demonstrate appropriate research skills required for HRM practices.
HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010 (Daft, Chapter 1, 2010)

Course contents 12 weeks

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Understanding the organisation: contemporary issues in organisations and HRM Organisational strategy and effectiveness Organisational Structure and Strategy Organisational Life Cycle Technologies and the organisation
April 22 Good Friday public holiday April 25 ANZAC Day public holiday April 26 Easter Monday public holiday

Organisational design and the international environment 7. Interorganisational environments and realtionships 8. The tools of strategic HRM 9. Learning organisations and change 10. Organisational Values 11. Beware UXB: Power, politics and SHRM 12. Ending with new beginning
6.

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010 (Daft, Chapter 1, 2010)

HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

How to achieve the learning objectives?

Read the course profile carefully Read the study guide carefully Read the weekly resource readings Follow weekly lectures/tutorials Read the text Check the course website for updates Use the course website to contact and interact with

your fellow students and your lecturer

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010

Assessment
Assessment Items 1 Case Study 30% Multiple Choice Quizzes Part B 20% Assessment Item 2 Academic Report 50% Assignments are submitted electronically via the

course website
Links to assessment submission are on the course

website.

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation of work, ideas or data of

others as one's own without appropriate acknowledgement (Source: Academic Board, CQU) Appropriate acknowledgement is referred to as:
The use of recognised referencing styles (see CQU website on

referencing styles).
Acknowledgement of the work of others

The CQU plagiarism policy requires cases of persistent

plagiarism to be referred to the Exclusions Committee.

This course uses copy detection software that scans all

submitted assignments.

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010

HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

Teaching Staff
Course coordinator Patricia Bovingdon Email: p.bovingdon@cqu.edu.au Phone number: 0448 874 742 Skype: patricia.bovingdon Contact for Rockhampton and Flex students
As I am a casual academic, please leave a message or send an email if I

am unavailable. I will return your call or message within 24 hours. If you wish to meet via Skype, please contact me to arrange a meeting time.

Please check the course website for the contact details of

your local lecturer

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010

Understanding the organisation: contemporary issues in organisations and HRM

Week 1
HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010 (Daft, Chapter 1, 2010)

What is an organization and its role?

An organisation is a social entity that is goal directed,

deliberately designed and structured set of systems and operate in internal and external environments. They
Bring together resources to achieve desired outcomes Produce goods and services efficiently Facilitate innovation Use modern manufacturing & information technologies Adapt to and influence a changing environment Create value for owners, customers and employees Accommodate ongoing challenges of diversity, ethics, and the

motivation and coordination of employees (Daft 2010, p. 11).

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010 (Daft, Chapter 1, 2010)

HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

What is a contemporary organisation?

Discuss the case of an US military organisation (Jones

2006, p. 2-3), and identify some key characteristics of a contemporary organisation

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Major Stakeholder Groups and What they Expect

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Perspectives on Organizations
Open Systems Organizational Configuration Technical Core Technical Support Administrative Support Top Management Middle Management

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HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

An Open System and Its Subsystems

Environment
Raw Materials People Information resources Financial resources Transformation Input Process
Boundary Spanning Production, Maintenance, Adaptation, Management Boundary Spanning

Output

Products and Services

Subsystems

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Dimensions of Organization Design

Structural Dimensions Pages 15 - 16 Daft (2010) Contextual Dimensions Pages 17 - 20 Daft (2010) Performance and Effectiveness Outcomes Pages 20 22 Daft (2010)

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Five Basic Parts of an Organization

Top Management

Technical Support

Middle Management

Administrative Support

Technical Core

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HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

Organization Chart Illustrating the Hierarchy of Authority for the Dept Education, Training and the Arts (QLD)

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What is organisation theory?

At its most basic level, organisation theory is simply a

way of thinking about and analysing organisations!

OT is a discipline that studies the structure and design

of organisations (Robbins & Barnwell 2002, p. 8)

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The Evolution of Organization Theory and Design

Historical Perspectives Pages 23 26 Daft (2010) Contemporary Organization Design Page 30 Daft (2010) Effective Performance versus the Learning

Organization
Pages 30 35 Daft (2010)
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HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

Interpretative frameworks for organisational analysis

There is not one organisation theory, or one framework, or model to explain organisations, but MANY!!!

Each precedent theory acts as building blocks to influence subsequent development of organisation theories

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010 (Daft, Chapter 1, 2010)

Interpretative frameworks for organisational analysis

Rational systems view organisations as highly

formalised rational collectivises pursuing specific goals (early studies such as Weber, Taylor, Fayol); Natural systems view organisations as social systems with multiple interests, informal relations and participants with different goals (Mayo); Open systems view organisations as many interdependent activities which are dependent on wider environments (Scott 2003).
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Features of new organisational forms

Delayering to a flatter hierarchical structure Outsourcing and collaborative alliances Disaggregation from larger to smaller units Control without ownership Casualisation of workforce Encouragement of horizontal linkages Devolution to respond swiftly to customers and to

empower employees
Less clear boundary lines (Jones, 2006)
HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010 (Daft, Chapter 1, 2010)

HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

Features of new organisational forms

Casualisation of workforce Encouragement of horizontal linkages Devolution to respond swiftly to customers and to

empower employees
Less clear boundary lines (Jones, 2006)
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HR professionals may need to:

Redefine role and professional identity

Be more externally focused

Build networks and alliances Be more analytical Be able and skilled in managing diverse workforce (Kochan 2004).
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Key issues in contemporary organisations

Sustainability maintenance, expansion & growth Globalisation competition, alliance & diversity Knowledge management digital workplace,

knowledge diffusion & organisational learning

New forms - new mindset? ethics, CSR
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HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

Implications to HRM
1. New organisational forms and the psychological

contract.
2. Building partnership into employment relationship. 3. Dynamics of organisational flexibility.

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010 (Daft, Chapter 1, 2010)

Changing paradigms of HRM

HR should become a partner with senior and line

managers in strategy execution.

HR should become an expert in the way work Is

organised and executed.

HR should become an agent of continuous

transformation.

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010 (Daft, Chapter 1, 2010)

This weeks tutorial

Tutorial discussions as follows: Case study: Cementos Mexicanos (Daft 2010, p. 34)
Use the concepts learnt in this module to indicate what

Cemex has done right to succeed

Talking point 1 (Jones 2006, p. 13) Explaining the following concepts:

Reciprocal interdependence Vertical integration

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010

HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

This week 2
Talking point 2 (Jones 2006, p. 15) Discuss:
Why does an organisation restructure?

Is it a radical change or an incremental adjustment? What is the senior managements view? How do they

convey the benefits of the restructuring?

Restructuring because of internal benefits, external

pressure or third partys requirement?

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010

This week 3
Talking point 3 (Jones 2006, p. 25)
Why is it important to build smaller teams in

contemporary organisations?
Discuss the benefits of self-organising teams Why must a fractal that grows larger than 60 members

be broken down again?

HRMT19016 Term 1, 2010

Next Week 2
Organisational Strategy and Effectiveness Chapter 2 Tutorial discussions

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HRMT19016 Contemporary Organisations and HRM Studies

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