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HPM 720
Human Resources Management in Healthcare Organizations Department of Health Policy and Management
Gillings School of Global Public Health
Fall 2012 Syllabus
Class Location: Rosenau 133
Meeting Time: Tuesday 11:00 – 1:45
Instructor: Bruce Fried Teaching Assistant: Lara Lorenzetti
Office: 1104 McGavran-Greenberg Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 919 966-7355
Office Hours:
By appointment
Course Overview
HPM 720 is designed to introduce graduate students to a strategic approach to human resources
management in health care organizations. The overarching goal of the course is to help students
develop an understanding of the concept of strategic human resources management, and the
need for alignment between HR practices and an organization’s strategy and mission. The
course is organized around the employee lifecycle and covers fundamental human resource
functions, including: job analysis, recruiting and selection, performance management,
compensation and benefits, and employee retention. The course also includes a thorough review
of the legal and regulatory environment of human resources management.
Through class activities, case analyses, and a team-project, the course is also designed to help
students further develop the skills required to be an effective manager, including: written and
verbal communication, interviewing, performance feedback and management, teamwork, and
leadership.
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Learning Objectives and HPM Competencies
Course Learning Objective
Competencies
1 Appreciate the need for alignment between human
resources practices and an organization’s strategy
and mission.
Human Resource Management
Analytical Thinking
Strategic Orientation
2 Identify and describe fundamental human resources
management functions in health care organizations,
including job analysis, recruitment, selection,
performance management, training and
development, and compensation
Human Resource Management
3 Appreciate the many challenges associated with
designing and implementing effective human
resources practices.
Human Resource Management
Analytical Thinking
4 Gain an understanding of the legal environment
affecting human resources management, including
equal employment opportunity law, employment
law, and labor law.
Human Resource Management
5 Acquire a deepened awareness of situations where
issues of diversity and inclusion surface or are
implied.
Human Resources Management
6 Develop one’s own skills in managing the
workforce, including written and verbal
communication, interviewing, performance
feedback and management, teamwork and
leadership.
Human Resource Management
Communication Skills
Professionalism
Self-Confidence
7 Learn about a current human resource issue through
development of an HR White Paper
Human Resource Management
Information Seeking
Project Management
Communication Skills
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Resources
Website
HPM 720 makes extensive use of its Blackboard website. (See http://blackboard.unc.edu.) Be sure
to check that the email address Blackboard has for you is correct. Click on the “Bb Desktop” tab in
Blackboard and then click on “Personal Information.” If you need to change your email address,
click on “Edit Personal Information” and follow the directions. Note that you need to change your
email address in both Blackboard and the On-Line Campus Directory.
Text and other Reading Materials
1. Fried BJ, and Fottler MD. Human Resources in Healthcare: Managing for Success, 3rd
edition. Chicago: Health Administration Press, 2008.
2. Several cases and articles used in the course may be purchased from the Harvard Business
School (HBS) Website. A “course” has been set up at this website, with the required cases
listed under the course. To access the course at HBS, go to: http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/14553443
3. Other readings may be found under “Course Documents” in Sakai.
Requirements and Expectations
1. Individual Case Preparations. On case analysis days, students are responsible for
submitting a response to a set of questions regarding the assigned case. These assignments
are designed to: (a) ensure students come to class prepared having read assigned case and
any associated readings, and (b) provide students an opportunity to think through the issues
in the case individually leading to more robust team and class discussions.
Questions will be distributed at least one week in advance. Responses, usually no longer
than one page, should be uploaded to Sakai by the beginning of class on case analysis days.
Submissions will be graded on a pass/fail basis. Pass, or full credit, is given for submissions
that are timely and responsive to the question(s).
2. Class Participation. Class participation is highly valued in this class, and comprises 25%
of the course grade. Class participation includes the following:
Constructive participation in class discussions
Constructive participation in group case discussions
Preparation and participation in simulations
Being responsive to questions that are posed to specific students on course content
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3. Midterm exam. A short-answer midterm exam will be administered on October 30, 2012.
4. Paper. A paper is required of all students. Papers may be done individually or in two-
person teams. There are two types of papers for this course. Papers are normally about 15
double-spaced pages exclusive of tables, figures, and illustrations:
a. Human Resources White Paper. As defined in this course, a white paper is a
succinct statement of a problem or challenge in healthcare human resources
management that includes:
A summary of the problem or challenge with a summary of evidence documenting
the issue
A literature review to ensure that the same subject matter has not already been
covered. However, covering the same subject matter in an original manner is
possible.
A summary of the history of the issue and attempts that have been made –
successfully or unsuccessfully in addressing the issue
A statement of options for resolving the issue, with a summary of the strengths and
weaknesses of each option
Appropriately cited references in the form of acknowledged quotations, footnotes,
endnotes, and bibliography
Relevant figures, tables, graphics, or other illustrative items that help the reader to
understand the content of the white paper
b. Healthcare Human Resources Case with Teaching Notes. This assignment
involves writing a case that may be based on a real situation, an invented but
plausible situation, or a compilation of real and/or plausible experiences. Cases will
be structured in the following manner:
A detailed description of the situation, including relevant background information
that has led up to the situation.
A decision point that provides two or more decision options
Teaching notes that include relevant theoretical material related to the case,
instructions on alternative ways to use the case in the classroom, an outline for a
class session, including visuals or other accompanying materials
A description of alternative decisions and the strengths, risks, and shortcomings of
each decision
Appropriately cited references in the form of acknowledged quotations, footnotes,
endnotes, and bibliography
Relevant figures, tables, graphics, or other illustrative items that help the reader to
understand the content of the white paper
A 1-2 page proposal for the paper is due in hard copy by September 25, 2012. This proposal
should describe the topic, why it is important, how you will go about conducting research on the
topic, and why it is relevant to human resources management in healthcare.
Each student will present the paper on either November 27 or December 4.
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The paper is due December 7, 2012 in hard copy.
Evaluation Method
Grade Components
Component
Percent of
Grade
Individual Case Preparations 20%
Paper proposal submitted in hard copy by September 25, 2012 5%
Paper (20%) and Presentation (10%) 30%
Midterm Exam 20%
Class Participation 25%
TOTAL 100%
Grading Scale
90 or above (H)
80 to 89 (P)
70-79 (L)
< 70 (F)
UNC Honor Code
The principles of academic honesty, integrity, and responsible citizenship govern the performance of all
academic work and student conduct at the University as they have during the long life of this
institution. Your acceptance of enrollment in the University presupposes a commitment to the
principles embodied in the Code of Student Conduct and a respect for this most significant Carolina
tradition. Your reward is in the practice of these principles.
Your participation in this course comes with the expectation that your work will be completed in full
observance of the Honor Code. Academic dishonesty in any form is unacceptable, because any breach
in academic integrity, however small, strikes destructively at the University's life and work.
If you have any questions about your responsibility or the responsibility of faculty members under the
Honor Code, please consult with someone in either the Office of the Student Attorney General
(966-4084) or the Office of the Dean of Students (966-4042).
Read “The Instrument of Student Judicial Governance” (http://instrument.unc.edu).
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Recognizing, Valuing, and Encouraging Diversity
The importance of diversity is recognized in the mission statement of HPM. In the classroom, diversity
strengthens the products, enriches the learning, and broadens the perspectives of all in the
class. Diversity requires an atmosphere of inclusion and tolerance, which oftentimes challenges our own
closely-held ideas, as well as our personal comfort zones. The results, however, create a sense of
community and promote excellence in the learning environment. This class will follow principles of
inclusion, respect, tolerance, and acceptance that support the values of diversity.
Diversity includes consideration of: (1) life experiences, including type, variety, uniqueness, duration,
personal values, political viewpoints, and intensity; and (2) factors related to “diversity of presence,”
including, among others, age, economic circumstances, ethnic identification, family educational
attainment, disability, gender, geographic origin, maturity, race, religion, sexual orientation, social
position, and veteran status.
Course Evaluation
HPM participates in the UNC-CH’s online course evaluation system, enabled at the end of each semester
by DigitalMeasures. Your responses will be anonymous, with feedback provided in the
aggregate. Open-ended comments will be shared with instructors, but not identified with individual
students. Your participation in course evaluation is an expectation, since providing constructive
feedback is a professional obligation. Feedback is critical, moreover, to improving the quality of our
courses, as well as for instructor assessment.
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