Strategic HR Management
1. MODULE OVERVIEW
The objective of this last module of the EMBA program is to understand how people management and business management intrinsically are linked to each other with the demonstration through lectures, cases and exercises that the most successful organizations build their long term efficiency and effectiveness upon a people strategy that emphasizes the strategic role of Human Resources Management (HRM). The efficient and effective supervision and development of people do contribute to organizational flexibility and competitive advantage. This session addresses human resource management from a comparative perspective; using current practices in Europe and North America as reference points to stimulate discussion. Both the employer’s (firm’s strategic needs, mergers and alliances and knowledge management) and employee’s point of view (compensation, career management development, motivation and performance) are examined.
This session is intended as a general overview of the human resources management field with a focus upon the creation and development of organizational flexibility and competitive advantage through talent and performance management, the people aspects of mergers and alliances (joint ventures), and knowledge management. The main perspective adopted in this seminar is the strategic role of human resources management in the context of change and globalization as experienced by major organizations around the world. This session builds upon learning from previous EMBA modules: "business strategy" (module 4), "corporate strategy for growth" (module 7), "managing performance" (module 8), "leadership and change management" (module 9), and "organizational structure" (module 10).
The takeaways of this module are the following ones:
-First, participants will understand the evolution of Human Resources Management (HRM) and its theoretical foundations with reference to organizational theories that have been presented and discussed in previous EMBA modules. An assessment (self and group) of the perception of the Human Resources function in the participants' organizations will be conducted using Ulrich's questionnaire.
-Second, participants will increase their awareness of the strategic role of HRM in examining the relationship between business strategy and HRM through the lectures and the analysis of the "SAS Institute" case study. The description of the strategic role of HRM will also focus on the value creating HRM processes such as management of values, competencies management, knowledge management to name a few.
-Third, participants will identify the critical importance of talent management in order to attract and retain the best individuals who constitute among the most critical assets of successful organizations. The marketing role of HRM will be emphasized through the lectures and analyses of "SG Cowen" and "When an executive defects" case study. The impact of leadership styles will be, in particular, addressed since research clearly underlines the major influence of leadership on talent retention.
-Fourth, participants will recognize the crucial role of performance management in order to reinforce the level of individual and collective competitiveness of their organizations. The focus will be put, on one hand, upon the performance evaluation processes and, on the other hand, on the compensation and benefits strategies. The individual and collective dimension of performance management will be appropriated by the participants through lectures and the analysis of the two cases : "Compensation decisions" and "Lincoln Electric in China".
-Fifth, participants will integrate the critical role of people and cultural issues in mergers, acquisitions and alliances (joint-ventures) situations. The analysis of the "TCL-Thomson" case will give the opportunity to the participants to study the people and cultural reasons of a non-successful joint-venture.
-Sixth, participants will be made aware of the strategic importance of Knowledge Management (KM) practices with a lecture given by Cap Gemini Consulting. The speaker will present the people challenges of Knowledge Management with a description of the key organizational issues and its illustration with a corporate example.
-Seventh, participants will realize, in the conclusion of the module, that HRM policies and practices can be controlled with the same rigor as in management control processes. The development of tentative HR measurement indicators will constitute a practical exercise that will allow participants to increase their awareness of the importance of HR control.
2. OVERALL MODULE STRUCTURE
The module will combine different alternating pedagogical methods:
-Plenary session’s lectures by Professor Besseyre des Horts, bringing the main concepts and practical tools to manage people and teams in order to attract, motivate and retain talents. These lectures will build upon concepts and theories presented and discussed in previous modules ;
-One plenary session with a speaker of Cap Gemini Consulting who will discuss the critical people issues of Knowledge Management (KM) policies and practices ;
-Three main cases (“SAS Institute”, "SG Cowen", "Lincoln Electric in China"), to be read before the module, then discussed in small groups (“break-out work sessions”) before presentations and debriefing in a plenary session, will give the opportunity to go more in depth into the HRM strategy and practices such as recruitment, talent management and performance management ;
-One fourth main case "TCL-Thomson" will be analyzed by participants to study human aspects of a joint-venture ;
-Two mini-cases ("When an executive defects" and "Compensation decisions") will help participants to make concrete decisions in order to emphasize their managerial responsibilities in leading their teams and people ;
-Two practical exercises ("Ulrich's questionnaire" and "HRM measurement indicators") will help participants to appropriate critical HRM issues in their own organizations through a diagnosis of the HRM function and the elaboration of tentative HRM measurement indicators.
-Two guest speaker sessions will bring to the participants real cases' descriptions of HRM policies and practices in organizations in the Chinese context.
