Active Learning and Career Success

Instructor Information

• The instructor's education includes Science, Business, and Education.
• The instructor has worked in organizations during tech booms/busts, start-ups, and in academia.
• The instructor has experience as an instructor, director, and student.
• The instructor has 18 years of teaching experience at the undergraduate, graduate, and online levels.
• The instructor has experience in speaking and consulting in the areas of leadership, career and network/relationship management, and strengths-based management.
• The instructor's research interests include Organizational Change, EDI, Leadership, Gender, and HR Practices -> Performance.

Learning Philosophy

• Learning should be active, not passive, with applications to case analysis and critical thinking.
• Long-term career success skills include learning, critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, thinking on your feet, working with others, and taking feedback and improving.

Brain Activation

• Sprint 52, Off 17
• One hour of focused time is equivalent to four hours of distracted time.
• Students who write outperform those who type due to active reflection.
• Journaling and reflection should be implemented.
• The brain grows from change, even in your seat.

Grading Overview

• Individual grades comprised of 2 Exams worth 60%, a Case worth 10% and peer evaluation worth 5%.
• Team grades are comprised of a group paper(25%).

Overall Course Information

• Lecture timings include start and end times, and break times.
• Lecture etiquette requires students to be present, respectful, and prepared.
• Contact the instructor via Canvas, indicating the course and team with information needed.
• Office hours will be posted via Zoom.
• Missed lectures and team guidelines can be found on the Course Canvas Page.

Academic Honesty

• Academic honesty is important.
• Use your own brain, not AI or brains of others.
• All submission must be submitted to Canvas and Turnitin.com

Grading Guidelines

• 300 Level courses require a B 3.0 Average.
• Grade distributions: A+ to A- is 25%(15-30), B+ to B- is 42%(35-47), C+ to C- is 23%(14-28), and D, F, N is 10%(0-15).
• There is a 20%/100% deduction for each late day in the course.

Exams

• The midterm covers chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and is in week 7.
• The final exam covers chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and date is TBD.
• Multiple-choice questions will be worth 50 marks.
• Short-answer questions (no choice) will be worth 1-4 marks each.
• Longer answer questions(with choice) will be worth 5-6 marks each.
• Anything from the textbook or lecture material, will be emphasized.
• Memorizing facts about company examples from the textbook or specific numbers is not necessary

Case Analysis

• Application of course content, analysis, critical thinking, compelling argument (showing rationale).
• Case analysis is due in Week 8 and based on material from week 6.
• Submissions are through Canvas.
• Case submissions should be individual and use own brain (not AI).
• Some class content is not covered in the textbook

Group Paper

• The group paper can be an extension or going indepth of a course concept to research, analyze, synthesize, write and apply group work skills.
• Pick a topic in the area you are interested in.
• The group paper should have a max of 10 pages, including the executive summary and references (APA), double-spaced, Arial 12-pt, 1" margins.
• Submissions are through Canvas and Turnitin.com
• Rely on collective intelligence with a bias for academic sources.
• Splitting up work is ok as long as there is good flow and a single voice.
• Week 3 - teams chosen (random).
• Week 4 - Topic due (Sunday).
• Week 6 - Outline due (Sunday).
• Week 7 - Outline Feedback session with TA - 15 min Zoom session.
• Week 9 - Draft due (Sunday).
• Week 10 - Draft Feedback session with TA - 15 min Zoom session, bring Qs.
• Week 11 - Final Paper due with feedback incorporated (Sunday).
• Week 11 - Peer Evaluation due (Sunday).
• Week 13 - Oral Defense (in class time, specific timeslot given, on Zoom).
• Week 13 - Peer Evaluations released by me.

Peer Evaluation

• Self- and each team member complete the peer-evaluation.
• Reliability: This team member was reliable and met deadlines for work in progress.
• Contribution: This team member contributed valuable information to the group and provided a fair share of the research information.
• Collaboration: This team member gave input for work-in-progress promptly and respectfully.
• Quality: This team member produced work that could be incorporated without the need for major revisions.
• Consider what a team member could start, continue, or stop doing to facilitate group performance in the future.
• Consider what a team member might stop doing in future team work because it seems to hinder group performance.
• Contact me regarding team members who are are not contributing or being difficult otherwise I stay out of it.
• If peer evaluation is not submitted by someone or a team member, that grade will receive a mark of 0.
• Provide comments.
• Be fair, honest, be kind, be constructive.
• Don't just give everyone top marks if they don't deserve it
• Anonymous

How to do well in the course

• Read the chapter before class
• Come to class, stay awake, stay in class
• Read the chapter after the class
• Take notes with slides (hand/tablet written = retention)
• Go to office hours with questions
• Use study notes, writing out answers
• Explain the concepts in your own words
• Learn the concepts vs memorization

Strategic HRM

• Strategic HRM combines Human Resources Management with strategic goals and objectives to improve business performance.
• Link HR strategies with employees’ identity, purpose, community, and values.
• HR isn’t just for HR.

HRM (Human Resources Management)

• The object of HRM is finding and hiring the best talent available with an emphasis on talent development.
• Create a productive work environment by continually building and monitoring the human assets.

Negative Impacts of Poor HRM

• Bad hires, unfair compensation, and turnover lead to demotivation and financial loss.
• "Showing up" does not equal performance (actively disengaged, not engaged, presenteeism, not able/trained).
• Lawsuits and damage caused by public perception.
• Lack of training of managers will impact engagement, performance, and turnover.
• Loss of competitive advantage due inability to execute effectively and efficiently.

Competitive Advantage

• Staff capabilities, training, and motivation will be the true source of competitive advantage.
• Strategy is dependent on the employees that support the company.

Well-Being: The 5 Essential Elements

• Well-Being is an Interaction of career, social, financial, physical and community.

Aspects of HRM

• Aspects include legal environment, job analysis & design, and HR Planning.
• Aspects include recruitment & selection, onboarding, training, career & management development.
• Aspects include performance management, compensation, employee benefits & services, employee relations.
• Aspects include occupational health & safety, and labour relations.

Transition of HRM

• Personnel Administration(Early 1900s): Managed support, benefits, payroll, hiring, firing and subservient support.
• Human Relations (1920s - 1930s / 1940s - 1950s): Managed employee anger, procedures, union avoidance and IR compliance, Appraisals and ER.
• Human Resources(1970s - 1980 / Present): Managed Laws, Outsourcing and E contracts, Motivation, Equality, Recruitment, Retention, Culture, T&D, Engage, WLB and EHS.

HRM Responsibilities

• Formulating aligned policies and procedures
• Measurement to determine what works and tweak
• Serving as consultant and change agent
• Offering advice, acting as a strategic business partner
• Management development
• Redesigning organizational structures
• Employer branding
• Employee integration and inclusion
• Advising on and implementing hybrid arrangements

HRM Challenges

• Aligning policing with organizational policies/practices.
• Understanding the business and technology tools in order to contribute insights to the strategic balance.
• Ensuring alignment with practices around that 10%.
• Avoid getting in the way.

HRM Measurement

• Measurement is important for determining cause and effect.
• People measures include engagement, satisfaction, turnover, absenteeism, presenteeism, program and practice satisfaction, and qualified candidates applying for roles.
• Organizational measures are productivity, performance, revenue, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

Ethics and Conduct

• Policies and guidelines should be clear and address possible misconduct.
• Be careful of misaligned people practice and provide reporting and ethic/integrity audits.

The Changing Environment

• Factors impacting Human Relations: Technology, Government policies, Globalization and multinational corps and implications across all aspect of DEI.

Equality vs Equity

• Equality and fairness are not synonymous within work structures.
• Equality refers to evenly distributed tools and assistance.
• Equity refers to custom tools that identity and address inequality.

JEDI Definitions

• Justice is the act of addressing harm and restoring dignity and power back to individuals who experience injustices.
• Equity, as it relates to the individual, is the degree to which outcomes are not reasonably predicted by demographics.
• Diversity is a group of people who, together, possess a myriad of lived experiences and perspectives often shaped by their race, gender identity, ability, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic class, and more.
• Inclusion is ensuring that individuals feel respected, accepted, valued, and supported.

The Business case for Diversity

• Diversity is not enough by itself, and business case can be demotivating with diverse identities.
• Societal imperative + moral objective + business case is the optimal method.
• Diversity may have a negative impact without inclusion so make sure diversity is measured without level, power, and consideration of inclusion.

Economic Conditions & HR

• The tertiary or service sector = 79% of jobs.
• Fluctuations in market impact hiring, retaining, and downsizing.

Organizational Culture

• Organizational culture is the foundation of values, beliefs, and assumptions that are widely shared.
• Mission statements, stories, symbols and ceremonies are used to pass along an understanding of organizational culture.
• Communicates what organization believes in and stands for
• Provides sense of direction and expected behaviour
• Creates a sense of identity and consistency
• Fosters employee loyalty and commitment
• "Culture is the soul of the organization - the beliefs and values, and how they are manifested. I think of structure as the skeleton, and as the flesh and blood. And culture is the soul that holds the thing together and gives it life force" Mintzberg, 1997

Organizational Climate

• Organizational climate is the atmosphere or "internal weather," and its impact on employee motivation, job satisfaction, performance, productivity, and loyalty.
• Examples: friendly or unfriendly, open or secretive, rigid of flexible, innovative or stagnant.

Explore active learning methods for long-term career success. Focus on critical thinking, analysis, and collaboration. Learn to synthesize knowledge, think quickly, and improve through feedback.