Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
CHAPTER 10
Human Resource Management
Nurturing Turns Potential into Performance
Chapter 10 Overview
Each Chapter contains several inset features designed to assist the student reader in applying the
concepts to relevant examples. Management Live illustrates how experiences and activities relate
to work performance. Choices turns to the issue of whether teammates should have control over
the salaries of their co-workers. Hot Topic explores samples of debated topics in business and
strategy. Facts to Consider introduces research or trends that may be used for class discussion in
the classroom or online for distance learning. Insight profiles individual character as a
confidence builder. Quick Case presents a business related scenario for class analysis and
discussion.
Chapter ten covers human resource management and its importance within the context of an
organization. The primary responsibilities of the human resource function are detailed including
recruiting, selection, socialization, training and career planning and development. Next, the laws
Chapter 10 Takeaway Questions
Takeaway 10.1 Understand the purpose and legal context of human resource management.
Takeaway 10.2 Identify essential human resource management practices.
Takeaway 10.3 Recognize current issues in human resource management.
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Chapter 10 Lecture Outline
Takeaway 10.1 What are the Purpose and Legal Context of Human Resource
Management?
• Human resource management attracts, develops, and maintains a talented workforce.
Takeaway 10.2 What are the Essentials of Human Resource Management?
• Psychological contracts set the exchange of value between individuals and organizations
• Recruitment attracts qualified job applicants.
Takeaway 10.3 What are Current Issues in Human Resource Management?
• Today’s lifestyles increase demands for flexibility and work-life balance.
Chapter 10 Supporting Materials
Figures
• Figure 10.1 Sample of U.S. Laws Against Employment Discrimination.
• Figure 10.2 The Psychological Contract Links Individuals and Organizations.
• Figure 10.3 Sample of a Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale for Performance Appraisal.
• Figure 10.4 What Happens When Labor Relations Management Becomes Adversarial?
What’s Inside
• Management Live: Lessons for a successful interview
• Choices: Teammates know you, but should they pay you?
• Ethics Check: Personality test? Drug test? Social media test?
• Facts to Consider: Human resource executives worry about performance measurement
• Hot Topic: Underemployment affects almost one fifth of U.S. workers
• Insight: Conscientiousness is a Career Booster
• Quick Case: Athletic director’s dilemma
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Applications
• TestPrep 10 Multiple-Choice Questions
• Skill Building Portfolio
Chapter Outline
Takeaway 10.1: What are the Purpose and Legal Context of Human Resource
Management?
• Human resource management attracts, develops, and maintains a talented
workforce
➢ Human Resource Management (HRM) ensures that an organization is always
staffed with the best people available so that it gets important jobs done in the best
possible ways. Three major responsibilities of HRM include:
DISCUSSION TOPIC
Ask the students to describe what they expect from an employee-employer relationship. What do
they expect to provide to an employer? What do they expect the employer to provide? Relate
their stated expectations to the concept of a social contract.
• Strategic human resource management aligns human capital with organizational
strategies.
➢ Human capital is the value of workers that have skills, knowledge, innovation,
creativity, energy and commitment to offer to the organization.
• Laws protect against employment discrimination
➢ Job discrimination – occurs when an organization denies employment or a job
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
➢ Pay—The Equal Pay Act of 11063 requires equal pay for women and men doing
equal work. It describes equal work in terms of skills, responsibilities, and working
conditions.
DISCUSSION TOPIC
Ask the students if they have either witnessed or personally encountered any of the forms of
discrimination described above. Without having them inappropriately reveal details, seek a
general description of what happened and how it was handled by the organization.
➢ Equal employment opportunity (EEO) – the right to employment without regard to
sex, race, color, national origin, or
➢ Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 11064, amended by the Equal Employment
✓ Affirmative action – is an effort to give employment preference to women and
minority group members
• Laws can’t guarantee that employment discrimination will never happen
✓ Workplace privacy- the right to privacy while at work.
➢ Pay discrimination – occurs when men and women are paid differently for doing
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
Takeaway Question 10.2: What Are the Essentials of Human Resource
Management?
• Psychological contracts set the exchange of value between individuals and
organizations
• Recruitment attracts qualified job applicants
DISCUSSION TOPIC
A good way to introduce the discussion of the recruitment process presented above is to see if
any of your students are currently engaged in a job search. You can then ask students who
respond affirmatively to describe their experiences with the recruiting process. This discussion
typically helps students to see more clearly the relevance of recruiting from both a management
perspective and their own personal perspectives as job candidates.
✓ Tips to Remember
Steps to Success in Telephone and Online Interviews
➢ Prepare ahead of time—Study the organization; carefully list your strengths and
capabilities; have materials ready for note taking.
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
• Selection makes decisions to hire qualified job applicants
✓ Selection – involves choosing to hire from the pool the persons who offer the greatest
performance potential
✓ Reliability – means that a selection device or test provides a consistent measurement,
DISCUSSION TOPIC
Ask your students if they have ever been evaluated at an assessment center. Students with work
experience or students, who are currently seeking employment, may have direct experience with
this selection tool. If so, ask them to describe their experiences for the rest of the class.
• Socialization and orientation integrate new employees into the organization
✓ Socialization – the process of influencing the expectations, behavior, and attitudes of
a new employee in a desirable way
• Training develops employee skills and capabilities
✓ Coaching – an experienced person provides performance advice to someone else
• Performance reviews assess work accomplishments
✓ Performance appraisal –a process of formally assessing and providing feedback on
someone’s work accomplishments
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
✓ Graphic rating scale – a checklist or scorecard for rating an employee on pre-
• Figure 10.3 What Does a Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale Look Like?
A behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) uses actual descriptions of positive and
• Career development provides for retention and career paths
✓ Career development – the process of managing how a person grows and progresses
10.2 Questions for discussion suggested answers
1) Is it realistic to expect that you can get a realistic job preview during the interview
process?
2) If a new employer doesn’t formally assign someone to be your coach or mentor, what
should you do?
3) What are some of the possible downsides to receiving 360 º feedback?
Schermerhorn & Bachrach Exploring Management 6th edition Instructor’s Manual
DISCUSSION TOPIC
Ask the students to identify the features that they would look for in a family-friendly company.
Why do they consider these features to be important?
• Labor relations and collective bargaining are closely governed by law
➢ Labor unions – organizations to which employees belong and that deal with
employers on the workers’ behalf; a collective “voice” for their members for added
power
➢ See Figure 10.4 What Happens When Labor-Management Relations Become
Adversarial?
When union and management representatives meet in collective bargaining, it would
be nice if things were always cooperative. Unfortunately, they sometimes turn
10.3 Questions for discussion suggested answers
1. Are we giving too much attention these days to the issues of work-life balance?
2. Can a good argument be made that merit pay just doesn’t work?
Many things must go right for merit pay to work. Systems can become quite complicated,
