Lisa A. Burke-Smalley, Ph.D., SPHR and Barbara Rau, Ph.D.

2

Why Move HR into the Business Core?

“Today every manager, regardless of his or her functional specialization, is on the front line of people management” (Perry & Kulik, 2008, p. 262). – Thus, every business major should be exposed to HR content.

The most reported critical challenge by CEOs: managing human capital– See the 2013 Conference Board CEO Challenge Survey results.

Wide-scale consensus among various stakeholders about the importance of human capital management competencies:–MBA alumni data, alumni perspective data, business faculty data,

policy-maker data, incumbent manager data (Rubin & Dierdorff, 2009, 2011; Dierdorff & Rubin, 2006).

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What Are Human Capital Management (HCM) Competencies?

Environmental level (e.g., understanding demographic, economic, social, political and legislative trends).

Organizational level (e.g., planning, hiring/onboarding, rewarding, performance management, retaining, training, employee relations, safety and health).

Individual level (e.g., coaching, communication, conflict resolution, strategic thinking).

Organizational behavior (OB), though foundational for the HCM domain, is not equivalent.

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Demystifying the Myths

Individuals can acquire people-related skills by way of formal training (Collins & Holton, 2004; Burke & Day, 1989).

Electives vary by student. Also, internships are not systematic learning contexts.

The HR field has become more established (i.e., what managers do and how they are successful).

Both skill sets are important.

Integration requires mastery of lower-level content knowledge.

“People skills cannot be taught.”

“They’ll get it somewhere else.”

“There is no consensus for managerial work.”

“We train leaders, not managers.”

“The solution is curriculum integration.”

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Other Arguments

“No other schools require it.”

Yes, they do! An array of prestigious

universities as well as state, private and smaller religious Christian schools require HR in their business core:

Purdue

John Hopkins

U. of Minnesota

U. of Baltimore

George Washington

Georgia Tech

U.S. Air Force Academy

Grace U.

Rutgers

Cornell

Michigan State

North Carolina State U.

California State, Chico

Colorado Mesa U.

Indiana Institute of Technology

6

Arguments (continued)

“HR is a dying field.”

Not true—check the facts!

Sample Occupational Titles for Business Graduates Employment, 2010

Percent Change

2010-2020Advertising, promotions and marketing managers 216,800 14%

Computer and information systems managers 307,900 18%

Financial managers 527,100 9%

Industrial production managers 150,300 9%

Sales managers 342,100 12%

Purchasing managers, buyers, purchasing agents 487,200 7%

Accountants and auditors 1,216,900 16%

Tax examiners, collectors, agents 74,500 7%

Human resource specialists 442,200 21%

Human resource managers 71,800 13%Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational outlook handbook (2012-13 ed.). Washington, DC: GPO. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh

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Arguments (continued)

“Management is just common sense.”

Not true—the HR field is growing in evidence-based findings and complexity.

The HR field requires evidence-based knowledge of psychology, business, law, economics, sociology, industrial engineering and risk management.

The millions of dollars paid out in employment discrimination claims indicates common sense is not sufficient. EEOC private-sector enforcement

activities secured more than $365.4 million in monetary benefits, FY 2012.

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Arguments (continued)

Be careful of selection bias—if HR is made an elective, those students who are receptive to the content are most likely to sign up, and those who need it most are most likely to avoid it.

If HR content is essential, it is incumbent on the faculty designing the business curriculum to find a place for it.

“There aren’t enough resources; let’s just make HR an elective.”

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How Can We Get HR in the Core? Practical Options

Con:

Students would have less opportunity to customize electives to prepare for their intended career track.

Reduce the available elective credit hours in the business degree.

10

How Can We Get HR in the Core? Practical Options

Cons:

Creates course-load differences across faculty and scheduling challenges for administrators that must be managed.

For faculty members, course content management could be challenging.

Reduce the credit hours for courses in the core. Delete certain course(s) after

program review. Reduce certain course(s) to one or

two credit hours.

Requires a concerted effort to identify only the most essential course content all business students require.

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How Can We Get HR in the Core? Practical Options

Cons:

Does not reach students outside of management who may benefit a great deal from HR skills and knowledge: Accounting

Finance

Marketing

Require HR in a “department core.” HR topics required for all

management majors (supply chain, HR, operations, MIS, general management).

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How Can We Get HR in the Core? Practical Options

Con:

Module design time and cost.

Use a “modular” skills approach. Create or use pre-existing skill-

based HR-related modules (e.g., performance coaching and feedback, internal consulting, change management, strategic thinking, communication, conflict resolution).

Offer online, in a blended format, or in a traditional classroom setting.

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How Can We Get HR in the Core? Practical Options

Cons:

Students may not have the ability to choose wisely.

Students may just choose the option perceived as the “easiest” or most conveniently scheduled.

Allow students to choose organizational behavior (OB) or HR. Student choice (market

determination).

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How Can We Get HR in the Core? Practical Options

Cons:

Difficult for faculty to cover all this content.

Challenge to find faculty who are equally able and willing to cover each area.

Weak signal sent to students about importance of each field on its own.

Combine HR with an existing core course. HR and information systems. HR and OB.

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How Can We Get HR in the Core? Practical Options

Cons:

May create professional licensing concerns for students (e.g., CPA).

Affects overall credit-hour production, which may influence budget and allocated faculty resources.

Create synergy among other core courses. Accounting I and II become one

course. Statistics I and II become one

course. Operations and IT become one

course. Three or four credits?

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How Can We Get HR in the Core? Practical Options Cons:

HR viewed as a “profession” and not traditional general education content.

Opposition from general education faculty?

Combine HR with another general education course. Psychology and HR. Economics and HR.

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Discussion

Which option best fits our culture and program goals?

Next Steps