Annual Editions: Human Resources 11/12

Preface

Correlation Guide

Topic Guide

Internet References

Unit 1: Human Resource Management in Perspective

Unit Overview

Part A. Human Resource Management in Perspective

1. Leveraging HR and Knowledge Management in a Challenging Economy, Society for Human Resource Management, HR Magazine, June 2009

In today’s challenging economy, organizations that optimize knowledge management—a key success factor—are leaders in the field. As a strategic business partner, HR plays an important role in fostering a workplace culture for organizational learning. From sustainability and education to workforce planning and global knowledge transfer, knowledge management is essential for competitive advantage.

2. Building Sustainable Organizations: The Human Factor, Jeffrey Pfeffer, Academy of Management Perspectives, February 2010

There has been much talk and research on the sustainability of the physical environment. Corporations are going to great lengths to "Go Green." But there has been relatively little discussion about how to sustain the organization’s single greatest asset—its human resources. This is explored here.

Part B. Human Resources and Corporate Strategy

3. Stepping Up to the Table: The HR Professional’s Role in Corporate Strategy, Leigh Bailey, Supervision, September 2008

What is it that HR needs to do to get a seat at the corporate decision-making table? Here are five things that HR can do to answer that question.

4. The American "Relos," Peter T. Kilborn, The International Economy, Summer 2009

There is a new class of executives in organizations. That class is rootless, with no ties to any area or, in some cases, any country. They have moved repeatedly from one job to another, from one company to another, and from one country to another.

5. Employers Prepare to Keep, Not Lose, Baby Boomers, Diane Cadrain, HR Magazine, 2008

Baby boomers are preparing to retire, but industry cannot afford to let them go because there are not enough people to replace them. Industry is attempting to make it more attractive for them to stay.

Part C. Americans with Disabilities Act

6. Pushing ADA Beyond the Limits, Julie Sturgeon, University Business Magazine, November/December 2009

In designing new buildings that are used for public purposes, it is necessary to include accommodations that conform to the American with Disabilities Act. This can be done in a reasonably cost effective way for individuals with all types of disabilities: physical, emotional, and mental.

7. On January 1, 2009 the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 Became Effective, Mondaq Business Briefing, January 16, 2009

What is included in the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 and what does it mean for employers? The answer is "a lot," as discussed here.

Part D. Sexual Harassment

8. Sexual Harassment 2.0: How to Combat Sexual Techno-Harassment in the Workplace, Shanti Atkins and Reid Bowman, Corporate Counsel, November 2009

With the advancement of technology, sexual harassment has advanced to a new level. It is no longer confined to the workplace, but can now take place outside the workplace, especially with the use of high-tech devices.

Unit 2: Meeting Human Resource Requirements

Unit Overview

Part A. Job Requirements

9. White Collared, Julie Hanus, Utne Reader, March/April 2008

Something is happening in the workplace and it is not a joke. Workers are becoming disengaged from their jobs and their employers, and the attitude of "good enough" is starting to invade the workplace in many organizations. This does not bode well.

Part B. Human Resources Planning, Selection and Recruitment

10. Six Ways to Strengthen Staffing, Adrienne Hedger, Workforce Management, January 15, 2007

Employers need to do a better job of finding the right employee in an environment of resume overload. This entails honing the search process, offering options to candidates, and being mindful of the organization’s real needs.

11. The Disposable Worker, Peter Coy, Michelle Conlin, Moira Herbst, Bloomberg Business Week, January 18, 2010

There is a saying that there is nothing more permanent than something that is supposed to be "temporary." This is now being applied to the workforce and jobs. Pay is falling, benefits are vanishing, and no job is secure. Today’s reality is that everyone’s job is now or becoming temporary.

12. Blogs of Talent, Michael Taylor, China Staff, March 2009

Newspapers are obsolete. Job-boards are obsolete. Where is it that people go when they are looking for jobs? Networking is the place and blogs are where they go.

Part C. Human Resource Information Systems

13. Playing IT Big Brother: When Is Employee Monitoring Warranted? Bruce Gain, Canadian Manager, Spring 2009

What is the appropriate use of monitoring when it comes to the personal use of IT equipment by employees? With few exceptions, employees have little in the way of rights when it comes to the personal use of corporate property, including computers. But many of them still use it and often for reasonable purposes. What is the appropriate policy?

14. Considering HR Outsourcing? Consider SaaS, Fidel Baca, Financial Executive, October 2009

Many organizations are outsourcing their human resources functions such as payroll, project assignments, and variable costing. Not all of these functions are easily outsourced, nor should they be. Some lend themselves very well to internal information technology.

Unit 3: Creating a Productive Work Environment

Unit Overview

Part A. Motivating Employees

15. The ‘Brain Drain’: How to Get Talented Women to Stay, Jennifer Millman, DiversityInc, March 2008

Getting young, talented women to stay in an organization is a challenge. This article is the story of several female executives and some of the things they have done to be successful in their careers.

16. Rewarding Outstanding Performance: Don’t Break the Bank, Elizabeth (Betsy) Murray and Robyn Rusignuolo, Franchising World, January 2010

There are many ways to reward outstanding performance other than money. This article presents some interesting, low cost ways to reward outstanding employee performance.

Part B. Facilitating Communication

17. Processes, Prospects, and Promises of Electronic Leadership, Michael J. Provitera and Esin Esendal, IGI Global, 2009

The availability of technology has given management the opportunity to lead employees in a more effective way, overcoming distance and time zones. Employing these new technologies from an HR perspective is discussed here.

Unit 4: Developing Effective Human Resources

Unit Overview

Part A. Training Employees

18. Don’t Punish Employees with Training, Wendy Parr, Quality, February 2009

Training should be used to train employees, not to punish them. Where there is a problem employees should not be subjected to training as a way to punish them. Training should be used to enhance skills.

19. Your Co-Worker, Your Teacher: Collaborative Technology Speeds Peer-Peer Learning, Ed Frauenheim, Workforce Management, January 27, 2007

How do people really learn? In formal classes or on the Internet, or from their peers in informal settings on a need-to-know basis? Perhaps they learn in all these ways.

Part B. Diversity in the Workplace

20. Strategic Organizational Diversity: A Model?, Frederick Tesch and Frederick Maidment, The International Journal of Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations, vol. 6, no. 6, 2009.

Contemporary organizations pursue diversity for many reasons—for example: economic, ethical, regulatory, legal and social. Ideally an organization’s human diversity matches it strategic goals. Little attention has been given, however, to a theoretical basis for diversity as an organizational goal. Modigliani’s theory of diversity in investments might provide a model for managing an organization’s human diversity and reducing its business risks.

Part C. Job Security

21. Laid Off!, Barry Yeoman, AARP, The Magazine, March/April 2009

Older workers are losing their jobs and it is more difficult for them to find new ones. Some are dealing with this better than others, but it is still a problem for many.

Unit 5: Implementing Compensation, Benefits, and Workplace Safety

Unit Overview

Part A. Managing Employee Compensation

22. Legal Implications of Unpaid Internships, Lindsay Coker, Employee Relations Law Journal, Vol. 35, No. 3. Winter 2009

Corporations that use interns need to be careful not to use them as employees because they are not. The U.S. Department of Labor has a six -point test established by the Portland Terminal case. If the company should fail on any one of these points, then the "intern" is an employee and should be paid for their time.

Part B. Incentive Compensation

23. Opening Keynote: Rethinking Pay for Performance, Debra Perry, Directors and Boards, Spring 2009

Boards of directors need to rethink how they incentivize their senior executives, especially in light of the recent downturn in the economy. They also need to consider how they develop talent in their own organizations rather than going out and paying top dollar for executives to run their businesses who know little about their business.

Part C. Executive Pay

24. U.S. Targets Excessive Pay for Top Executives: Compensation Czar to Oversee Firms at Heart of Crisis, David Cho, Zachary A. Goldfarb, and Tomoeh Murakami Tse, The Washington Post, June 11, 2009

Kenneth R. Feinberg is the new "Pay Czar" of the federal government who is in charge of determining the pay of the senior managements of the corporations that took the federal bailout money. These companies include Citicorp, Bank of America, AIG, and General Motors.

Part D. Health and Safety

25. Putting the Hurt On, Jonathan L. Snare, Corporate Counsel, April 2010

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been reinvigorated under the Obama Administration. It means more aggressive enforcement of the already existing laws and stiffer fines.

26. Workplace Bullying Threatens Employers, Judy Greenwald, Business Insurance, June 14, 2010

Bullying is the new sexual harassment. Legislation is pending in a variety of states to make bullying illegal. Like sexual harassment when it was first made illegal, bullying in the workplace is ill defined and many companies paid a high price for the privilege of helping to define it. So it will be with bullying. When bullying does become illegal, many companies will pay a high price for the privilege of helping to define it.

Part E. Benefits

27. Making Benefits Matter, Torry Dell, Management Quarterly, Summer 2010

It is not just salary that will attract and keep employees. The total compensation package becomes important and a big part of that package is the benefits offered by the employer. Health care, retirement, and life insurance all play a role in the total compensation package, and more and more, workers look at the total picture.

Part F. Retirement Programs

28. The New 401(k) Landscape: How Plan Sponsors Can Adapt, Frank Armstrong III, The CPA Journal, September 2008

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that an individual may sue defined contribution plan sponsors for any breach of fiduciary duty. This includes individuals as well as organizations.

Unit 6: Fostering Employee/Management Relationships

Unit Overview

Part A. Disciplinary Action

29. Finding and Fixing Corporate Misconduct, Dan Currell, and Tracy Davis Bradley, Risk Management, April 2010

One of the chief conditions concerning corporate misconduct is the corporate culture. A corporate culture that turns a blind eye to misconduct will have misconduct. A culture that does not tolerate misconduct is far less likely to have it.

30. Poor Performance & Due Process, T. L. Stanley, Supervision, January 2007

Dealing with individuals who perform below expectations is always difficult. It is important, however, to make certain that all employees be treated equitably and that they receive full consideration according to the rules of the company.

Part B. Temporary and Part-Time Employees

31. Managing Part-Time Employees, Mark Rowh, Office Solutions, April 2008

Part-time employees are becoming more important to organizations than ever before. As such, they need to be treated with the respect they are due because they are an increasingly important part of the organizations.

32. Sharing Work—and Unemployment Benefits, Diane Cadrain, HR Magazine, July, 2009

Eighteen states have a program where workers’ hours are cut to part-time and then they become eligible for unemployment benefits. This program has been very successful in avoiding layoffs and in keeping employees through difficult times.

Part C. Ethics

33. Fighting the Good Fight, Russell A. Jackson, Internal Auditor, June 2010

Harry Markopolos was the man who attempted to blow the whistle on Bernie Madoff for years and nobody would listen to him. Finally he was proven correct, but it took years of work and great patience.

34. Baking Ethics into Company Culture, Christopher Bauer, Financial Executive, May 2009

Ethics in a corporate culture is more than just a code of ethics that sits on the wall of the corporate office. Ethics is something that is a part of the corporate culture that everyone in the organization buys into. It is separate from the corporate responsibility program. It is an attitude, a way of doing business.

Unit 7: International Human Resource Management

Unit Overview

Part A. Outsourcing and Off-Shoring

35. Global Outsourcing, Sheryl Nance-Nash, Insight: The Magazine of the Illinois CPA Society, August, 2010

Global outsourcing has hit the four (4) trillion dollar mark in the United States and is six (6) trillion dollars globally according to the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals. This is a trend that is only going to grow and is indicative of the global economy.

Part B. Managing International Human Resources

36. America’s Other Immigration Crisis, Vivek Wadhwa, The American, July/August 2008

There is a lot of talk about illegal immigration, but there is another immigration crisis. This is the crisis facing American industry as it attempts to compete for global talent through the maze of the American immigration system. The United States is losing some of the world’s best talent, which is being trained in American universities, because the American immigration system will not let them stay.

37. Offshored Headquarters, Allen Smith, HR Magazine, November 2009

One of the trends in the global economy is the purchase of U.S. firms by non-U.S. firms. When this happens, the human resource problems are often compounded by cultural as well as the normal problems that would occur in a domestic business merger.

38. Multiple Choice, Lori Chordas, Best’s Review, March 2009

A one-size-fits-all approach to benefits is not going to work for a company with employees in different countries. Each nation and the employees in that nation will have different requirement and expectations. While the home office can provide general guidelines, the benefits required for employees in each country will be somewhat unique.