32476 - Human Resources Development and Leadership

Learning outcomes

This course provides managerial competencies regarding human resource management. At the end of the course, the student is able to: 1) Discriminate between alternative approaches to human resource management; 2) Manage human groups and teams; 3) Carry out individual and group evaluation of human resources; 4) Providing psychological support to human rsources; 5) Manage negotiations; 6) Leadership.

Course contents

1. Taylorism and Human Relations. Historical Taylorism and contemporary Taylorism. The Human Relations school and the dynamics of motivation.
2. Groups and Teams. Group belongingness. Group values and socialization. Groups and teams. Team-building games.
3. Evaluation of Individuals and Groups. The job interview. Selection mechanisms and their anticipation. Managers' remuneration. The Peter principle.
4. Psychological Support. Anchoring. Mindfulness. Coaching. Transactional Analysis.
5. Negotiation. Negotiation styles. Negotiation within organizations and between organizations. Intercultural negotiation.

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes and videos are available on VirtuaLE. Please scroll past materials in Italian in order to find the English version.

Teaching methods

Lectures and discussions. Group exercises.

Assessment methods

Written exam. Italian is the examination language by default, but English is accepted upon request.

The exam must be finished in 1 hour. The exam is composed of 2 sections:

1. Five open questions. Each question can be valued between 0 and 4. Answers should not exceed a length threshold (20-50-100 words, the maximum length depending on the particular question). Anything exceeding the these limits will be ignored. Unreadable text will be ignored. The maximum total evaluation of this section is 20.
2. An essay to be written at home and delivered by e-mail to guido.fioretti AT unibo.it shortly before examination day. Length should lie between 2 and 4 pages. It should concern a practical application of what has been taught and discussed; it should neither repeat abstract concepts expressed in class, nor refer episodes unrelated to the course, but rather embed the concepts received during the course in an empirical context known to the student (students are invited to check that, if they did not attend this course, they would write their essay in a completely different manner). This essay is strictly individual, though it is possible to coordinate with other students so that each essay contributes to a larger project. Some example essays are available on VirtuaLE. The maximum evaluation for this essay is 10 but exceptionally good essays make students earn honors.

In case of failed exam or rejected mark, students are allowed to keep their essay evaluation for subsequent examination sessions. If section (1) obtains a mark lower than 10, the essay is not evaluated and the student fails.
Students are allowed to refuse the grade that they obtained. Please communicate this decision by e-mail within one week after publication of grades (holidays included). Late communications may be accepted upon discretion. Earlier deadlines may be occasionally stated in the section "Notice" of this web site. Students who successfully passed an exam and did not refuse their grading are not allowed to attend subsequent calls of the same exam.

Grades (1) + (2) are expressed in the [18, 30] interval and have the following meaning:

• 18-22 for sufficient preparation and sufficient analytical capabilities expressed in a correct language.
• 23-26 for a technically adequate preparation and articulate analytical capabilities expressed with the appropriate terminology.
• 27-29 for a deep knowledge of the topics illustrated in this course, substantial capabilities of expressing critical assessments, mastery of specific terminology.
• 30-30+honors for a particularly deep knowledge of the topics illustrated in this course, substantial capabilities of expressing critical assessments and drawing connections between issues and topics even in other courses or disciplines, mastery of specific terminology.

Teaching tools

Blackboard. Computer with beamer.

Office hours

See the website of Guido Fioretti