M.S. in Human Resource Management

The field of human resource (HR) management continues to evolve and is becoming central to the strategic health of organizations. This course establishes a foundation of knowledge centered on the exploration of a framework of human capital development that students can use as a baseline for enhancing the practice of human resource management. Students explore keys to success in the program, including goal setting and priority establishment, time management, the basics of effective communication, the use of feedback and reflection, and effective work in group or virtual settings. This course also provides students with a brief introduction to Walden University, graduate studies at Walden and related processes and policies, the M.S. in Human Resource Management program, and the essentials of scholarly writing.

One of the most important assets of an organization is its talent, in other words, its human capital. However, too often there is little planning or strategy applied to the creation and management of this huge asset. In this course, students have the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to create and work effectively within a talent management and planning process. They explore recruiting strategies within a human capital development context and focus on building specific skills in managing an organization’s talent through position planning, talent selection and placement, and retention. Using industry best practices, students also engage in applications and group projects to practice developing initiatives that align with organizational strategies.

Understanding the specific value of the human resource (HR) capital of an organization is crucial. Metrics for HR management provide the tools for both measuring human capital value and for overseeing and managing an organization’s human resources. Students in this course explore HR metrics as tools for organizational and individual performance improvement. They work toward establishing a foundation for the effective deployment of performance metrics as part of the recruitment, training and development, and retention of human resources. Students learn which metrics to employ and how to manage the results—a pivotal responsibility of HR managers. Students in this course are provided with the tools to make informed decisions required to create, apply, interpret, and manage results of appropriate metrics as an HR professional.

Effective business practice requires the ability to handle important negotiations, from internal disputes to international mergers, as well as the knowledge of methods and tools to prevent, manage, and break inherent conflict. Students in this course explore the challenges of managing people in times of perceived conflict and dispute, and they work toward developing skills to identify different types of conflict situations. They engage in hands-on, practical exercises in general contingency thinking and action approaches, negotiation and bargaining strategies, and communication styles designed to help them resolve conflicts and move toward win-win outcomes.

This course explores the role of budgeting and resource allocation along with related processes within the organizational context. Students will examine processes related to managing budgets and strategies to effectively read, interpret, and communicate the often complex financial information related to both unit and organizational performance. Students will also explore the implications of resource availability as well as methods to plan for and prioritize the use of resources, while considering ethical issues related to sustainability and resource scarcity.

Performance management is a set of practicies and processes that creates career opportunities to attract appropriate resources, establishes an environment that nurtures individual productivity and development, and smoothly transitions individuals to their next position or organization. Students in this course are provided with the opportunity to address these three key sets of processes. They practice writing job descriptions, selecting the right employees, developing skill-based performance standards, effecting relevant onboarding programs, and implementing educational and training programs intended to drive the success of employees and the organization as a whole. They explore how to maximize employee productivity through structured feedback, coaching, reflective performance development conversations, effective compensation models, employee recognition programs, and career development paths. Students also examine ways to improve performance management systems by integrating feedback from the exit interviews of valued employees.

Successful organizations leverage their knowledge of the legal and regulatory environment to proactively develop their human resources strategy. In this course, students explore the laws that define multiple dimensions of the employer-employee relationship, including employment agreements, pay structures, personnel policies, equity, access, and dispute resolution protocol. Engaging in a variety of assignments designed to help students apply course content to real-world issues, they work toward developing business intelligence skills to track the dynamic legal environment and work with legal partners in the organization to implement human resource strategies globally.

Training and development provides an organization’s workforce the tools it needs to contribute to success. Students explore the processes of conducting a needs assessment and developing a training proposal that builds the business case for a training intervention for both individuals and groups, creating the basis for an annual training and development plan. Integrating adult and workplace learning theory into the development of training solutions, students learn how to design, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of a training solution.

An organization can employ its benefits and compensation strategy to build relationships with employees and increase employee engagement, enabling the organization to sustain a competitive advantage. In this course, students explore both the technical and strategic aspects of benefits and their role in overall compensation. They learn about legally required and discretionary benefits at the individual and group level. Students also explore and discuss program structures that address global considerations, and they examine societal implications of benefits and compensation that lead to supporting sustainable business practices.

Human resource departments are increasingly becoming networked organizations. This course will provide students with the skills needed to evaluate build-or-buy alternatives for meeting human resource needs, negotiate contracts with service providers, develop service-level agreements, and track progress of ongoing contracts. Students will examine how the human resource professional can leverage systems to integrate vendor-supplied services such as training, consulting, recruiting, assessment, coaching, and information systems.

This integrative course brings together the knowledge gained through the program to examine how a human resource professional can direct individual and organizational performance to build an organization that delivers on its value proposition, builds sustainability, and impacts positive social change. The course is built on the fundamental idea that individual people can effect great change in organizations and communities of all sizes by changing themselves. Students will build upon this to develop an evidence-based, formally researched, human resources plan for an organization or not-for-profit with which they are familiar.

The field of human resource (HR) management continues to evolve and is becoming central to the strategic health of organizations. This course establishes a foundation of knowledge centered on the exploration of a framework of human capital development that students can use as a baseline for enhancing the practice of human resource management. Students explore keys to success in the program, including goal setting and priority establishment, time management, the basics of effective communication, the use of feedback and reflection, and effective work in group or virtual settings. This course also provides students with a brief introduction to Walden University, graduate studies at Walden and related processes and policies, the M.S. in Human Resource Management program, and the essentials of scholarly writing.

One of the most important assets of an organization is its talent, in other words, its human capital. However, too often there is little planning or strategy applied to the creation and management of this huge asset. In this course, students have the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to create and work effectively within a talent management and planning process. They explore recruiting strategies within a human capital development context and focus on building specific skills in managing an organization’s talent through position planning, talent selection and placement, and retention. Using industry best practices, students also engage in applications and group projects to practice developing initiatives that align with organizational strategies.

Understanding the specific value of the human resource (HR) capital of an organization is crucial. Metrics for HR management provide the tools for both measuring human capital value and for overseeing and managing an organization’s human resources. Students in this course explore HR metrics as tools for organizational and individual performance improvement. They work toward establishing a foundation for the effective deployment of performance metrics as part of the recruitment, training and development, and retention of human resources. Students learn which metrics to employ and how to manage the results—a pivotal responsibility of HR managers. Students in this course are provided with the tools to make informed decisions required to create, apply, interpret, and manage results of appropriate metrics as an HR professional.

Effective business practice requires the ability to handle important negotiations, from internal disputes to international mergers, as well as the knowledge of methods and tools to prevent, manage, and break inherent conflict. Students in this course explore the challenges of managing people in times of perceived conflict and dispute, and they work toward developing skills to identify different types of conflict situations. They engage in hands-on, practical exercises in general contingency thinking and action approaches, negotiation and bargaining strategies, and communication styles designed to help them resolve conflicts and move toward win-win outcomes.

This course explores the role of budgeting and resource allocation along with related processes within the organizational context. Students will examine processes related to managing budgets and strategies to effectively read, interpret, and communicate the often complex financial information related to both unit and organizational performance. Students will also explore the implications of resource availability as well as methods to plan for and prioritize the use of resources, while considering ethical issues related to sustainability and resource scarcity.

Performance management is a set of practicies and processes that creates career opportunities to attract appropriate resources, establishes an environment that nurtures individual productivity and development, and smoothly transitions individuals to their next position or organization. Students in this course are provided with the opportunity to address these three key sets of processes. They practice writing job descriptions, selecting the right employees, developing skill-based performance standards, effecting relevant onboarding programs, and implementing educational and training programs intended to drive the success of employees and the organization as a whole. They explore how to maximize employee productivity through structured feedback, coaching, reflective performance development conversations, effective compensation models, employee recognition programs, and career development paths. Students also examine ways to improve performance management systems by integrating feedback from the exit interviews of valued employees.

In today’s organization, human resource management plays an important strategic role and increasingly contributes to its competitiveness. Students will explore how a more proactive and systemic approach to human resources addresses strategic business challenges throughout the organization---market positioning, talent acquisition, innovation, product development, quality, customer service, and operating functions. Students will see how results-based performance management is tied to the organization’s strategic agenda. Students will compare different theoretical perspectives of strategic human resource management and see the value of preparing employees of the future today to create sustainable competitive advantage. 

Contemporary organizations typically strive to align human resources with their functional strategies and business units, lending to the fulfillment of the short- and long-term goals of the organization. In this course, students explore the role of effective human resource (HR) professionals, who engage with colleagues that lead these operating areas and develop HR solutions that support their success. Students identify and discuss the key drivers and metrics that managers in accounting, finance, information systems, sales, marketing, distribution, regulatory, supply chain, and other operating areas within the organization employ to craft their functional-level strategies. Students discover that this knowledge is what provides HR professionals the credibility to be valued partners with functional management figures, thus helping to prepare students for the inherent challenges of the HR manager role.

Successful organizations leverage their knowledge of the legal and regulatory environment to proactively develop their human resources strategy. In this course, students explore the laws that define multiple dimensions of the employer-employee relationship, including employment agreements, pay structures, personnel policies, equity, access, and dispute resolution protocol. Engaging in a variety of assignments designed to help students apply course content to real-world issues, they work toward developing business intelligence skills to track the dynamic legal environment and work with legal partners in the organization to implement human resource strategies globally.

This course explores how leaders at all levels of an organization can better understand the diversity of people and perspectives in organizations and how they can work as partners in leading vibrant, diverse communities. Students will examine diversity in a myriad of contexts and will explore the particular challenges of building effective teams that are fueled by diversity.

This integrative course brings together the knowledge gained through the program to examine how a human resource professional can direct individual and organizational performance to build an organization that delivers on its value proposition, builds sustainability, and impacts positive social change. The course is built on the fundamental idea that individual people can effect great change in organizations and communities of all sizes by changing themselves. Students will build upon this to develop an evidence-based, formally researched, human resources plan for an organization or not-for-profit with which they are familiar.

The field of human resource (HR) management continues to evolve and is becoming central to the strategic health of organizations. This course establishes a foundation of knowledge centered on the exploration of a framework of human capital development that students can use as a baseline for enhancing the practice of human resource management. Students explore keys to success in the program, including goal setting and priority establishment, time management, the basics of effective communication, the use of feedback and reflection, and effective work in group or virtual settings. This course also provides students with a brief introduction to Walden University, graduate studies at Walden and related processes and policies, the M.S. in Human Resource Management program, and the essentials of scholarly writing.

One of the most important assets of an organization is its talent, in other words, its human capital. However, too often there is little planning or strategy applied to the creation and management of this huge asset. In this course, students have the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to create and work effectively within a talent management and planning process. They explore recruiting strategies within a human capital development context and focus on building specific skills in managing an organization’s talent through position planning, talent selection and placement, and retention. Using industry best practices, students also engage in applications and group projects to practice developing initiatives that align with organizational strategies.

Understanding the specific value of the human resource (HR) capital of an organization is crucial. Metrics for HR management provide the tools for both measuring human capital value and for overseeing and managing an organization’s human resources. Students in this course explore HR metrics as tools for organizational and individual performance improvement. They work toward establishing a foundation for the effective deployment of performance metrics as part of the recruitment, training and development, and retention of human resources. Students learn which metrics to employ and how to manage the results—a pivotal responsibility of HR managers. Students in this course are provided with the tools to make informed decisions required to create, apply, interpret, and manage results of appropriate metrics as an HR professional.

Effective business practice requires the ability to handle important negotiations, from internal disputes to international mergers, as well as the knowledge of methods and tools to prevent, manage, and break inherent conflict. Students in this course explore the challenges of managing people in times of perceived conflict and dispute, and they work toward developing skills to identify different types of conflict situations. They engage in hands-on, practical exercises in general contingency thinking and action approaches, negotiation and bargaining strategies, and communication styles designed to help them resolve conflicts and move toward win-win outcomes.

This course explores the role of budgeting and resource allocation along with related processes within the organizational context. Students will examine processes related to managing budgets and strategies to effectively read, interpret, and communicate the often complex financial information related to both unit and organizational performance. Students will also explore the implications of resource availability as well as methods to plan for and prioritize the use of resources, while considering ethical issues related to sustainability and resource scarcity.

In today’s organization, human resource management plays an important strategic role and increasingly contributes to its competitiveness. Students will explore how a more proactive and systemic approach to human resources addresses strategic business challenges throughout the organization---market positioning, talent acquisition, innovation, product development, quality, customer service, and operating functions. Students will see how results-based performance management is tied to the organization’s strategic agenda. Students will compare different theoretical perspectives of strategic human resource management and see the value of preparing employees of the future today to create sustainable competitive advantage. 

Contemporary organizations typically strive to align human resources with their functional strategies and business units, lending to the fulfillment of the short- and long-term goals of the organization. In this course, students explore the role of effective human resource (HR) professionals, who engage with colleagues that lead these operating areas and develop HR solutions that support their success. Students identify and discuss the key drivers and metrics that managers in accounting, finance, information systems, sales, marketing, distribution, regulatory, supply chain, and other operating areas within the organization employ to craft their functional-level strategies. Students discover that this knowledge is what provides HR professionals the credibility to be valued partners with functional management figures, thus helping to prepare students for the inherent challenges of the HR manager role.

An integral component of the value created in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is through human resources. Human resource professionals partner with senior management to support the organization before, during, and after an M&A event. Students in this course work toward developing the skills to analyze how cultural fit between organizations can impact M&A success, manage redundancy, recommend appropriate organizational structures, assess IT implications of combined payroll and benefits systems, design reward systems, and map professional development paths to retain valued resources. Students engage in a variety of application-based assignments to learn how to design and implement the communications strategy that is necessary to facilitate all M&A activities in a structured time frame.

Organizations need to identify strategic talent today for their future success. In this course, students explore the processes that define an organization’s future human resource needs, identify the gaps between today’s resource requirements and future needs of the organization, and develop strategies to meet these needs. Through interactive discussion and practical exercises, students learn how to develop internal talent profiles, define career management tracks, conduct internal recruiting, develop comprehensive succession planning strategies, and use information technology to support these activities.

This course focuses on building the student’s capacity to see things systemically so that understanding the concept and reality of a system and its dependence upon all its parts drives how decisions are made. Students will use these systems thinking tools to model single-, double-, and multiple-loop feedback systems, both at micro and macro levels of analysis. Students will also develop skills in multiple-scenario analysis. The practice of systems thinking lays the foundation for creating sustainable outcomes once consideration is given to the impact of decisions and actions. Learning to plan for multiple scenarios creates highly agile responses in a very complex and always changing world and prevents the vulnerability imposed by rapid change with no ready response on the part of leaders and organizations.

This integrative course brings together the knowledge gained through the program to examine how a human resource professional can direct individual and organizational performance to build an organization that delivers on its value proposition, builds sustainability, and impacts positive social change. The course is built on the fundamental idea that individual people can effect great change in organizations and communities of all sizes by changing themselves. Students will build upon this to develop an evidence-based, formally researched, human resources plan for an organization or not-for-profit with which they are familiar.