Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
HRMG200 Applied Human Resource Management OR HRMG207 Introduction to Human Resource Management
Incompatible
HRMG305 Sustainable Human Resource Management and Stakeholders
Teaching organisation
150 hours over a twelve-week semester or equivalent study period
Unit rationale, description and aim
The aim of this unit is to provide knowledge and understanding of human resource management (HRM) in the context of corporate sustainability and to develop the understanding and skills necessary to design and implement sustainable HRM practices that meet global stakeholders needs and contribute value to businesses. A sustainability-oriented vision of HRM has become the new standard for HRM and is critical to the achievement of sustainable business strategies in a globalised world. In sustainable HRM, success extends beyond the single financial performance bottom line, considering simultaneously human/social and environmental sustainability. This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of three interrelated aspects for implementing sustainable HRM as strategic alignment to achieve corporate sustainability business strategy. of managing in the global workplace. Theme 1: Institutional contexts for global stakeholders and theories of sustainable HRM. Theme 2: Engaging in and supporting organisations to implement corporate sustainability using sustainable HRM. Theme 3: Building awareness of present and emerging sustainable human resource management trends in the global context. The unit places equal value on building students' understanding of the theoretical foundations and practical implications of sustainable HRM in global environment.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Critically review research and practices in sustainable HRM to extend strategic HRM for common good | GC1, GC2 |
| LO2 | Critically evaluate the different frameworks, philosophies and theories for sustainable HRM to facilitate organisations to implement corporate business strategies | GC7 |
| LO3 | Compare and contrast sustainable and unsustainable impacts of performance oriented HRM practices on global stakeholders from the corporate social responsibility perspective | GC8 |
| LO4 | Reflect and evaluate ethical approaches to implementing, measuring and reporting on sustainable HRM strategies and practices to minimise the unsustainable impacts of these practices on global stakeholders | GC6 |
| LO5 | Apply effective written and oral communication skills in the sustainable HRM context, both individually and in groups | GC11, GC12 |
Content
Topics will include:
- Introduction to sustainable HRM and global stakeholder
- Institutional context for sustainable HRM
- Stakeholder theories for common good
- Sustainability characteristics of HRM theories, strategies, and practices for corporate sustainability
- The paradox perspective of sustainable HRM for global stakeholders’ common good
- Green HRM for environmental management
- Measurement, Implementation, and reporting on sustainable HRM practices
- Techniques to measure sustainable and unsustainable impacts of HRM practices
- Future trends in sustainable HRM
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Multi-Mode:
This unit takes an active learning approach to guide students in the analysis and synthesis of knowledge associated with the diagnosis and resolution of complex sustainability issues in HRM. Students are able to explore the knowledge base underpinning sustainable HRM in a series of interactive on campus workshops. These workshops are designed to support students to actively participate in the construction and synthesis of this knowledge both individually and in groups. By participating in these workshops, students will systematically develop their understanding of the critical aspects of sustainable HRM and how to manage the tension/paradox in achieving diverse sustainability outcomes for organisations. This unit takes an analytical and reflective approach to support students in developing the complex skills required to effectively implement sustainable HRM in organisations by gaining professional knowledge through research, reflecting on experiences, and achieve relational learning by sharing organisational examples and insights in group discussions. This approach is designed to interest students who prefer independent learning and also to learn within a social environment to gain skills to understand and implement sustainable HRM in organisations.
ACU Online
This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline using fortnightly engagements/submissions and graded assessment tasks. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn and engage with the unit content. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous fortnightly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding, application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.
Assessment strategy and rationale
MULTI-MODE/ONLINE MODE
In order to pass this unit, students are required to achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50% by completing fortnightly engagement/submission, and submit three graded assessment tasks. Fortnightly engagement must be completed on time to receive the allocated marks. Marking of graded assessments tasks will be in accordance with a rubric specifically developed to measure student’s level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each item of assessment. Students will also be awarded a final grade which signifies their overall achievement in the unit. The assessment strategy for this unit allows students to sequentially develop their capabilities using Fortnightly Engagement in the unit and Assessment Tasks to become ethical and credible activist, and critical and enquiring thinker in sustainable HRM. To develop this level of capability, students will demonstrate their knowledge of sustainable HRM in a critical report; further develop their understanding of sustainable HRM through a case study writing and analysis and then apply their knowledge and understanding of various theories, strategies, implementations, measurement, and reporting of sustainable HRM in a critical reflective journal.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Critical Report This assessment task consists of a 1200-word critical report. Students are expected to apply and integrate the sustainable HRM theories, models and concepts from this unit and present sound argument to justify their preferred approach to undertaking business in a global environment while considering their responsibility to the common good and the society.
Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Critical Report Artefact: Written Report | 30% | LO1, LO2 | GC1, GC2, GC7 |
Assessment Task 2: Case writing and analysis The group will submit a 1500-word written business case about a company which implements corporate sustainability business strategies. First, using their developed communications skills students are required to write a case with HRM sustainability issues in a company (800 words). Second, prepare a ‘cheat sheet’ with sustainability theories and concepts relating the HRM sustainability issues in the case with the content of this unit. This task requires students to work individually and collaboratively to appraise common good perspective, stewardship to organisational resources in this case report using sustainable HRM knowledge.
Submission Type: Group Assessment Method: Case report Artefact: Case study analysis [B1]I would recommend introducing a practical real-life assessment - Myriam/Maxine can source something for this project [SM2]Students collect data for live business case. More details about this are provided in AT2 guidelines. | 30% | LO3, LO4 | GC6, GC8 |
Assessment Task 3: Reflective Journal This assessment task consists of a 1500-word individual critical reflective journal on advised topics. The critical reflective journal task requires students to critically reflect on their learning throughout the unit and demonstrate their higher order thinking skills on sustainable HRM to become a socially responsible and credible activist to facilitate businesses to focus on global stakeholders in achieving the common good.
Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Critical reflective journal Artefact: Reflective journal | 40% | LO3, LO4, LO5 | GC6, GC8, GC11, GC12 |
Representative texts and references
Alcaraz, J.M., Susaeta, L., Suarez, E., Colón, C., Gutiérrez-Martínez, I., Cunha, R., Leguizamón, F., Idrovo, S., Weisz, N., Correia, M.F. and Pin, J.R., 2019. The human resources management contribution to social responsibility and environmental sustainability: explorations from Ibero-America. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30(22), pp.3166-3189.
Aust, I., Matthews, B. and Muller-Camen, M., 2020. Common Good HRM: A paradigm shift in Sustainable HRM? Human Resource Management Review, 30(3), p.100705.
Barrena-Martínez, J., López-Fernández, M. and Romero-Fernández, P.M., 2019. Towards a configuration of socially responsible human resource management policies and practices: Findings from an academic consensus. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30(17), pp.2544-2580.
Dumont, J., Shen, J. and Deng, X., 2017. Effects of green HRM practices on employee workplace green behavior: The role of psychological green climate and employee green values. Human Resource Management, 56(4), pp.613-627.
Guerci, M., Decramer, A., Van Waeyenberg, T. and Aust, I., 2019. Moving beyond the link between HRM and economic performance: A study on the individual reactions of HR managers and professionals to sustainable HRM. Journal of Business Ethics, 160(3), pp.783-800.
Macke, J. and Genari, D., 2019. Systematic literature review on sustainable human resource management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 208, pp.806-815.
Mariappanadar, S., 2020. Characteristics of sustainable HRM system and practices for implementing corporate sustainability. In Sustainable Human Resource Management (pp. 9-35). Springer, Singapore.
Mariappanadar, S., 2020. Do HRM systems impose restrictions on employee quality of life? Evidence from a sustainable HRM perspective. Journal of Business Research, 118, pp.38-48.
Mariappanadar S 2019 Sustainable Human Resource Management: Strategies, Practices and Challenges. 1st ed., Macmillan International, UK.
Mariappanadar, S. and Aust, I., 2018. The Dark Side of Overwork: An Empirical Evidence of Social Harm of Work from a Sustainable HRM Perspective. International Studies of Management & Organization, 47(4), pp.372-387.