This course centers on human resources planning and policy formulation in organizations. The initial focus is on significant issues in the field, such as court decisions regarding equal employment opportunity and trends in labor costs, cuts and management. Theories and models in economics, psychology, sociology and management science will be examined. A few selected models will be covered in depth from a problem-solving orientation, developing alternative plans for staffing and examining the consequences for implementing the alternatives. The problem-solving approach provides the opportunity for experimenting with different decision strategies. Finally, the organization of human resources data systems for use in policy and planning will be considered. Emphasis throughout the course will be on policy and planning, taking into account implementation.
