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2023/2024  KAN-CPBAO1003U  HRM in Strategic Transformation

English Title
HRM in Strategic Transformation

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 15 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Spring
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for cand.merc. and CPBA (CPBA)
Course coordinator
  • Thomaz Teodorovicz - Department of Strategy and Innovation (SI)
Main academic disciplines
  • Human resource management
  • Information technology
  • Strategy
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 01-12-2023

Relevant links
Learning objectives
In order to achieve the grade 12, the participants must with none or few immaterial shortcomings meet the following objectives:
  • Demonstrate understanding of the why, what and how of strategic business transformation and its implications for HRM
  • Critically evaluate the consequences of digitalization for HRM and organizations in general
  • Design and organize inputs needed to support evidence-based decisions for business transformation in legal, ethical and sustainable way
Course prerequisites
Basic statistical analysis skills
Examination
The exam in the subject consists of two parts:
Midterm - HRM in Strategic Transformation:
Sub exam weight30%
Examination formHome assignment - written product
Individual or group examGroup exam
Please note the rules in the Programme Regulations about identification of individual contributions.
Number of people in the group2-4
Size of written productMax. 10 pages
Assignment typeCase based assignment
Release of assignmentThe Assignment is released in Digital Exam (DE) at exam start
Duration2 weeks to prepare
Grading scale7-point grading scale
Examiner(s)One internal examiner
Exam periodWinter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Description of the exam procedure

All learning objectives are relevant for this partial examination

 

The students will receive information about a live case that presents a real-world strategic problem within the domain of strategic transformation and workforce management.

 

In this exam, students are expected to draw on the live case and course materials to craft an initial plan on how to overcome the strategic problem (covering what strategic transformation goal the students will aim to achieve and how).

 

The students will pitch their initial plan to the course instructor, an academic guest, and fellow students. Students will receive feedback on their work.

 

The grade is determined by the written product. 

Final - HRM in Strategic Transformation:
Sub exam weight70%
Examination formOral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance, see also the rules about examination forms in the programme regulations.
Individual or group examIndividual oral exam based on written group product
Number of people in the group2-4
Size of written productMax. 15 pages
Assignment typeProject
Release of assignmentThe Assignment is released in Digital Exam (DE) at exam start
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale7-point grading scale
Examiner(s)Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam periodSpring
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Description of the exam procedure

All learning objectives are relevant for this partial examination

 

The students continue to work on the same live case.

 

Based on feedback from the first half of the exam, the students can modify their plan and write the project accordingly.

 

The students are expected to draw on the live case and course materials (readings, videos, podcasts, etc.) to craft a project covering the chosen strategic transformation goal and a detailed report on suggested activities (related to digitalization, change management, evidence-based decision-making, etc.) that can help the case organization achieve the goal.

 

The grade is determined by a combination of the written project report (group) and oral examination (individual). 
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

Strategic business transformations are increasingly about digital transformation, new forms of organizing work, and different demands for worker skills. These changes disrupt the standard roles and functions of HRM.

 

The course considers the future role of workforce management in organizations, engaging with the new competencies needed by HRM practitioners as organizations adapt their strategies and operations in the "Future of Work" (eg, digitalization, people analytics, remote work, strategic changes).

 

Specifically, the module will cover the following elements:

 

  1. What is the role of reskilling, upskilling, and general training programs to enable organizations to adapt to digital modes of work? How can organizations develop and deploy such programs and what are the key strategic trade-offs they face when doing so?
  2. How can organizations expand their hiring, retention, and development strategies to account for new ways of organizing work (eg, gig work, digital platforms, project-based organizations of work, remote work)?
  3. How can organizations leverage people data & analytics to deliver value? (eg, artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms, automation vs. augmentation).
  4. What are the external and internal constraints/enablers of adaptations to the future of work and to strategic business transformations? (eg, educational institutions, partnerships, organizational design, change management)
Description of the teaching methods
Mondays: self-study and background video/podcasts online (1h) + F2F case discussion/lecture (3h)
Wednesdays: self-study and background video/podcasts online (1h) + F2F case discussion/lecture (3h)
Fridays: self-study and background video/podcasts online (1h) + short F2F case discussion/lecture (1.5h) + "live case" activities (1.5h)

Feedback is incorporated in the structure (formative feedback every Friday + during the Pitch).
Feedback during the teaching period
Feedback is incorporated into the design of all course activities. Students will work on the exam case throughout the course, receiving continuous formative feedback on their work. The exam is split into two parts, where the first part allows participants to pitch their exam project idea and get feedback for improvement.
Student workload
Lectures 20 hours
Preparation for lectures 70 hours
Workshops 40 hours
Preparation for workshops 80 hours
Exam (project work) 200 hours
Total 410 hours
Expected literature

The readings will be posted on Canvas and are subject to change.

 

Readings are divided into core readings (usually cases and practitioner-oriented readings based on academic research) and optional readings (academic articles). 

 

Cases: the core readings for the course are case studies that will be posted on Canvas.

 

Examples of practitioner-oriented readings:

 

Fuller, J.; Kerr, William R.; Raman, M.; Kreitzberg, C. (2021) "Managing Talent Pipelines in the Future of Work". Industry and Background Note 9-819-131 Available in:  https:/​/​store.hbr.org/​product/​managing-talent-pipelines-in-the-future-of-work/​819131Links to an external site.

 

Schwartz, J.; Stockton, H.; Monahan, K. (2017) "Forces of change: The Future of Work," Deloitte Insights - Series on the Future of Work (online). Available in:   https:/​/​www2.deloitte.com/​nz/​en/​pages/​human-capital/​articles/​forces-change-future-of-work.htmlLinks to an external site.

 

Cappelli, P.; Tavis, A. (2018) "HR Goes Agile," Harvard Business Review (March-April). Available in:  https:/​/​hbr.org/​2018/​03/​hr-goes-agileLinks to an external site.

 

Burrel, L. (2018) "Co-Creating the Employee Experience," Harvard Business Review (March-April). Available in:  https:/​/​hbr.org/​2018/​03/​co-creating-the-employee-experienceLinks to an external site.

 

Bloom, N. (2014) "To Raise Productivity, Let More Employees Work from Home," Harvard Business Review (January-February). Available in:  https:/​/​hbr.org/​2014/​01/​to-raise-productivity-let-more-employees-work-from-homeLinks to an external site.

 

Choudhury, P. (2020) "Our Work-From-Anywhere Future" Harvard Business Review (online). Available in:  https:/​/​hbr.org/​2020/​11/​our-work-from-anywhere-futureLinks to an external site.

 

Teodorovicz, T.; Sadun, R.; Only, AK; Shaer, O.. (2022) "Working harder and longer: how managers use their time when working from home". London School of Economics - Dissemination Series. Available in:  https:/​/​blogs.lse.ac.uk/​covid19/​2022/​04/​29/​working-harder-and-longer-how-managers-use-their-time-when-working-from-home/​Links to an external site.

 

Kumar, R.; George, S. (2020) "Why skills - not degrees - will shape the future of work". World Economic Forum - In the Agenda. Available in:  https:/​/​www.weforum.org/​agenda/​2020/​09/​reckoning-for-skillsLinks to an external site.

 

Fuller, J.; Langer, C.; Sigelman, M. (2022) "Skills-Based Hiring is on the Rise." Harvard Business Review. Available in:  https:/​/​hbr.org/​2022/​02/​skills-based-hiring-is-on-the-riseLinks to an external site.   Links to an external site.

 

Guadalupe, M.; Ng, B. (2022) "The Rising Importance of Soft Skills in Driving Productivity." INSEAD Knowledge. Available in:  https:/​/​knowledge.insead.edu/​economics-finance/​rising-importance-soft-skills-driving-productivityLinks to an external site.

 

Sadun, R.; Fuller, J.; Hansen, S.; Neal, PJ (2022) "The C-Suite Skills that Matter Most." Harvard Business Review. Available in:  https:/​/​hbr.org/​2022/​07/​the-c-suite-skills-that-matter-mostLinks to an external site. 

 

Examples of academic readings: 

 

Huselid, M. and Minbaeva, D. (2019) Big Data and Human Resource Management. In Wilkinson, A., Bacon, N., Lepak, D. and Snell, S.  The SAGE Handbook of HRM , 2nd edition  .

 

Minbaeva, D. (2018) Building a Credible Human Capital Analytics for Organizational Competitive Advantage. Human Resource Management,  57(3): 701-713

 

Angrave, D., Charlwood, A., Kirkpatrick, I., Lawrence, M. & Stuart, M. (2016). HR and analytics: Why HR is set to fail the big data challenge. Human Resource Management Journal,  26(1): 1-11

 

Luca, M., Kleinberg, J., & Mullainathan, S. (2016). Algorithms Need Managers Too. Harvard Business Review,  January-February

 

Murray, A., Rhymer, J., & Sirmon, D. (2021). Humans and technology: Forms of conjoined agency in organizations. Academy of Management Review , 46(3), 552-571.

 

Raisch, S. & Krakowski, S. (2020). Artificial intelligence and management: The automation-augmentation paradox. Academy of Management Review ,  https:/​/​doi.org/​10.5465/​2018.0072Links to an external site. 

 

Minbaeva, D. (2020). Disrupted HR?. Human Resource Management Review.

 

Hernes, T., Hendrup, E., & Schäffner, B. (2015). Sensing the momentum: A process view of change in a multinational corporation. Journal of Change Management ,  15 (2), 117-141.

 

Anderson et al. (2020). Research Methods in Human Resource Management (4th Edition). Selected chapters.

 


 
Last updated on 01-12-2023