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University of Minnesota

Preparing to Manage Human Resources

University of Minnesota via Coursera

Overview

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One way or another, all employees are managed. But approaches to managing employees varying from employee-to-employee, job-to-job, manager-to-manager, organization-to-organization, and country-to-country. This course provides a foundation for developing your own approach to skillfully managing employees by illustrating alternative human resource management (HRM) strategies, introducing the importance of the legal context, and thinking about what motivates employees. This will then give you the factual and conceptual basis for developing specific, critical HRM skills in subsequent courses on hiring employees, managing performance, and rewarding employees. Don't know anything about HRM? That's OK! Leave this course with a new-found understanding of the range of options available for managing employees, a grasp of what makes workers tick, and the readiness to develop your own HRM skills.

Syllabus

  • Alternative Approaches to Managing Human Resources
    • Welcome to the first week of this course! This section starts with an introduction to the course, and then we'll spend two lessons looking at alternative ways of managing human resources. After completing this module, you will be able to… • Explain why managing people is important. • Compare strategies for managing human resources. • Evaluate the fit between an organization’s HR strategy, a manager’s style(s), and the business environment. • Recommend strategies and styles for managing people in a particular situation.
  • What Makes Employees Work? Money, Of Course!
    • Welcome to the second module of this course! We'll be focusing on the monetary reasons for working, and the lessons for managers that result. After completing this module, you will be able to… • Explain how money can motivate some workers. • Identify key managerial concerns if workers are self-interested and view work economically. • Develop strategies for addressing these key concerns using insights from economics.
  • What Makes Employees Work Revisited...Non-Monetary Motivations
    • Welcome to the third module of this course! We'll be focusing on the non-monetary reasons for working, and the lessons for managers that result. After completing this module, you will be able to… • Explain at least four different reasons that people work not related to money. • Identify key managerial concerns when workers work for different non-monetary reasons.• Develop strategies for addressing these key concerns using insights from psychology and sociology. • Justify the (in)application of insights from economics, psychology, and sociology in different situations.
  • The People Manager as Part of a Complex System
    • Welcome to the fourth and final module of this course! In this section, we'll finish laying a foundation for managing human resources by looking at the constraints faced by managers, especially the legal environment. After completing this module, you will be able to… • Explain at least four constraints that influence how human resources are managed in a particular organization. • Compare the ways in which the law does and does not see employment as a typical contractual relationship. • Create a list of legal and illegal HRM practices in your country. • Judge when to use strategies for managing people that go beyond what the law requires.

Taught by

John W. Budd

Reviews

4.9 rating, based on 155 Class Central reviews

4.8 rating at Coursera based on 9984 ratings

Start your review of Preparing to Manage Human Resources

  • I loved this course, explained very well and detailed, I liked Recruiting, Hiring & Onboarding course very much, socially Amy- she was up to the mark and explained everything very well.

    If you are new in HR or recruitment, you must take this course which helps you to think from different mind sets and this course can surely enhanced your skills.
  • Anonymous
    Dear Professor Budd, thank you very much for this excellent course indeed. It will help me to fresh up my 19 years of HRM education and experience in my 35 Netherlands Army career and find an HRM job now that I am retired from the Army. That is w…
  • Anonymous
    This course wasn't as good as the first one in the HR specialization, Preparing to Manage Human Resources. The quality of the videos was poor, with the introductions being almost impossible to hear and then the following fragment very loud. The vide…
  • Zain Ul Abideen Hassan
    he course content was extensive, covering areas such as talent management, organizational development, and employee training. Each module was well-structured, with clear learning objectives and relevant case studies that helped apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios.

    Delivery and Presentation: The delivery of the course was exceptional. The instructors were highly knowledgeable and engaged, using a variety of teaching methods to cater to different learning styles. The course materials were also well-curated, with updated resources and readings that supplemented the lectures effectively.
  • Anonymous
    This course is a great introduction to HR Management. It offers insight into the origins of this thing called 'HR' and discusses the evolution of policy and practice. It includes both organizational and people-focused management information through instructor videos, supplemental reading, and student interaction. Learners are also introduced to varying topics within HR that promised to be addressed in future courses within the program.
  • Thank Dr. Budd for this course! It is really interesting and very helpful. It help me to improve my knowledge. I try to keep my HR knowledge up to date and that course is that I was liking for. It contain not only lecture, it have a task/homework. You can think about you, your job, work with people grime other countries. I recommend this course to anyone!
  • Anonymous
    I'm happy to share with you the review on this course (preparing to manage human resources), as graduate from bachelor of human resource management, I've seen that this course covers almost everything related to human resource management. and all the lecturers of this course has amazing experience, they make you clearly understand the course.
  • MOTEKOANE KHANYETSI
    This course has taught how to be a modern Human Resource Manager/Leader that understands the importance of being part of Business to be able to design HR Strategy that enables achievement of organizational objectives and needs and line with values.
  • Anonymous
    I started to work as an Office Manager & HR Assistant in 2019, more than 1 year ago. But as I didn't have background on it (I took Tourism and the whole professional experience was around it), I thought that maybe this was the reason I couldn't find…
  • Anonymous
    This is a great course to give anyone a feel for the world of HR. If you are considering this as a career path, I would highly recommend completing this course to give you a great overview. Or, if you find yourself with HR duties but you have little HR training, this course really helps you think in terms of HR management and HR strategy - it really helps to develop more of that mindset.

    My only criticism was the discussion on the economics around labour cost, labour supply, and labour demand. I found this confusing, but I realize that this is a short course, and that these concepts are fairly complex. I am also fully aware that I suck at math, so that's not the instructor's fault! :)
  • Anonymous
    The class was a master piece, teaching we're done in simple clear terms there by making understanding easier.
    I absolutely enjoyed the class and learned a lot on both new things and how to improve on existing knowledge and experience.
    Thank you coach for this amazing teaching
  • Anonymous
    Well I must say that this has been the best course I’ve ever been part of. Professor Budd is a great instructor and provides clear and concise content, no traces of ambiguity thus its easily understandable. The course offers a broad range of knowledge that one can really put to use when caught up in an organisational type of situation that needs solutions and and good execution strategies. The course content ranges from how to be a good people’s manager, Alternative managerial styles, HR strategies, labor laws and unions, insights on why people how to effectively manage and retain those employees to say the least. All in all, it’s a great Course and learning platform and I highly recommend it. Good luck!
  • Anonymous
    I would like to take an opportunity to thank Professor Budd and his entire time for developing such a comprehensive course. I thoroughly enjoyed learning at my own pace. I would like to appreciate this platform of Coursera for awarding an opportunity to learn from highly reputed international Universities for a nominal amount and also the financial aid option.
    You guys have made education accessible for all.
  • Eric
    Preparing to Manage Human Resources is an information rich module, and the content delivery by Professor John Budd was just brilliant. This was an enjoyable course but also an unexpected surprise. The information I gained from this module was more than I hoped for. I would recommend to other students that you allow a few more study hours than the recommended 4-5 hour per week, if you want to make the most out of this course. This is a five star course with out a doubt.
  • Lucy Desai
    This is a great course, If you are new in HR or recruitment, you must take this course which helps you to think from different mind sets and this course can surely enhanced your skills. I know all it takes to manage human capital the right way, the best Hr strategy to operate with, how to manage employees, employment Laws, the best ways to get employees to be loyal to an Organisation.
  • Anonymous
    Studying this course has done me really great as the instructors are very relatable. Given my busy schedule, an online course was the best option and I am glad i chose Coursera. Very heplful. I am already a better people manager. I intend to apply for more specialisation. Thank you coursera
  • Anonymous
    Dear Professor Budd,
    Thank you so much for this amazing, well-designed course. My special thanks goes to the team of Carlson School of Management, Minnesota. I enjoyed your lectures and think that it is useful for both experienced HR and beginners in this field. I liked the comprehensive approach toward managing human resources and underlining the importance of aligning company strategy with HR function. I definitely recommend it to other learners.
  • This course has been amazing. Dr. Budd fosters an atmosphere of belonging and inclusion, and he's super competent, accessible, and friendly. As a current practitioner of HR, looking to keep my knowledge up to date, I have been amazed at the quality content of this course and Dr. Bus's uncanny ability to teach very clearly. I recommend this course to anyone!
  • Anonymous
    It was a great course, with and excellent professor, J. Budd did a great job, the course content es very instructional, notwithstanding the most of the information is related to the US, the concepts and principles are very useful, thank you so much for the opportunity to learn something really important.
  • Anonymous
    This was amazing and I was able to learn a lot. From what I’ve learnt I believe have laid a good foundation on how to be a good manager. Also looking at Human Resource Management showed me how important the work of the HR manager is to the organization. I also learnt different managerial styles. What managers can and cannot do. Also how to tray the employees. I’m happy to say this course gave me the right skill to be a manager.

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