KAMPALA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCE & SUPPLY MGT
Academic Year 2024/2025
COURSE OUTLINE
COURSE UNIT : PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
YEAR OF STUDY : ONE
SEMESTER : TWO
PROGRAMMES : DIPLOMA
FACILITATOR : MS NAMATTA IRENE LILIAN
Aim of the Course:
The course introduces students to important aspects in management of human resources, such as
human resource planning, recruitment, selection, performance appraisals, motivation, reward
management, training and development, industrial relations e.t.c. It aims at equipping students
with the basic concepts, principles, theories and techniques that underlie the practice of human
resource management.
Course Objectives:
At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
1. Appreciate that investment in human resources leads to competitive advantage for any
business or non-business organizations.
2. Take a strategic approach to human resource management.
3. Forecast the human resource needs of any organizations at different levels.
4. Explain how human resource is the engine, controller and converter of all the other resources
in the organizations.
5. Internalize the basic concepts, principles and techniques of HRM for increased
competitiveness of the organizations.
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Methods of Delivery
The course will be taught by participatory lecture methods, group discussions, case studies,
supplemented by both individual and group assignments. The students will be required to study
the recommended texts to supplement the lectures.
Summary of Assessment:
1. Test: 20%
2. Case assignment/exercises 20%
3. Final written Examination: 60%
COURSE CONTENT
UNIT DESCRIPTION
INTRODUCTION OF Justify the view that HR is an important asset in an
HUMAN organization
RESOURCE Define the concept of Human resource management
MANAGEMENT Identify different features of Human resource
management
Give the scope of HRM
Describe the objectives of HRM
Explain the role of Human Resource management
HUMAN Discuss HR and competitive advantage
RESOURCE AND Describe the role of Line managers in organisations
COMPETITIVE Highlight the challenges of human resource
ADVANTAGE management in organization
Distinguishing between HRM and Personnel
Management
JOB DESIGN Define the concept of job design
Describe the principles of job design
Highlight the different approaches to job design
Identify different methods of job design
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Explain the factors affecting job design
JOB ANALYSIS Define the concept of job analysis
Examine the process of Job Analysis
When do you carry out Job Analysis?
What kind of information is collected and analyzed?
Explain the techniques of job analysis
Discuss the two products of job analysis
Justify the view that job analysis is the cornerstone of
HRM
HUMAN Define the concept of Human Resource Planning
RESOURCE Examine the aims of HR Planning
PLANNING Discuss the prerequisite of HR Planning
Explain the process of Human Resource Planning
Justify the roles of Human Resource planning
Explain the challenges of HRP
RECRUITMENT, Define the concept of recruitment
SELECTION, Examine the sources of recruitment and selection
PLACEMENT AND Factors to consider when making a choice for
INDUCTION recruitment source
Explain the selection techniques to choose a suitable
candidate in an organization
Discuss the concept of Placement
TRAINING AND Define the concepts of education, training and
DEVELOPMENT development
Differentiate between training, development and
education
Explain benefits of training to the individuals and
organizations
Design a training program for any organization of
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your choice
Assess training needs of employees and organizations
Explain the training process
Evaluate different methods of training and
development
Discuss the methods used to Evaluate the
effectiveness of a training program
Describe the challenges of training and development
in organizations.
Suggest strategies that organisations can adopt to
solve the above challenges
PERFORMANCE Define the concept of Performance Appraisal
APPRAISAL Discuss the importance of performance appraisal in
organizations
Examine the characteristics of effective performance
appraisal
Evaluate the methods in performance appraisal
Identify the parties involved in performance appraisal
Explain the common errors involved in Performance
appraisal
Discuss the challenges in performance appraisal
Analyze the strategies in effective performance
appraisal
CAREER Define a career
PLANNING AND Differentiate; career planning, career management
MANAGEMENT and Career development
Roles of Stakeholders in Career Planning and
Management
Design a personal career plan
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using steps of career planning
process.
Discuss the purpose of career
planning and management
Analyze the factors to considered
before joining a new career
Analyze factors to be considered
before making a career switch
Explain the challenges faced in
career planning
Analyze the strategies in
effective career planning and
management
REWARD AND Define the concept of Reward and compensation
COMPENSATION Differentiate between reward and compensation
Types of compensation
Forms of the reward system
Factors that determine reward and compensation
Characteristics of a good reward system
Challenges of reward and compensation
MOTIVATION Define the concept of motivation
Explain the different types of motivation
Examine the purpose of motivation
Explain the theories of motivation; Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs, Hertzberg two factor theory and
the ERG theory clearly showing their relevance in the
modern world.
Challenges of motivation in organizations and how to
overcome them
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EMPLOYEE Distinguish between employee health and safety.
HEALTH AND Justify the rationale for employee health and safety
SAFETY programs in any given organization.
Explain the various conditions of work that are likely
to affect the health of employees in the organization.
Categorize the major causes of accidents at the work
place.
Explain the strategies that can be used in reducing
accidents
Discuss the organizational and individual factors
contributing to stress
Explain the impact of work stress on employee health.
Organizational and individual strategies of managing
stress
THE NATURE OF Describe the meaning of the concept industrial
INDUSTRIAL relations
RELATIONS Discuss the role played by industrial relations in
organizations
Outline the causes of poor industrial relations
Clearly state the conditions for good industrial
relations
INTERNAL STAFF Explain the various forms of internal staff adjustments
ADJUSTMENTS in organizations.
Evaluate the impact of the staff adjustments to the
organization.
Explain the guidelines followed in the implementation
of the staff adjustments.
Identify the rationale for the choice of a staff
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adjustment method.
READING MATERIALS
1. Armstrong M. (2000). A handbook of Personnel management practices, (Kogan page) 7th
Edition
2. Armstrong, A. (2006), A hand book of Human Resource Management Practice, Kogan Page
Ltd, UK
3. Aswathappa, K. (2008) Human Resource Management, 5th edition, McGraw –Hill
4. Hill Charles, W.L (2002). International Business: Competing in the global market place. Mc
Graw Hill, NY-USA
5. Daniel JD, and Radebaugh LH (2001). International Business: Environments and operations,
9th ED Pearson Education, Delhi India
6. Cascio W F (1998). Applied Psychology in Human Resource Management 5th Edition
Prentice Hall, Inc New Jersey USA.
7. International Journal of Human Resource Management 0958-5192
[Link]
8. Human relations 0018-7267 [Link]
9. Human Performance 0895-9285 [Link]
genre=journal&issn=0895-9285
10. SA Journal of Human Resources Management 1683-7584 http://
[Link]/[Link]/sajhrm
11. Work and stress 0267-8373 [Link]
12. Human Resource Management International Digest
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