Module catalogue: HR6W04

HR6W04 - Developing Professional Practice for HRM (2017/18)

Module specification

Module approved to run in 2017/18

Module title

Developing Professional Practice for HRM

Module level

Honours (06)

Credit rating for module

School

Guildhall School of Business and Law

Total study hours

300

90 hours	Placement / study abroad
129 hours	Guided independent study
81 hours	Scheduled learning & teaching activities

Assessment components

Type	Weighting	Description
In-Course Test	30%	A 60-minute unseen in-class test
Group Presentation	30%	A 20-minute group panel interview presentation
Coursework	40%	An e-portfolio of 3,500 words

Running in 2017/18

Period	Campus	Day	Time	Module Leader
Year	City	Wednesday	Afternoon

Module summary

Developing Professional Practice for HRM is closely mapped with one of the CIPD’s core Level 5 units. It is designed for students to take ownership of their own personal and professional development needs and to prepare them for entry into the HRM professional and managerial labour market within a local, national and global context.

The module will give students a broader understanding of the generalist and specialist knowledge, skills and abilities required by HRM employers and the HRM professional body, the CIPD. Students will also develop both theoretical and practical understanding of careers and will reflect on these to develop their employability. The module assessment strategies will include an in-class test, a group presentation and a portfolio. The student will undertake a short-term placement in order to develop the relevant graduate attributes.

Module aims

The module has a strong employability and work-based learning focus including the following aims:

1) To develop a theoretical understanding of careers and professional development within the wider context of individuals and organisations.

2) To identify and develop appropriate knowledge skills and abilities required to perform efficiently and effectively as a self-managing HR professional and to reflect on these in light of students’ own psychological, social and political background and value.

3) To develop relevant graduate attributes/skills ie:

Interpersonal communication including intercultural communication
Written communication
Researching
Digital literacy & IT
Critical thinking
Career management
Commercial awareness
Enterprise skills
Problem solving and decision-making skills
Negotiation
Networking
Career management
Self-awareness skills.

4) To critically reflect on relevant experiences, situations, skills, learning and intentions, and to develop a continuing professional development plan based on the capabilities required for a self-managing HR professional including capabilities required for ethical business-focused and interpersonal professional conduct. The module has a strong employability and work-based learning focus.

Syllabus

The syllabus will focus on HRM professional development areas and will include:

The nature of careers and employability

Historical roots and context of careers and meaning of careers
Career theories and approaches
The employability agenda
Trends, paradoxes and directions in career research

Careers and the Individual

Making career choices and decisions
The psychological contact and the management of careers
Career self-management and career success
The relational nature of career management
Issues and approaches to graduate career management
The role and contribution of the HR professional and HR professionalism

Careers and organisations

Career systems
Career management in a national and global context
Ethical, legal & governance issues within the context of organisational career management

Development of relevant graduate attributes

Interpersonal communication
Written communication
Researching
Problem solving
Negotiation
Networking
Career management including psychometric test and assessment centre training and performance, professional CV writing , cover letter and job application, interview preparation and mock panel interviews
Commercial and organisational awareness

Work-based learning processes

Accessing Business Works and Careers (Department of Students Services) to gain support in finding suitable employment opportunities
Professionalism and work ethics
Health and Safety in the workplace
Transferring learning from studies and previous employment into the work-placement environment
Critical self-reflection to recognise personal gain and allow appropriate articulation of competencies and knowledge gained from their experiences

Learning and teaching

The module involves three hours contact time per week consisting of a 1.5 lecture and a 1.5 hour seminar.

✓ The lectures will involve an elaboration of key ideas, theories, models and research findings.

✓ Seminars will be mainly concerned with supporting students in their explorations of post-graduate employment, the determination of choices, and the development strategies for affecting their choices. It will include a combination of tutor input, group and individual discussion and activities.

✓ There will also be an assessed short work-placement element preferably an HR role or a general administration role. The placement should be personally developmental and involve a reasonable level of responsibility. Students will gain support in developing job search skills to secure the appropriate short-term placement. Each student’s work-placement roles and individual level of responsibilities will be assessed for suitability.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module students will be able to:

Develop a sound theoretical understanding of the nature of careers and approaches to careers development and career management within a local, national and global context.
To enhance the continuous professional development of students via work-based learning where students can work as a collaborative member of working groups and teams as well as work as an added value contributor to the organisation.
Research the HR labour market including a particular sector and organisation, to obtain relevant information to assist graduate entry and to gain a broad understanding of what is required to become an effective and efficient HR professional.
Undertake a skills identification profile together and self-evaluation audit in relation to the findings and produce a plan of continuing professional development to address the skill gaps in the HR labour market.
To develop the relevant graduate attributes including the transferrable competencies that will enable students to perform as self-managing HR professionals.

Assessment strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to meet the learning outcomes for this module and will consist of three individually-based components:

✓ Component 1 - One hour unseen in-class test which assesses students ability to give a critical analysis on a particular career and professional development issue, make comparisons with other organisations and use relevant theoretical approaches.

✓ Component 2 - Twenty minute group panel interview presentation to assess students’ transferable skills relating to HRM including relevant graduate attributes.

✓ Component 3 - Portfolio (maximum of 3,500 words) that will include a self-assessment, personal development planning and a professional CV and employment letter - relevant to students’ selected occupational area.

Bibliography

Essential Reading:

Baruch, Y (2010). Managing Careers: Theory and Practice, FT-Prentice Hall, London

Greenhaus, J.H., Callanan, G.A., Godshalk, V.M. (2010) Career Management, 4th Ed, Sage, London.

module specification