School of Labor & Employment Relations
Courses
LER 100 Introduction to Labor Studies credit: 3 Hours.
Provides an overview of workers and unions in American society. Looks at economic, political, and workplace issues facing working people, why and how workers join unions, how unions are structured and function, and how unions and management bargain a contract. Provides a historical overview of the American labor movement, and discusses the contemporary struggles workers and unions face in a rapidly changing global economy.
This course satisfies the General Education Criteria for:
Social & Beh Sci - Soc Sci
LER 110 Labor and Social Movements credit: 3 Hours.
Explores the role of labor unions in American society. Discusses the role of labor unions in initiating actions on social issues that impact the U.S. working class, the economy, public policy, and politics. Analyzes the labor movement's interaction with the civil rights, women's, student, global justice, and living wage movements.
LER 120 Contemporary Labor Problems credit: 3 Hours.
Focuses on problems and challenges facing American workers and the U.S. labor movement. Topics include the deterioration of the labor-management "social contract" in recent decades; a review of labor and employment law; the health care crisis; globalization and cross-border union alliances; and union democracy.
LER 130 Intro Labr Wrkng Class History credit: 3 Hours.
Do working people have a history worth studying? What does the history of the U.S. look like when viewed from the point of view of those who built the country? Introduces U.S. labor and working class history. Examines the conditions of life and work of the various groups of working people: enslaved, indentured, small farmers, but especially wage workers and their families from the civil War to the present. Studies the main collective actions workers have taken to protect and improve their lives and the organizations and social movements they created to do this. Students who complete LER 130 and want a more in-depth look at the subject should enroll in HIST 480.
LER 199 Undergraduate Open Seminar credit: 1 to 5 Hours.
May be repeated.
LER 200 Globalization and Workers credit: 3 Hours.
Is globalization good for working people in the United States and around the world? Globalization is the driving force in the world economy but it is also provoking tremendous debate and popular resistance. Students will learn the basics about globalization and its institutions from the perspective of workers' right in the U.S. and the Third World. Analyzes the debate over free trade and sweatshops, trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, and institutions such as the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund. Closely examines working conditions in several Third World countries, and explores the role of the global justice movement.
LER 210 Images of Labor in Film credit: 3 Hours.
Uses feature-length film to take an in-depth look at key labor strikes and organizing drives from the 1910s through the 1980s. Students will view some of the most powerful films on worker and labor themes ever produced. Studies the work lives and labor unions of miners; railroad porters; packinghouse workers; textile workers; and farm workers. Discusses the meaning of the events depicted in the films by situating them in historical context with detailed readings; engage the debates raised in the films about labor organizing methods and strike strategies that are relevant to today's labor movement; reflect on issues of race, gender, class consciousness, working conditions, union goals, anti-communism, and labor-management relations raised in the films and readings; analyze how effectively the films, and Hollywood in general, portray workers and unions; and compare and contrast the films.
LER 220 The Media, Workers, and Unions credit: 3 Hours.
Workers, unions, and how the news media tells their stories. Looks at the past, the present and future. Analyzes how these stories are told in the mainstream and independent news media in the U.S., and examines the Internet's explosion and impact on these stories. Looks at how blogs, online videos, citizen journalism, and the fast changing world of Internet communication has given voice to workers and their issues. Compares the print and online media with the work done in documentaries and the cinema. Looks at the global telling of these stories. Lastly, examines the ways that unions can better tell their stories.
LER 225 Labor Issues in Sports credit: 3 Hours.
Examines major labor issues in sports. How do players’ unions work? Why are there so many work stoppages in sports? How do teams evaluate and develop talent? Should college athletes be considered employees? How do labor issues in sports intersect with broader structures of social inequality? Readings, films, discussions, and writing assignments equip students to be informed participants in the sports world, whether in their careers or in their lives as fans.
LER 240 China's Labor Relations credit: 3 Hours.
This course analyzes how China is reshaping the world economy, labor markets, unions, forms of worker resistance, and the lives of workers around the globe. We will examine China's transition from socialism to state capitalism; working conditions facing Chinese workers; evolving labor and employment relations; the role and function of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions; and worker protests and strikes demanding improved conditions.
LER 290 Introduction to Employment Law credit: 3 Hours.
Addresses and critiques the content, interpretation, and applications of the laws that govern employer-employee relations in the American workplace. Explores the historical sources, underlying ideology, and current content of anti-discrimination and civil rights laws, of laws that seek to guarantee a safe and healthy workplace for all Americans, of laws that guarantee minimum wages and overtime pay, of legal protections of privacy on the job, of unemployment insurance and workers' compensation laws, and of laws that guarantee workers the right to collective action and collective bargaining.
LER 300 Workers, Unions, and Politics credit: 3 Hours.
What is the meaning and impact of politics seen from the perspective of those at the bottom of the pyramid of political power rather than from the usual focus on the actions and perceptions of political elites? In what ways do workers become involved in politics? Under what circumstances are they likely to be successful in bringing about change? This course addresses these questions by exploring political power, political participation, and political change from a broad historical and cross-cultural perspective, but always focusing on a view of politics from the bottom up. The course analyzes the political economy of labor, and the labor movement's political influence in politics.
LER 320 Gender, Race, Class and Work credit: 3 Hours.
Provides a historical and contemporary overview of the impact and interplay of gender, race, class and other issues of identity in the workplace. Topics include: pay gap, occupational segregation, workplace harassment, low wage work, and employment discrimination laws. The response of labor unions to identity issues will also be examined. Prerequisite: LER 100, LER 110 or one course that covers race or gender issues is required.
LER 330 Comparative Labor Relations credit: 3 Hours.
Designed as an overview of comparative labor movements and labor relation systems. Develops a framework for understanding union formation and the development of industrial relations system in a variety of countries around the world. An emphasis will be placed on each country's interaction between unions and political organizations, national labor policies, the machinery for the resolution of workplace problems, the level of shop floor disturbances, bargaining coverage of employees, and the issues of workers' control. Also addresses how globalization has transformed the capacity of any nation's labor relations' system to respond to economic challenge and workplace conflicts. Examines the possibility of developing transnational union.
LER 410 Labor and the European Union credit: 4 Hours.
Addresses the formation of European Union (EU) labor policy; the role of trade unions in EU member nations; worker immigration in the EU; diversity issues in the EU labor market and a comparative analysis of industrial relations in Europe. Same as EURO 410. 4 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.
Examines laws and court rulings that relate to the erosion of employment at will, including wrongful discharge; post-employment, non-compete covenants and trade secrets; plant closings; employee claims in Chapter 11 bankruptcy; pension plan terminations; unemployment insurance; ERISA's fiduciary duties; retirement issues; worker's compensation issues; and OSHA duties. Students will learn about employer liability related to these laws. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR degree program.
LER 522 Employment Law for HR Managers: Discrimination, Compensation, and Privacy credit: 4 Hours.
Examines federal and state laws, court rulings, and administrative regulations that relate to discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual identity, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information; and wage and hour laws; employee privacy rights; employer use criminal records; negligent hiring; family and medical leave; and emerging laws and regulations. Students will learn about employer liability related to these laws. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR program.
LER 523 Org Fundamentals for HR credit: 4 Hours.
Increases students' effectiveness in analyzing and understanding organizations and the organizational context. It relies on the case method and focuses a number of important themes such as organization design; strategy; decision-making; and culture. In order to prepare students for the various transformations that they will experience in their careers, it examines many of these topics in the context of organizational change. Exposes students to basic ideas about key organizational topic - as well as a number of applications of these ideas - in order to give them a framework for organizing past experience. The topics covered do not offer a recipe for what to do in all situations, but rather give students a set of skills and different ways of thinking that can help them address novel problems they will face throughout their lives.
LER 526 Machine Learning Applications in HR credit: 4 Hours.
The primary goal of this course is to equip human resources management professionals with a comprehensive understanding of how machine learning and big data analytics can be integrated into various HR functions. This includes developing a deep appreciation for the opportunities and challenges associated with applying these technologies in areas such as hiring, resume screening, performance appraisal, and worker safety. The course aims to foster critical thinking about the ethical implications and strategic decision-making involved in deploying AI and machine learning solutions in HR contexts. Discussion of potential biases in AI/machine-learning implementation will be integrated throughout the course. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: LER 593 completion or concurrent enrollment is required. Restricted to the MHRIR program.
LER 531 Workforce Analytics credit: 4 Hours.
Each day, HR / ER professionals face myriad issues with employees and the organizations that they support. Many times, these professionals rely on their intuition, "gut instincts" and years of experience to create resolutions and interventions to solve these issues. Although done with good intentions, these interventions often lack analytical rigor and forethought about unintended consequences and the root cause of the issue. This class will allow students the opportunity to learn real-world analytical techniques and critical thinking skills that students can use in any HR / ER role in any industry. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the online MHRIR program (10KS0364MHRU).
LER 532 Successful Change Management for HR Professionals credit: 4 Hours.
Introduces students to methodologies and practices for successful change management within any size organization. In addition, this course is intended to guide students through the role that HR professionals play in change management and to apply these concepts in practical ways to changes. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the online MHRIR program (10KS0364MHRU).
LER 533 Fundamentals of Business Management credit: 4 Hours.
Provides an overview to several areas of management that influence the role of HR professionals in any organization. Specifically, we address 6 business management topics: (1) Strategic Management, (2) Organizational Structure & Control, (3) Power & Politics, (4) Groups & Teams, (5) Decision Making, and (6) Corporate Governance. Knowing more about these areas of management should help aspiring HR professionals understand what their employers are trying to achieve and how human resource management can add value to any organization. We will discuss the connection between general management topics and human resource management implications each and every class session with special emphasis on this question in part of our last session. The course will include lectures, readings, case studies, simulations, exercises, class discussions, and writing assignments. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the online MHRIR program (10KS0364MHRU).
LER 534 Leadership and Employee Engagement credit: 4 Hours.
Strong leadership and employee engagement are fundamental to achieving positive organizational results. This course explores the relationship between leadership, employee engagement, and business outcomes. Rooted in organizational effectiveness capabilities, we will cover topics in the context of driving change and supporting strategic outcomes for the enterprise. We will explore theoretical models, specific methodologies and tactics that drive engagement. As a Human Resource leader, you will build skills in defining strong leadership, clarifying leadership expectations and building ‘visible and felt leadership.’ You will explore how to measure employee engagement and diagnose common barriers to effective engagement. Students will utilize ‘gap assessments’ to be able to prioritize and recommend specific actions that will be supported with tools and techniques that ‘build’ employee ownership. Core concepts will include motivational constructs, employee engagement surveys, leadership interventions, visible and felt leadership, large group engagement, metrics, management review, process mapping, WorkOut/Kaizen, Appreciative Inquiry and other practical applications. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the online MHRIR program (10KS0364MHRU).
LER 535 Negotiation Principles in HR Context credit: 4 Hours.
Develop your negotiation skills through practice and an improved understanding of the factors that underlie successful negotiations. In this course, you will not only learn what strategies work, but why they work, so that you can generalize these strategies to new situations. The typical format of the course sessions includes discussing what happened in the pre-class negotiation exercise and tying your experiences to course concepts. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Credit is not given toward graduation for LER 535 and LER 567. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR programs.
LER 536 Management of Workplace Gender Issues credit: 4 Hours.
Topics covered include stereotypes, workplace discrimination, leadership, work-life balance & career, LGBTQ, gender-inclusive climates, etc. This course will consist of lectures, discussions, case analyses, and students will conduct a project to facilitate an in-depth understanding of a gender issue and ways to address it in organizations. Students will gain knowledge of scientific literature to better understand the nature of workplace gender issues and obtain insights as to how to manage and address them in organizations. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR program.
LER 537 Employee Stress, Well-Being, & Safety credit: 4 Hours.
Uses the “organizational psychology” approach focusing on important psychosocial factors that affect employee stress, well-being, and safety. This focus helps students see the importance of good people management. The class will include lectures, in-class learning activities, and a group project. In this course, students will obtain fundamental and up-to-date knowledge of prevention and intervention strategies for minimizing the impact of stressors and ensuring healthy and safe work environments. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR program.
LER 539 Talent Management credit: 4 Hours.
Dive into the essentials of managing performance with this course! Discover how to design HR processes and programs that help employees reach their full potential, build high-performing teams, design effective performance management systems and develop a robust pipeline of ready successors and talent pools. You'll learn how to identify and develop talent, deliver impactful coaching, and boost employee engagement and retention at the enterprise level. Through interactive team projects, case studies, and discussions, you'll gain hands-on experience in key HR and organizational development practices that will enhance your professional growth. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to MHRIR:HR&Indus Reltns Onl-UIUC.
LER 542 Collective Bargaining credit: 4 Hours.
Examination of: social values and social science concepts to develop a framework for explaining the basis and shape of collective bargaining as it has been practiced in the United States; government and law, unions, and employers as part of the development of this framework; the environment of collective bargaining with respect to the role of economics and bargaining structure; the negotiating process as the interactive basis for union-management relations; conflict and conflict resolution as part of the negotiating process; wage and other effects of collective bargaining as bargaining outcomes; contemporary changes in union management relations. Case materials and exercises may be used to supplement course materials. Same as ECON 542. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
LER 543 Workplace Dispute Resolution credit: 3 or 4 Hours.
Examination of the use of procedures to resolve employment disputes in both union and nonunion workplaces; comparative analysis of grievance arbitration, interest arbitration, mediation, fact-finding, and combinations of these procedures; special emphasis given to the role of third party intervention. Same as ECON 543. 3 or 4 graduate hours. No professional credit.
LER 544 Workforce Policies and Partnerships credit: 4 Hours.
Should an HR Director make a partnership with a local community college to train workers? Does the minimum wage reduce employment? This course focuses on the evaluation and analysis of key labor market policies, programs, and interventions. The course will take a multi-disciplinary approach to the topics it addresses; most of the readings will be drawn from the economics, sociology, and public policy literatures. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR and Ph.D. program.
LER 545 Economics of Human Resources credit: 4 Hours.
Study of the economics of personnel with the modern corporation. Topics include hiring, promotion, evaluation, discrimination, raiding, job definition, pay schemes, benefits, and design of work. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: LER 593 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.
LER 546 The Gender Wage Gap credit: 4 Hours.
Focuses on male-female differences in workforce participation, earnings, and occupations, and potential explanations for these differences, using insights from economic models. The course will also focus on applying economic intuition to evaluate potential impacts of employer and government policies on labor market outcomes. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in MHRIR or Ph.D. program at the School of Labor and Employment Relations.
LER 550 Game Theory and HR Strategy credit: 4 Hours.
Teaches the fundamentals of strategic thinking from an applied game theoretic perspective, and the interrelationship between game theory, strategy, and human resource management. Students first learn the art and science of strategy, including differences between sequential and simultaneous strategies; identification of prisoner's dilemmas; coordination games; strategic moves; and information asymmetries. Students then learn how to connect these strategic tools to HR issues like talent management, workplace incentives, employee empowerment, and bargaining. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR program.
LER 551 Social Justice and the Workplace credit: 4 Hours.
Examines how movements for social justice have shaped – and continue to shape – U.S. employment relations. How have social movements mobilized to address employment discrimination? How have campaigns for social justice influenced U.S. employment law, public policy, and workplace practices? How can the workplace leaders of today and tomorrow continue to build more just and equitable workplaces? 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to MHRIR students in LER.
LER 554 Comparative Employment Relations Systems credit: 4 Hours.
Examines employment systems in selected developed, newly industrialized, and developing economies. We will discuss how distinctive labor market institutions emerged in the context of economic development and evolved through interactions with the global economy. Students will learn about management-labor relations, and the roles of firms, national governments, and international organizations in shaping employment systems. Emphasis will be placed on the analytical tools needed to make multi-country comparisons, to link theory and practice 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR program.
LER 556 Industrial Relations Theory credit: 4 Hours.
Integrated analysis of the principles of industrial relations through the study of the works of the major theorists and their critics. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
LER 557 Human Resources Theory credit: 4 Hours.
Continuation of LER 556. Focuses on contemporary research in human resource management and related fields.
LER 558 Faculty-Student Workshop credit: 0 to 4 Hours.
Training and experience for Ph.D. students in the application of social science and industrial relations theory and research methodology to contemporary industrial relations problems through presentation and discussion of faculty and student research. Ph.D. students are required to make presentations and to participate in workshop discussions during the entire period of their campus residency. Approved for letter and S/U grading.
LER 559 Micro Research Methods credit: 4 Hours.
Provides doctoral students a foundation for conducting independent, scholarly micro research (i.e., individuals or small groups as the primary unit of analysis) by addressing the components of the research process. This foundation for conducting independent research is based on the research process as an open system of interconnected choices that unfold sequentially: (1) Choosing and framing a research question, (2) Choosing an hypothesis to address the research question, (3) Choosing a Strategy and Design, (4) Choosing modes for treating constructs, (5) Choosing Forms for Converting Data into Observations, (6) Choosing procedures to analyze data, and (7) Choosing conclusions for interpreting results. Prerequisite: Doctoral degree student in LER, Department of Psychology, Economics, College of Business, College of Education. Master's degree students who are considering a doctoral degree program subject to instructor approval.
LER 560 Macro Research Methods credit: 4 Hours.
Introduces a core set of macro research methods to human resources and industrial relations PhD students. The main objective is to help students become enlightened users of statistical methods and develop their own "toolkits" for future research. Through short lectures, discussion sessions, in-class exercises, and weekly and final assignments, students learn about issues that will arise in macro research, acquire analytical skills to deal with those problems, and develop their own research topics. 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students with Graduate standing.
LER 561 Compensation Systems credit: 4 Hours.
Compensation theory and practice. Course addresses the theoretical and practical issues associated with the design of effective compensation systems. The design phases include establishing internal equity, external equity, and individual equity. Budgeting and administration are also addressed. Case analyses and computer simulations may be used to supplement course materials.
LER 562 HR Planning and Staffing credit: 4 Hours.
Examines conceptual issues, policies, and practices relating to the attraction, selection, development, and planning for the most effective utilization of human resources.
LER 564 HR Training and Development credit: 2 Hours.
Provides students a firm understanding of human resource training and development systems in today's business environment. A constant theme setting the back drop for this course will be on the various kinds of change facing organizations and how these changes relate to human resource training and development. Aspiring HR professionals will gain essential knowledge to effectively manage employee training and development systems in a variety of companies.
LER 565 HR Management and Strategy credit: 4 Hours.
Designed to provide integration across the specific functional areas of the human resources management (HRM) field, while at the same time demonstrating the linkages horizontally within HRM and vertically with strategic management of the firm. This case-focused course places emphasis on human resources issues of strategic importance to the organization. Same as BADM 512. Prerequisite: One prior course from the Organizational Behavior and Personnel Management distribution subject area list (in the MHRIR degree requirements for the graduate degree in Labor and Employment Relations).
LER 566 International HR Management credit: 4 Hours.
Human resource management issues examined from the perspective of the multinational firm. Topics include globalization and human resource strategy, management and the structure of multinational firms, dealing with intercultural differences, selecting employees for foreign assignments, training and developing expatriate employees, evaluation and compensation of employees in international assignments. Individual and group projects. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
LER 567 Negotiation in HR Decisions credit: 2 Hours.
General survey course concerning the strategies and tactics of bargaining and negotiation, with special emphasis on applications in human resource management contexts. Topics covered include: the structure of negotiated outcomes; integrative bargaining tactics; distributive bargaining tactics; negotiation planning; power, persuasion and influence; communication; negotiating in teams and groups; negotiating using 3rd parties (arbitrators, mediators, agents); cross-cultural negotiations. Students will discuss negotiation issues and build negotiation skills through a series of experiential exercises and cases. 2 graduate hours. No professional credit. Credit is not given toward graduation for LER 535 and LER 567. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. An introductory course in social psychology or organizational behavior is preferred but not required. Restricted to students in the MHRIR program.
LER 568 Firm Performance and HR credit: 4 Hours.
The purpose of this course is to enable students to understand some basic ideas about and measures of firm performance with heavy emphasis on the role of human resource managers. Students will gain an understanding of how human resource professionals fit into the organization, structure, and function of business firms. Many basic ideas from the field of finance will be studied. The course covers theoretical ideas and has many empirical, policy, and practitioner-relevant applications, all with the goal of providing human resource managers fundamental financial analysis tools to enable them to function effectively in their post-graduate corporate workplaces.
LER 569 Power & Influence in HRM credit: 2 Hours.
Designed to help prospective human resource managers learn how to use power and influence as effective tools for understanding the surroundings in which they will be working with and managing people, and achieving the goals that they set for themselves. It provides frameworks and practical tools that allow students to make sense of on-the-job learning experiences and equip them with basic diagnostic and action-planning skills that they can use at different points in their careers - and to consider difficult ethical questions in the process. Prepares students to get things done in the real world, where personalities and office politics sometimes hinder rather than help them.
LER 570 Leadership for HR Managers credit: 2 Hours.
In contemporary organizations, the HR function is often called on to serve a variety of leadership roles. Thus, HR managers will not only need to learn how to utilize and improve their leadership skills in different and changing contexts, but also how to help other employees become effective leaders. The goals of this course are (1) to analyze and discuss a number of key frameworks that will provide students with knowledge of leadership in different types of organizations, and (2) to provide students with practical tools to help them make sense of their own on-the-job experiences and equip them with basic action-planning skills that they can use on the job.
LER 571 Executive Compensation credit: 4 Hours.
Introduces theories and practices of executive compensation to MHRIR students. Through short lectures, case studies, and team projects, students will learn about diverse theories of executive compensation and contemporary practices through which firms design and implement compensation plans for executives. By examining actual compensation contracts from public corporations, students will also compare different compensation designs and acquire skills to evaluate their effectiveness in terms of enhancing the performance of executives and their firms 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR program.
LER 572 Social Networks in Human Resource Management credit: 2 Hours.
Provides a framework for analyzing social networks and social capital within and across organizations. Explores key concepts from social network analysis, including, how do social networks form and evolve, how do social network positions and structures affect performance and innovation, and how should we manage our own social networks and the networks in our organizations. Provides an overview of research on social networks from several disciplines and introduces methods of analyzing social networks. 2 graduate hours. No professional credit. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the MHRIR program.
LER 580 Internship credit: 0 Hours.
Full or part-time practice of human resources or employment relations in an off-campus government, corporate or not-for-profit environment. Approved for S/U grading only. May be repeated in separate terms. Prerequisite: Must be a student in the LER program.
LER 590 Individual Topics credit: 0 to 8 Hours.
Students in labor and industrial relations may register for this unit with the consent of the curriculum adviser and the adviser under whom the student will perform individual study or research. Such individual work may include special study in a subject matter for which no course is available or an individual research project, including on-the-job research in industry, which is not being undertaken for a thesis. 0 to 8 graduate hours. No professional credit. Approved for Letter and S/U grading. May be repeated if topics vary; unlimited credit hours for graduate and professional students.
LER 591 Employment Relations Systems credit: 4 Hours.
General framework for the analysis of employment relationships. Topics include industrial relations theory, the American system of collective bargaining, intercountry system differences, and human resource management strategies and practices. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
LER 593 Quantitative Methods in LER credit: 4 Hours.
Application of statistical methods to problems in human resources and industrial relations. Analysis and presentation of results using computer software. Covers statistical techniques through analysis of variance and multiple regression. Prerequisite: Any elementary statistics course.
LER 594 Tutorial Seminar credit: 0 to 4 Hours.
Research experience for Master's students in carrying out a problem solving project from formulation to written report in a chosen area of labor and industrial relations. Each student selects an individual topic with the approval and guidance of a faculty member and participates in a Tutorial Workshop. Approved for both letter and S/U grading. Prerequisite: Completion of no fewer than 24 graduate hours of LER course work.
LER 595 Managing Diversity Globally credit: 4 Hours.
In a global economy workplace diversity is not a trend; it is a reality faced by corporate leaders, human resource professionals and management consultants. Within the US, immigration, migration, and gender and racial differences have been major trends shaping workplace composition. Globalization places additional pressures on managing workplace diversity effectively. In this setting, training managers and human resource professionals to manage differences and adapt to multiple national and cultural contexts is an imperative. Course provides an in-depth understanding of how managers and HR professionals can be effective in not only managing diversity in a global context, but also in leveraging global diversity as a competitive advantage. By the end of this course students will have a holistic appreciation of the tools necessary to implement effective diversity management practices for a globally inclusive workplace.
LER 597 Employee Motivation & Perfmnce credit: 4 Hours.
Managing and motivating employees effectively is one of the most complex and challenging issues facing companies today. While business leaders acknowledge the need for implementing effective performance management systems, recent studies indicate that an overwhelming majority of performance management systems are unsuccessful. Takes a strategic approach to employee motivation and performance starting with a firm level view to reviewing current approaches to employee motivation and performance management. Aims at providing students with practical and conceptual tools that will aid them in future endeavors to design and implement employee development and performance management systems. Format includes in-class discussions, case studies and individual assignments and papers.
LER 598 Impl High Perf Work Systems credit: 4 Hours.
Intensive analysis of all aspects of high performance work systems, including work design, reward systems, training, team operations, lean/six sigma systems, and labor-management partnership. Special focus on skills and principles for effective implementation, in ways that advance employee well-being and to organizational effectiveness.
LER 599 Thesis Seminar credit: 0 to 16 Hours.
For all students writing theses in LER at the MHRIR and Ph.D. levels. May be repeated. Approved for S/U grading only.