Units
Talent Management
Unit code: MGN443
Contact hours:
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
Australia's growing skills shortage and the prospect of an ageing workforce threaten the sustainability, productivity and growth of many industry sectors. These pressures have made talent management a strategic priority for many organisations. At its heart, talent management is simply a matter of anticipating the need for human capital and then developing a plan to meet it. However, the adaptive capacity of traditional workforce planning methods appears inadequate for today’s uncertain business environment. This unit examines talent management as an alternative to traditional HR planning practices. It focuses on developing both a theoretical framework to guide talent management initiatives and applied skills (e.g. identification of critical roles, workforce forecasting and analysis) required to develop a talent management plan.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 1 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
Change in our demographic and social circumstances, technological shifts and economic globalisation are radically reshaping the business landscape. These pressures have made attracting, retaining, and engaging talented employees a strategic priority for many organisations. These shifts have, however, outstripped the adaptive capacity of traditional workforce planning methods. Talent management provides an alternative by focusing on configuring and tailoring HR systems for specific talent pools. It involves the systematic identification of key critical positions which differentially contribute to the organisation's sustainable competitive advantage, anticipating the need for these critical positions and then developing and implementing differentiated plans to meet this need. Crucial components of these differentiated talent plans are effective, valid, evidence based, equitable, and tailored recruitment and selection, and performance and reward strategies.
Aims
The aim of this unit is to develop your understanding of the purpose of talent management, challenges in configuring and implementing a talent management system, and approaches to overcoming these challenges. Further this unit aims to develop knowledege and practical skills in worforce planning, recruitment and selection, and performance and reward techniques.
Objectives
Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate)
The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:
Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)
1.1 Well-researched knowledge and critical understanding applied to issues at the forefront of a specialised discipline area
1.2 Ability to select and use effectively a range of tools and technologies to locate and/or generate information appropriate to the disciplinary context
Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)
2.1 Apply logical, critical and creative thinking and judgement to generate appropriate solutions to problems in the disciplinary context
Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)
3.1 Ability to create and present professional documents and/or reports using high levels of analysis/synthesis/evaluation for a range of contexts and audiences
3.2 Ability to orally communicate and justify ideas and information, at a professional level, for a variety of contexts and audiences, including peers and discipline specialists
Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)
4.1 Operate effectively and with flexibility to achieve common goals in collaborative settings, using a range of skills, including leadership, negotiation, reflection, proactivity and support for team members
Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)
5.1 Apply knowledge of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions relevant to business situations, including appropriate standards or codes of practice, to provide courses of action
Unit Objectives
On completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Explain the key concepts and theoritcal foundations of talent management.
2. Use workforce planning techniques to forecast an organisation's demand for workers, and supply of available workers from inside and outside the organisation.
3. Apply recruitment and selection theories, models, and practices to an employment situation.
4. Apply performance and reward management theories, models, and practice to an employment situation.
The specific course learning goals that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.
Content
This unit focuses on the importance of talent management and developing differentiated workforce strategies for critical talent pools. It will focus on developing both a theoretical framework to guide talent management initiatives and applied skills (e.g., identification of critical roles, workforce forecasting and analysis) required to develop a talent management plan. The unit is designed in four modules covering talent management theories; workforce planning; recruitment and selection; and performance and reward management.
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
Delivery Mode
The QUT Business School seeks to create postgraduate learning environments that help participants better manage family-work-study conflicts. For example, the units in the Master of Business (HRM) program provide a range of delivery options that offer some flexibility with respect to class timetable. These delivery options vary by unit. Your lecturer will provide details in class. Flexible delivery options are supported by educational technologies to both connect you with others in the unit and with unit content. Whatever delivery option is used, you still have the option of as much face-to-face time with teaching staff as you need to support your study. We encourage you to regularly access the HR Program portal, the unit Blackboard site, attend scheduled classes, engage in on-line activities and make effective use of staff consultation times.
The Unit adopts a seminar-style approach to teaching and learning. There will be some content input from the lecturer, but much of the content of each seminar will be driven by the class, through reading groups, discussion and activities. You should not expect, therefore, to be 'lectured at' in a passive way. Much of the content will be co-created by the class and the lecturer. The focal point of teaching and learning will be the assessment activities, which require you to analyse talent management in a case organisation or an organisation you have access to. The seminars will help you to prepare for this work.
You will explore concepts independently through weekly online resources and activities. Depth of knowledge and understanding is developed through in-class group-based activities and mini lectures, and post-class individual reflection and synthesis. Interactive class meetings incorporate information and application activities. Each week's information topic will be based on readings as indicated in the Week 1 Unit document. You are asked to prepare the relevant readings before class each week to facilitate discussion.
The second part of the semester involves real-world application of concepts and techniques to either a case study or an organisation you have access to. You are expected to work in several environments in this flexible approach - independent regular work with online materials, in-class group oriented work, in-class lecturer guidance, and collaborative group-directed learning.
Further information will be made available on the MGN443 Blackboard Site. Detailed information on assessment tasks and requirements will be provided in class meetings and on Blackboard.
This unit uses the SafeAssign tool in BlackBoard. SafeAssign is a text matching tool that assists students to develop the academic skills required to correctly use and cite reference material as well as to check citations and determine possible instances of plagiarism. You will be expected to submit draft and/or final versions of one or more assignments using SafeAssign. Your Unit Coordinator will provide detailed information on how the software will be used in this unit.
Assessment
Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:
Assessment name:
Talent Management Models
Description:
The purpose of the essay is for you to critically review the literature on talent management.
Length: 2,000 words
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives:
Unit objectives: 1 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1)
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 5
Assessment name:
Workforce Issues Analysis
Description:
You will prepare a report which identifies and prioritises the workforce issues of an organisation of your choice, or using a case study provided in class.
Length: 1,000 words
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives:
Unit objectives: 2 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1)
Weight:
20%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 9
Assessment name:
Talent Plan
Description:
You will develop and document the talent plan (recruitment and selection process, and peformance and reward package) for a position of your choice identified as critical in your workforce issues analysis.
Length: 2000 words
Formative or Summative: Summative
Relates to objectives:
Unit objectives: 3 and 4; and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1)
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Central Exam Period
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
Prescribed Text:
There is no prescribed text in this unit. Weekly readings will be avilable on the MGN443 Course Materials database (CMD).
Risk assessment statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 12-Feb-2013
