Course Resources Archive

The module aims: to provide students with an understanding of the increasing complexity of the context in which Human resource (HR) professionals and managers operate within the marketplace whether local, national or international and in a range of sectors. This module therefore focuses on the management of change as a response to factors from the internal and external context and the interface of managing this change by HR professionals in conjunction with other stake holders. The module with allow the student to understand both the constraints imposed by internal and external phenomena  that shape corporate decisions as well as developing awareness of the interchange of influences from organisations to the environment in which they operate. They will have the opportunity to engage in finding appropriate decisions in varying contexts and communicate the outcome of these with different stake holders.

This module explores the implications for professional practice and social responsibility and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development.

1. Understand how organisations historically and currently  interact with and are affected by their internal and external environments; how organisational change is managed and its impact for different organisational stakeholders. Understand and apply different tools for environmental scanning such as PEST and PESTEL. and be able to develop HR strategy and HR practices, especially for sustainable development, as a result of the outcome.
2. The focus here is on the internal dynamic of the organisation and the power, influence and interplay of the different stakeholders and in particular the role of Management; issues of power, authority and influence; the search for managerial legitimacy; and the function of HR within this spectrum. The impact on employees (and the psychological contract) as well as other stake holders including the wider community will be examined in the context of social responsibility, corporate governance and accountability, including business ethics and how these forces shape the HR agenda and implications and impact on organisations and HR strategy.
3. Debates about strategy; the rational approach to strategy; emergent and other approaches to strategy; tools and techniques of environmental analysis; formulating and implementing strategy; internal and external constraints on strategy; shaping the external environment; the emergence of HR strategy; approaches to the development of HR strategy, such as best practice, best-fit and the resource-based view of the firm; horizontal and vertical integration; debates about effective strategic leadership; implications and impact on organisations and HR practices and be able to apply and justify appropriate decisions to specific examples.
4. Determinants of population trends; the working population; immigration and employment of migrant workers; international comparisons; family structures; gender, ethnicity and diversity in organisations and society; changing social values and there impact on work e.g individualism and consumerism; developments in technology; information and communication technologies; impact of technology on people, organisations and markets; implications and impacts on organisations, HR strategy and resulting HR practices in response to changes within this context.
5. Understand different approaches to market mechanisms and competition. The impact of government policy including monetary, fiscal and taxation policy; determinants of supply and demand in the market place to shape the competitive environment and the role of the EU in this context. The organisational responses to competition and its impact on labour markets and the changing nature of work and employment; HR strategy in the light of these issues and the resulting impact on HR policy and practices and be able to apply and justify appropriate decisions to specific examples.
6. The nature and origins of globalisation; the factors influencing globalisation; the consequences of globalisation; critiques of globalisation; organisational, governmental and intergovernmental responses to globalisation; multinational corporations and the local and global market; culturalist and institutional approaches. Develop an understanding of the influences on HR strategy and HR practices within an agenda for change and development, and be able to apply and justify appropriate decisions to specific examples.
7. EU institutions and social policy; comparisons of party policies and legislative programmes; political institutions and the role of non government organisations (NGOs; how organisations influence public and intergovernmental policy; forms and extent of legal regulation, including employment legislation; implications and impacts on organisations. Develop an understanding of these influences on HR strategy and HR practices within an agenda for change and development, be able to distinguish between those organisations adopting a compliance culture and differentiators and be able to apply and justify appropriate decisions for the enhancement of diversity and work/life balance to specific examples.

On completion of this module students will be able to understand:

1. Contemporary organisations and their principal environments.
2. The business environment within which HR professionals work.
3. How organisational and HR strategies are shaped by and developed in response to internal and external environmental factors.
4. The competitive environment of organisations and how organisational leaders and the HR function respond to them.
5. Globalisation and international forces and how they shape and impact on organisational and HR strategic decisions.
6. Demographic, social and technological trends and how they shape and impact on organisational and HR strategies and practices.
7. Government policy and legal regulation and how these shape and impact on organisational and HR strategies and practices.

Staff/student contact – 30 hours
Student directed learning – 120 hours as directed by tutors/module guide

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.