COURSE OUTLINE

Course Name International HRM Prepared Fall, 2015

Course Code On
Credit Hours 48
Course Prereq. Organizational Behaviour Revised Fall, 2019
Code Human Resources Management On
Course Type Major Course Elective
Program MBA
Semester Fall, 2019
Instructor: AFTAB HAIDER
Course Description
International Human Resource Management provides an introduction to the critical issues facing
organizations in simultaneously managing their human resources at home and abroad. The
course focuses on, as organization cross the borders, complex issues related to expatriate
management in terms of culture, recruitment & selection, training and compensation arises. And
as a result of all these issues the role of HR managers becomes more important in multinational.
The course is based on the notion that competitive firms and economies require appropriate
structures, policies, and strategies for managing their employees at every level of the enterprise.
This is particularly true of multinational enterprises and transnational corporations intricately
involved in a global environment. As we shall see throughout the course, the unique contribution
of International HRM is the simultaneous blending of exogenous and endogenous factors in
more than one country while planning and coordinating vital human resource policies and
practices. In this endeavour, the interaction of different customs and local conditions makes the
understanding of culture a pillar of this course. We shall fully explore this key concept before
aiming at answering questions like how an organization facilitates a Multidomestic response to
staffing, appraising, compensating, and developing its personnel in a way that its core goals and
values are upheld without sacrificing local customs.

Course Learning Outcomes Program Goal

Sr. No PG1 PG2 PG3 PG4 PG5

CLO1 A good knowledge and understanding of 

the main issues involved in the
management of human resources in the
international context
CLO2 To recognize and value cultural differences 
and understand the effects of culture on HR
CLO3 To build up the capacity to contribute to  
the development and review of
management policy, practices and

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 systems in the field of international
human resource management
CLO4 To gain knowledge of different    
international perspectives on human
resource management.

CLO5 To be able to evaluate critically and  

analyse case studies based on the
functional areas of international human
resource management.

Teaching & Learning Methodology

 Lecture slides.
 Hand outs/ reading material/ exercises
 Group discussions.
 Journal and Magazine articles as home reading assignment.
 Case studies and their presentation.

Textbook(s)
1. International Human Resource Management, Dowling, P. J. & Welch, D. E. 4th Edition,
2004, ISBN-13: 978-1408075746, Publisher: Cengage Learning.

Reference Book(s)
 International Human Resource Management, Tony Edwards & Chris Rees, 6th Edition,
2006,
ISBN-10: 0273716123, Publisher: Pearson

 International Human Resource Management, Anne-Wil Harzing & Joris Van

Ruysseveldt, 2nd Edition, 2002, ISBN 9781446267301, SAGE Publisher

Research Journals /Papers

 Human Resource Management Journal  Business Week
 HR Magazine  Employee Benefit Plan Review
 Occupational Health & Safety Journal  HR News
 Journal of Comparative International Management
 Personnel Psychology  Human Resource Executive
 International Journal of Selection and Assessment

Magazine Articles/ Published Material

 Business Week
 HR Magazine
 Employee Benefit Plan Review
 HR News

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Grading Policy
Assessment Instruments Percentage
Quizzes 15%
Assignments + project 20%
Mid Term Exam 25%
Final Exam 40%

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Week-wise Course Outline
Week/ Contents
Session
1 Chapter 1 "Introduction – HRM to Overview of class and course. Interview of
International HRM"
2 Chapter 1 (continued)
3 Chapter 2 "The Role
understanding in IHRM "
4 Chapter 2 (continued)
5 Chapter 3 "Sustaining
Business Operations"
Activities( Critical Thinking) Learning
Case Studies, Roleplays, Movie Clips, Assignments, Objectives
Research Papers, Addressed
Presentations
CLO1
participants, backgrounds, and international
interests. General HR functions, History of HRM,
Globalization stages, Definition of IHRM, Key
terms like Expatriates & Repatriates
Difference between domestic and International CLO1
HRM, variables that moderate differences between
domestic and international HRM, Key Issues in
IHRM.
of Cultural Define Culture, Culture significance in CLO2
organizational success, Global cultural factors,
Cultural Shock, HRM practices as a Cultural
Variable,
Case Study Discussion on Expatriate Cultural
Shock in Japan (Fred Bailey)
Cross cultural dimensions, Hofstede Cultural CLO2
dimensions, First group presentation on cross
cultural differences
QUIZ # 1
Group 1 Cross Culture Presentation
International Approaches to staffing, transferring staff for CLO1
international business, difference b/w PCN. HCN,
&TCN, Second group presentation on cross cultural
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 differences

Group 2 Cross Culture Presentation

6 Chapter 4 "Global Recruitment and Multinational global recruitment process, issues, CLO 4
Selection" succession planning, expatriate selection process,
Case Study Discussion on Global Manager’s
Perceptions of Cultural Competence

7 Chapter 5 "Expatriate Training" International Training Development program, CLO 1, CLO 4

Approached of multinationals to train expatriate,
group presentations on cross cultural differences,
Home take Movie (Outsourced 2006)
QUIZ # 2
Group 3 Cross Culture Presentation
8 Chapter 6 “Global Compensation” International pay and reward systems and CLO 1, CLO 3
Motivation, Balance sheet approach of
compensation,
Case Study Discussion on Host country specific
factors and the transfer of human resource
management practices in multinational
companies

9 Mid Term Examination

10 Chapter 7 "Managing Performance across Development of performance appraisal and CLO 4

Boundaries" evaluation systems in a multinational context,
Case Study Discussion Group 4 Cross Culture
Presentation

11 Chapter 7 (continued)
12 Multinationals performance appraisal issues, cross CLO 3, CLO 4
Chapter 8 "HR Issues in Expatriation and cultural differences remaining group presentations
Repatriation" QUIZ # 3
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 13 Chapter 9 “HR Issues in Acquisitions & Reasons for the use of expatriates, why expatriates CLO 5
Mergers and Joint Ventures” fail, management of expatriates, case study on
expatriate Failure

Case Study Discussion

14 Chapter 9 (continued) What, why, how and when of international
alliances, basic assumptions about mergers and
acquisitions, issues related to failure, success and
different stages of mergers and acquisitions, HR
issues in each stage and how to succeed in
international alliances.
QUIZ # 4
15 Final Project Project details are given below in the final project CLO4, CLO 5
guidelines

16 Final Project

17 Revision
18 Final Examination

Guidelines – Final Group Projects

Analyze and write a report on Multinational Corporation

The project consists of two parts:

Part I: For part first you are required to select a large Multinational or Global Company at your own choice. In written report you will be required to
discuss the company’s Structure, strategy, vision, values, culture, top management style, and goals. Here you must justify whether there is
relationship/association between company’s strategy and its structure & culture along with the top management style. Then explain the company’s
policies and practices in term of IHRM in detail. In some cases you may need to make assumptions such as: “What are the IHRM policies and

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practices of our MNE/SME?” To answer this (if you can’t find out) is “What are the exemplary IHRM policies and practices of a firm in this
industry?” Then describe the home country of this company (so this is 1company and 1 country). This section should be covered in 5 – 12 pages.

Part II: Apart from the first part students will be required to choose: A) One country for your company to enter using an acquisition; Then discuss:
B) the country of the company you are acquiring; and then discuss: C) all the IHRM implications for the acquisition. For the acquisition part this will
include describing the reasons for merger & acquisitions and what the final HR policies of the acquired company will be and how they will fit in the
country it is operating: This might be 4-8 pages long report. It will also include describing all the IHRM implications for the three stages (steps) of
acquisition.

Note: The presentation of the projects will start from 14th week of semester.

Note:-
 Student’s preparations for case studies and participation in discussions can be selectively taken as their assignments for grading or instructor may develop
separate mechanism.
 Class activities would predominantly include discussions, developing role models by the students, presentations by student groups and case studies.
 Case study serial numbers are for curriculum and not as given in the book.

MBA Program Goals

PG 1: Ethical Consideration and Behavior

PLO1: Develop professional and ethical behavior of students through team work along with ensuring contribution of the individual team members
working on diverse business projects.

PLO2: Demonstrate professional behavior including the ability to communicate and lead in ways that are ethically and socially responsible.

PG2: Leadership skills

PLO 3: Depict Leadership skills for analyzing business opportunities and prioritizing tasks to effectively achieve organizational goals.

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PLO 4: To efficiently manage teams in the organization and develop innovative ways of problem solving in business.

PG3: Effective Communication

PLO 5: Emphasize on verbal and non-verbal communication and presentation skills for professional connection in a Business Environment.

PLO6: Develop skills for effective written communication along with official documentation and correspondence in organizations.

PG4: Experiential Learning

PLO7: Demonstrate understanding and analysis of specialized business issues or problems by making recommendations for improvements based
on the application of concepts, skills, knowledge and techniques acquired in various business areas.

PLO 8: Demonstrate the efficient integration of various advanced quantitative and qualitative tools for problem evaluation and solving using the
latest available technology and technology based instructional design.

PLO 9: Demonstrate self-grooming through curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities embedded in the program design.

PG 5: Critical thinking

PLO 10: develop skills that can be used to critically analyze, and evaluate theoretical and practical issues in a range of applied business situations.