Business Ethics in Strategic Human Resource Management

Course

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/E_BA_BESHR

Course Objective

Academic and Research Skills: Be able to explore academic debates and do profound academic research in ethics and business ethics, and apply these insights to the field of HRM. Bridging Theory and Practice: Knowledge of Theory & Methods and Solving Complex Problems: Be able to evaluate the research methods in studies on normative ethical questions in HRM, and able to do own research on such questions based on interviews, content analyses, conceptual analyses and/or cases. Professional Social Skills: Be able to suggest and communicate action when moral dilemmas occur in the context of HRM. Broadening your Horizon: Be able to relate to stakeholder interests beyond your interest as HR manager. Self-Awareness: Able to self-reflect on your own values, possible actions, and the ethical dilemma’s related to HRM, that you have experienced during the master program or that you potentially will experience when working in your profession.

Course Content

Businesses face major, related challenges: globalization, human rights violations, climate change, and many more. After this course, students will have a deeper understanding of the role of business in society. This includes both, the positive and the negative impact that corporations can have on human beings and the environment. They will understand how companies can contribute to the solutions of today’s challenges but also why they often fail to comply with given norms. In the course Business Ethics in Strategic Human Resource Management, students learn to recognize and engage with current ethical debates and developments in human resource management. The lectures and seminars address different moral viewpoints and different business ethics theories that have been put forward to tackle today's challenges. After this course students should be able to understand where these ethical issues within HRM originate from, and how HRM managers can respond. It thus prepares students for the ethical challenges that await them, and helps with finding ethically sound solutions.

Teaching Methods

Lectures, tutorials

Method of Assessment

Group assessment, individual assessment

Literature

A selection of resources will be published on Canvas.

Target Audience

This course is compulsory for students in Strategic Human Resource Management.

Entry Requirements

Students should have passed an academic bachelor course in ethics. If not, they should have read M.J. Sandel (2010), Justice: What is the right thing to do? New York: FSG

Recommended background knowledge

SHRM courses from period 1-3 and an academic bachelor course in ethics.

Explanation Canvas

We make use of Canvas.
Academic year1/09/2431/08/25
Course level6.00 EC

Language of Tuition

  • English

Study type

  • Master