MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES - 2025/6

Module Overview

Management of Human Resources is an introductory module and available to students undertaking a range of MSc programmes at the Surrey Business School. It is intended to provide a firm understanding of the theory and practice of Human Resource management and its strategic role in contemporary organisations. This module covers core functions of HRM and their integration within business strategy as well as contemporary topics concerning management of people. By the end of this module, the students will have gained a foundation knowledge base of HR as a function in organisations and its strategic role in achieving business objectives through people management.

 

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

BURNS-PEGLER Debbie (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• HRM function in organisational and labour market context


• HR strategy perspectives


• Recruitment and selection


• Performance management


• Reward management


• Human resource development


• Employment relations


• Equality and diversity management


• Employee well-being management

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Not applicable

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate specialist knowledge and ability to apply theoretical perspectives of HR management to organisational practices through undertaking an individual coursework assignment.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Individual HR strategy report assignment

Formative assessment will take the form of in-class discussion exercises with in-class  tutor feedback.

Feedback

This module adopts an enquiry-based approach to feedback where the emphasis is on providing resources to students which allow them to identify their own strengths and weaknesses to develop learning strategies which will allow them to improve their performance. These resources include:

• Prior to the assignment, lecture time will be spent discussing the assignment and feedback process.


• A marking scheme which provides guidance on how marks will be awarded for each element of assessment. This marking scheme has benefits for both staff and students: a) for staff it allows for consistency of marking between markers, and for prompt and rigorous marking; b) for students it makes it absolutely clear what is expected of them. Students will receive a mark for each element of the assignment which they can reference to the marking scheme for details of individual feedback.


• Formative assessment and feedback will be provided during weekly learning sessions and activities, mid-semester progress assessment, and individual developmental assignment feedback meetings. 

Module aims

• Develop knowledge and sound conceptual framework for the management of human resources in organizations
• Develop skills of critical analysis and application of HR theoretical and empirical knowledge to organisational problems and context
• Recognise the strategic role of HR in achievement of organisation performance goals and sustained competitive advantage

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to expose students to a range of delivery methods which include formal teaching, interactive learning activities, and self-directed study to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the learning outcomes and assessment criteria.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Guided learning activities, assignment development support, and interactive problem-based learning exercises linking theory and practice.


• Live lectures


• Seminars

The module takes a flipped-learning approach and students are expected to use online content and complete set readings in preparation for the live seminars.  The live sessions will provide an opportunity for questions and discussion.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM016

Other information

This module promotes four of the main five Student Competency Framework Pillars as follows:

Global and Cultural Capabilities

Students on this module work together in groups in seminars. This provides students  with an opportinuty to develop their intercultural awareness and to develop their compencies to work with others from a broad international and culturally diverse backgrounds. Students are encouraged to share perspectives and experiences in in-class discussion providing an opportunity to develop an appreciation of a diversity of cultural experience.

Employability

The module is designed to equip students with a deep understanding of how HRM may add value to organizations and the key principles of upholding equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Up to date knowledge of best practice, key HRM trends, and analysing HR reports are essential skills for a HRM or management graduate job role. 

Digital Capabilities

Students will develop their digital capabilities by being encouraged to access digital platforms such as LinkedIn; the University virtual learning environment, Surrey Learn.

Resourcefulness & Resilience

In seminar group work will provide an opportunity to contribute to an affective learning community and to show respect and empathy to support other learners.  Inevitibly there will be set-backs  and challenges will be addressed through agile thinking and decision making processes to achieve solutions.  Seminar and Independent Learning Activities provide scaffolded learning opportunities which enable students to work at their own pace, and students should reflect on their learning experience and respond to feedback to stretch and challenge themselves.

Sustainability

This module provides an opportunity to develop students’ understanding and awareness of aspects of sustainability and ethical people management. Sustainability in attracting, retaining and developing staff is a key area of human resource management that can enhance organisational reputation and success. The triple bottom line: people, planet, profits transcends all topics and activities covered in this module, with a special focus on people. Specifically issues around equality and decent work for all and aspects of fairness, justice and wellbeing in HR practices are discussed and evaluated.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.