Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Human Resource Management

Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Human Resource Management qualification, is to provide learners with a structured avenue to further and advance their knowledge in Human Resource Management. The qualification is designed for learners to develop intellectual and practical knowledge, allowing them to progressively advance to specialist and higher level jobs within the field of Human Resource Management.

Furthermore, the qualification aims to enable learners to support and implement procedures and systems, promote best Human Resource Management practices in the organisation, identify skills requirements (workforce planning) of the organisation, acquire an understanding of people dynamics and its impact in the workplace and on productivity, and to ensure compliance with Human Resource legislation and trends.

The qualification is designed to empower learners with core Human Resource Management skills in line with best practices and quality standards. Learners will be able to reflect on their decisions and the effect thereof within the context of human resource practice in the organisation.

The curriculum contributes towards the Exit Level Outcomes by

• Enabling learners to develop a postgraduate level of knowledge, discipline specific skills and applied competence in commerce and industry that provide opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful employment and making a significant contribution to society.
• Empowering qualifying learners to solve human resource problems in a focused manner, to effectively manage and allocate resources, to communicate effectively and to contribute to the socio-economic transformation in a responsible and ethical manner.
• Providing the country with significant numbers of human resource postgraduate personnel, particularly from disadvantaged communities, in order to ensure that the leadership base of innovative and knowledge-based economic and scholarly activity is strengthened and diversified.

Upon successful completion of this qualification, qualifying learners will be able to

• Display knowledge of management in general.
• Demonstrate competency in the management of various aspects of strategic human resource management.
• Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate human resource management information.
• Recognise and respond to change within organisations.
• Demonstrate competency in the execution of the tasks of planning, organising, leading and controlling in the field of human resources.
• Demonstrate competencies in research including data collection, analyses, interpretation and recommendations of human resource management.
• Display and apply human resource related research and communication skills.

Rationale

The Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree is a postgraduate specialisation qualification, characterised by the fact that it prepares learners for research-based postgraduate study. This qualification typically follows a Bachelor's Degree, and serves to consolidate and deepen the learner's expertise in a particular discipline, and to develop research capacity in the methodology and techniques of that discipline. This qualification demands a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence. In some cases, a Bachelor Honours Degree carries recognition by an appropriate professional or statutory body. Bachelor Honours Degrees must include conducting and reporting research under supervision, worth at least 30 Credits, in the form of a discrete research component that is appropriate to the discipline or field of study.

Many organisations claim that their employees are their most valuable asset. For this reason, the effective management of its human resources is a crucial aspect for every organisation. Human resources management helps in structuring teams, building the culture of the organisation and helping people with engagement and development. Human resources management promotes and enhances the productivity of employees, resulting in increased organisational efficiency.

Human resources are a crucial and essential element of any organisation, and the Human Resources (HR) team is responsible for driving all aspects of staff management, including staff induction and development.

For the spectrum from small enterprises to large conglomerates, the human resource functions are more than just recruitment, processing leave and payroll. Human Resource Management plays an essential role in developing a company's strategy as well as facilitating the employee-centered activities of an organisation.

The way an organisation manages its people has a strong bearing on how employees view their work and their employer, and this, in turn, affects their attitudes and productivity; and thus the profitability and competitiveness of the organisation.

With a trend towards streamlined management and work practices, the last two decades have seen an expansion in Human Resource Management as an industry and a profession.

The Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Human Resource Management qualification seeks to address and contribute positively to overcoming the gap of developing personnel capable of managing the organisation and its human resources.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution recognises the importance of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in ensuring that applicants that possess skills acquired through life or work experience and non-formal education are catered for. The RPL assessment will focus on ways of evaluating a person's lifelong experiences (formal and informal) against a set of pre-determined criteria. Recognition of prior learning takes account of:

• Formal study.
• Age.
• Work experience.
• Studies that were undertaken for the purpose of personal gain/interest.
• Company - based training.
• Industry - based training.
• Working with experts in the field.
• Internships, and life experience.

Credit is granted for RPL in the assessment of the institution's selection committee, whereby the assessment determines whether the candidate's knowledge and skills correspond to the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification or specific module for which credit is applied. The selection committee will focus on the quality and not the quantity of prior learning and/or experience.

Some of the criteria that are used in evaluating 'non-standard' applicants include

• The applicants' motivation, maturity and realistic approach to their studies.
• The job description, covering relevant area of work, giving examples of tasks carried out, possibly supplying references.
• The nature and level of life/work experience and prior study, and the learning which has resulted from such experience.
• details of in-company short courses, length, content of material covered, standard achieved.
• The clarity of the applicant's educational goals and objectives.
• The extent to which the applicant can provide evidence of the threshold skills and knowledge for the programme.

A Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) will be obtained from the applicant and evaluated by a qualified RPL assessor.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• An appropriate Bachelor's Degree, NQF Level 7.

Or

• An appropriate Advanced Diploma, NQF Level 7.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level, 120 Credits

• General Management, 20 Credits.
• Human Resource Development, 15 Credits.
• Organisational Behaviour, 20 Credits.
• Strategic Human Resource Management, 15 Credits.
• Employee Relationship Management, 20 Credits.
• Research Project, 30 Credits.

1. Display knowledge of management in general.
2. Demonstrate competency in the management of various aspects of human resource management.
3. Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information.
4. Recognise and respond to change within organisations.
5. Demonstrate competency in the execution of the tasks of planning, organising, leading and controlling in the field of human resources.
6. Display research skills to be able to manage information and undertake research by applying research methods effectively.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Explore the essential role of management in organisations.
• Compare and contrast different types and roles of managers.
• Critically discuss the skills which managers require for effective performance.
• Critically discuss the challenges with which the manager of today is presented.
• Demonstrate knowledge of management theories.
• Display an understanding of the management environment.
• Critically discuss the managerial functions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Critically discuss the importance of human resource planning for organisations.
• Develop an understanding of Human Resource information Systems (with related concepts).
• Critically evaluate the strategic importance of human resource management.
• Explain the importance of integrating a company's human resource strategy with overall business strategy.
• Evaluate the significance of talent management.
• Develop an understanding of career concepts and career management models.
• Demonstrate the knowledge of the role of organisations in career management.
• Develop an understanding of the purposes of training and development.
• Explain different training methods and the application of methods in the organisation.
• Understand the role of performance management systems in organisational success.
• Identify different types and components of performance management systems.
• Identify, discuss and apply compensation structures and levels.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of recruitment and selection and its application.
• Develop an understanding of essential aspects of the relevant legislations affecting employment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Critically discuss current challenges to compensation systems.
• Evaluate the impact of legislation on training and development.
• Discuss and critique both traditional and contemporary psychological theories and perspectives.
• Explore the role of an HR information system in creating competitive advantage.
• Develop and analyse a business research problem.
• Develop, monitor and review employment policies that comply with the relevant legislations.
• Collect data from various sources.
• Identify and define operational variables.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Critically discuss the changing nature of careers.
• Discuss the change management process and phases.
• Evaluate key OD success and failure factors.
• Develop an understanding of the concepts of transformation, added value and organising people.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Critically discuss the function and role of human resource management within the strategic management process.
• Critically discuss and understand the impact of the link between labour relations and the various Human Resource Management practices.
• Understand the diversity and inclusion management challenges.
• Discuss Organisational Development (OD) terminology and concepts.
• Critically assess OD interventions.
• Discuss the strategic management phases of strategy formulation, strategy implementation and strategy evaluation and control.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Develop an appropriate research project plan.
• Apply selected research techniques.
• Demonstrate knowledge of business research methods.
• Distinguish between the various research paradigms, methods and designs.
• Display knowledge of and apply data collection methods.
• Display knowledge of and apply data analysis methods.

Integrated Assessment

The assessments will centre on

• The extent to which the learner has grasped the concepts.
• The application of theory to a practical context.
• The methods of research used.
• A balance between theory and practice and its relevance to the level of the qualification.
• The use of appropriate technology to ensure effective communication of ideas.

Assessment methods measure the extent to which the learner has achieved competence in the different areas of study. These assessment methods include:

• Case studies.
• Report writing.
• Interpretative and analytical problem solving.
• Work based assignments.

Formative assessment implies being supportive to learning, non-judgemental and focused on providing constructive feedback or criticism to the learner which will take place during the learning process and informs planning of future learning activities.

The final mark in calculated by the weighted average comprising of 40% of the formative assessments and 60% of the summative assessment. The Research Project module is assessed via a research project. Self-and formative assessment takes place through case studies, assignments, including the writing of proposals and financial plans.

Summative assessment implies assessment to be mainly concerned with summing up the learning process and therefore usually takes place at the end of the relevant learning process. Summative assessments are integrated into the learning in that they take place at the end of each of the constituent modules of the qualification. Integrated assessment is used extensively across the qualification, particularly in the case studies.