Required courses for the master’s program include LER 591 (Employment Relations Systems) and LER 593 (Quantitative Methods, or its equivalent). Also required is a choice of one course from each of the four subject areas (Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior, Labor Markets and Employment, Union Management and Labor Relations Policy, International Human Resource Management), plus six more electives from any area for a total of 48 hours.

General LER Courses

LER 521: EMPLOYMENT LAW FOR HR MANAGERS: SEPARATIONS, WORKER’S COMPENSATION, AND SAFETY

This course examines laws and court rulings that relate to the erosion of employment at will, including wrongful discharge; post-employment, non-compete covenants and trade secrets; plant closings; employee claims in Chapter 11 bankruptcy; pension plan terminations; unemployment insurance; ERISA’s fiduciary duties; retirement issues; worker’s compensation issues; and OSHA duties. Students will learn about employer liability related to these laws. 4 grad hours.

LER 531: WORKFORCE ANALYTICS

Each day, HR / ER professionals face myriad issues with employees and the organizations that they support. Many times, these professionals rely on their intuition, “gut instincts” and years of experience to create resolutions and interventions to solve these issues. Although done with good intentions, these interventions often lack analytical rigor and forethought about unintended consequences and the root cause of the issue. This class will allow students the opportunity to learn real-world analytical techniques and critical thinking skills that students can use in any HR / ER role in any industry. . Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the online MHRIR program (10KS0364MHRU). 4 grad hours

LER 533: FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Provides an overview to several areas of management that influence the role of HR professionals in any organization. Specifically, we address 6 business management topics: (1) Strategic Management, (2) Organizational Structure & Control, (3) Power & Politics, (4) Groups & Teams, (5) Decision Making, and (6) Corporate Governance. Knowing more about these areas of management should help aspiring HR professionals understand what their employers are trying to achieve and how human resource management can add value to any organization. We will discuss the connection between general management topics and human resource management implications each and every class session with special emphasis on this question in part of our last session. The course will include lectures, readings, case studies, simulations, exercises, class discussions, and writing assignments. . Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the online MHRIR program (10KS0364MHRU). 4 grad hours.

LER 534: LEADERSHIP & EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Strong leadership and employee engagement are fundamental to achieving positive organizational results. This course explores the relationship between leadership, employee engagement, and business outcomes. Rooted in organizational effectiveness capabilities, we will cover topics in the context of driving change and supporting strategic outcomes for the enterprise. We will explore theoretical models, specific methodologies and tactics that drive engagement. As a Human Resource leader, you will build skills in defining strong leadership, clarifying leadership expectations and building ‘visible and felt leadership.’ You will explore how to measure employee engagement and diagnose common barriers to effective engagement. Students will utilize ‘gap assessments’ to be able to prioritize and recommend specific actions that will be supported with tools and techniques that ‘build’ employee ownership. Core concepts will include motivational constructs, employee engagement surveys, leadership interventions, visible and felt leadership, large group engagement, metrics, management review, process mapping, WorkOut/Kaizen, Appreciative Inquiry and other practical applications. . Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the online MHRIR program (10KS0364MHRU). 4 grad hours.

LER 536: MANAGEMENT OF WORKPLACE GENDER ISSUES

Despite public and organizational policies for fair and equal treatment for women and men in the workplace, both women and men still confront existing and newly emerging challenges at work. For an HR professional, it is quite complex and difficult to address sex and gender issues at work as they are often subtle and intricately related to various individual, organizational, legal, societal, and cultural aspects. Thus, for a future HR professional, it is crucial to understand a range of sex and gender issues at work from diverse perspectives and critically think and discuss how to better manage women and men in organizations. In-class student activities will include small-group debates and discussions, case analyses, individual exercises, etc. Students will also conduct a team-based learning project designed to facilitate in-depth understandings of a workplace issue that the team selects, and critically think possible ways to address the issue in organizations. Example sex and gender issues include but are not limited to the following areas: stereotypes, selection, employment decisions and discrimination, power and relationships, leadership & leadership development, and career. 4 grad hours.

LER 537: EMPLOYEE STRESS, WELL-BEING, & SAFETY

Organizations and businesses cannot be successful without ensuring health and safety of their workforce. As employees’ health and safety is interlinked with various factors in their work and nonwork environment, there are various approaches in studying employee stress, well-being, and safety (e.g., human factors, public health, etc.). This course will mainly use the “organizational” approach focusing on important psychosocial factors in the workplace that affect employee work stress, well-being, and safety. This course will put an emphasis on organizational interventions to mitigate the impact of stress as well as to promote health and safety among employees. The class will include lectures, in-class learning activities (e.g., exercises, small-group discussions, debate, video clips, instant writing, etc.), and group project. 4 grad hours.

LER 540: LABOR ECONOMICS I

Same as Economics 440. Survey of recent trends in the labor force, of real and money earnings, and of the distribution of national income used as the basis for a critical economic analysis of contemporary English and American wage theory. Prerequisite: Economics 302 and 303. 4 grad hours.

LER 541: LABOR ECONOMICS II

Same as Economics 541. Economic issues and implications involved in hours of work, employment and unemployment, and trade union institutionalism (the impact of the trade union upon the basic institution of a free enterprise economy); emphasis in all cases on the development of appropriate public policy. Prerequisite: Economics 302 and 303. 4 grad hours.

LER 547: LABOR LAW I

Same as Law 662. A study of the National Labor Relations Act as amended, the pre-act history of the labor movement, and the judiciary’s response thereto, with emphasis on understanding the problems, experiments, and forces leading to the enactment; includes the negotiation and administration of the collective bargaining agreement, especially the grievance arbitration procedure, its operation and place in national labor policy; and explores the relationship of the individual and the union. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or completion of first year of Law curriculum. 3 or 4 professional hours or 4 grad hours.

LER 550: GAME THEORY AND HR STRATEGY

This course teaches the fundamentals of strategic thinking from an applied game theoretic perspective, and the interrelationship between game theory, strategy, and human resource management. Students first learn the art and science of strategy, including: differences between sequential and simultaneous strategies; identification of prisoner’s dilemmas; coordination games; strategic moves; and information asymmetries. Students then learn how to connect these strategic tools to HR issues like talent management, workplace incentives, employee empowerment, and bargaining.  4 grad hours.

LER 551: SOCIAL JUSTICE & THE WORKPLACE

This course examines how movements for social justice have shaped – and continue to shape – U.S. employment relations. Readings and in-class activities explore the dynamic relationship between social movements and the workplace. Key guiding questions include: How have social movements mobilized to address employment discrimination? How have campaigns for social justice influenced U.S. employment law, public policy, and workplace practices? Throughout the semester we will pay special attention to the ways in which movements for social justice continue to shape the world of work. Central to our task will be to consider the roles of workplace leaders of today and tomorrow in building more just and equitable workplaces. 4 grad hours.

LER 556: INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS THEORY

An integrated analysis of the principles of labor and industrial relations through the study of the works of the major theorists and their critics. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. 4 grad hours.

LER 557: HUMAN RESOURCES THEORY

This doctoral seminar provides a broad overview of the role of theory in labor and employment relations research. Specifically, we will take an in-depth examination of the major theories commonly used in micro/HR research. We will approach this task by critically reviewing and discussing various theoretical frames and perspectives drawn from a variety of disciplines including management, psychology and sociology. The course is also aimed at helping students identify an area of research that they may further investigate in their doctoral program, and to be able to develop skills to enable them to critically evaluate and integrate multiple theoretical perspectives on a particular research topic.  4 grad hours.

LER 559: MICRO RESEARCH METHODS

The purpose of this course is to provide doctoral students a foundation for conducting independent, scholarly micro research (i.e., individuals or small groups as the primary unit of analysis) by addressing the components of the research process. This foundation for conducting independent research is based on the research process as an open system of interconnected choices that unfold sequentially: (1) Choosing and Framing a Research Question, (2) Choosing an Hypothesis to Address the Research Question, (3) Choosing a Strategy and Design, (4) Choosing Modes for Treating Constructs, (5) Choosing Forms for Converting Data into Observations, (6) Choosing Procedures to Analyze Data, and (7) Choosing Conclusions for Interpreting Results. 4 grad hours.

LER 560: MACRO RESEARCH METHODS

This course introduces a core set of macro research methods to human resources and industrial relations PhD students. The main objective is to help students become enlightened users of statistical methods and develop their own “toolkits” for future research. Through short lectures, discussion sessions, in-class exercises, and weekly and final assignments, students learn about issues that will arise in macro research, acquire analytical skills to deal with those problems, and develop their own research topics.  4 grad hours.

LER 572: SOCIAL NETWORKS IN HRM

Social networks describe the structure and characteristics of social relationships among members of a connected group. Social network analysis is a powerful tool for uncovering how information and resources flow within and between organizations. This course introduces a framework for analyzing social networks and social capital within organizations. Students learn key concepts from social network analysis, including, 1) how to social networks form and evolve, 2) how do social network positions and structures affect various outcomes such as performance and innovation, and 3) how should we manage our own social networks as well as the networks in our organizations. The course focuses on both social science research and applications of social networks. 2 grad hours.

LER 590 CT: Current Issues in Labor & Employment Relations

This course examines the extent to which labor and employment relations in the United States have changed due to factors like the covid-19 pandemic and the introduction of new technologies. By analyzing specific cases, students will explore whether these changes and the recent uptick in labor activism represent a transformational moment for labor and employment relations, or a flash in the pan. Cases and topics covered include the unionization campaigns at Starbucks and Amazon, the future of work and the impact of technology on employment relations, and large strikes by workers in healthcare, auto manufacturing, and other private sector industries.

LER 590DDD: HR ANALYTICS: DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS

This course will expand your toolkit of data-analytic techniques for addressing HR problems. Topics will include introductory data handling in the free software R (I’ll show you how to do it), predictive modeling (multiple regression and logistic regression, for staffing and turnover), factor analysis and reliability analysis (for employee surveys), introductory research design (for training and program evaluation), mediation and moderation analysis (for diversity/test fairness), and introductory multilevel modeling (for teams and trends over time). Assignments include weekly labs we will work on in class (to learn the techniques), plus a few straightforward open-book open-note quizzes (to organize your knowledge, for future reference). This is a very practical, hands-on course that will help you develop concrete skills in data analysis. 4 grad hours.

LER 590DRS: DIVERSITY ISSUES IN RECRUITING & STAFFING

Diversity in recruiting and staffing has been an important and challenging topic for more than half a century in the United States. Organizations wanting to improve the fairness and diversity outcomes of their recruiting and staffing practices do so for many reasons, including compliance with federal and state legislation, as well as furthering their own diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The increasing use of recent technological innovations in recruiting and staffing (e.g., social media, machine learning) has raised many questions and concerns (both new and old) about the fairness and validity of these new human resource tools that directly influence the diversity of organizations. Consequently, professionals in human resource management will benefit from the research on fairness and diversity in recruitment and personnel selection drawn from many disciplines, including industrial-organizational psychology, human resource management, law, and organizational behavior in deciding how to develop their recruiting and staffing systems in this new digital era.

The main goal of this course is to draw on this body of research to provide an in-depth understanding of: 1) how recruiting and staffing practices (new and old) can influence the diversity of recruitment and hiring outcomes, 2) what can be done to improve the fairness of, and diversity outcomes associated with, various recruitment and selection practices, and 3) how to evaluate the fairness of recruitment and selection tools. 4 grad hours.

LER 590EMC: EMPLOYEE BENEFITS & NON-MONETARY COMPENSATION

The goal of this course is to provide students with a solid understanding of employee benefits and non-monetary forms of compensation in today’s business environment. We will introduce the socio-economic and institutional contexts, the design, and the management of benefits programs, with a special focus on evaluating various choices of providing each benefits program. Topics ranging from legally required benefits, employer-sponsored retirement and healthcare plans, paid time off, to emerging benefits such as workplace flexibility and well-being plans, will be discussed in this course. The course format consists of lectures, in class activities such as case discussions, exercises, and presentations, and group project. 4 grad hours.

LER 590IM: IMMIGRATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND PUBLIC POLICY

The proposed course examines the magnetic attraction of jobs in the U.S. and immigration, with a particular focus on laws that have regulated or restricted this inflow from the 1800s through the present. Each week, the course integrates three related perspectives on immigration and its impact on the employment relationship in the U.S. Weekly readings will be assigned from each of the following rubrics: (a) Employment Laws, (b) Immigrant Narratives, and (c) Government and Institutions. 4 grad hours.

LER 590MT: MANAGING TEAMS

General management course for learning how to build teams, improve teamwork and collaboration, and sustain team performance through continuous learning and improvement. Use cutting-edge research in management and psychology to diagnose team problems, to understand the complexity of the environment in which such teams are embedded, and to lead in ways that benefit not only team members but also the larger organization. 4 grad hours.

LER 590TI: TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, AND THE FUTURE OF WORK

Will your job be replaced by a robot?  Will technological change lead to mass unemployment and civil unrest?  How can employers, policy makers, and workers adapt to the changing landscape of employment in the 21st century?  In this course, we will study a wide variety of trends in modern employment, including automation, the gig economy, offshoring, and algorithmic hiring and staffing.  We will approach these developments from diverse disciplinary perspectives, to understand the economic, sociological, and technological antecedents and consequences of innovation and technological change.  In addition, implications for public policy and human resource management will be emphasized.   The class format will be primarily seminar style, with the expectation that all students will closely read each week’s excerpts and actively participate in class discussions. 4 grad hours.

LER 591: EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS SYSTEMS

A general framework for the analysis of employment relationships. Topics include industrial relations theory, the American system of collective bargaining, inter-country system differences, and human resource management strategies and practices. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. 4 grad hours.

LER 593: QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS

Application of statistical methods to problems in human resources and industrial relations. Analysis and presentation of results using computer software. Covers statistical techniques through analysis of variance and multiple regression. Prerequisite: Any elementary statistics course. 4 grad hours.

Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior

LER 522: EMPLOYMENT LAW FOR HR MANAGERS: DISCRIMINATION, COMPENSATION, AND PRIVACY

This course examines federal and state laws, court rulings, and administrative regulations that relate to discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual identity, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information; and wage and hour laws; employee privacy rights; employer use criminal records; negligent hiring; family and medical leave; and emerging laws and regulations. Students will learn about employer liability related to these laws. 4 grad hours.

LER 523: ORGANIZATIONAL FUNDAMENTALS FOR HR

Increases students’ effectiveness in analyzing and understanding organizations and the organizational context. It relies on the case method and focuses a number of important themes such as organization design; strategy; decision-making; and culture. In order to prepare students for the various transformations that they will experience in their careers, it examines many of these topics in the context of organizational change. Exposes students to basic ideas about key organizational topic – as well as a number of applications of these ideas – in order to give them a framework for organizing past experience. The topics covered do not offer a recipe for what to do in all situations, but rather give students a set of skills and different ways of thinking that can help them address novel problems they will face throughout their lives. 4 grad hours.

LER 532: SUCCESSFUL CHANGE MANAGEMENT FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

Introduces students to methodologies and practices for successful change management within any size organization. In addition, this course is intended to guide students through the role that HR professionals play in change management and to apply these concepts in practical ways to changes. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the online MHRIR program (10KS0364MHRU). 4 grad hours.

LER 535: NEGOTIATION PRINCIPLES IN HR CONTEXT

Develop your negotiation skills through practice and an improved understanding of the factors that underlie successful negotiations. In this course, you will not only learn what strategies work, but why they work, so that you can generalize these strategies to new situations. The typical format of the course sessions includes discussing what happened in the pre-class negotiation exercise and tying your experiences to course concepts. Prerequisite: Restricted to students in the online MHRIR program (10KS0364MHRU). 4 grad hours.

LER 561: COMPENSATION SYSTEMS

Compensation theory and practice. This course addresses the theoretical and practical issues associated with the design of effective compensation systems. The design phases include establishing internal equity, external equity, and individual equity. Budgeting and administration are also addressed. Case analyses and computer simulations may be used to supplement course materials. 4 grad hours.

LER 562: HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING AND STAFFING

Staffing is a vital component of the human resource function. It involves the selection and retention of a committed and high-performing workforce. This course is designed to help students develop an in-depth and practical understanding of the processes and practices involved in recruitment, planning and staffing. We will cover the foundational aspects of selection such as the importance and rationale for recruitment and selection, developing a recruitment process and selection system, job analysis, measurement, utility, reliability and validity of selection measures, and staffing decisions, among others. Although the topics covered will be presented from a human resource management perspective, we will also draw upon theory and research evidence from other related disciplines such as industrial/organizational psychology, social psychology and organizational behavior. 4 grad hours.

LER 564: HUMAN RESOURCE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Examination of: theories of behavioral change; application of these theories to training needs, especially with reference to the internationalization of business, changes in labor demand, demographic trends in the United States, and increasing work force diversification; advantages and disadvantages of the various training and development techniques; relation of training to organizational strategies; methods of training evaluation. Special attention is given to the need for and methods of cross-cultural training. Students develop training exercises for class presentation and participation. 2 grad hours.

LER 565: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY

Same as Business Administration 512. Designed to provide integration across the specific functional areas of the human resources management (HRM) field, while at the same time demonstrating the linkages horizontally within HRM and vertically with strategic management of the firm. This case-focused course places emphasis on human resources issues of strategic importance to the organization. Prerequisite: One prior course from the Organizational Behavior and Personnel Management distribution subject area list (in the M.H.R.I.R. degree requirements for the graduate degree in LER). 4 grad hours.

LER 567: NEGOTIATION IN HUMAN RESOURCE DECISIONS

General survey course concerning the strategies and tactics of bargaining and negotiation, with special emphasis on applications in human resource management contexts. Topics covered will include: the structure of negotiated outcomes; integrative bargaining tactics; distributive bargaining tactics; negotiation planning; power, persuasion and influence; communication; negotiating in teams and groups; negotiating using 3rd parties (arbitrators, mediators, agents); cross-cultural negotiations. Students will discuss negotiation issues and build negotiation skills through a series of experiential exercises and cases. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. An introductory course in social psychology or organizational behavior is preferred but not required. 2 grad hours (Eight week course).

LER 568: FIRM PERFORMANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES

The purpose of this course is to enable student to understand some basic ideas about and measures of firm performance with heavy emphasis on the role of human resource managers. Students will gain an understanding of how human resource professionals fit into the organization, structure, and function of business firms. Many basic ideas from the field of finance will be studied. The course covers theoretical ideas and has many empirical, policy, and practitioner-relevant applications, all with the goal of providing human resource managers fundamental financial analysis tools to enable them to function effectively in their post-graduate corporate workplaces. 4 grad hours.

LER 569: POWER AND INFLUENCE FOR HRM

This course explores what HR managers need to know to overcome resistance to change, deal with the inevitable stresses associated with change, and implement appropriate change strategies. Topics covered include: (1) assessing bases of power and influence; (2) practicing diagnostic skills to understand behavior in an organizational context; (3) building effective work relationships, both in groups and on a one-to-one basis; and (4) leadership, in terms of alignment, organizational change, and learning to lead. 2 grad hours.

LER 570: LEADERSHIP FOR HR MANAGERS

In contemporary organizations, the HR function is often called on to serve a variety of leadership roles. Thus, HR managers will not only need to learn how to utilize and improve their leadership skills in different and changing contexts, but also how to help other employees become effective leaders. The goals of this course are (1) to analyze and discuss a number of key frameworks that will provide students with knowledge of leadership in different types of organizations, and (2) to provide students with practical tools to help them make sense of their own on-the-job experiences and equip them with basic action-planning skills that they can use on the job. 2 grad hours.

LER 571: EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

This course introduces theories and practices of executive compensation to MHRIR students. Through short lectures, case studies, and team projects, students will learn about diverse theories of executive compensation and contemporary practices through which firms design and implement compensation plans for executives. By examining actual compensation contracts from public corporations, students will also compare different compensation designs and acquire skills to evaluate their effectiveness in terms of enhancing the performance of executives and their firms. 4 grad hours.

LER 597: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE

Managing and motivating employees effectively is one of the most complex and challenging issues facing companies today. While business leaders acknowledge the need for implementing effective performance management systems, recent studies indicate that an overwhelming majority of performance management systems are unsuccessful. Takes a strategic approach to employee motivation and performance starting with a firm level view to reviewing current approaches to employee motivation and performance management. Aims at providing students with practical and conceptual tools that will aid them in future endeavors to design and implement employee development and performance management systems. Format includes in-class discussions, case studies and individual assignments and papers. 4 grad hours.

LER 598: DESIGNING HIGH PERFORMANCE WORK SYSTEMS

Intensive analysis of all aspects of high performance work systems, including work design, reward systems, training, team operations, lean/six sigma systems, and labor-management partnership. Special focus on skills and principles for effective implementation, in ways that advance employee well-being and to organizational effectiveness. 4 grad hours.

Labor Markets and Employment

LER 440: ECONOMICS OF LABOR MARKETS

Same as Economics 440. A study of the microeconomic determinants of labor demand and supply, economic effects of unions, and macroeconomic labor market problems. Prerequisite: Economics 302 or equivalent. 3 undergrad hours; 2 to 4 grad hours.

LER 544: WORKFORCE POLICIES AND PARTNERSHIPS

Should an HR Director make a partnership with a local community college to train workers? Does the minimum wage reduce employment? This course focuses on the evaluation and analysis of key labor market policies, programs, and interventions. The course will take a multi-disciplinary approach to the topics it addresses; most of the readings will be drawn from the economics, sociology, and public policy literatures. 4 grad hours.

LER 545: ECONOMICS OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Same as Human Resource Education 534. A study of the economics of personnel with the modern corporation. Topics include hiring, promotion, evaluation, discrimination, raiding, job definition, pay schemes, benefits, and design of work. Prerequisite: LER 593 or equivalent or consent of the instructor. 4 grad hours.

LER 546: The Gender Wage Gap

Human resources professionals are often confronted with issues of equity between men and women related to hiring, compensation, and task assignment. This course is designed to help students evaluate explanations for differences in economic outcomes between men and women, using economics as a framework.  The course will present evidence on male-female differences in workforce participation, earnings, and occupations.  We will then study how these differences may be explained by various factors, including education, on-the-job training, family demands, and discrimination.  Further, we will study how employer and government policies may affect labor market outcomes of men and women.  Course activities and assignments will highlight how economic intuition has important practical implications for gender-related issues facing human resource professionals. 4 grad hours.

Union Management and Labor Relations Policy

LER 542: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

Same as Economics 542. Examination of: social values and social science concepts to develop a framework for explaining the basis and shape of collective bargaining as it has been practiced in the United States; government and law, unions, and employers as part of the development of this framework; the environment of collective bargaining with respect to the role of economics and bargaining structure; the negotiating process as the interactive basis for union-management relations; conflict and conflict resolution as part of the negotiating process; wage and other effects of collective bargaining as bargaining outcomes; contemporary changes in union management relations. Case materials and exercises may be used to supplement course materials. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. 4 grad hours. Graduate credit is not given for both Economics 343 and LER 542.

LER 543: WORKPLACE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Same as Economics 543 and Law 665. Examination of the use of procedures to resolve employment disputes in both union and nonunion workplaces; comparative analysis of grievance arbitration, interest arbitration, mediation, fact-finding, and combinations of these procedures; special emphasis given to the role of third party intervention. 3 professional hours; 4 grad hours. Professional credit only applicable to Law 665.

LER 590CB: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

This course examines collective bargaining in the contexts of professional sports and entertainment (e.g., movies, theater productions, symphonies and operas, TV and radio programs, and Internet platforms and extensions), while enabling students to cultivate professional skills and evaluate business strategies for sports leagues and entertainment firms. Close attention is paid to antitrust policies in the Sherman Act and Clayton Act that apply to monopolistic employment arrangements such as the reserve system (its opposite is called free agency), the draft and exclusive rights for a player, eligibility restrictions for star amateurs, and other anticompetitive practices in music, theater, movies, and TV. The course examines powerful weapons under the National Labor Relations Act that unions may use to counteract employer cartels in theater, movies, baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and related industries; and equally potent employer responses, such as lockouts and the hiring of striker replacements. The course also explores how employers combine in lawful associations to control labor costs and exploit their investments in physical and human capital; and examines bargaining tactics that enable rank-and-file employees, and star performers, to share in the wealth that they generate. Students are assigned weekly question sets, and are expected to submit a course paper based on the accumulation of readings and simulations. The course features several mock arbitration cases, presented near the end of the course, that cultivate student skills in preparing an arbitration case, evaluating evidence, and engaging in oral advocacy. 4 grad hours.

International Human Resource Management

LER 554: COMPARATIVE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS

Examines employment systems in selected developed, newly industrialized, and developing economies, focusing on, but not limited to, Asian economies. Discusses how distinctive labor market institutions emerged in the context of rapid economic development and evolved through interactions with the global economy. Topics include management-labor relations, and the roles of firms, national governments, and international organizations in shaping employment systems. Emphasis will be placed on the analytical tools needed to make multi-country comparisons, to link theory and practice, and to understand the reasons for major changes in the nature of employment relations. 4 grad hours.

LER 566: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Human Resource management issues examined from the perspective of the multinational firm. Topics include globalization and human resource strategy, management and the structure of multinational firms, dealing with intercultural differences, selecting employees for foreign assignments, training and developing expatriate employees, evaluation and compensation of employees in international assignments. Individual and group projects. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. 4 grad hours.

LER 595: MANAGING DIVERSITY GLOBALLY

Over the past four decades organizational approaches to managing workforce diversity have evolved from meeting the requirements of Title VII law to nurturing effective and diverse work groups as a business necessity. The challenge for managers is to understand the various aspects of diversity and its consequences in organizations. The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth understanding of how the Human Resource Management function can contribute to leveraging diversity as a competitive advantage. Each week we will examine various HR functions in relation to diversity management practices. By the end of this course students will have a holistic appreciation of the HR tools necessary to implement effective diversity management practices. 4 grad hours.