In the contemporary globalized business environment most HR professionals will have to become involved in the management and support of employees in different national contexts. In any one location they will have to manage a diverse work force. It is therefore imperative that HR professional understands the impact of national cultural contexts on the HR role and upon the different skills associated with it. This unit aims to facilitate this understanding. It also aims to equip participants with the diagnostic skills to enable them to select appropriate strategies to deal with HR problems/ challenges in a range of international settings. At the end of the course participants will be able to: ¿ Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of differing approaches to HRM in different countries including resourcing, performance management and reward, development, employment relations systems and flexible working ¿ Evaluate the impact of cross cultural issues for operating as an HR professional across national boundaries ¿ Identify the resourcing processes and challenges in different national labour markets. ¿ Evaluate performance management and reward strategies in different national contexts. ¿ Apply training and development processes in different organizational and national contexts. ¿ Introduce flexible working concepts in different business cultural settings. ¿ Adapt the management of employment relations to different national and international contexts.

1. Comparative HRM and Culture: Methodological issues. 1.1. Organizational/corporate/societal cultures and the tensions between them. 1.2. Cross cultural HR and potential problems. 2. Performance Management, Reward and Resourcing. 3. Training and Development. 3.1. The training process and its implementation in different national and organizational contexts. 4. Flexible and Agile Working. 4.1. Different approaches to flexible working in different national contexts including agile working, work life issues, flexicurity. 5. Comparative Employment relations. 5.1. Analysis of and selection of appropriate employment relations. 5.2. Strategies in different national/organizational settings including conflict management. 5.3. Negotiating skills: role play-negotiation of an equality plan

Teaching methods include: - Lectures - Case studies - Role play - Directed reading - Small and large group discussion Framework lectures will be illustrated by case studies and role play. Questions will be posed in class to encourage debate and discussion. Contributions to debate and discussion should be evidence based ¿ not simply a product of individual values. Students will be encouraged to access sources of material outside the class time (e.g. journal articles, web sources etc) and take the opportunity to introduce this material into class discussion. Elements of the course will take place within a group work framework e.g. role play.