HP8005 INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (3.0 AU)

I regret taking this module, unlike the other reviewers. I only took it in the end because I was left with limited GER-PE options due to some administrative mistake made. I am neither a Psych nor a Business major, so perhaps that is why this module’s content was not quite my cup of tea. If you enjoy this module and are willing to study for the tests, I would say that it would be quite easy, because a lot of the things can at least be memorised. The workload is pretty manageable since you can just cram all the readings a few days before the tests along with revision if you want to, and the only assessments are the 2 tests and finals. In my case, I didn’t enjoy the content so I didn’t feel like it would be worth the pain in studying, and so I just took the easy way out and S/Ued it. I took this in AY2020/21 Semester 2, so the Zoom lectures were recorded unlike in past years. I would say take this if you like learning about the Psych + Business perspectives of HRM. Personally, I preferred CV8011, the CEE half-equivalent of this module, but unfortunately I cannot review that module on this website.

Year Taken: AY17/18, Sem 2
Lecturer: He was always reticent with his name… Jerry? Gary? I can at least tell you that he sported a distinctive tuft of shoulder-length hair that was always slickly oiled. And wore rimless glasses. I miss his eccentricities.
Assessments: Mid-terms (40%), final exam (60%)
Workload/difficulty: Medium/medium

Welcome to IO Psych for the Layman. The content covered in this course is more pragmatic than theoretical. You have topics such as hiring decisions, employee development, and performance management. Mr Cool Hair would launch into passionate monologues of the state of affairs in the corporate world. He spent much time discussing how local policies and regulations (e.g. CPF, healthcare) had ramifications on businesses. My printouts are littered with hasty annotations of his observations, delivered in rapid fire.

Many concepts here come intuitively to the psychology student. Test validity and reliability, motivation, reinforcement – our daily bread and butter. At the same time, you have business ideas sprinkled throughout the course – organisational models, equity, market forces. It’s a niche module; I doubt I’ll be applying what I’ve learnt in my pedestrian not-in-HR life. But there is much targeted knowledge to be gleaned here, with the module’s sharp awareness of the world in which it exists. It can be beneficial when searching for a suitable career environment – especially if you’re considering binding yourself to any bureaucratic conglomerate.

Pay close attention to what he says, and attend his exam review.

This review was reposted with the kind permission of Gwyneth. Originally published at https://gwynethtyt.com/2021/06/01/ntu-psych-mods/

Interesting mod for those who want to get a taste of HR and dive into HR in the future. All 3 quizzes are quite manageable but they are very content heavy. Attend all lectures as the prof will usually give tips.

Actually a very underrated (imo) and manageable GERPE (LA). This mod is actually quite insightful if you find general business mods too dry as this is more of a psychology-based mod. You’ll learn about interesting case studies in relation to the different HR functions. The prof shares a lot of interesting stories of his own experiences in HR and the workforce.
There are 2 quizzes (T/F) and a final exam (2 essays and a few T/F questions).

Tip: Attend the lectures (it’s not recorded). The prof will sometimes say things that aren’t in the slides but would appear in the test. The T/F questions are usually based on the slides, readings and the things the prof says in the lectures.