EC5219 - Personnel Economics

Credit points:	03
Year:	2013
Student Contribution Band:	Band 3
Administered by:	School of Business

Human resources are often the key to organisational success and managers must make frequent HR decisions such as: which types of workers to hire; how to motivate staff through payment systems and benefits; how to evaluate and monitor staff; and what to do with staff during an economic downturn. This subject uses economics to consider those and other questions relevant to an organisation's personnel. Whilst the primary objective of the course is to provide students with a set of analytical tools with which to judge the likely effects, and side effects, of different HR practices, it also provides students with insights into a broad range of issues facing employers and employees alike. It will therefore appeal to many different people - those interested in HR, those interested in Economics and/or those who are simply curious about the way in which economic factors influence employee/employer relations (be it from the employees' or the employers' perspective). The subject is tailored to students who (envision to) work at a position that requires advanced economics skills.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate an increased understanding of a range of different economic models that explain employee and employer behaviours;
• Demonstrate extensive familiarity with those models to analyse HR decisions;
• Equip students with more advanced skills to make predictions about the possible impact of those decisions on employees and employers.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to appraise information critically;
• The ability to use independent judgment to synthesise information to make intellectual and/or creative advances;
• The ability to think laterally and be original;
• The ability to conceptualise problems;
• The ability to conceptualise and evaluate a range of potential solutions to relevant problems;
• The ability to conduct their research in an ethical manner;
• The ability to communicate the methodology, results and implications of their research in a manner appropriate to different purposes and audiences.

Inadmissible Subject Combinations:

BX3053

Availabilities
Townsville, Block, Study Period 3
Census Date 07-Feb-2013
Face to face teaching 01-Feb-2013 to 10-Feb-2013 (5-9pm 1 and 8 Feb, 9-5pm 2 and 3rd Feb, 9-4pm 9 and 10th Feb, exam 5-7pm 19th Feb)
Coord/Lect:	Dr Riccardo Welters.
Contact hours:	26 hours lectures 12 hours tutorials
Assessment:	end of semester exam (25%); quizzes or tests (25%); multidraft Essays (50%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.