Professor of Practice Management and Organizations, Ross School of Business
Human Capital: Positive Downsizing and Navigating Politics
What You'll Learn
- Critique strategies for organizational downsizing while maintaining an ethical and positive approach
- Explore the impact of corporate politics on human capital management and employee relations
- Apply psychological principles within the context of HR to foster positive intentions and professional relationships
- Synthesize knowledge from the entire series to evaluate comprehensive HR strategies in various scenarios
2 Modules
8 Hours
4 hrs per module (approx.)
Rating
About Human Capital: Positive Downsizing and Navigating Politics
“Human Capital: Positive Downsizing and Navigating Politics” helps you navigate the complex landscape of organizational downsizing while upholding ethical standards. This course offers an in-depth look at strategies for managing such challenging situations with integrity. You'll explore the influence of corporate politics on human capital management and employee relations, providing insights into effectively navigating these complex areas effectively.
Additionally, by applying psychological principles within HR contexts, you'll learn how to foster positive intentions and develop strong professional relationships. The course also synthesizes knowledge to help you evaluate comprehensive HR strategies in various scenarios. This balanced approach aims to equip you with the skills needed to handle multifaceted HR challenges thoughtfully and effectively.
This is the fifth course in “Extraordinary Human Capital Management,” a course series for human resource professionals interested in advancing their skills to align with organizational and employee needs.
Skills You'll Gain
- Employee Relations
- Employee Retention Strategy
- HR Operations
- Human Capital
- Human Resource Management
- Human Resource Planning
- Human Resource Strategy
- Leadership Psychology
What You'll Earn
- Certificate of Completion
- Certificates of completion acknowledge knowledge acquired upon completion of a non-credit course or program.
Welcome Message
Welcome to Human Capital: Positive Downsizing and Navigating Politics! This course, the final course in the Extraordinary Human Capital Management series, helps you evaluate strategies for organizational downsizing with an ethical and positive approach. Explore the impact of corporate politics on human capital, learn psychological principles in HR, and develop strategies to navigate complex workplace dynamics. By course end, you’ll synthesize these concepts into practical HR strategies for real-world scenarios.
This abbreviated syllabus description was created with the help of AI tools and reviewed by staff. The full syllabus is available to those who enroll in the course.
Course Schedule
Module 1: Bringing It All Together
- Video: Introduction to Extraordinary Human Capital Management
- Reading: Syllabus
- Reading: Help Us Learn More About You!
- Discussion Prompt: Meet Your Fellow Global Learners
- Video: Bringing It All Together
- Video: The Problems with Downsizing
- Reading: If You Think Downsizing Might Save Your Company, Think Again
- Reading: Introduction to the Gamut Workbook
- App Item: Learning Journal: Discover The Fat in Your Organization
- Reading: Pontiac Fiero Commercial #1
- Video: Introduction to Vignettes
- Reading: Vignette: Doing What Good Girls Do
- Discussion Prompt: Doing What Good Girls Do Discussion
- Discussion Prompt: What would you do?
- Discussion Prompt: What's your detailed plan?
- Video: Debrief: Doing What Good Girls Do
- Reading: Pontiac Fiero Commercial #2
- Reading: Behind the Scenes at the Fiero Plant
- Reading: Refining Your Plan
- Reading: Trying to avoid downsizing? These are the best alternatives to layoffs
- Video: Alternatives to Downsizing and Module Conclusion
- App Item: Learning Journal: Module 1 Summary
Module 2: Politics at Work—The Role of Human Resources
- Video: Politics at Work
- Video: Positive Intent and Managing the Fine Lines
- Reading: Vignette: The Line Was Busy
- Discussion Prompt: The Line Was Busy Discussion
- Video: Debrief: The Line Was Busy
- Video: Things We Can’t Afford to Forget and Cheri’s 11 Cs
- Video: Debrief: Post-Assessment
- Reading: Post-Course Survey
- Video: Conclusion to Extraordinary Human Capital Management
Grading Policy
Course materials are open for self-paced learning. Learners must earn an overall grade of 80% to pass. The course grade is based on two quizzes (worth 40% each) and a post-assessment with 20% of the final grade. Reflection and application activities via the Learning Journal are highly encouraged. A graded post-assessment covers content from all five courses in the series.
Course content developed by U-M faculty and managed by the university. Faculty titles and affiliations are updated periodically.
Intermediate Level
A bachelor’s degree is recommended, but learners with 3-5 years of job experience in any field can enroll without a degree.
