1. No category

1
Course Manual
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
3rd Year Bachelor
2013/2014
Second trimester: week 2 – week 12
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Summary of important rules and regulations for BScIBA and MSc students
General Information
Summary of Workshop/Team Registration dates
Student Advisers
Master Event
Third Year Elective Choices
Article 3.4 – Fraud
Business Information Management (BAD14)
Foundations of Business Law (BAD15)
Human Resource Management (BAD11)
Research Training + Bachelor Thesis (BAD10)
IBA curriculum 2013-2014
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
5
12
16
26
35
Course Manuals give more detailed information about courses within a trimester. They contain
the following information per course:
course title, course code, number of credits;
name of coordinator;
teaching staff;
contact person, secretariat, room numbers, phone numbers, visiting hours;
educational form;
examination form;
examination regulation;
examples for examinations;
aims and objectives of the course;
extended description of the course content;
subjects per lecture/workshop;
required literature: books, syllabus, reader, sheets;
literature and course content to be examined;
recommended further reading.
Course Manuals will be available at the beginning of each trimester, for each year of the
programme.
2
Summary of important rules and regulations for BScIBA and MSc students
The following rules and regulations, depending on your situation, may have an effect on your
studies. For more information and a detailed explanation of all of these rules please consult
the BSc IBA Examination Regulations.
RSM rules
The Bachelor-before-Master rule
Admission to all RSM Master programmes is only possible if students have completed the
entire Bachelor programme, without a single course left open.
Period of validity of grades
Final course grades (published in Osiris) for the bachelor programme are valid for six years.
The final course grades (published in Osiris) for the master programmes are valid for 3 years.
(Consult Examination Regulations for detailed information)
Compensation rule for 1st year courses
The compensation rule means you can compensate one insufficient grade (between 4.5 and
5.4) with at least two rounded 7s or one rounded 8 or higher, provided that you have passed
all your other courses of Bachelor 1 in your first year of enrolment. The grade for the compensated course will remain on your grade list and counts in the grade point average for the total
bachelor programme. (Consult Examination Regulations for detailed information)
Compensation rule for 2nd and 3rd year courses
Students (excluding Pre-Master students) may graduate from the BSc IBA programme with a
4.5 or higher for one examination part of the course year B2 or B3 (with the exception of the
minor, internship, and the Research Training & Bachelor Thesis), provided that the calculated
grade point average for the total bachelor programme (including the course to be compensated) mentioned in Article 6.2 paragraph 2 of the Rules and Guidelines is at least 7.0. This
compensation rule will only be applied by the Examination Board upon request. The grade for
the compensated course will remain on your grade list and counts in the grade point average
for the total bachelor programme. (Consult Examination Regulations for detailed information)
Last-Result Rule
Students have a free choice in the number of times that they wish to take a written examination. The result is the last grade obtained. If the material to be studied for an examination has
changed, the new material must be studied.
General Information
You can download the Bachelor 3 Trimester 2 course manual, schedule, and book list via the
RSM IBA Current Students page (www.rsm.nl/current-students/iba). Also be sure to subscribe to all of your trimester 2 courses via SIN. If any changes to the schedule, registration dates, etc. should occur, these updates can be found in the respective SIN course channels.
Tip: Take the time to peruse the message archive of your courses once a week to make sure
you are aware of all relevant registration dates, schedule changes, etc.
Registration for the final exams takes place via OSIRIS-Online. The registration dates are
always 35 to 7 days before the date of the exam. Mark your calendar!
An online course evaluation will be mailed to you at the end of each trimester 2 course. This
evaluation will remain open until the course’s exam date. The day of the final examination
you will receive a separate evaluation about the exam. Please take the time to fill in both of
2
3
these evaluations; your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated by members of the
IBA teaching staff and programme management.
We also recommend that you subscribe to the following SIN channels:
RSM Bachelor 3 International Business Administration - IBA B3 general information
channel with messages from programme management
RSM Examination Board - The RSM Examination Board’s own channel
Tentamenlocaties (Dutch for Examination Locations) – seating assignments for exams in the
M-hall are announced via this channel
IBA Notice Board - where all non-programme related messages for IBA students are posted
Summary of workshop/team registration dates (per course) –Register via SIN!
Business Information Management (BAD14)
Plenary lectures (no registration required)
Mid-Term – Registration via SIN required, between 30 December – 26 January
Foundations of Business Law (BAD15)
Mid-term on Friday, 21 February in T3 PC-labs. Registration via SIN required:
3 February – 16 February. No late registrations will be accepted.
Human Resource Management (BAD11)
No registration necessary for the cases (which are completed individually).
Weekly registration for the HRM case-based sessions (weeks 6,7,8 & 9):
Sessions wk. 6 (3 February): Register via SIN 27 January – 2 February
Sessions wk. 7 (10 February): Register via SIN 3 February – 9 February
Sessions wk. 8 (17 February): Register via SIN 10 February – 16 February
Sessions wk. 9 (24 February): Register via SIN 17 February – 23 February
Research Training & Bachelor Thesis (BAD10)
Registration for the Bachelor Thesis teams of 3 students was held until 2 December.
Registration is now closed.
Student Advisers
The student advisers’ key task is to support students with their IBA studies. Students may
contact one of the student advisers for information, advice and/or guidance. The student
advisers are familiar with all aspects of the course programmes and can assist students in
making decisions in the fields of study planning, study choices, internships, exchange,
a second study, mediation with regard to examination board issues, etc.
Students who are not able to continue their studies or experience delays, for instance because
of personal circumstances such as illness, handicap, family circumstances etc., may also turn
to the student advisers for personal advice and guidance. For more information and contact
details please consult the following site: http://www.rsm.nl/study-advice/bachelor-iba/
Master Event
The next Master Event will be held on 15 April, 2014. This event will allow you to visit lectures, workshops and a general information market about the RSM master programmes. Staff
and Master student ambassadors will be present to answer your questions. To learn more
about the RSM Master programmes please visit www.rsm.nl/master
3
4
rd
3 year Elective choices (Exchange or Internship/Minor + 5 ECTS elective)
Exchange: The application process for the fall 2014 exchange will take place starting in October. The deadline for submitting your exchange application for fall 2014 is 12 December 2013
(before 17:00).
Minor: You have the option to take a minor at the EUR or at another university.
Minors on offer at the EUR: www.eur.nl/minor
Registration period: most likely April – May 2014
Register via: SIN-Online by subscribing to the “Minors” channel from the “EUR”
Please note: You may only do a minor if you have obtained at least 60 ECTS
from the IBA curriculum.
Internship: Another option to consider is to conduct an internship which involves the research
of a practical problem that is carried out for an international organization abroad or in the
Netherlands (for non-Dutch students). To be used for credit, the internship must last at least
10 weeks full-time (the equivalent of 420 working hours). For information about finding an
internship, meeting the specific requirements for receiving credit, and much more, please
consult the ‘Bachelor Internship Manual’ and the ‘Bachelor Internship – Steps to Follow’ found
on the IBA Current Students page (http://www.rsm.nl/information-for/currentstudents/bachelor-iba/bachelor-3/internships/ ) . There is no specific deadline for arranging
your internship, however it is recommended that you request approval from an academic
coach for your internship proposal before the summer months.
Please note: You may not do an internship for credits if you have not successfully
passed all of your B1 courses.
5 ECTS Options: There are a number of different options available to students who choose to
do a minor or an internship and who still need 5 ECTS in order to graduate. For detailed
explanations about these options, please consult the following Current Students page:
http://www.rsm.nl/information-for/current-students/bachelor-iba/bachelor-3/elective-options/
Questions? Contact Raechel Torner ([email protected])
Interim Project – held in weeks 46-50 (after the Minor exams)
Elective course from another faculty / university
Language Elective - after successful completion of 2 modules of the same language. See IBA Current Students – Language Electives for more information.
Article 3.4 – fraud
1. If in the matter of taking an examination, fraud – within the meaning of Article 1.2, paragraph 2 – is detected or suspected, this is set down in writing as soon as possible by the
invigilator or the examiner whom he/she must call in. The invigilator or the examiner may ask
the student to make available any items of evidence. A refusal to do this is recorded in the
written report. The student is given the opportunity to add written comments to the written
report of the invigilator or examiner. The written report and any written comments are handed
over to the Examination Board as soon as possible.
2. The Examination Board or the examiner may exclude a student who has cheated from
further participation in the examination during which the irregularity was detected, and/or take
other appropriate measures. The exclusion has the consequence that no result will be established for the examination concerned. Before the Examination Board decides to make the
exclusion, it gives the student the opportunity to give his/her account.
3. The other appropriate measures as referred to in paragraph 2 may consist of, among others, the following sanctions:
a. reprimand; b. invalidation of the examination concerned; c. exclusion from the examination
concerned for at most one year; d. exclusion from one or more rounds of examinations; e. a
combination of the above measures with a maximum of one year. f. in a serious case of fraud
the Examination Board may advise the Executive Board to end the enrolment for the programme of the person concerned once and for all.
4
5
Business Information Management
Course name:
Course code:
Course load:
Term:
Coordinator:
Teaching staff:
Contact:
Course structure:
Course schedule:
Examination:
(BAD14)
Business Information Management
BAD14
5 ECTS
Trimester 2
Drs. Mark Boons
Prof. Dr. Hans Borgman, Drs. Mark Boons
[email protected] is the central e-mail address
for all questions related to this course. You can expect a response within 48 hours.
Plenary lectures
Tuesdays 1 PM-3 PM (weeks 3-10), Mondays 1 PM – 3 PM
(weeks 3 and 5)
Mid-term Exam (50%), Final Exam (50%),Bonus Case (optional)
Office Hours & contact information
Office hours before/after each lecture and by appointment. For all issues concerning this course, including content-related issues, questions about the exam, exam
perusal, grades and the bonus assignment, please use our central e-mail address:
[email protected].
Course Overview
Rapid changes in information and communication technology (referred to as ICT or
IT) and its application over the last years have caused major changes for individuals, organizations and industries. The Internet, and information systems and communication technology in general, have radically impacted our personal and professional lives and challenged our thinking on physical, geographical and industry
boundaries, on distance, speed, and communication, on how we live, work, learn,
communicate, compete, collaborate, and socialize. New business models have
emerged, as have new types of entrepreneurship and new forms of leadership. The
‘new’ elements include management practices and views on value creation, globalization and entrepreneurship from established industries such as manufacturing
(think of globalization, outsourcing to India and China, open innovation and the
open source movement) to newer and ‘converged’ industries such as telecommunications and media (on the consumer side, think of iTunes, eBooks, Netflix and
Google TV). This course, ‘Business Information Management’, aims at providing a
deeper understanding of the issues, challenges and opportunities in this area, with
a specific focus on creating business value with IT. Understanding the underlying
principles is crucial for all aspects of business administration, from marketing to
logistics and from strategy to HR. The course emphasizes an organizational and
managerial approach to IT and Information Management, covering strategic issues
as well as implementation and change. The course is offered by the Business Information Management group of the RSM Department of Technology and Operations Management.
Learning Goals
After successful completion of this course, students should have reached the following objectives:
5
6




Be able to identify and assess strategic information systems that may (potentially) affect corporate positioning and competitiveness;
Have a thorough understanding of the process and products of information
planning and its relationship with both a company's overall strategy, the information systems architecture, and the development of individual systems;
Have a thorough understanding of the process, context and issues in information systems development projects; perform high-level information
analysis and process analysis;
Have a thorough understanding of key developments in information and
communication technologies and their possible impact on businesses.
Course Information
As Information Management cuts across all functions and disciplines it is assumed
that participants have a basic grasp of all areas of business administration, including marketing, finance, operations, organizational behavior, human resource management, and strategic management. As lectures do NOT repeat or summarize
textbook materials assigned for each lecture, it is also explicitly assumed that students adequately prepare all materials assigned for each class. Detailed information
can be found below with possible updates published through blackboard.
Structure of the Course
The course is structured around three conceptual blocks:
1. ICT strategy & organization, with a focus on identifying and assessing strategic opportunities and challenges for IT and e-business, organizational
change, and on issues such as project justification and organizational/financial impact analysis;
2. ICT-enabled process innovation & ICT development, with a focus on process analysis and redesign to leverage e-business and IT possibilities, and
on the management-issues surrounding development and implementation
processes;
3. Enabling technologies, aimed at providing an understanding of some of the
key technologies in this area, with a focus on ‘Internetworking technologies’, explaining the technology behind the internet and telecommunication
networks, always from a general management perspective.
Any changes or additions in dates or assigned materials, as well as all lecture
slides, sample exams and other materials will be published on blackboard: please
make sure you check blackboard regularly during the course.
Literature
The textbook we will be using for the course is John Gallaugher's (2013), “Information Systems: A Manager’s Guide to Harnessing Technology”, version 2.0,
eISBN: 978-1-4533-5780-4. In collaboration with the publisher, Flat World
Knowledge, we will be offering the textbook in digital format. The "All Access Pass"
to access the textbook will be made available through the Study Store.
6
7
The detailed course schedule below shows which chapters are assigned for each
session and which additional required materials (available through Blackboard either as a full-text article or through a library or web link) are assigned. Please also
keep in mind that lectures form an integral part of the material required for the exam. Roughly 1/4 of the exam is based on the textbook and other required literature
(see below and on blackboard), 1/2 is based on materials discussed during the
lectures (not just the lecture slides!) and 1/4 is based on material discussed both
during the lectures and in the literature.
Detailed course outline and examination dates
Date
Topic
Class 1
Mon, Jan 13
1 - 3 PM
(M2-03)
Setting the stage: Issues, challenges, and opportunities
What is this course about? Within the context of the IBA program
and the IT-related issues faced by both IT and general managers
today, we will set the agenda for this course. We will define the
three conceptual blocks of the course, i.e. IT Strategy, Process
Innovation, and Enabling Technologies, discuss the course assessment and present a case study to illustrate the various
themes.
Readings: Gallaugher Ch. 1 and 2
See blackboard for additional required readings in the form of
cases and articles.
Class 2
Tue, Jan 14
1 - 3 PM
(LB-107)
IT Strategy I: Using IT for Strategic Advantage (a)
Information and Communication Technologies, and most recently
the Internet, have a major impact on how organizations work,
compete, and cooperate. IT and e-business are reshaping organizations and entire industries, and more than ever the alignment of
IT and strategy is taking center stage. How do companies assess
strategic IT needs and opportunities?
Using a variety of examples from different industries, we will explore these changes and the underlying principles.
Readings: Gallaugher Ch. 3 and 4.
See blackboard for additional required readings in the form of
cases and articles.
Class 3
Mon, Jan 20
1 - 3 PM
(M2-03)
IT Strategy II: Using IT for Strategic Advantage (b)
Continuing last week’s session, we move from IT Strategy frameworks to IT Governance and IT planning, looking specifically at the
point where new plans are meeting with old, existing ‘legacy’ applications. How do you translate vision into an application portfolio? Where do you set priorities? And how do you balance topdown visions and innovations with bottom-up realities and complications such as outsourcing, mergers, partnerships and changing
regulations?
Readings: Gallaugher Ch. 7.
7
8
See blackboard for additional required readings in the form of
cases and articles.
Class 4
Tue, Jan 21
1 - 3 PM
(LB-107)
Enabling Technologies I: A manager’s guide to telecommunications and the Internet
Did you ever wonder what happens when you send an email,
download a film or access files from ‘the cloud’? Well, you should,
and curiosity should not be the only reason. Across industries
organizations today invest often over 50% of their capital expenditures in ICT, and a basic understanding of the underlying technology is required to assess and capitalize on these investments and
be prepared for what is to come. In a single session we will cover
the essentials of the Internet and of (mobile) networking technologies, exploring topics such as the TCP/IP framework, P2P, VoIP
and cloud computing, to name just a few. And all of this, of course,
with a general IBA audience in mind.
Readings: Gallaugher Ch. 5 and 13.
See blackboard for additional required readings in the form of
cases and articles.
Class 5
Mon, Jan 27
1 - 3 PM
(M2-03)
To be announced
See blackboard for additional required readings in the form of
cases and articles.
Class 6
Tue, Jan 28
1 - 3 PM
(LB-107)
Process Innovation I: Information System’s Development
Organizational as well as Inter-organizational processes are critically dependent on Information Systems, and identifying the right
systems and subsequently developing (or buying) and implementing them is a key responsibility of the IT department, be it alone
with the other parts of the organization, with a software vendor,
with outside consultants or with an outsourcer in say India or China. What are the issues and how do you manage these?
Readings: Gallaugher Ch. 10 and 11.
See blackboard for additional required readings in the form of
cases and articles.
Mon, Feb 3
9:30 - 11:30
AM
M-hall
Midterm exam (chance 1 of 2)
The exam covers all the materials covered in the lectures 1 to 6
including the assigned readings and the materials on blackboard.
Registration via SIN-Online (30 December - 28 January).
Class 7
Tue, Feb 4
1 - 3 PM
(LB-107)
Process Innovation II: Getting the right process right
Getting the right process right is the first step in process innovation. How do you pick the right process? Which process should
you improve, and which one should you source out? How can IT
make a difference? Process innovation and excellence are often
8
9
concerned with competing on time. In the second part of this lecture we will focus on cycle time reduction as process analysis
method.
Readings: Gallaugher Ch. 6 and 15.
See blackboard for additional required readings in the form of
cases and articles.
Class 8
Tue, Feb 11
1 - 3 PM
(LB-107)
IT Strategy III: Business Implications of Web 2.0
In recent years the Internet has evolved into a collaborative platform where users not only gather information or buy products but
also participate, collectively create information (Wikipedia,
Youtube, Pinterest) and engage in social interaction (Facebook,
Twitter, Hyves). Commonly this is referred to as ‘Web 2.0’ or social
media. In this class we will consider the implications of Web 2.0 for
organizations; do organizations need social media strategies?
How can they use Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms?
Can we outsource tasks to ‘the online crowd’?
Readings: Gallaugher Ch. 8 and 9.
See blackboard for additional required readings in the form of
cases and articles.
Class 9
Tue, Feb 18
1 - 3 PM
(LB-107)
Process Innovation II: Getting the right process right
For process innovation, this is where the rubber hits the road.
Following up on the time-based process analysis approach discussed in the previous session, we will now take a dataflow analysis perspective and go over a number of examples.
See blackboard for required readings in the form of cases and
articles.
Class 10
Tue, Feb 25
1 - 3 PM
(LB-107)
Enabling Technologies II: Data management
Data play a crucial role in information systems, and in this session
we will look at data, information, and knowledge from various
perspectives, ranging from technology (‘what is a database’) to
business (‘Business Intelligence: using information as a strategic
asset’) to psychology (‘how do managers deal with information
overload’).
Readings: Gallaugher Ch. 12.
See blackboard for additional required readings in the form of
cases and articles.
9
10
Class 11
Tue, Mar 4
1 - 3 PM
(CB-1)
Wrap-up: Business Information Management
In this session we will re-visit the main themes of this course, address possible issues, questions and concerns you may have for
the final exam and wrap up our course, also providing you with an
overview of the BIM specialization Master.
Wed, Mar 19
9:30 AM 12:30 PM
M-hall
Final exam (chance 1 of 2)
The exam covers all the materials covered in the lectures 7 to 11
including the assigned readings and the materials on blackboard.
Register on time via Osiris (12 February - 11 March)!
Wed, Jul 9
9:30 AM 12:30
PM
M-hall
Re-sit
Midterm exam (chance 2 of 2)
Final exam (chance 2 of 2)
Assessment and Examinations
The final grade for this course is based on the weighted average of the midterm
exam (50%) and the final exam (50%). If a student has participated in the bonus
assignment, a bonus of up to 1 point is added to this grade, depending on the grade
for the bonus assignment.
o For the midterm exam students need to study the material discussed
in classes 1 to 6, including the relevant literature.
o For the final exam students need to study the material discussed in
classes 7 to 11, including the relevant literature.
o The bonus assignment is optional and there are no possibilities for
retaking it later. The maximum bonus that can be added to your
course grade based on the bonus assignment is 1.0. More information
on the bonus assignment will be made available on the Blackboard in
the week after the midterm exam.
You have the opportunity to retake either one or both of the exams. Both the midterm and the final exam can be retaken in June. You are free to retake these exams
without any restrictions within the current academic year. Your highest score counts
towards your final grade.

(Partial) grades from the previous academic year (2012-2013) are not valid in
the current academic year (2013-2014).

Grades received in the current academic year (2013-2014) will not be valid in
the next academic year (2014-2015).
10
11


The grades for the midterm and final exam will be rounded to one decimal (a
5.45 will become a 5.5, a 8.95 will become a 9.0, a 5.44 will become a 5.4,
etc.). The final course grade will be calculated based on these rounded grades
for the midterm and final exam.
There will be no minimum grade requirements for the midterm and final
exam. This means that even if you receive lower than a 4.5 on one or both of
the exams you will still receive a final grade for the course.
Students Retaking the Course
Students retaking the course must complete the exam and (optionally) the bonus
assignment, as they are required for the current academic year. The examination
for re-takers is thus based on the content and conditions that apply to the current
academic year (2013-2014). Grades or partial grades from earlier academic years
are not valid for this current year (midterm exam, final exam or bonus assignment),
and partial grades for the current academic year will also not be valid for next academic year.
Examination Perusal
The date, time and place of the perusal will be announced when the grades are
published.
11
12
Foundations of Business Law
Course name:
Course code:
Course load:
Term:
Teaching staff:
Course structure:
Course schedule:
Examination:
(BAD15)
Foundations of Business Law
BAD15
4 ECTS
Trimester 2
Dr. H. Gubby, Barrister-at-law
RSM and Law School
Room T07-18
[email protected]
Plenary lectures
9xTuesday/2xThursday afternoon (weeks 2-10)
Mid-Term Exam, Final Exam
Requirements of prior knowledge
None. However, students may find this course quite challenging, as it is the only law
course on the Bachelor program. Law is a very different discipline from business
administration and one not familiar to most business administration students. It
requires a different set of skills and a different approach.
Structure of course load distribution
10 lectures of 2 hours
1 case analysis session
Self–study (reading and examination preparation)
20 hrs
2 hrs
90 hrs
Method and profile of lectures
The lectures will provide an overview of certain areas of law of importance to those
involved in business and management. The legal element of this course will focus
on the business law of common law jurisdictions (UK, USA). The reasons for this
focus are twofold. Firstly, the language of international trade and commerce is English. Consequently, English is also the international language of legal negotiation
and documentation, and an understanding of English legal terminology is therefore
useful. Secondly, due to the international character of the student body in the IBA
program, texts must be accessible in English. Nonetheless, where relevant, comparisons will be drawn with the legal approach in civil law systems, like the Netherlands. The emphasis is on the general legal problems that may concern any business enterprise. The law of the UK and USA is used to illustrate the way in which
certain jurisdictions deal with particular legal problems.
In addition to the 10 plenary lectures, 1 case analysis session will be given. This will
help students to prepare both for the open question mid-term exam and the case
application questions in the multiple-choice exam. Students will be asked to analyse
a case by applying the relevant legal principles to the facts of a case and then to
discuss their findings.
Place of the course in the curriculum
The aim of the Foundations of Business Law course is to provide students with a
certain basic knowledge of the law relevant to business.
12
13
Introduction to course contents
Business and commerce take place within a legal context and, in the final analysis,
are governed and regulated by law. Those involved in the management and administration of business enterprises cannot afford to be ignorant of the legal issues that
may affect their business ventures. This course is an introduction to some of the
major areas of law particularly relevant to business practice.
Objectives and final level
Those studying law within, and as a part of, a wider sphere of study cannot be expected to acquire the same detailed level of knowledge as law students. It is beyond the scope of this course to cover all the areas of law that potentially come
within the range of business law, such as labour law and tax law. Nonetheless,
business administration students are expected to have a sound basic understanding of certain legal topics. Attention is therefore paid in particular to company law
and contract law and other branches of law that relate generally to business enterprises.
The operation of Anglo-American law is used to introduce students to how a legal
system may deal with certain problems which can confront managers. While AngloAmerican law forms the basis of the course, it is placed within a wider international
perspective, being compared with European law.
The lectures set out to explain the legal concepts behind the legal issues and to
familiarize students with legal reasoning, in particular by looking at cases. Students
are expected not only to know which legal principles are relevant to a certain legal
issue, but also to recognize which legal principles should be applied to the facts of a
particular case.
Literature
Helen Gubby, English legal terminology: legal concepts in language (Boom Juridische Studieboeken/Eleven International Publishing), third edition 2011.
(Please make sure you have the third edition not the second edition.)
The additional material given on the PowerPoint presentations during the lectures
and all the material (including links to articles) on Blackboard form a part of the
course material.
Examination Dates
Mid-Term Examination: Friday, 21 February, 2014 – sessions between 9:00-14:00
Final Examination:
Wednesday, 12 March, 2014 – 13:30-15:30
Re-sit Examination:
Tuesday, 8 July, 2014 – 9:30-11:30
For the Final and Re-sit examinations, registration via Osiris required. You can
register via Osiris from 35 to 7 days before the examination. If you have any questions about how to register please contact the programme manager, Raechel
Torner, at [email protected].
For the Mid-term exam on Friday, 21 February 2014, registration via SIN required.
Only registered students will be allowed to participate. Mid-term registration dates
13
14
(via SIN-Online): Monday, 3 February through Sunday, 16 February. No late
registrations will be accepted!
Assessment and Examinations
There are two parts to the examination:

An open question mid-term exam. The mid-term consists of two cases.
Each case requires the student to answer knowledge questions and questions which require the student to show insight into the legal issues relevant to the case. The mid-term will be held on Friday, February 21, 2014.
The mid-term counts for 10% (1 point);

A multiple-choice examination on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 which
counts for 90% (9 points). Each of the 50 exam questions has two alternative answers.
Note:




Failure to sit the mid-term exam does not exclude a student from sitting the
multiple-choice exam. However, as the mid-term exam is good for 10% of
the total grade, if the mid-term is either not sat or failed, the maximum exam score that can be obtained for this course is not a 10 but a 9.
The mid-term will be graded as ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory’. A satisfactory score gives the full 1 point. To achieve a ‘satisfactory’, a minimum
number of points must have been obtained in the mid-term, indicating a
reasonable grasp of legal principles and an ability to apply the relevant legal principles to the facts of a case. Mid-term answers that fail to achieve
the minimum number of points will be considered as of a too low standard.
The mid-term will be graded as ‘unsatisfactory’ and the 1 point will not be
awarded.
The value of the mid-term exam is not just the 1 point that can be
achieved. This open question case exam is an important and useful practical exercise. By having to analyse a case, and with no choice of answers
being offered by the exam, the student must construct the answer
his/herself. This helps the student to see before the main exam what
he/she has understood and what he/she thought he/she had understood
but actually had not understood. It provides a chance to practice dealing
with the case application questions in the multiple-choice exam. Students
are strongly recommended to sit the mid-term exam.
Due to the importance of the mid-term as preparation for the multiplechoice examination, grades obtained for a mid-term in a previous year will
not be valid.
Students Retaking the Course
Students retaking the course must complete the assignments and exams as they
are required for the current academic year. The examination for re-takers is thus
based on the content and conditions that apply to the current academic year (20132014).
Due to the importance of the mid-terms as preparation for the multiple-choice examination, grades obtained for mid-terms in a previous year will not be valid.
14
15
In principle, grades obtained for the multiple-choice exam cannot be brought forward to the following academic year. If there are special circumstances that could
justify a student bringing the multiple-choice exam grade forward to the next academic year, the student must make his/her application to the examination board.
The examination board will then determine whether the exception will be granted.
Examination Perusal
The date, time and place of the perusal will be announced when the grades are
published.
RSM Student Representation
If you as a student have any comment about the quality of your courses, be it positive or negative, please send an email to the corresponding representative or approach him or her personally after the lecture. RSM SR email:
[email protected]
15
16
Human Resource Management
Course name:
Course code:
Course load:
Term:
Coordinator:
Teaching staff:
Course structure:
Course schedule:
Examination:
Student Representation:
Contact Information
Name:
Office:
Phone:
E-mail:
Office hours:
(BAD11)
Human Resource Management
BAD11
5 ECTS
2nd trimester
Dr. Bart Dietz
Dr. Bart Dietz
Plenary lectures, case discussions and assignments
See SIN for schedule
Written examination (90%), case write-ups (10%)
[email protected]
Dr. Bart Dietz
T8-21
010-408 1949
[email protected]
Mondays: 4 to 5 pm (except February 3rd, Office hours that day
are from 5 to 6 pm)
Relevance
As a consequence of rapid changes in markets and technology, organizations are
more and more forced to draw on the talent and motivation of employees. Hence,
managers are constantly challenged to acquire and develop this talent, or: human
capital, as efficiently as possible. The extent in which they succeed in this is often
also largely predictive of their own career development. Besides shareholders and
customers, employees are probably the most important ‘stakeholders’ of organizations. From a managerial standpoint, this means that it is essential to understand
the complexities of managing human resources.
In today’s economy, managers are constantly faced with questions such as: “What
kind of people do we need to select to better satisfy our clients?” “How should we
monitor performance of individuals?” or “How can we retain star performers in our
workforce?” These are just three examples of issues that are quite common on the
daily agenda of managers, and yes, also those of Human Resource Managers. The
common denominator in these issues is that they all deal with the interrelationship
of a firm and its workforce. This course aims to develop an insight in potential answers to such questions.
Positioning of the course
The course has an introductive character, with the core objective to provide a generic insight in the fundamentals of Human Resource Management. As the course
focuses on the human aspects of topics that are discussed in other IBA courses
(e.g., Marketing, Strategy and Finance), it provides complementary insights that are
managerially relevant. These insights are helpful in understanding interdisciplinary
business problems. An important note here is that HRM tasks are seldom the isolated responsibility of an HR manager. In practice, the “HR Function” is more and
more the domain of line managers in firms.
16
17
Learning Goals
The central goal of this course is twofold:
1. Gain an understanding of fundamental HRM practices and their theoretical
underpinnings
2. Understand how these practices can be applied to analyze and solve practical HRM problems.
Career Focus
As this course aims to provide an insight in how to manage human behavior in
organizations, it is constructive for those students who seek (general) management
positions in the future. Moreover, it is a first and wide-ranging introduction to the
field for students with the ambition to specialize in HRM via the MSc. Specialization
at RSM. The latter programme is likely to lead to career opportunities in HRMStrategy, Consulting or General Management.
Course Content
The course is designed around the perspective of a manager who aims to achieve
HRM outputs via HRM inputs. This course is designed in three modules: A, B, and
C. Figure 1 demonstrates this “HRM House” with its three components.
C
B
A
As figure 1 suggests, the course is build up on the basis of module A (session 1). In
session 1, I will position HRM in the wider field of business disciplines and talk
about “inputs and outcomes”. Building on this fundament, I will proceed to the most
substantial component: module B. In this module, I will systematically cover the
entire HRM process from “hiring to firing” (sessions 2 to 5). In module C, literature
will be supplemented with Harvard Business School (HBS) Case studies (session 6
to 9). Finally, in session 10, I present and discuss a coherent framework that focuses on the important interdependencies and potential synergies in a firm’s HRM
strategy. While session 1 and 10 respectively provide an introduction to the field,
and a conceptual framework to capture the notion of strategic HRM, sessions 2 to 9
are designed to encompass HRM fundamentals. In analogue to the “4 P’s” in Marketing, Human Resource Management strategies often centre around four key
pillars. In HRM jargon, we call these “HRM Practices”. If you think about it from a
manager’s standpoint: you want to: (i) get in the right people, (ii) make sure they are
well skilled, (iii) motivate certain behaviors via compensation schemes, and (iv) you
are probably interested in how they are performing.
17
18
In line with this argumentation: the most essential HRM practices are: (1) Recruiting, Hiring and Promoting, (2) Training & Development, (3) Compensation & Benefits, and (4) Performance Evaluation. Module B of the course consists of these 4
pillars. Each pillar is composed of a theoretical lecture. In module C, literature will
be supplemented with case-based lectures. Figure 2 shows the design of the
course in more detail.
Figure 2
10
6, 7, 8, 9
2
4
3
5
1
Instructional Methods
In order to achieve optimal learning, the course will challenge students to engage in
a multitude of educational methods. Students will be asked to study a textbook to
gain exposure to fundamental HRM practices. During 4 intensive seminars (weeks
2,3,4, and 5), this literature will be discussed and the different interfaces between
sub-areas of the field will be touched upon. In order to contextualize theory, students are challenged to analyze business cases and develop rationalized intervention strategies (sessions 6, 7, 8 and 9).
Class Meetings
Please see the last page of this document (course schedule) for exact locations and
times of class meetings.
18
19
Literature
Custom based version of Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B., and Wright,
P.M.: “Fundamentals of Human Resources Management: 4th edition.” McGraw-Hill,
New York, 2011. (ISBN #: 9780077139605)
Reader: “Human Resource Management for IBA” (Available at the Erasmus Shop
with PLU Code: 10360)
Evaluation of Student Performance
Students will be evaluated according to the following two (or three, when you register for the Bonus Assignment) components:
1.
2.
3.
Individual Final exam:
90% of final grade
Individual case write-ups:
10% of final grade
Optional: Bonus Assignment: A maximum of 0.6 point can be added to your
final grade for the bonus assignment. Thus, when students also participate in
ERPS, a maximum of 1 point (0.6+0.4) can be added to the final grade.
1. Individual Final exam
The final exam takes place on Monday, March 17, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm. Use of (a)
dictionaries and (b) calculators is not allowed. The final exam will be a closed book
exam on the content of this course. In general, the exam is nothing more then a test
of your understanding of the HRM field. Hence, students who take the course seriously and structurally prepare the literature and assignments will be very likely to
pass the exam. A minimum grade requirement applies to this course, meaning you
must score a 4.5 or higher on the examination in order to receive a final grade for
the course.
The exam will consist of two parts:

Part I is the Multiple Choice section of the exam. It counts for 40% of the
exam grade, and is a composition of 24 MC questions about the literature.
The 4 pillars of module B of the course will consecutively drive 6 questions
each (4 pillars * 6 questions = 24 questions). On the examination form, I
will explicitly organize the questions per pillar. The goal of this part of the
exam is simple: I aim to test your fact-based knowledge on HRM theory,
as well as your ability to distinguish between seemingly similar concepts.

Part II is the Open Questions section of the exam. It counts for 60% of the
exam grade, and is a collection of 4 open-ended questions (15% each).
The open questions will start with a fragment (about 10-15 lines) of one of
the (4) case studies discussed in class. Following this, each question will
have an “a,” “b” and “c” sub-question and will all be based on that case
section. First, I aim to assess your ability to recognize/mention a specific
theoretical concept from the case (sub-question a). Second, I intend to test
the level into which you truly have a grip on the literature by asking you to
explain the theoretical concept (sub-question b). Finally, I am examining
your ability to apply a theoretical concept to a business situation by asking
you for a well-motivated recommendation/advice on a management question (sub-question c). Please note that the classroom discussions on the
19
20
business cases are particularly likely to help you in performing well on this
part of the exam.
I will publish the exam grades in the week of 25 March via SIN Online (and SMS).
Subsequently, I will organize an exam inspection possibility on Tuesday 1 April,
11am. During the exam inspection I will explain the grading procedure and criteria.
This session is not intended to reflect back on the exam, nor on your satisfaction or
discontent with your grade. Although I take grading very seriously, and mistakes
seldom occur, it could be that an error has been made. Only when it is obvious that
I made a significant mistake in grading the exam, and you have a compelling argument that points this out, you have the opportunity to hand in a re-grading request
form and I will respond to that with a decision within a week’s notice.
2. Individual case write-ups
Four cases will be assigned (you can find these on the CD accompanying the book)
for detailed analysis and write-up. Table 1 sums them up:
Assignment
Deadline
1. S.G. Cowen
Jan 30, 8am
2. Ritz-Carlton
Feb 6, 8am
3. Safelite
Feb 13, 8am
4. Morgan Stanley
Feb 20, 8am
Submissions. All write-ups are to be developed by students individually. Please
make sure that you work effectively and your material is handed-in on time. I want
to review your assignments before the next class meeting, so in order to guarantee
that: no late write-ups (see column “deadline”) can be accepted. These papers must
be submitted via the Blackboard ‘Safe Assignment’ system (technical details will be
explained during the first lecture).
Content. Each student will prepare multiple short papers describing their analyses
of the 4 case assignments. These papers should at least provide (a) a short (8-10
lines) synopsis of the case presented and (b) well-motivated answers to the discussion questions (that I will post on Blackboard under “assignments”) for each case.
Please do not use external information sources (internet, etc.) to develop your assignments. An “ideal” assignment: (a) shows a solid understanding of the core issue
(so does not mix major topics and less-relevant topics), (b) makes meaningful use
of the data in the case, and (c) formulates a well-motivated (and realistic) recommendation for the management problem at hand, (d) demonstrates a meaningful
use of HRM concepts and theories to better analyze the issue, or to come up with a
superior solution. Each paper should be 1 to 2 pages long (double-spaced, 12 point
font, Times New Roman font and margins > 2 cm on all sides). Additional material
may be included in exhibits (not to exceed two additional pages). These limits will
be strictly enforced. Please identify all written work with your student ID number.
Grading - These papers will be graded pass/fail. Those students who pass will automatically get a grade “10,” whereas students who fail will get the grade “1.”.
Please note that official registration of this grade is conditional on two following
conditions (1) The student has handed in all 4 case write-ups (on time), and (2) all 4
20
21
case write-ups meet the minimum quality criteria (i.e., are graded “pass”). Students
will be notified of their assignment results ASAP via Sin-Online.
Individual Class Participation
During class, I will often open the floor for discussion. I might for instance also invite
individuals to comment on a theory, or call on individuals to present their case analysis. Please note: class participation is not graded. However, I would like to encourage you to take part in classroom discussions and take a pro-active attitude, especially in the case-based sessions (weeks 6, 7, 8 and 9). To better facilitate this, I will
ask you to put up name tags in class. The philosophy behind these classroom discussions is that we learn from each others opinions, or proposed solutions. Moreover, the case discussions do not intend to prescribe “one best method” of dealing
with the issue. Rather, I aim to familiarize you with an analytical and structured
approach in management thinking about these management issues.
In addition, class discussions provide the opportunity to practice speaking and persuasive skills, as well as the ability to listen. Effective class comments may address
questions raised by others, integrate material from this and other courses, draw on
real-world experiences and observations, or pose new questions to the class. Highquality participation involves knowing when to speak and when to listen or allow
others to speak. In general, I find the best class comments to be those that:
1. Make or raise issues that are relevant to the current focus of the class;
2. Show curiosity and a willingness to experiment;
3. Use data or examples (e.g., from part-time jobs or internships) to support
conclusions;
4. Are open to critique by others;
5. Build further upon the ideas already offered by others;
6. Help others feel safe about participating.
You can register for the HRM case-based sessions (weeks 6, 7, 8 & 9) via SINOnline on the following dates:
Sessions wk. 6 (3 February): Register via SIN 27 January – 2 February
Sessions wk. 7 (10 February): Register via SIN 3 February – 9 February
Sessions wk. 8 (17 February): Register via SIN 10 February – 16 February
Sessions wk. 9 (24 February): Register via SIN 17 February – 23 February
3. Optional: Bonus Assignment: “The Rewards of Salespeople”
All details about this bonus assignment will be posted in a separate document “Rewards of Salespeople”, which I will post on Blackboard no later than 7 February
(under “assignments”).
Please note that this is a bonus assignment. You are not required to do this. I advise you only to do this assignment if you are able to make sufficient time for it in
your schedule (e.g., to prepare literature and participate in the class sessions).
Note that bonus points will only be awarded if the final grade for the course (without
bonus) is at least 5.5.
21
22
ERPS
You will be able to earn a maximum of 0.4 points contributing towards your final
grade for this course. This means that during this term you can participate for
course credits in a maximum of two sessions of approximately 30 minutes. Note
that bonus points will only be awarded if the final grade for the course (without bonus) is at least 5.5.
You will be able to participate in research studies to earn bonus points for this
course between the following dates: 06/01/2014 and 07/03/2014. Additional information about registration procedures will be announced in class and on Blackboard
at the beginning of the course. Reminders and deadlines will be communicated
during the term via email. Check your student email regularly.
All studies will take place at the Erasmus Behavioral Lab (EBL), which is located on
th
the 12 floor of the T building. To access the lab, you will need to use the elevators
located towards the back of the T building. The bonus points are only valid for the
current academic year (in other words, the bonus points expire after the re-sit exam). You are responsible for checking that your credits have been attributed to the
correct course after each experiment. If a mistake occurred or if you want to
reassign your credits to a different subject, please contact the system administrator before the deadline: 07/03/2014. Note that credits earned in past terms
cannot be reassigned to this course.
You can sign up for a research session via the Erasmus Research Participation
System (ERPS). To register, log in at www.rsm.nl/lab. On the platform you will also
find FAQs that should answer most of your practical concerns. If you have problems logging in, or if you have any remaining questions regarding the course credits
or your profile information, please contact the ERPS administrator, not the teacher(s) of this course. The name of the administrator is Elisa Maira; you can contact
her at the following email address: [email protected].
Urgent situation
If there is anything that prevents you from performing well in this course, please let
me or the IBA office know. If necessary we can discuss individual arrangements.
Contact
The best way to contact me is by email: [email protected]. To prevent your e-mail
from “getting lost” in between my other mail, I kindly request you to restrict sending
your messages to this address only. I will respond to your question within a few
days. My office hours are on Monday between 4 and 5pm. I do not use the Discussion Forum on Blackboard.
Students retaking the course
Grades received for the assignments, the bonus assignment, or the examination
from last year (2012-2013) may be carried over to this academic year. If you would
like to carry over one of your grades from last year then please sure to send your
th
request by the 30 of January via the following email address: [email protected] .
22
23
Summary of important dates
Jan 6, 11am-1pm
Class I
Jan 9, 11am-1pm
Class II
Jan 13, 11am-1pm
Class III
Jan 20, 11am-1pm
Class IV
Jan 27, 11am-1pm
Class V
Jan 30, 8am
Deadline Assignment 1 (S.G. Cowen)
Feb 3, 1-3pm or 3-5pm
Class VI
Feb 6, 8am
Deadline Assignment 2 (Ritz-Carlton)
Feb 10, 11am-1pm or 1-3pm
Class VII
Feb 13, 8am
Deadline Assignment 3 (Safelite)
Feb 17, 11am-1pm or 1-3pm
Class VIII
Feb 20, 8am
Deadline Assignment 4 (Morgan Stanley)
Feb 24, 11am-1pm or 1-3pm
Class IX
Mar 3, 11am-1pm
Class X
Mar 17, 9:30-12:30
Exam
Week of 25 March
Grades Published Via SIN Online (and SMS)
Apr 1, 11am
Opportunity for Exam Inspection
July 5, 13:30-16:30
Exam (Re-sit)
Note: All assignments are to be handed in via the Blackboard ‘Safe Assignments’
function.
23
24
Course schedule Spring 2014
Sess.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Room
CB-1
CB-1
CB-1
CB-1
CB-1
See
SIN
See
SIN
Date
6
Jan
9
Jan
13
Jan
20
Jan
27
Jan
3
Feb
10
Feb
Book
Chapters
Articles
(CD &
Reader)
Topic
--
--
Introduction to
HRM:
HR
Inputs &
Outcomes
4,5,6
“Note on
the
Hiring &
Selection
Process”
*CD*
Recruiting,
Hiring
and
Promoting
1,2,7,
9
--
Training
& Development
10,11,
12,13
“Six
Dangerous
Myths
about
Pay”
*CD*
Compensation &
Benefits
8,16
“Getting
360
Degree
Feedback
Right”
*CD*
--
Verbeke
et al.
(2008)
*Reader*
--
Case
--
What will I
Learn?
What HRM
managers
do and
what their
outputs are
Some terms
that
will be addressed
HRM Function, HRM
Inputs, HRM
Outputs,
European
HRM, HRM
and Performance
--
How firms
select for
talent and
how this is
changing
Staffing,
Recruitment,
Innovative
Selection
Tools
--
Training
and Selection are
intensely
related
Task-related
KSA’s, Learning Goal
Orientation,
Tacit
Knowledge
--
How incentive
schemes
can motivate behaviors, and
when they
can be
dysfunctional
Pay structure,
merit pay,
fairness
Performance
Evaluation
--
How managers aim
to reliably
track
performance of
employees
360 feedback,
measurement
errors, multidimensionality
--
S.G.
Cow
en:
New
Recruits
How recruiting processes
work
--
--
The
RitzCarlton
Hotel
Co.
How Marketing
issues
(customer
service) can
be addressed via
HRM
--
Barling &
Weber
(1996)
*Reader*
24
25
Sess.
8
9
10
Room
See
SIN
SIN
CB-1
Date
17
Feb
24
Feb
3
Mar
Book
Chapters
Articles
(CD &
Reader)
Topic
--
Lim et al.
(2009)
*Reader*
--
Judge
and
Ferris
(1993)
*Reader*
--
Rynes et
al. (2007)
*Reader*
Strategic
HRM:
Putting it
all
Together
+ Guest
Lecturer
Rodney
Brouwer
HR
Director,
Nike
EMEA
--
25
Case
Performan
ce
Pay
at
Safelite
Auto
Glas
s
Rob
Pars
on at
Morg
an
Stanl
ey
What will I
Learn?
Some terms
that
will be addressed
Pro’s and
con’s of
fixed-pay
versus
variablepay
--
How star
performers
can cause
management
dilemma’s
--
How synergies between HRM
practices
can be
managed
Synergy,
Strategic
Management,
European
HRM
26
Research Training & Bachelor Thesis
Course name:
Course code:
Course load:
Term:
Coordinator:
Course structure:
Course schedule:
Examination:
Contact information:
(BAD10)
Research Training & Bachelor Thesis
BAD10
12 ECTS
Trimesters 2 and 3
Dr. A. Hak & S. Langeveld MSc.
See course schedule and the individual workgroup schedule
See SIN-Online
Assignments, Final Report
[email protected]
General aim of the course
The general learning objective of the Research Training & Bachelor Thesis course
is that you acquire the skills that are necessary for critically evaluating the results of
empirical studies. It is an important part of the responsibilities of a manager to draw
conclusions from reports that state that “research has shown” that a variable X (an
independent variable) is beneficial or detrimental for a variable Y (a dependent
variable). The independent variable might be a strategy; an intervention; an activity;
an investment; a policy; a condition; or any other variable specified in a study, and
the dependent variable might be “performance”; “success”; profits; sales; etcetera. If
the empirical claim (that X influences Y) is true, then managers are expected to use
this information in their actions and decisions. Because, however, an empirical
claim might be wrong (or a correct empirical claim might not be applicable to their
own situation), a manager must be able to critically evaluate that claim. Because
the ability to critically evaluate empirical claims is crucially dependent on a sound
understanding of statistical and methodological principles, the Research Training &
Bachelor Thesis course is a methodology course.
More specifically, after having finished this course you should be able
• To evaluate a report of a single study on a number of crucial elements, such as:
o Research strategy.
o Units that are studied.
o Measurement.
o Quantification of the observed effect.
• To avoid drawing any conclusion for managerial practice from a single study.
• To synthesize results from multiple studies.
• To write a critical evaluation of the empirical evidence regarding a claim about the
influence of an independent variable on a dependent variable.
The Research Training & Bachelor Thesis course is a hands-on course.You will
acquire critical reading skills by practicing them in a structured setting (“training”)
and by getting feedback on your practice reports. As in any practical – such as an
anatomy practical in a medical program, or a lab practical in a chemistry program –
you receive a set of tasks (an “assignment”); you complete the assignment and
report about it; an instructor gives you feedback; and you apply the feedback by
revising your text. In this course you will not only practice critical reading skills but
27
you will also get some experience with conducting an empirical study. The aim of
that part of this course is not that you learn to design and conduct an empirical
study yourself. Its aim is to help you in acquiring a better understanding of
methodological principles and, in this way, to contribute to your critical reading
skills.
In this course it is assumed that you have not previously learned to critically
evaluate an empirical claim. The aim of this course is that you acquire this reading
skill, which is crucial for managerial practice. It is also assumed that you have not
previously designed and conducted an empirical study. Because this is not a crucial
part of managerial practice, it is not an aim of this course that you acquire the skills
for designing and conducting such a study. You will design and conduct an
empirical study in this course in order to become a better reader of research
reports.
How you will learn
Being designed as a “practical”, the learning method in this course consists mainly
of “learning by doing”, i.e., by doing something (probably for the first time and
probably imperfectly) and, then, understanding and applying an instructor’s
feedback on that work. You will study two books that explain core methodological
and statistical principles but you will learn what these principles mean by applying
them in your own project. Your project in this course consists of writing a critical
evaluation of the empirical evidence regarding a “hypothesis”, i.e., regarding a
general (“theoretical”) claim about the influence of an independent variable on a
dependent variable. You will do this in teams of three students.
Multiple parts and functions of the assignments
The course is designed as a ladder with eight steps. Each of these steps consists of
an assignment and a feedback session. Each assignment must be handed in before
the published deadline. The feedback sessions are scheduled two days after each
deadline.
Each of these eight steps consists itself of three consecutive elements.
1. The starting point for each assignment is a deliverable which is specified in the
course book. The deliverable is always accompanied with a set of instructions. Step
1 of each assignment is, thus, practicing as instructed by the course book.
2. You must hand in a report of how you have practiced and what you have
achieved in that practice. Hence step 2 of each assignment is writing a report.
3. Instructors will give you customized feedback from which you will learn how to
evaluate and, if necessary, to improve your skills. Step 3 of each assignment, thus,
is receiving feedback and learning from it.
One function of each assignment, thus, is that skills are practiced and that this
practice is reported and evaluated. From this perspective, assignments could be
seen as stand-alone teaching and learning occasions. However, the results of the
assignments are also cumulative. (That’s why the term ladder is used above.)
Taken together the assignments constitute one single project about which one
27
28
single report is written. This implies that two more functions of the assignments can
be specified:
1. In each assignment you will produce something (e.g., a literature review, a
research proposal, a data matrix, an estimate of an effect, a discussion) that directly
and cumulatively contributes to the progress in your project. These outputs are
inputs in next assignments: a research proposal is applied; data are analysed; an
effect size is meta-analysed; etc.
2. In each assignment you will produce text that will be used (in a revised form) in
the final report.
Feedback from the instructor, therefore, is not only useful as a means of evaluating
what has been practiced and what has been learned in an assignment but also as
(a) An instruction for how to improve a result in such a way that it can be
used in the next step of the project, and as
(b) An instruction for how to revise your text before it can be used in the
final report.
You must revise your work according to the feedback that you receive and you must
integrate this in later assignments.
Mandatory reading
There are two mandatory books in this course:
• Geoff Cumming (2012). Understanding the new statistics. Routledge, New York.
This book is the main reference in this course regarding techniques of generating
and evaluating quantitative research findings.
• A digital course book that will be provided on Blackboard. This course book is the
main reference in this course regarding the principles of research methodology. It
also contains the eight assignments that you must complete in this course.
Your instructor is entitled to set additional texts as mandatory reading.
Workload
The workload of this course is 12 ECTS. The time equivalent of 12 ECTS is 42 days
of 8 hours each, or an average of about 5 full 8-hour working days per student per
assignment. The size of the assignments is based on this calculation. Evaluation of
your assignments is based on the assumption that this effort (5 days of work per
student, i.e., 15 days per student team) was available to the team and that it should
have been spent if needed.
Mandatory participation
Deadlines for submission of the assignments are strict and attendance at the
feedback sessions is mandatory. Only personal circumstances that are clearly
beyond your control (such as illness, urgent family circumstances, etc.) are
legitimate reasons for absence, for insufficient participation in team work, or for not
adhering to a deadline for submission of an assignment. Students who fail to
comply with these requirements (e.g., students who do not sufficiently contribute to
the work of their team; those who submit an assignment late; or do not participate in
a feedback session) will not get a grade for this course (and hence fail the course).
28
29
Please note that study trips, holidays, job interviews, seminars, business courses,
and so on are not valid reasons for being absent from a scheduled feedback
session.
Note that instructors are not entitled to evaluate students’ reasons for absence and
to waive a student’s obligation to attend a feedback session. The course
coordinators, not your instructor, will decide on the appropriate sanctions if the
student adviser cannot validate the reasons for non-attendance in a feedback
session or for not meeting your other obligations in the course.
Plagiarism
In this course you will use ideas and other contents from a diverse set of sources
(such as scientific articles, papers, books, news media, etc.). If you make use of
such ideas and contents, you must always mention your source, regardless of
whether your source is in a library, on the Internet, or elsewhere. If you literally copy
text (either electronically by ‘cutting and pasting’ from documents or manually)
without using quotation marks and mentioning the source is plagiarism. Also taking
ideas from work by others by paraphrasing them without referring to the source is
considered plagiarism and will be treated as cheating.
Tips for quoting and referencing
Follow these rules:
• Always place a literal quotation between quotation marks and provide an adequate
reference to the source.
• Do not edit or paraphrase other people’s words and present them as your own. If
you are paraphrasing, say where the paraphrasing begins and where it ends and
give the source.
• Never present other people’s ideas as your own, even if you are presenting them
in your own words.
Tip 1: Take the online course on “References and citations” offered by the
University Library (UB). You can find it on the website of the UB under “Courses
and training”
(http://www.eur.nl/ub_informatievaardigheden/ul_instruction/verwijzen_en_citeren/).
You have free access and you can do the course whenever you like.
Tip 2: Take other Information literacy courses offered on the UB website. They help
you to acquire practical and useful strategies and techniques for the searching and
processing of scientific information, digital or otherwise.
Tip 3: While searching and writing, keep a record of all the steps you take. Also
save the results of your literature searches and all relevant bibliographic information
in a document or database program. Software such as RefWorks (see
www.refworks.com) can be helpful in this process.
Cheating
Plagiarism is only one form of cheating. Obviously other types of cheating such as
making up data or manipulating data are not allowed either. All cases of cheating
will be reported to the Examination Board. The sanction for students caught
29
30
cheating is generally that your participation in this course will be declared invalid
and that you will thus fail the course.
Be aware that each individual student is responsible for all of the team’s work
(assignments and Bachelor Thesis), not only for their “own” part. Therefore, it is
your task as a team member to check each piece of information and each argument
mentioned in the team’s documents with the team member that first produced
(calculated, wrote, etc.) it. Or, in other words, it is recommended to establish an
“audit trail”.
Prerequisites
You must have successfully completed all courses of the first year of the BA or IBA
programme or you must be a pre-master student.
nd
In this course it is assumed that you have successfully completed the 2 year
course Statistische Methoden en Technieken (SMT) in the BA program or the
Applied Business Methods course in the IBA program. Regrettably pre-master
students have not yet completed one of these courses when they enter this course.
Pre-master students must, at a minimum, fully understand the contents of Chapter 3
(Concepten) of the book Statistisch onderzoek met SPSS for Windows (Van Dalen
& De Leede) or the contents of Chapter 11 (Introduction to hypothesis testing) of
the book Managerial statistics (Keller), in order to be able to begin this course.
Enrolment in Themes
In this course you work in a team of 3 students. The team is enrolled in a “Theme”,
a research topic offered by an instructor. The instructor has selected a hypothesis,
i.e., a claim about the influence of a variable on another variable. Your project in
this course is writing a critical evaluation of the empirical evidence regarding that
hypothesis. The instructor of the Theme will be the instructor who provides you with
feedback on your assignments.
The enrolment procedure is explained on the SIN-channel of this course.
IBA: BAD10 Research Training + Bachelor Thesis
A kick-off session will take place on Friday, 15 November, 2013 (for BA students);
on Monday, 18 November, 2013 (for IBA students); and on Monday, 6 January,
2014 (for exchange students, both BA and IBA). Attendance at this session is
mandatory as during this session all necessary up-to-date information that students
enrolling in this course should know will be presented. By enrolling in this course
you declare that you are aware of all information that was presented during this
meeting.
Grading
The course will be concluded with a report for grading (“Bachelor Thesis”).
Instructors will fill out an Assessment Protocol for each thesis, will formulate a grade
proposal, and will forward this to the course coordinators. The course coordinators
award the grades for this course after consulting the instructor. You will pass the
course if your grade is 5.5 or higher.
30
31
Schedule for International Business Administration (IBA) students
There are five plenary lectures:

Monday, 18 November, 2013, 15.00-16.45 hrs, CT-1.
Kick-off lecture
For exchange students, a kick-off lecture is scheduled on Monday, 6 January, 2014,
15:00-16:45 hrs, CB-5.

Thursday, 21 November, 2013, 13.00-14.45 hrs, LB-097.
Principles of inferential statistics
This lecture covers the statistical principles that are assumed to be known and
understood when you begin the Research Training & Bachelor Thesis course.
This lecture is important for pre-master students and for students who have not yet
successfully completed the Applied business methods course.

Wednesday, 8 January, 2014, 12.00-13.45 hrs, CB-1.
Critical evaluation of a research report
This lecture covers the skills needed for successfully completing (and practiced in)
Assignments 1 and 2 of the course.

Wednesday, 12 February, 2014, 13.00-14.45 hrs, CT-1.
Critical synthesis of results of multiple studies (“meta-analysis”)
This lecture covers the skills needed for successfully completing (and practiced in)
Assignments 3 and 4 (as well as Assignments 7 and 8) of the course.

Wednesday, 9 April, 2014, 13.00-14.45 hrs, LB-097.
Designing and conducting your own study
This lecture covers the skills needed for successfully completing (and practiced in)
Assignments 5 and 6 of the course.
Schedule deadlines and feedback sessions
Assignment
Week
Deadline
Pre-assignment
3
13 January, 8AM
Assignment 1
4
20 January, 8AM
Assignment 2
6
3 February, 8AM
Assignment 3
8
17 February, 8AM
Assignment 4
10
3 March, 8AM
Assignment 5
16
14 April, 8AM
Assignment 6
18
28 April, 8AM
Assignment 7
20
12 May, 8AM
Assignment 8
22
26 May, 8AM
Deadline final report: 6 June, 8AM.
31
Feedback session
22 January
5 February
19 February
5 March
16 April
30 April
14 May
28 May
32
Team work
The learning objectives of the Research Training course are individual, but you will
design and conduct your research and write your report in a team of three students.
Your success will depend to a large extent on the qualities (both in terms of
academic and social skills as well as in terms of personality) of your teammates.
This is why we strongly advise you

To compose your three-person team before enrolment!

To spend considerable time, from the outset of this course, on discussing
o Each team member’s level of ambition and potential differences
between team members in this respect.
o Whether there are circumstances which might hinder a team
member to fully participate in the team’s work.
o How you will organize your work.

To meet very frequently as a team.

To keep records of your discussions and decisions.

To openly discuss difficulties and to spend sufficient effort to find
remedies.

To report unresolved difficulties in team-work immediately to your
instructor.
Pre-assignment on team-work
The deliverable of this assignment is a document in which you specify your working
arrangements as a team. You must specify in this document any activity by any
team member during the course that might hinder full participation in the team’s
work (i.e., any activity that might hinder a team member to contribute about 5 full
days of work to the completion of an assignment in this course and/or to attend a
team meeting and/or to attend a meeting with an instructor) and how this is solved.
Attach the schedule of team meetings that has been agreed.
Note 1: Note that you are enrolled in a full-time day program and that it is possible
to do all work that is required for this course in office hours on times in which no
other lectures or activities are scheduled. Only personal circumstances are
legitimate reasons for absence, for limited availability for team-work, or for not
adhering to the deadline for submission of an assignment.
Note 2: By handing in this pre- assignment, you declare as a team that you know
the contents of Note 1 and that you have verified that you can meet these
requirements as a team (of which your schedule of team meetings is evidence).
The aim of this pre-assignment is for you as a team to lay a foundation for good
team-work during the course. Your working arrangements must be adequate to
achieve your ambitions and must be made explicit to your instructor.
Deadline: Pre-assignment, i.e., 13 January, 2014 (IBA), or 15 January, 2014 (BA).
32
33
Instructions for the pre-assignment on teamwork

Meet as a team and discuss your individual interests and experience, if any, in
the area of the Theme.

Discuss your ambitions, both individually and as a team. Do you want to “just
pass” this course, or do you want to achieve a high grade? Compare ambitions
between team members and discuss implications of differences.

Discuss the schedule of this course and its two-week cycle. One cycle consists
of 10 workdays. You must submit your assignment not later than 1pm on Day 8
of this cycle and you will get feedback on Day 10 of this cycle, after which you
will work on the next assignment in the next two weeks. Each of you must be
able to spend about 5 full days per cycle on this course. You must schedule
both your individual work (reading, writing, etc.) and team meetings in such a
way that your team functions adequately. Explore any potential obstacle to your
team’s work, such as structural obligations (e.g., paid work, voluntary work,
membership of associations, family duties, etc.) and foreseeable absences.
You are enrolled in a full-time day program in which none of these potential
reasons for absence or for limited availability for teamwork are legitimate. That
is why you must arrange team work in such a way that no one (team mates or
instructor) experiences any hinder of such activities.

Decide about details such as:
o How frequently you will meet in one cycle. (We advise you to have at
least two meetings, one in which the assignment is discussed and a
work plan is agreed on, and one in which team consensus is achieved
on the texts that you will hand in to your instructor. Very likely you will
need more meetings.)
o How team meetings will be scheduled. Decide on fixed dates and
times such as a meeting on Day 1 (or on Day 10, i.e., directly after the
meeting with your instructor) to discuss the next assignment and to
agree on a work plan, and on Day 7 to discuss the text you are going
to submit by Day 8.
o Where you will meet, e.g. in the university or at a team member’s
home.
o How you will keep in touch with each other. Exchange mobile
telephone numbers, email addresses, times that should or should not
be used when contacting each other (e.g., a time in the evening after
which no telephone contact must be made; a time in the morning
before which no such contact should be made; a similar arrangement
about weekends).
o Whether one of you will be in charge of arranging meetings or
changing times and places.
o Etc.

Write a report of this meeting, in which you explicitly formulate each decision
that you have made (i.e., regarding the team’s ambition, schedules for
meetings, etc.) and their implications for individual team members in such a
way that you can use it as a reference for the duration of the course.
33
34
General instructions for each assignment and for the Bachelor Thesis
 Submit each assignment on the Assignments page of the blackboard site of your
Theme.
 Submit each assignment as an MS-Word or PDF document.
 Title each assignment according to group number and assignment number using
the following format: team1_assignment1.doc or team1_assignment1.pdf.
 Add to each assignment a separate front page with the following information:
o Assignment number
o Your team number
o The names of all team members and the hours spent per person on
the assignment
o Date of submission
o The following disclaimer: “This document is written by [name 1],
[name 2], and [name 3], who declare that each individual takes
responsibility for the full contents of the whole document. We
declare that the text and the work presented in this document is
original and that no sources other than mentioned in the text
and its references have been used in creating it. RSM is only
responsible for supervision of completion of the work but not
for the contents.”
 Always number the pages
 Always use font size 12, line spacing 1.5
34
35
International Business Administration (BSc IBA) – Academic Year 2013-2014
35
36
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
Become active at STAR!
STAR is recruiting again in January! Join one of our committees and become an active member at
Europe’s largest study association. Working in a team with your fellow students to organize great
events is a challenge you will not forget. It is the perfect opportunity for extracurricular development and making new friends.
STAR Management Week Committee
The STAR Management Week is the largest on campus business event in the Benelux. During this
annual highlight several recruitment activities, company workshops, speaker events, drinks and
parties take place. You will start in February from two days a week, and from April until October it
is full-time. STAR provides financial compensation for this committee.
*The deadline for the STAR Management Week is January 26th.
IBA Introduction Days
Do you remember your first weeks in Rotterdam and your own introduction days? In September
around 150 first-year students will join the IBA Introduction weekend. This weekend is summarized as lots of fun, new friendships and unforgettable memories! Organize the IBA Introduction
weekend yourself! Find a good location, sponsors, organize great parties, and make as many
students as possible enthusiastic about joining the event.
Agenda Committee
Join the STAR Agenda Committee and support your fellow students in managing their time in a
fun and efficient way. The Agenda Committee is responsible for the entire project, which includes
the creative concept, the production phase, the acquisition to make the agenda possible and the
marketing to make sure that the agenda is all over the university!
Surf Trip
Have you always wanted to learn how to surf really well? For the second time STAR is organizing
a surf trip. Surfers of all levels from beginners to experts are welcome to join. The trip will take
place in the summer, and you will be responsible for finding the accommodation, transportation,
surf lessons, rent of equipment, city trips, and of course some nice parties! Apply now for a week
of fun at the beach and make sure to organize a great week together with your fellow students.
Eureka week Committee
The Eureka week is the general introduction week from the Erasmus University, where thousands
of new students will get to know the city and university life. As a member of this committee you
will represent STAR during this week and will be responsible for the entire promotion, drinks,
activities and dinners! Have an incredible week together with the rest of your committee and
represent STAR during this week!
Want to know more? Go to our website rsmstar.nl/recruitment, send an email to [email protected] or come by our office at T4-53. Application will open on the 2nd of January, the deadline will be the 20th of January; make sure to apply on time!
36
37
Satisfied or Dissatisfied with your courses?
Speak your mind and contact us with your complaints or suggestions at
[email protected]
We are always looking for motivated students interested in improving courses of the International Business Administration program. If you want to become a part of the Student Representation, please contact us.
Website: www.rsmsr.nl
Email: [email protected].
37