UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA



UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA

College of Business

MNGT 441.001 Dane M. Partridge, Ph.D.

Wage and Salary Administration OC 3066C

Spring 2006 465-7085

MWF 1100-1150a OC 2027 465-1044 (fax)

dpartrid@usi.edu



Office Hours:

MWF 930-1045a

R 430-545p

and by appt.

INTRODUCTION

MNGT 441 is a comprehensive study of wage and salary policies and techniques, including wage and salary level determination, job evaluation, employee performance appraisals and merit ratings, methods of wage payments, employee benefits, and compensation controls. A major challenge for organizational management today, perhaps the major challenge, is to attract and retain qualified workers and motivate those workers to perform their jobs well. The compensation system is a primary tool in accomplishing these goals. An organization's reward system and its application indicate explicitly how highly a person and his/her contributions are valued, and what kinds of behavior are needed and desired by the organization. Compensation is considerably more than an hourly wage rate or annual salary; it is a total reward system including incentives and benefits as well.

Note: MNGT 201: Survey of Management or MNGT 305: Management of Organizational Behavior, is the prerequisite for this course.

READINGS AND PROJECTS

Students should obtain the following books:

Bergman, Thomas J., and Vida Gulbinas Scarpello. Compensation Decision Making, 4e. Southwestern, 2002.

Milkovich, George T., and Carolyn Milkovich. Cases in Compensation, 9e, 2004.

Copies of the text and casebook should be available for purchase in the Bookstore. All other assigned readings will be available via the David L. Rice Library online databases or from the instructor’s website. Supplements to the course outline and reading assignments may be distributed during the semester.

Much of the information about trends in management that you will obtain as a manager will come from business periodicals, such as the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and Fortune. It is important to learn how to read these sources quickly and critically. As you do so, you should keep in mind the following questions: (1) What is the “story” that the article is telling? And (2) What kind of evidence does the article use (should we believe the article’s conclusions)? Note that if you elect to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, you are provided free access to the Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition as well.

The casebook will provide you with hands-on experience making decisions about paying people. The projects will expose you to a rich variety of problems and challenges that confront managers. Your overall assignment is to design a pay system for FastCat, a fictitious business-to-business software company founded in the 1980s as an outgrowth of work done at a farm implement sales company. In designing FastCat's system, you will learn how to apply basic compensation techniques. Managers must align their compensation decisions with the organization's business strategy, values, and unique circumstances.

Each student will be assigned to a project team which will be responsible for preparing the project reports. The project reports are due at the beginning of the period; late reports and other assignments will be penalized by 50 percent (and any late assignments must be submitted no later than one week following the original due date). Any in-class assignment missed due to absence must be submitted within one week.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS, METHODS OF EVALUATION, AND RESPONSIBILITIES

In addition to the required reading assignments and project reports, there will be three exams. Grading will be determined on the basis of the following weights:

Exams 45% (3 @ 15% each)

Project reports 45%

Briefings and

class participation 10%

Regular attendance is recommended, as the class meetings and required readings are intended to be complements, not substitutes. The required reading is the foundation for the course; the class meetings will build on that foundation. On the exams, students will be responsible for both material covered by the readings and material discussed in class. Students are expected to keep up with the required reading, as assigned, and to come to class prepared for discussion. Students are reminded that under the credit hour system a three credit class requires on average six hours of outside preparation per week.

Students often observe that they would like their classes to “better relate to the real world.” For students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to actual work environments students have responsibility for active, rather than passive, involvement in the learning process. The instructor’s role in active or experiential learning is to serve as a facilitator of student-directed learning, rather than being the provider of teacher-directed instruction. Some have called this a shift from “teaching by talking” toward “learning by doing.” The responsibility for learning is borne by the learner, while the teacher makes resources available and helps the learning process. The instructor’s primary objective with respect to this course is that students will acquire knowledge, skills, and abilities that will make them more competitive in the job market and more effective members of the organizations they join upon graduation.

Further details of these requirements and grading procedures will be discussed in class as is necessary.

Students are encouraged to stop in during office hours to talk about any problems or suggestions you may have concerning the course, about careers, or just about management or things in general. If the scheduled office hours are inconvenient feel free to make an appointment. To underscore the value of office hours each student will be expected to meet briefly with Dr. Partridge early in the semester. To facilitate electronic communication, students are requested to schedule this initial appointment via e-mail. Please be reminded that USI provides free e-mail for students through MyUSI. The University routinely uses this USI e-mail account for both formal and informal communications with students. Students are expected to check their USI e-mail account regularly for University correspondence. If you prefer to use an e-mail account other than the one provided you by USI, you should forward your USI e-mail to the account you use most often.

WHAT (SOME) STUDENTS LIKED LEAST…

• “FastCat!!!”

o Yes, FastCat is a lot of work. Yes, you will likely be unsure as to what you’re doing at points (anytime you do something for the first time, uncertainty is to be expected). But, simply put, it’s not what you know (or, in our more cynical moments, what’s been learned and forgotten) but what you can do. Projects such as FastCat develop your ability to put concepts into practice, which is what matters in organizations.

• “Difficult to meet with other group members because of our schedules”

o Given that many USI students work full-time, the logistical hurdles to arranging meeting times outside of class may be considerable; be reminded that electronic communication such as e-mail and/or Blackboard group discussion boards can be a viable alternative to physically assembling a group in one place at one time. Use the class time provided to organize the project, and focus on project management (who’s going to do what by when).

• “Being called on in class and put on the spot”

o Exams aren’t optional, projects aren’t optional, why should participation be voluntary?

Student Rights and Responsibilities: Academic Misconduct

Truth and honesty are necessary to a university community. Each student is expected to do his or her academic work without recourse to unauthorized means of any kind. Both students and faculty are expected to report violations to academic honesty. USI policies and regulations governing the conduct of students and the procedures for handling violations of these policies and regulations are found in the USI Bulletin and on the Dean of Students' website ().

Students are reminded of the College of Business expectations regarding the avoidance of plagiarism. Plagiarism includes:

1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas,

2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks, and

3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words.

(Source: Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual 2e (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1997), p. 92.) Students are specifically reminded that electronically copying text from a source document such as a web page and pasting that into one’s own document, without putting the borrowed language in quotation marks, is plagiarism, even if the source of that language is included in a reference list or an in-text citation.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITITES ACT COMPLIANCE

If you have a disability, you are encouraged to register for disability support services in the Counseling Center. If you require an accommodation, please advise the instructor by the end of the first week of class. You may be required to provide written documentation to support these accommodations. The instructor will work with you to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform and participate in class.

THE INSTRUCTOR

DANE M. PARTRIDGE -- Associate Professor of Management; B.A., Michigan State University; M.S., Cornell University; Ph.D., Cornell University. Dr. Partridge's primary teaching and research interests involve human resource management and labor relations. His research has been published in the Journal of Collective Negotiations in the Public Sector, the Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, the Journal of Labor Research, and the Denver University Law Review. Current research areas include the effect of pay structures on worker attitudes and gender differences in perceptions of sexual harassment. Dr. Partridge has presented management development programs on topics including employee involvement in quality improvement and managing workforce diversity. Dr. Partridge has also taught at Virginia Tech, Radford University, and Roanoke College, and has received several awards for teaching excellence.

COURSE OUTLINE, TENTATIVE SCHEDULE, AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

Note: only those supplemental readings marked with a “*” are assigned to all; others will be divided for presentation by individual students. Those readings marked with a “@” will be divided for presentation by a pair of students. Presentations of supplemental readings are expected to be a brief summary of the several key points in the article and the implications for managers; these presentations will be expected to make use of a visual aid such as PowerPoint. The briefings are intended to reinforce students’ analytical and communication skills: every USI business graduate should be able to read a Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, or other practitioner publication article, identify the key points (the implications for managers), and communicate those points effectively to their colleagues. Consistent with the active learning approach, if you’re not sure what the point of a briefing is (the “so what”), ask! All supplemental readings are intended to reinforce, elaborate upon, or provide additional examples of material contained in the text and lecture.

1. INTRODUCTION (1/9, 1/11, 1/13)

a. Introduction to Compensation

b. A Strategic Perspective

▪ Case Study: “Growing Pains,” Harvard Business Review, July-August 1996. (*)

▪ Jeffrey Pfeffer, “Six dangerous myths about pay,” Harvard Business Review, May-June 1998. (*)

▪ Edward E. Lawler III, “Pay Strategy: New Thinking for the New Millennium,” Compensation and Benefits Review, January-February 2000. (*)

▪ “Cultivating a Culture,” Washington Post, April 21, 2002.

▪ Parbudyal Singh, “Strategic Reward Systems at Southwest Airlines,” Compensation and Benefits Review, March-April 2002. (@)

▪ “To Keep Employees, Domino’s Decides It’s Not All About Pay,” Wall Street Journal, February 17, 2005.

2. LEGAL ENVIRONMENT (1/18, 1/20, 1/23)

▪ Fay Hansen, “The Importance of Compliance,” Compensation and Benefits Review, May-June 2000. (@)

▪ “No Way to Treat a Lady?” Business Week, March 3, 2003.

▪ Roger Lowenstein, “A Question of Numbers,” New York Times Magazine, January 16, 2005. (@)

▪ “As Tech Matures, Workers File a Spate of Salary Complaints,” Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2005.

➢ Compensation Strategy and Objectives Project due 1/30

[pic] Paul Platten and Carl R. Weinberg, “Shattering the Myths About Employee Pay,” Compensation and Benefits Review, January-February 2000.

[pic] William J. Liccione. “Implications of Changes in Technology Companies for Incentive Compensation,” Compensation and Benefits Review, January-February 2001.

3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK (1/25, 1/27, 1/30)

a. Economic Constraints

b. Worker Behaviors

4. INTERNAL EQUITY (2/1, 2/3, 2/6, 2/8, 2/10)

a. Job Analysis

▪ “Blank Check: AES Corp’s radical plan: Some managers are paid whatever they think they’re worth,” Wall Street Journal, April 9, 1998.

b. Job Evaluation

➢ EXAM I (2/13)

➢ Phase I Internal Alignment Project due 2/27

5. PAY STRUCTURE DECISIONS

a. Job Pricing (2/15, 2/17, 2/20, 2/22)

▪ “Salaries in site,” HRMagazine, May 2001.

b. Pay Structure Design (2/24, 2/27, 3/1, 3/3)

▪ “The Broad View: A new approach to pay scales gives employers greater flexibility,” Wall Street Journal, April 10, 1997.

▪ Peter Cappelli, “A Market-Driven Approach to Retaining Talent,” Harvard Business Review, January-February 2000. (*)

▪ Lin Grensing-Pophal, “Communication Pays Off,” HRMagazine, May 2003. (*)

➢ Phase II External Competitiveness Project due 3/27

6. PAY FOR PERFORMANCE

a. Performance Assessment (3/13, 3/15, 3/17)

▪ Bob Nelson, “Are Performance Appraisals Obsolete?” Compensation and Benefits Review, May-June 2000.

▪ Steve Bates, “Forced Ranking,” HRMagazine, June 2003. (*)

b. Individual and Group Incentives (3/20, 3/22, 3/24, 3/27)

▪ J. Stephen Heinen and Edward S. Bancroft, “Performance Ownership: A Roadmap to a Compelling Employment Brand,” Compensation and Benefits Review, January-February 2000. (@)

▪ Regina Shanney-Saborsky, “ESOPs and the Employee Ownership Culture: Balancing Compensation and Equity,” Compensation and Benefits Review, January-February 2000. (@)

▪ Mark A. Stiffler, “Eliminating the Hidden Costs Buried in Your Incentive Compensation Plan,” Compensation and Benefits Review, January-February 2000. (*)

▪ Charlotte Garvey, “Goalsharing Scores,” HRMagazine, April 2000.

▪ Claire Ginther, “Incentive Programs That Really Work,” HRMagazine, August 2000.

▪ “The Amazing Stock Option Sleight of Hand,” Fortune, June 25, 2001. (*)

▪ Michael C. Jensen, “Corporate Budgeting is Broken – Let’s Fix It,” Harvard Business Review, November 2001. (@)

▪ “Betting It All on Company Stock Is Risky Business,” Los Angeles Times, November 30, 2001.

▪ “Battered, Bruising Stock Options Seen in Harsh Light of New Day,” Boston Globe, December 2, 2001.

▪ Marc Knez and Duncan Simester, “Making Across-the-Board Incentives Work,” Harvard Business Review, February 2002.

▪ “Options Frenzy: What Went Wrong?” Wall Street Journal, December 17, 2002.

▪ Steve Bates, “Top Pay for Best Performance,” HRMagazine, January 2003. (@)

▪ “The Best-Laid Incentive Plans,” Harvard Business Review, January 2003. (*)

▪ John Kiska, “Customer Satisfaction Pays Off,” HRMagazine, February 2004. (@)

➢ EXAM II (3/29)

7. EMPLOYEE BENEFITS (3/31, 4/3, 4/5, 4/7, 4/10, 4/12, 4/14)

▪ “Employers Win Big With a Pension Shift; Employees Often Lose,” Wall Street Journal, December 4, 1998.

▪ Roger Battistella and David Burchfield, “Employment-based health insurance: The inevitable transition from defined benefit to defined contribution,” Compensation & Benefits Management, Winter 1999. (*)

▪ “Many Mobile Workers Fail to Reap Promise of New-Style Pensions,” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 1999.

▪ “Many Workers Are Missing Out on 401(k) Plans,” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 1999.

▪ “Health Insurance Is Called Inadequate In Many Cases for Low-Income Workers,” Wall Street Journal, December 30, 1999.

▪ Michael E. Lichman and Herbert B. Smith, “Cash Balance Plans,” Compensation and Benefits Review, March-April 2000.

▪ William Atkinson, “Is Workers’ Comp Changing?” HRMagazine, July 2000.

▪ Andrea C. Poe, “The Baby Blues,” HRMagazine, July 2000.

▪ Robert F. Clark, “Guest Column [Retirement Benefits Innovation],” Compensation & Benefits Management, Autumn 2000. (*)

▪ “The New Health-Cost Crisis,” Harvard Business Review, November 2001.

▪ “Mounting Health Costs Have Companies Rethinking Insurance Options,” Atlanta Journal and Constitution, December 7, 2001.

▪ Paul E. Sullivan, Jr., “Defined contribution health plans: Future or fad? Compensation & Benefits Management, Winter 2001.

▪ “As GM Battles Surging Costs, Workers’ Health Becomes Issue,” Wall Street Journal, April 7, 2005.

➢ Phase III Performance & Execution Project due 4/24

8. COMPLETING THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE

a. Labor Markets and Labor Unions (4/17, 4/19)

b. Compensation Control and Administration (4/21)

c. Special Compensation Situations (4/24, 4/26, 4/28)

▪ Alfred Rappaport, “New thinking on how to link executive pay with performance,” Harvard Business Review, March/April 1999. (*)

▪ “More Directors Are Raking In Six-Figure Pay,” Wall Street Journal, October 29, 1999.

▪ Timothy W. Weiler and Christopher Tuffli, “Getting Beyond Pay in Managing “The Deal” With Your Sales Force,” Compensation and Benefits Review, January-February 2000. (@)

▪ Bill Weeks, “Setting Sales Force Compensation in the Internet Age,” Compensation and Benefits Review, March-April 2000. (@)

▪ S. Scott Sands, “Ineffective Quotas: The Hidden Threat to Sales Compensation Plans,” Compensation and Benefits Review, March-April 2000. (@)

▪ Howard Risher, “Dow Chemical’s Salary Program: A Model for the Future?” Compensation and Benefits Review, May-June 2000. (*)

▪ Edward E. Lawler III, “Pay Can Be a Change Agent,” Compensation & Benefits Management, Summer 2000.

▪ “Commentary: The Artificial Sweetener in CEO Pay,” Business Week, March 26, 2001.

▪ “When Salaries Aren’t Secret,” Harvard Business Review, May 2001. (*)

▪ Charlotte Garvey, “Steer teams with the right pay,” HRMagazine, May 2002. (*)

▪ Charles Elson, “What’s Wrong with Executive Compensation?” Harvard Business Review, January 2003. (@)

▪ “More Work, More Pay,” Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2003.

▪ “Cross Selling or Cross Purposes?” Harvard Business Review, July/August 2004. (*)

▪ “A Few Share the Wealth,” Wall Street Journal, December 12, 2005.

▪ “Another Boost for the Boss,” Wall Street Journal, December 12, 2005.

▪ “Praise From Peers Goes a Long Way,” Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2005.

▪ “Latest Twist in Corporate Pay: Tax-Free Income for Executives,” Wall Street Journal, December 22, 2005.

▪ “Congress Seeks to Rein In Special Executive Pensions,” Wall Street Journal, January 25, 2006.

▪ “The Perfect Payday,” Wall Street Journal, March 18, 2006.

➢ FINAL EXAM: Friday, May 5, 1100a-100p

(Please note USI’s final exam policy: No student should request a change in examination time unless s/he has four finals in one day.)[pic]

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