COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: STRATEGIC TALENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
BUS 416	B	2	3	0	0	3	7.5

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	NA
Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Prof.Dr. Osman Köroğlu okoroglu@epoka.edu.al , Refer to EIS
Second Course Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Elective
Study program: (the study for which this course is offered)	Master of Science in Business Administration
Classroom and Meeting Time:	-
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Code of Ethics:	Code of Ethics of EPOKA University Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline"
Attendance Requirement:	75%
Course Description:	-
Course Objectives:	This course focuses on talent acquisition, development, and retention strategies and explores strategic HR management, aligning HR strategies with business goals. Key areas such as performance management, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion are covered. Students improve their learning through cases and projects. By the end, students are prepared for leadership roles in HR and talent management, equipped to develop effective HR strategies.

BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE

1	1. Strategic HRM & Business Alignment – Integrating HR strategies with corporate goals to drive competitive advantage.
2	2. Workforce Planning & Talent Acquisition – Forecasting talent needs, recruitment strategies, and employer branding.
3	3. Performance Management & KPIs – Designing systems for evaluating and improving employee performance.
4	4. Learning, Development & Upskilling – Implementing training programs and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
5	5. Leadership & Succession Planning – Identifying and developing future leaders to ensure business continuity.
6	6. Total Rewards & Compensation Strategies – Structuring salary, benefits, and incentives to attract and retain talent.
7	7. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) – Building an inclusive workforce to enhance innovation and productivity.
8	8. HR Analytics & Data-Driven Decision-Making – Using metrics and AI to optimize HR strategies and workforce productivity.
9	9. Employee Engagement & Organizational Culture – Enhancing motivation, well-being, and workplace satisfaction.
10	10. Ethics, Compliance & Labor Laws – Navigating legal frameworks, ethical dilemmas, and corporate social responsibility in HR.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	PART I Fundamentals of human resource management (Ch. 01-07) [The essence of HRM Human capital management The context of HRM The future of work HRM and organizational performance The ethical dimension of HRM Corporate social responsibility]
2	PART II The strategic approach to HRM (Ch. 08-09) and PART III Delivering HR (Ch. 10-11) [Strategic HRM HR strategy The role of HR The HRM role of line managers]
3	PART IV Human resource management processes (Ch. 12-16) [Evidence-based HRM HR analytics Digital HRM Knowledge management Competency-based HRM]
4	PART V Organization (Ch. 17-21) [Organizational behaviour Organization design Work design Job design Organization development]
5	PART VI Factors affecting the behaviour of people at work (Ch. 22-24) [Motivation Commitment Employee engagement]
6	PART VII People resourcing (Ch. 25-28) [Resourcing strategy Workforce planning Recruitment and selection Talent management]
7	Project Delivery (Midterm Week-no class) [and/or] PART VIII Employment practices (Ch. 29-33) [The employee experience Managing employment Managing diversity and inclusion Managing flexibility Managing home and hybrid working]
8	PART IX Learning and development (Ch. 34-40) [The basis of learning and development Strategic learning and development Organizational learning and the learning organization Individual learning The process of learning and development The practice of learning and development Leadership and management development]
9	PART X Performance management (Ch. 41-43) [The basis of performance management Performance management systems Performance leadership]
10	PART XI Reward management (Ch. 44-48) [The basis of reward management Reward strategy The practice of reward management Managing reward for special groups Reducing the gender pay gap]
11	PART XII Employment relations (Ch. 49-55) [The basis of employment relations Employment relations strategy The employment relationship The psychological contract The practice of industrial relations Employee voice Employee communications]
12	PART XIII Employee wellbeing (Ch. 56-57) and PART XIV HR practices (Ch. 58-60) [Principles and practice of employee wellbeing Health and safety HR policies HR procedures Dealing with the legal aspects of employment]
13	PART XV International HRM (Ch. 61-63) [The basis of international HRM The practice of international HRM Managing expatriates]
14	PART XVI People management skills and competencies (Ch. 64-82) and PART XVII Conclusion (Ch. 83) [Strategic people management skills Business skills Dealing with business issues from an HR perspective Problem-solving and decision-making skills Analytical and critical skills Research skills Statistical skills Selection interviewing skills Job, role and skills analysis and competency modelling Learning and development skills Negotiating skills Change management Influencing skills Leadership Handling people problems Handling challenging conversations Managing conflict Political skills Project management Trends in HRM]

Prerequisite(s):	ASSESSMENT Attendance 20% Each hour separate attendance/attention points if you place all your devices on my desk at the start of class and keep them there until the end of class. One cannot sign if s/he arrives later than 30 minutes. Logic: Haidt, J. (2024). The anxious generation. https://anxiousgeneration.com/research/the-evidence ProjectA 20% Each student, every week: 5 mins of student presentation from a relevant book chapter/case study/article you selected from last 2 years. Upload an electronic version to an MS Teams folder under your name with actual references. ProjectB 20% Each student, every week: One sheet, two-page, handwritten reflection paper on weekly main textbook chapter. Use these questions: 1. What are the three most important points in this chapter? 2. How do these concepts apply to society today? 3. Why do you agree or disagree with the author? 4. How does this relate to other subjects you’ve studied? 5. How has this chapter changed your thinking? 6. What lessons can be drawn from any examples or cases? 7. Explain a key theory or framework in your own words. 8. What ethical or social issues arise? How should they be addressed? 9. What was unclear or left you wanting more? 10. How might these ideas evolve in the future? Bring the handwritten copy to class to deliver, upload an electronic version to an MS Teams folder under your name. ProjectC 20% Online certificates ( open.edu/openlearn/local/ocwglobalsearch/redirector.php?courseid=250&session=1740582907 AND open.edu/openlearn/local/ocwglobalsearch/redirector.php?courseid=939&session=1740582907 AND open.edu/openlearn/local/ocwglobalsearch/redirector.php?courseid=1265&session=1740582907) share the link to your profile page on open.edu (i.e. www.open.edu/openlearn/profiles/zv467553) + One sheet, two-page, handwritten reflection paper answering about the courses: What key insights did you gain? How does it connect to our course? What skills will you apply? What challenged or changed your perspective? How would you improve the online course? ProjectD 20% Final project: 1. What was the most important topic of this course? 2. How are you going to apply the topic you mentioned above to your life/business/career? One sheet, two-page, handwritten reflection paper.
Textbook(s):	Main Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2023). Armstrong's Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of People Management. Kogan Page Publishers. Recommended 1. Dessler, G. (2024). Human Resources Management, Global Edition. Pearson 2. Bassett-Jones, N. (2023). Strategic Human Resource Management: A Systems Approach. Routledge. 3. Miller-Merrell, J. (2023). Digitizing Talent: Creative Strategies for the Digital Recruiting Age. Society For Human Resource Management. 4. Lauby, S. (2022). The SHRM Essential Guide to Talent Management: A Handbook for HR Professionals, Managers, Businesses, and Organizations. 5. Biech, E. (2022). Training & Development For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. 6. Yorks, L., Abel, A. L., & Rotatori, D. (2022). Strategic human resource development in practice. Management for Professionals. Springer. 7. Tarique, I. (Ed.). (2021). Contemporary talent management: A research companion. Routledge. 8. Wiblen, S. (Ed.). (2021). Digitalised talent management: Navigating the human-technology interface. Routledge. 9. Pocztowski, A., Pauli, U., & Miś, A. (2020). Talent management in small and medium enterprises: Context, practices and outcomes. Routledge. 10. McDonnell, A., & Wiblen, S. (2020). Talent management: A research overview. Routledge. 11. Collings D. G., Scullion H., Caligiuri P. M. (2019). Global Talent Management. Routledge. 12. Sparkman, R. (2018). Strategic workforce planning: Developing optimized talent strategies for future growth. Kogan Page Publishers. 13. Thunnissen, M., & Gallardo-Gallardo, E. (2017). Talent management in practice: An integrated and dynamic approach. Emerald Publishing Limited. 14. Berger, L. A., & Berger, D. (2017). The talent management handbook: Making culture a competitive advantage by acquiring, identifying, developing, and promoting the best people. McGraw Hill Professional. 15. Collings, D. G., Mellahi, K., & Cascio, W. F. (Eds.). (2017). The Oxford handbook of talent management. Oxford University Press. 16. Mello, J. A. (2014). Strategic Human Resource Management. Cengage Learning.
Additional Literature:	-
Laboratory Work:	-
Computer Usage:	-
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Develop advanced knowledge and expertise in the field of talent management and strategic human resources.
2	Effectively communicate and present key concepts (refer to assessments).
3	Analyze and critically evaluate talent management and strategic human resources cases (refer to assessments).
4	Demonstrate the ability to plan and conduct a systematic literature review (refer to assessments).
5	Showcase the ability to contribute valuable insights to academic literature (refer to assessments).
6	Understand the Strategic Role of HR and Talent Management.
7	Master Talent Acquisition, Development, and Retention Strategies.
8	Develop and Implement HR Strategies.
9	Understand Key Areas in HR.
10	Apply Learning in Real-World Scenarios.

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Master of Science in Business Administration Program
1	Integrate theories from business and economics to tackle business problem	5
2	Inspire an open minded-attitude through continuous learning and team-work.	5
3	Demonstrate ethical, social, and legal responsibilities in organizations	5
4	Organize and pursue scientific research projects	5
5	Enhance persuasive communication and presentation capabilities.	5
6	Critically evaluate contemporary research in specific business areas.	5

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Project	4	20
Attendance		20
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	16	3	48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	16	8	128
Mid-terms	0	0	0
Assignments	0	0	0
Final examination	1	11.5	11.5
Other	0	0	0
Total Work Load:			187.5
Total Work Load/25(h):			7.5
ECTS Credit of the Course:			7.5

CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER

Everything is OK.