Academic courses

Academic course

Human Resource Management

People management analysed as an area that connects organisational objectives with responsibility for employee development and satisfaction, creating corporate culture and workplace relationships.

Institution WSB Merito University in Wrocław; Wroclaw Business Academy
Term winter semester 2017/2018 and 2024/2025
Language English

Course scope

The starting point is the role of HR in organisational life, from workforce planning and recruitment to onboarding, employee development, motivation and performance evaluation. Participants examine the relationships between organisational strategy, workplace culture and decisions concerning teams and individual roles.

Particular attention is given to the design of recruitment processes. Topics include identifying staffing needs, preparing role profiles and job advertisements, selecting appropriate assessment methods and conducting recruitment interviews. The subject also examines factors influencing motivation, engagement, cooperation and employee retention.

The teaching approach combines sociological knowledge with experience in business management, consultancy and HR audits. People-related decisions are therefore considered from the perspectives of both the organisation and its employees. HR management is not reduced to a set of procedures: it requires an understanding of social relationships, communication, informal norms and the consequences of organisational choices.

Participants consider transparent criteria, equal treatment, confidentiality and responsibility for the way decisions are communicated. They also examine tensions between organisational effectiveness and employees’ needs, autonomy and dignity. Openness to different perspectives is treated as a basis for better-founded decisions rather than a way of avoiding responsibility.

The aim is to develop the ability to combine evidence, organisational knowledge and careful communication. HR practices are presented as context-dependent solutions rather than universal procedures that can be applied to every organisation in the same way.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the classes, participants are able to:

  • explain the role of HR in organisational strategy and everyday operations;
  • identify staffing needs and prepare the basic structure of a recruitment process;
  • develop role descriptions and select assessment methods appropriate to a particular position;
  • analyse factors affecting employee motivation, engagement, cooperation and development;
  • design introductory training activities and performance evaluation criteria;
  • evaluate people-related decisions in relation to equal treatment, transparency and responsible communication.

Teaching methods

  • case studies of recruitment, motivation and employee development;
  • workshops on role profiles, job advertisements and selection criteria;
  • simulations of recruitment and employee conversations;
  • analysis of organisational problems and evidence supporting HR decisions;
  • facilitated discussions of ethical and communication dilemmas in people management.

These methods enable participants to compare possible solutions, justify their choices and assess the consequences for both the organisation and its employees.

Target group

The classes are intended primarily for students of management, business, sociology, organisational psychology and HR-related programmes. They are also relevant to those preparing for roles involving team management, recruitment or employee development.

Academic and professional relevance

The subject develops an interdisciplinary understanding of organisations by connecting management with the sociology of work, social psychology and communication. It encourages critical analysis of the assumptions underlying employment policies and HR practices.

The competencies developed are relevant to recruitment, human resources, team management, training, employer branding and organisational consultancy. They support decisions that take account of both organisational objectives and responsibility towards employees.