YORK UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

FACULTY OF LIBERAL AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
COMPENSATION
HRM 3490 Section N, Winter 2013

TIME: Thursdays 14:30-17:30

Location: ACW 307

Course Director: Galina Boiarintseva

Office: Atkinson Building, School of Human Resources Management
Office Hours: by appointment
E-mail: linab@yorku.ca

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course provides the student with an understanding of the objectives of a compensation
program; the process and techniques of wage and salary determination; issues and problems in
incentive systems; benefits and services, and the management of these programs.
In addition to material covered in the textbook, we will examine compensation issues using
critical lenses. Relevant material will be used from journals, magazines, etc. The course will
reflect a mix of research and practice.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS/PREREQUISITES:
AK/ADMS 3480 3.0 or AK/ADMS 2600 3.0.
Students are personally responsible to ensure that they have the required prerequisites as stated in
the course outline or in the course calendar. Students who do not have the prerequisites are at risk
of being dropped from the course at any time during the course. The department will not be
responsible for refunds resulting from students being dropped from a course due to a lack of the
appropriate prerequisites.
REQUIRED TEXTS/MATERIALS:
Long, Richard J. (2010). Strategic Compensation in Canada (4th Edition), Toronto: Nelson.
WEIGHTING OF COURSE/COURSE EVALUATION:
Group Project:
Mid-term Exam:
Final Exam:

40%
25%
35%

All final grades will be reviewed by the School of Human Resource

Management and the School reserves the right to modify them in order to
maintain high standards.
Group Project: 40%
Background
In this course, as in the real world, you will have to complete a problem/issue-oriented primary
research project. That is, you would be asked to conduct research on an organizational problem
or issue and come up with solutions within the usual time and resource constraints. The
usefulness of this research is dependent on, among other things, the appropriateness of the
research methodologies and approaches that are used, as well as the rigor of the analyses. One of
the key purposes of a university is knowledge discovery and this is not restricted to professors.

As students, it is expected that you will learn research skills and use them in advancing your
knowledge and societal development.
The research project will be conducted in groups. The written component, valued 20% of the
course grade, will be evaluated on several criteria, including style (how well the paper is
organized, quality of written communication, etc.), the adequacy, relevance, and quality of the
literature review, the quality of the data analyses, the viability and practicability (how
implementable) of the recommendations.
Your presentation is worth 15%; the grading criteria will include style (flow, quality of aids, eye
contact, timing, etc.) and content (adequacy of material covered, how well questions are
answered, etc.) and 5% of your grade will be determined by members of your group (see peer
evaluation on the course website).
Objectives of the Project
This project will help students to:
1. Develop skills in doing literature searches, including the identification and evaluation of
sources (relevance, credibility and validity).
2. Conduct empirical research using a variety of methodological approaches both
positivist/quantitative and interpretative/qualitative.
3. Critically evaluate the information/articles used and data collected so as to assist in
problem identification and potential solutions.
4. Learn/refine skills in the proper attribution of information and sources cited in the paper.
5. Analyze, synthesize and organize the information/data into a structured paper.
6. Present the research findings to the class.

Summary of the Assignment

This project has three components: a written paper (20%), a presentation (15%), and peer
evaluation (5%).
Essentially, your group (of about 5-8 persons) will study a current compensation issue facing an
organization (or organizations) in Canada or elsewhere. There are multiple sources of
information for this issue: the news/press, journals, managers and employees, your own
experiences, and so on. The instructor will provide more details during the first class.
Your written paper should be approximately 20 pages, excluding the list of references (Arial or
Times New Roman, 12 pitch, with 1" margins; double-spaced). You should cover at least the
following in the paper:
An introduction (the importance of the topic/issue, etc.)

A literature review: Details of the issue (what it is, etc.), and a review/analysis of
relevant articles on the subject (articles should come from journals and books, as well
as other sources such as newspapers, magazines, websites, etc.)
Research methodology
An examination and analysis of the issue in the organization selected
Recommendations on how to manage the issue
You must also include a list of the articles cited, using the APA style. This paper must be handed
to the instructor at the time of your presentation (except for the first set of groups to present).
The presentation may follow the headings above (but you can choose to be innovative and be
different). Not all members of your group are required to do the presentation; you may choose at
least two people to present, given the time limits. The presenters will stand at the front of the
class. Just remember that your group will receive the same mark, so choose your presenters
wisely. Due to time constraints, the presentation will be limited to approximately 20 minutes and
about 5 minutes for a question and answer period. There is a penalty for going above the time
limits, so please rehearse your presentation in advance. It is a good idea to assign back-up
presenters if you are unsure of your ability to attend that particular class.
The peer evaluation forms will be made available on the course website and will be due when
the paper is submitted. The purpose of these evaluations is to ensure that each member is
consistently making valuable contributions to group work in and outside of class. Teamwork and
interaction not only with the class but also within your team will allow you to discuss the course
material in a more intimate and meaningful forum. Further explanation of these forms will occur
in class. You should evaluate each member with regard to progress in your group assignment,
and participation in group activities in and outside of class relating to this course. Please make
sure that your group name is at the top of your sheets at submission.
This is a CONFIDENTIAL evaluation; please do not collaborate with your team members. Each
individual in the class must submit a peer evaluation for his/her group. Carefully evaluate each
team members' behaviours during the activities with your group and fill out the form provided to
you. This form must be handed in by the end of the class in which you make your presentation.
Late peer evaluation forms will not be accepted, but you may submit it early, as the form will be
provided to you prior to the class. Make sure that you put your group name and your name and
student number at the top of your sheet.
Specific Instructions for the Written Paper
A. Form Groups, Select a Topic and Presentation Week
1. Form groups (5-8 students). The professor can help with this task, if necessary.
2. Think about a topic and organization(s) for your research. This may take a few weeks.
The professor will guide you in this task.
3. Sign up for the presentation time/week in the presentation form provided by the
professor.

B. Search for Information/Data on Your Topic

1. Skim the text to get an idea of the issue that may be covered in the research project.
Once you agree as a group on a topic (you should determine the topic in consultation with
the targeted organization(s)). Ideally, your paper should focus on a specific aspect of the
general topic (e.g., if your topic is pay-for-performance, you can choose to do a more
detailed analysis of stock options).
2. Use appropriate search strategies to locate material on your topic. The professor may
organize a guest lecture by a librarian to help familiarize you with library sources,
referencing, etc. It is strongly recommended that you use business/management
databases versus general web/online searches to locate the academic articles.
3. Evaluate the credibility and usefulness of the material/articles located. Do not use
material from websites and other sources where the accuracy or authenticity of the
information is questionable (for example, if the author is not stated or the details of the
primary sources are not mentioned).
4. There is no limit on the amount of articles that you can consult and cite. Ideally, your
research should include mostly peer-reviewed articles, as well as material from the web
or online sources, government reports, the popular press (e.g., business magazines),
and/or newspapers.
5. In your primary research, you can conduct interviews or surveys to help with your
research, among other methods. Please discuss this with the professor. Details of the
interviews (including questions) and surveys must be provided to the professor (and
included in the report), as we will have to get approval from the universitys research
ethics office.
6. Carefully analyze and synthesize the main findings.
C. Write a Paper on Your Issue
1. Use the information collected to write a 20-page paper (plus or minus a few pages).
2. You should attempt to organize and synthesize the research articles in a holistic and
coherent manner under a literature review section. Critically evaluate these
articles/previous research as you see fit.
3. Ensure that proper attribution is made as appropriate; that is, cite your sources. Use the
APA format.
4. State the general research problem/organizational issue.
5. Describe your methodology; that is, state how you obtained and analyzed the data to
address the research issue.
6. Present your findings in a structured/organized manner.
7. Discuss your findings explain why think these specific results were obtained. Did you
find anything unexpected? If so, how do you explain them? Use previous theory and
empirical research to help you with these explanations, as well as your own intuitions.
8. Discuss the limitations of the research.
9. Present recommendations to the organization (if this is required).
10. Check your final paper for appropriate headings, grammar, spelling, etc. before you
submit it.
11. Submit the paper by the deadline.

Mid-Term Examination: 25%

A mid-term examination will be held during the sixth week of the course. It is imperative that
you attend the mid-term since there will be no other alternative dates to write a make-up exam.
The mid-term exam is a closed-book exam covering materials covered in class. The format will
most likely be a combination of multiple choice and essay/short answer questions. You will be
advised of the format prior to the midterm date.
Final Examination: 35%
The exam will be held during the formal examination period for the semester, in a room and
location to be announced closer to the exam date. More details will follow as the semester
progresses. There will be no other alternative date to write the final exam. The final exam will
most likely be a combination of multiple choice and essay/short answer questions. The instructor
will provide more details of the format.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of this course are:
1. Students should be able to understand the importance of an
organizations compensation systems.
2. Students should understand and critically evaluate specific
compensation systems, such as job evaluations, pay-for-performance
(e.g., profit-sharing, stock options, employee benefits, etc.) and
employee benefits.
3. Students should be able to conduct research on pertinent
compensation issues and organize this is a presentable format (paper
and presentation).
4. Students should be able to work in teams.
5. Students should be able to understand the context for compensation
systems to be effective.

COURSE ORGANIZATION
*NOTE: Class schedule may be changed at the discretion of the Course
Director.

Week

Topic

Readings

January 10,
2013

Overview/
Introduction
to the
course; A
Road Map to
Effective
Compensati
on

Chapter 1

January 17,
2013

Strategic
Framework
for
Compensati
on

Chapter 2

Class
Presentatio
ns

Cases/
Readings
ARTICLE:
Six
Dangerous
Myths About
Pay

ARTICLE:
Compensatio
n: Whats the
Big Secret?
DISTRIBUTE
THE CASE
INFORMATION
: Name your
price

January 24,
2013

A
Behavioural
Framework
for
Compensati
on

Chapter 3

COLLECT
THE CASE
INFORMATION
: Name your
price
ARTICLE: A
Simpler Way
to Pay

January 31,
2013

Components
of
Compensati
on Strategy

Chapter 4

CASE
ANALYSIS:
Name your
price:
Compensatio
n Negotiation
at Whole
Health
Management

February 7,
2013

February
14, 2013

Performance
Pay Choices
Formulating
the Reward
and
Compensati
on Strategy

Chapters
5&6

MIDTERM
READING

CASE: The
proposed
Merit Pay
Program:
Should the
Winners Take
All?

WEEK
CASE:
Performanc

February
28, 2013

The Job
Evaluation
Process

Chapter
7

March 7,
2013

Chapter
8

Presentation
s
Group 1 and
Group 2

March 14,
2013

Job
Evaluation
Systems:
The Point
Method
Evaluating
the Market

Chapter
9

10

March 21,

Evaluating
Individuals

Chapter
10

Presentation
s
Group 3 and International
AirlinesGroup 4
Moving to a
Flexi-Wage
System
during
volatile
times
Presentation ARTICLE:
Reward
s
Group 5 and Systems That
Really Work
Group 6

11

March 28,
2013

Designing
Pay for
Performanc
e Plans

Chapter
11

2013

e Pay at
Satellite
Auto Glass

Presentation
s
Group 7 and
Group 8

ARTICLE:
Which
Incentives
Pay Off
Now?
CASE:
Singapore

12

April 4,
2013

Designing
Chapters
Indirect Pay 12 & 13
Plans
Managing
the
Compensat
ion System
Exam
Review