51ÔÚÏß

ISDS is Now Offering A Concentration on Human Resource Management

By Keith Morelli

TAMPA (January 16, 2018) -- With human resource management becoming the focus of business intent on renewing an interest in taking care of and keeping employees happy, the 51ÔÚÏß's Muma College of Business has embarked on a path to offer a concentration that very topic.

The concentration is being offered through the college's Information Systems and Decision Sciences Department and is available, beginning this semester, as part of a management degree.

The focus provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to obtain entry-level positions within the field of human resource management.

More and more corporations are aligning corporate strategy – the business of making profits and holding down expenses – with people strategy, defined as the business of taking care of the people who devote their careers to making that corporate strategy successful.

Historically, the human resources function was a mid-level staff position focused on personnel and immersed in administrative and transactional responsibilities. But today, as businesses move to align their business strategies with their "people strategies," chief human resource officers are so much more, often serving as coaches and trusted advisors to the CEOs, COOs and CFOs.

The practice is gaining traction among large corporations and small ones as well. And it's that trend that prompted ISDS instructors Roberto Chavarry and Doreen MacAulay to build the concentration.

The coursework provides students with an understanding of the different human resource management functions including compensation, benefits, training and development, recruitment, staffing, employee retention, performance evaluation, employment law, as well as an appreciation for the importance of obtaining and enhancing diversity in the workplace.

Chavarry and MacAulay hope that this program also will help promote internships and employment opportunities within the area of human resource management for students of the Muma College of Business. As the undergraduate management program's director, Chavarry has worked with students and colleagues to promote the profession as a viable employable option for students looking for positions upon graduation.

In addition to the concentration, Chavarry's effort has resulted in the development of the Human Resource Management Student Association that actively promotes the profession among students. The association recently began working with the Society of Human Resource Management Tampa Chapter to bring students closer to those working in the human resources field in the Tampa Bay business community.

"Human resource management is a growing field in the Tampa Bay area and beyond," Chavarry said. "By training our students to be able to succeed in entry level positions, we are planting the seeds for a strong labor pool for our community business partners."