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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

The Employee Lifecycle (Online)

MGMT 6360-A70

Course: MGMT 6360-A70
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: MHRH
CRN: 10408

Course Description

This course focuses on what HR professionals manage and oversee with employees during their employee lifecycle with an organization, in an effort to improve and increase employee engagement and retention. Course topics include successful employee onboarding and learning/training development, performance management, managing compensation and incentive rewards, employee benefits management, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Global HRM, coaching and documentation through corrective & disciplinary action, and employee rights regarding termination & layoffs. (Spring - 1st Session, Summer - 2nd Session) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): MGMT 6100 or advisor permission - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

Managing Human Resources, by Scott Snell and Shad Morris. 20th Edition. In this course, we will be covering Chapters 7-11, 13, and 15 from this textbook (7 chapters total). I have collaborated with Dr. Shardlow and this is the same textbook he uses for MGMT 6350, but teaching different chapters from. Thus, students taking both MGMT 6350 and MGMT 6360 should only need to purchase/rent the textbook once, or the window of time needed to complete both courses. A link to purchase/rent the textbook is available in the class Canvas shell.

A course packet from Harvard Business Publishing is also required, which includes 5 items (the simulation activity + four case studies) that are used as part of completing assignments. A link to purchase/rent the course packet is available in the class Canvas shell.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Appraise, contrast, and evaluate effective training and learning programs that successfully welcome and onboard new employees, ensure their understanding of company strategy and culture, and enhance employee skills, knowledge, and career development during their time with the organization and beyond.
  2. Assess, compare, and defend effective performance management systems and performance expectations. This includes describing the value of quality feedback and conducting appraisals that drive employee and organizational performance.
  3. Construct and interpret different pay systems, reward structures, and explain relevant legal and organizational considerations (both domestic and international) to create fair and competitive compensation structures and benefits packages.
  4. Appraise and synthesize current and emerging technologies to support and enhance the HR function and employee experience within the organization.
  5. Describe the value of positive employee relations, generate a plan to resolve workplace conflicts, conduct effective critical conversations to sensitive personnel matters, manage performance issues through coaching and/or discipline, and develop ethical policies and strategies that foster a strong company culture.
  6. Explain appropriate procedures to follow when terminating an employee and/or when the company is faced with layoffs to avoid potential legal ramifications.

Course Requirements

Quizzes (8 total; top 6 scores count towards final grade)
There will be eight (8) quizzes for this course: one introductory quiz covering the course syllabus and objectives and seven (7) chapter quizzes covering material from each assigned chapter of the textbook. The introductory quiz will not be graded, but a passing score of 8/10 or higher is prerequisite to the other quizzes and course materials being available to students. 

Of the seven chapter quizzes, the top 6 scores count towards the final grade (with the lowest quiz score being dropped). Quizzes will consist of 10 randomly-selected multiple-choice or true/false questions on that textbook chapter. Students will have 10 minutes per quiz attempt and be given two attempts to complete each quiz, with the highest score counting. Quizzes must be submitted no later than the assigned due date. Students may use only their textbook, course packet, personal notes, or Canvas course materials to complete the quizzes; students can not use other online sources or communicate with others while taking a quiz.

Exams (2)
There will be two exams for this course: a Midterm exam and a Final exam. The Midterm exam will cover four chapters of the textbook, along with the first case study and practical application assignment. The Final exam will cover three chapters of the textbook, along with the second and third case studies, the second practical assignment assignment, and the simulation activity.

Each exam will consist of true/false, multiple-choice, and short-answer questions (50 questions total). Students will have 60 minutes (or one hour) and one attempt to complete each exam. Exams must be submitted no later than the assigned due date; late exams are available only upon request and will be assessed an automatic 20% grade reduction per day they are completed late. Students can use only their textbook, course packet, personal notes, or Canvas course materials to complete the exams; students can not use other online sources or communicate with others during exams.

Case Studies (3)
Business cases involve detailed factual scenarios detailing complex problems faced by real business leaders (and are found within the course packet the students purchase). These assignments provide an opportunity to apply the course material to solve a real-life business problem.

Students will be given the opportunity to analyze and prepare written responses to three case studies during the semester. One case study will focus on compensation; another will focus on performance management; the last will focus on termination/layoffs. There are no specific page limits for these case analysis responses, but a complete analysis almost certainly requires several pages to fully address the solution(s) to the problems presented and explain the implementation timeline of the solution. The grading focus on these assignments is on how well the student uses the data from the case and our course material to solve the problem, not whether the student got a “right” answer or if the student wrote a sufficiently long essay.

Practical Application Assignments (2)
Similar to case study analyses, these will be assignments where students are given a scenario regarding that week’s topic and asked to develop a solution to the problem using course materials, etc. The output may consist of producing a memo, a proposal, a report, and/or a spreadsheet analysis. The first practical application assignment for this course will focus on benefits, while the second practical application assignment will focus on coaching and documentation through corrective and disciplinary action.

Simulation Activity (1)
This is an assignment where students will participate in a virtual simulation for the duration of the semester, generally as one participation session per week over five weeks. Within the simulation, students take on the role of the Human Resources Director for a customer support call center, with a certain number agents and team members that handles X million incoming calls in the base year (=Year 0). As an HR Director, students will make strategic and operational decisions on recruitment, training, rewards and performance management of all staff.

Over a five-year period in the simulation (or first five weeks of this course), students will make a series of HR management decisions aimed at achieving the center’s strategic objectives – enhancing customer satisfaction while managing costs. Success in the achievement of these goals depends on maintaining a high-performing, engaged, and well-trained workforce. Students' efforts to recruit, motivate, develop and retain staff are critical to the call center’s success.

Each week in this course (represented as one year in the simulation), students will make decisions in several key areas, including HR policies, training, rewards, performance management, staffing, and recruitment. These choices are supported by data on employee engagement, efficiency, performance, and other critical HR metrics. An annual staffing and recruitment plan is generated based on projected workloads and several key decisions and assumptions that students enter. Fortunately, over the last 12 years, the call center has experimented with various HR policies and collected data on key HR metrics. Students will have access to this data so they can generate scatterplots with best-fit lines and the full dataset is available to download for further analysis. Using this analysis can help students make better decisions right from the start, but remember that correlation does not always equal causation!

Each year in the simulation, students will also review news with information on changes in the external environment. With each simulated year (represented by each week of the course), new decisions and outcomes are added to the dataset, allowing for improved insights over time. The main news items will relate to the expected number of incoming calls that need to be handled by agents. For example: students may encounter shifts in call volume or the potential adoption of AI that is able to handle an increasing proportion of customer queries. Both of these external environment forces will require students to adapt their workforce strategies in order to maintain a high-performing, engaged, and well-trained workforce.

The simulation applies principles learned about talent acquisition in MGMT 6350 and during this semester in MGMT 6360 into a practical application to show how HR management decisions impact employee engagement and business performance over time, allowing students to make adjustments to their decisions each week as they get new information about external factors, to hopefully improve their decision-making skills (as measured through a composite score) over the first 5 weeks in the course. Week 6 will then consist of submitting an essay about each student's experience with the simulation.

Recorded Lectures
The recorded lectures are short lectures that will include:
  • The course introduction (not graded),
  • Textbook content,
  • Case analysis/practical assignment/simulation activity overview lectures, prior to submission due dates, and
  • A breakdown lecture on the simulation activity, post-submission.

The textbook recorded lectures do not merely parrot the material in the textbook. Instead, as in a face-to-face class, these lectures will build on what students have read from the text, contextualize concepts, draw links between topics, and provide additional material. The other lectures will give more detail about assignment expectations and information so students are best prepared to submit their assignments by the associated due dates.

Similar to tracking attendance, this portion of the grade will represent the extent to which students participated in watching the full length of each recorded lecture video.

Course Outline

  • Week 1 are Modules 0 & 1
    • Module 0 = overview of Canvas course and modules, review of syllabus, Class FAQs, and exam resources, concluding with the course introductory quiz, all due by end of week.
    • Module 1 = covers Employee Preboarding/Onboarding and Pay-for-Performance - Incentive Rewards. Includes readings, recorded lectures, one chapter quiz, and introduction/year 1 of the simulation activity, all due by end of week.
  • Week 2 is Module 2 = covers Managing Compensation and Global HRM. Includes readings, recorded lectures, two chapter quizzes, year 2 of the simulation activity, and first case study analysis assignment, all due by end of week.
  • Week 3 is Module 3 = covers Employee Benefits Management and HRIS. Includes readings, recorded lectures, one chapter quiz, year 3 of the simulation activity, and first practical application assignment, all due by end of week.
  • Week 4 is Module 4 = Midterm Exam due early in the week, then covering Learning and Development. Includes readings, recorded lectures, one chapter quiz, and year 4 of the simulation activity, all due at end of week.
  • Week 5 is Module 5 = covers Performance Management + Intro to Coaching and Documentation through Corrective & Disciplinary Action. Includes readings, recorded lectures, one chapter quiz, year 5 of the simulation activity, and the second case study analysis assignment, all due by end of week.
  • Week 6 is Module 6 = finalizes Coaching and Documentation through Corrective & Disciplinary Action, and covers Employee Rights regarding Termination & Layoffs. Includes readings, recorded lectures, one chapter quiz, submission of the simulation activity essay, and the second practical application assignment, all due by end of week.
  • Week 7 is Module 7 = No new materials covered, but has two recorded lectures (debrief on the simulation activity and overview of the third case analysis). Third case analysis submission and final exam, both due by end of week.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Grading Policies
Some general notes about assignments: 
  1. Please note that late work, absent an extreme emergency, is either not accepted (in the case of reading quizzes and recorded lectures) or heavily discounted (20% per day on exams and/or written assignments). 
  2. All assignments (quizzes, exams, writing assignments) are due BEFORE the due date/time listed within Canvas. As noted above, late work will either not be accepted (reading quizzes and lecture videos) or heavily penalized (20% per day), absent an extreme emergency (of which students should notify me as soon as reasonably possible). I reserve the sole right to determine whether an emergency is sufficiently extreme to warrant the submission of late work.
  3. Students should not put their name on the case analyses or practical application assignments they submit through Canvas. Instead, students should label these assignments with only their SUU T-number. All work is graded anonymously to avoid any real or perceived unintentional bias. Failure to abide by this rule will result in a 5% reduction in the grade for that assignment.
  4. A student's grade is assessed based on their output, not a personal evaluation of the student or the amount of effort the student or I believe they put in (although generally, putting more effort into an assignment translates into a better product and, therefore, a better grade); this is part of the reason for the anonymous grading of papers. I am happy to meet with students at any time to discuss their performance and how they might improve going forward. Thus, emails at the end of the term asking for grades to be adjusted upward will not be granted. Please note: this policy (indeed, all of the policies in this syllabus) are not subject to pressures students may face from parents, scholarships, sports, internships/jobs, etc. While I understand these are real pressures (having experienced some of them myself), basic principles of fairness and integrity prohibit me from incorporating them in the grading process.

This is a course designed for graduate business students, many of whom may already be in the workforce full-time. Thus, I want students to think about the professionalism that will define them in the working world. When people hear their name, what do these people think? Is the student a consistent, reliable, and purposeful contributor? Do they give their best effort in a timely manner and are proud to submit the work that carries their name? Or is the student unreliable, problematic, or contentious? Marketers call the process of developing reputations “building a brand.” To help guide students in their development of a professional brand while still in school, I ask them to think WWIDITWARJ (“What would I do if this were a real job?”).

What does this acronym mean in this class/course environment? A few examples may suffice. First, please note that late work, absent an extreme emergency, is either not accepted (in the case of reading quizzes and lecture videos) or heavily discounted (20% per day on exams and/or written assignments). Part of this is to encourage students to meet their professional obligations, part of it is for the student's own benefit (to help keep them on track), and part of it is out of courtesy to me (grading) and their classmates (fairness). To use some extreme examples, things like “my father died” would qualify as emergencies that could justify late work; things like “I waited until the last minute and now I can’t find the materials I need” do not. Also, consider the timing of the notice: it is much better to say, “I was diagnosed with pneumonia this morning and I’m worried about being able to complete this week’s reading quiz on time”, than it is to email, “I was sick last week and couldn’t do the work” after the deadline has passed. Students are asked to put themselves in the position of a manager; what would justify an employee coming in and offering late work?

Second, I am more than happy to communicate with students through the course and will endeavor to do so promptly. However, I do have a few requirements:
  1. Contact me by email - I prefer direct email rather than Canvas (my email address is above) because it helps me keep track of our discussions, though Canvas email does work. I don’t get notifications of other types of communications (like comments on assignments or announcements), and I can’t respond if I don’t see them.
  2. I do not respond to email that is unprofessional, rude, or demanding. Before students send me an email on any topic, they should ensure that they have taken care to use appropriate tone, punctuation, and spelling. Note that if the student is trying to meet these obligations, they almost certainly have.
  3. I respond most promptly to emails during the workweek (Monday - Friday, 8 am – 5 pm), so this is when students should also be communicating with me if they need something. I will occasionally check my emails over the weekend, but this is rare and is not the expectation. Thus, if a student is struggling with questions about an assignment that is due over the weekend, an email sent to me on Saturday or Sunday will likely not get this student the help they need in the timeframe they need it in, so the student should plan accordingly to ask their questions and/or communicate with me during regular University business hours.
  4. Students should ensure that they have read the syllabus, Class FAQ, course announcements, etc., so that they have consumed the information I’ve already provided. Again, what would a student do if they were a manager and one of their subordinates asked a question they (as the manager) have already addressed, or did so rudely? 

Attendance Policy

As an online-only course, there is no required attendance. The main difference between an online course and an in-person course is the extent to which the student is taking responsibility for how they get work done. In an in-person class, the student would see me (instructor) multiple times per week, which would allow me to help students manage their work. In an online environment, this rests entirely on the student's shoulders. Thus, an online class allows students flexibility to complete their work when they want within the deadlines I provide, but if a student tries to do all coursework at the last minute before a deadline, it's unlikely that the student would be as successful than if they were more disciplined.

I STRONGLY ADVISE that students not rely on the “To Do List” or the “Calendar” in Canvas; rather, students should work through the Module for each week. Why? Well, because there’s a reason I put things in the order I do. Each item will build on the next, and this is clearly reflected in the Modules. When students rely on the “To Do” or “Calendar,” these dates may not mirror the order within the module. When I receive emails from students who are having difficulty in the course and/or not understanding course requirements, they are nearly always failing to use the Modules for guidance.

At any given time, there will be two Modules open: the one with due dates for the current week and the one with due dates for the next week (plus any previous Modules so students can go back and re-watch any recorded lectures they would like). There are a number of reasons for this, but two will suffice here. On the student's end, I don’t think it’s helpful for a student to try to rush through the material, nor would it be advantageous for the student to have the option to wait until halfway through the semester to begin working. On my end, this semester I have over 200 students over several sections of three different types of classes; it would be way too difficult for me to be bouncing back and forth throughout the semester to accommodate where each student is.

Note that the only exception to this rule is for exams. Exams will be available for only four days: Wednesday - Saturday within Module 4 (for the Midterm Exam) and Sunday - Wednesday within Module 7 (for the Final Exam). Students should look at the syllabus in advance and make sure they are not aware of major conflicts. For instance, if a student is getting married the week of an exam, they should carefully consider how they will complete the exam during the open time frame. Similarly, if the student is getting married the week an assignment paper is due, they should work ahead so that it can be submitted on time.

Course Fees

N/A

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.