Human Resources Development and Management

Justification of the title

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in postgraduate studies in the area of Human Resources from different degrees in the field of Social and Legal Sciences. These studies seek training that serves as a bridge between the training obtained in the different Degrees and incorporation into professional life. Students seek not only practical and applied knowledge, but also the development of skills and abilities that will be in demand in the Human Resources departments of very heterogeneous organizations. This field of specialization is of particular interest to graduates in Psychology, as well as to graduates in Labor Relations.

The White Paper on the Degree in Psychology (ANECA, 2005) has considered in the development of its guidelines both the professional profiles defined by the Official College of Spanish Psychologists (COP, 1998), as well as those collected by the European Federation of Associations of Psychologists (COP, 2007) in the Europsy-T and Europsych-EDP projects.

The White Paper contains the results of a study on the professional skills required to develop each of the four professional profiles it considers: Clinical Psychology, Educational Psychology, Psychology of Social and Community Intervention and Psychology of Work, Organizations and Human Resources. The proposed Master's Degree is clearly related to the latter.

The competencies considered most relevant for the profile of Work, Organizational and Human Resources Psychology are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Competencies of the professional profile of Work, Organizational and Human Resources Psychology.

Work, Organizational and Human Resources Psychology:

  • Working as a team
  • Ability to analyze and synthesize
  • Stay updated
  • Troubleshooting
  • Ethical commitment
  • Working in interdisciplinary teams
  • Organization and planning
  • Oral and written communication
  • Interpersonal relationships
  • Adapting to new situations
  • Self-criticism
  • decision making
  • Thinking creatively
  • Knowing your own skills and limitations
  • Interest in the quality of one's own performance
  • Taking responsibility

In 1998, the Spanish Official College of Psychologists published a document describing the different professional profiles that graduates in Psychology can perform. Among these profiles, the Psychology of Work, Organizations and Human Resources is recognized (COP, 1998). This document determines the functions associated with this profile, which are summarized in Table 3.

Table 3. Main functions of the professional profile of Work, Organizational and Human Resources Psychology.

Work, Organizational and Human Resources Psychology:

  • Selection, Evaluation and Orientation of Personnel
  • Staff Training and Development
  • Marketing and Consumer Behavior
  • Working and Health Conditions
  • Organization and development of human resources
  • Direction and Management

This document also presents the professional activities in this field, which are summarized in Table 4.

Table 4. Professional activities in the field of Work, Organizational and Human Resources Psychology.

Professional activities:

  1. Preparation of activity programs that allow the fulfillment of the objectives established in the Management Plan regarding the Human Resources Area.
  2. Preparation of activity programs that allow the fulfillment of the objectives established in the Management Plan regarding the Marketing Area.
  3. Monitoring compliance with approved programs by taking appropriate decisions to avoid possible deviations.
  4. Responsibility for the appropriate Staff Selection and Recruitment policy, in accordance with the strategic approach of the Company or Organization.
  5. Responsibility for Planning, Design, Control and Evaluation of Training.
  6. Provide reliable information on social matters regarding the progress of the organization, allowing for appropriate decision-making regarding personnel.
  7. Organizational Structure. Analysis, description and evaluation of job positions.
  8. Taking appropriate actions to involve staff in the company's strategy.
  9. Career planning for all company staff.
  10. Safety and Hygiene at Work. Intervention in Occupational Risk Prevention.
  11. Marketing. Consumer Psychology. Social and Business Research

Tasks:

  1. Prepare and execute the annual activities program.
  2. Prepare and execute the annual activities program.
  3. Direct staff selection processes. Develop interview techniques, assessment scales, and psychological tests to evaluate skills, aptitudes, etc. Conduct staff evaluations and selection interviews. Propose or decide on staff recruitment. Analyze and propose the optimal placement of people in different positions. Propose employee promotion and Succession Plans. Individual advice to the person on vocational matters, ensuring the degree of educational and attitudinal adjustment between the expectations and possibilities of the people and the labor market.
  4. Organize training programs. Diagnose or detect the training needs of the members of the Organization. Develop the Training Plan that responds to the real needs of the staff. Execute, control and evaluate the Training Plan. Provide training.
  5. Establish a periodic measurement of performance and job satisfaction indicators, taking appropriate actions for optimal functioning of the Organization. Keep a permanently updated Human Resources Inventory that reflects the potential and development of employees. Evaluate the performance of staff. Periodically diagnose the organizational situation and the adequacy of the organizational structure to the Company's strategy. Advise workers to improve their work.
    Reporting and reporting.
  6. Analyze, design and implement the ideal organizational structure to meet the objectives. Define the organizational chart and its breakdown. Analyze the jobs. Write job descriptions. Evaluate the jobs and manage the remuneration policy. Conduct studies on organizational functioning.
  7. Strengthen coordination between different departments and organizational units. Establish and review the company's communication channels.
    Adapt the organizational culture to the company's strategy. Analyze and propose improvements to the work systems used. Create work groups or improvement teams. Prevent possible conflicts and intervene in their resolution.
    Advise management on personnel policies and management-employee relations. Channel claims, complaints, suggestions and proposals. Encourage staff participation and involvement.
  8. Conduct studies for accident prevention. Conduct ergonomic studies and interventions. Provide training in technical and awareness-raising issues in the field of Occupational Safety. Conduct research, intervention and evaluation of Occupational Health programs.
  9. Conduct image and consumption studies. Design advertising campaigns. Conduct market research. Develop commercial strategies and direct marketing actions.

The White Paper on the Degree in Labour Sciences and Human Resources (ANECA, 2005) confirms the viability of a European higher education area in the field of labour sciences and human resources, given that both disciplines share their object of study, the content of their plans and the professional profile of their graduates. Although with different names, duration and structure, they share a multidisciplinary approach as a characteristic substantive element, which accommodates the different areas of knowledge and perspectives whose contributions are relevant and necessary for the study of labour relations: law, psychology, economics, sociology, business organisation, etc.

The White Paper on the Degree in Labour Sciences and Human Resources contains the study carried out on similar qualifications in the European context, in which the different professional opportunities and qualifications presented by these homologous qualifications have been analysed, and which can be summarised as follows:

  • Directors or senior human resources technicians in the management staff of companies, directly responsible for human resources management and administration policies.
  • Freelance professionals who are experts in legal-labor advice, in the organization of work and production, as well as in the representation of collective and professional interests both in the private sector and in public administration.
  • Experts in the field of labour policies promoted by the public administration as responsible for local, regional and national social and labour policies.
  • Social and labour consultants and/or auditors.
  • Professionals specialised in facing the challenges and opportunities involved in productive restructuring processes, changes in market structure, European integration and the contributions of new approaches to the world of work and employment organisation.
  • Professionals with the ability to integrate into multidisciplinary teams, in the field of advice, consulting or business.
  • Secondary and higher education, university and non-university.

As can be seen, the two professional profiles oriented towards the management and direction/administration of human resources defined from Psychology and from the Work Sciences include some complementary functions and contents. Specifically, and on the one hand, the Master in Development and Management of Human Resources will focus on the development of competencies focused on the person-job adjustment, teamwork and quality of working life, therefore including areas of intervention such as, among others, selection, training and evaluation of personnel. In this sense, it is oriented towards the development of a professional profile of Human Resources Management. On the other hand, the Master in Personnel Management is oriented towards the development of a professional profile of Human Resources Directors, as well as Consultants and Auditors, which includes a more holistic training on the Organizational phenomenon.

In short, specific training for graduates in Psychology and Graduates in Industrial Relations in this field of work is necessary, as it constitutes a recognized and sought-after professional outlet, both from professional institutions and from society. Likewise, the knowledge that this Degree can provide to other professionals is relevant for their performance, since intervention in the human resources departments of different organizations requires teamwork of professionals who provide different theoretical and methodological perspectives.

The demand for this type of training has been confirmed in the editions of other Master's degrees taught at the University of La Laguna. In the academic years 2005-06 and 2007-08, two editions of the University Master's Degree in Human Resources were held, directed by the Social Psychology Area of the Department of Cognitive, Social and Organisational Psychology, and which on both occasions had a high number of students.

There are currently at least seven university master's degrees offered in the country, aimed at specialising professionals in the field of Human Resources Management. The summary of the degrees is shown in Table 5.

Table 5. List of Spanish university master's degrees focused on Human Resources Management.

Qualification:

  1. Master's Degree in Human Resources Management
  2. Master in Work, Organizational and Human Resources Management Psychology
  3. Master's Degree in Human Resources Management and Development
  4. Master's Degree in Human Resources Management and Administration
  5. Master's Degree in Human Resources Management and Administration
  6. Master's Degree in Work, Organizational and Human Resources Psychology
  7. Master's Degree in Human Resources Management in Organizations

University:

  1. Autonomous University of Madrid
  2. Complutense University of Madrid
  3. University of Seville
  4. University of Murcia
  5. University of Valencia
  6. Jaime I University – Castellón
  7. Autonomous University of Barcelona

ECTS credits:

  1. 90
  2. 60
  3. 60
  4. 60
  5. 120
  6. 60
  7. 60

Access profile:

  1. Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Psychology, as well as other training at the same level related to organizational analysis from the perspectives of social sciences (Economics, Law, Sociology, etc.).
  2. Official degree or equivalent in Psychology, Labor Relations, and other university studies related to the area of social sciences.
  3. Official degree or equivalent in Psychology, Business Administration and Management, Law, Labor Sciences, Labor Relations, Business Sciences, preferably.
  4. Official degree or equivalent in Labor Sciences, Business Administration, Economics, Psychology, Law, Sociology or related fields, preferably.
  5. Official degree or equivalent in Psychology or related fields.
  6. Official degree or equivalent in Psychology, Business Administration and Management, Labour Sciences, Law, Economics, Marketing, Sociology, Tourism, Pedagogy or Psychopedagogy, preferably.
  7. Official degree or equivalent in Psychology, Law, Economics, Sociology, Labor Sciences, Labor and Business Relations, preferably.

At an international level, significant references of specialization in the field can be found. Table 6 lists some of the most internationally recognized master's degrees in the field of Human Resources Management.

Table 6. List of the best-rated international master's degrees focused on Human Resources Management.

North America:

  • Stanford University – MBA Human Resources
  • HEC Montreal – MSc in Human Resources Management
  • McGill University – Degree Program: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management concentration
  • Northwestern University – MBA Human Resources Management
  • Cornell University – MBA – Leadership
  • Queen's University – MSc in Management – Organizational Behavior

Europe:

  • ESCP Europe Paris – MSc Management of homes and organizations
  • LSE – London School of Economics and Political Science – MSc International Employment Relations and Human Resource Management
  • Università Bocconi – University Master in Organization and Personale
  • Erasmus University Rotterdam – MSc in Business Administration Human Resource Management
  • University of Manchester – MSc Human Resource Management and Comparative Industrial Relations
  • ESADE Business School – MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Considering these data, the educational and social need for this Degree is clear, as it is in demand both from the students of the University of La Laguna and from the institutions that have defined the associated professional profiles.