HR3SX2 - HRM 4.0 and the Future of Work 01 Sep 2019 - 31 Aug 2027 | Version 4

Associated Module Information

Module Code: HR3SX2
Module Title: HRM 4.0 and the Future of Work
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Professional Development
Faculty Sub Group: Professional Development
Module Leader: Tiru Madahar
Module Team: Adam Poole, Kevin Brown, Shehla Khan, Karl Greenhough, Linda Hamweemba, Claire Reed, , Michelle Mahoney
First Intended Intake: SEP 2019 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 6
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100085 - human resource management
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 4
Valid From 01 Sep 2019
Valid To 31 Aug 2027

Module Aims

Students will draw on existing knowledge and understanding of the HR profession and consider the potential impacts of disruptive technologies (including artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and sensor technology) on a profession in flux.

To examine the rate of growth of technological accomplishments and to explore what these developments mean for the future of the HR profession at operational, strategic and policy levels.

Students will develop opinions, through critically engaging in the debate of the current and future changes, exploring issues such as:

Will robots replace HR jobs?

It they do, will HR ‘invent’ enough new ones?

Does the rise of the robot present an opportunity to liberate society from the drudgery of work?

Students will be exposed to theoretical perspectives from each side of the debate; is HR on the cusp of catastrophic job losses and economic misery for the masses (digital dystopias), or will these new technologies supercharge productivity, leading to a rise in living standards and an abundance of good quality jobs (digital utopians) - as well as everything in between.

Content Summary

Materials are drawn from a wide range of sources and include organisational and theoretical perspectives drawn from different cultures. (Students with international work experience are encouraged to share their reflections with the cohort.)

This module draws on the material from other modules of the degree, requiring students to reflect prospectively on a variety of possible futures.

Indicative module content:

  • HRM today and the Age of Disruption.
  • Doing more with less (the new normal).
  • The changing HRM landscape in the face of increased automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
  • The ethical implications of synthetic workers and AI encroachment.
  • The nature and purpose of the HR profession in an increasingly synthetic workplace.
  • Implications on leadership.
  • HRM AI on a global scale.
  • Post-industrialism and auto-industrialism.
  • The quantified workplace and what will happen when monitoring tools, RFID tags, sensors, and predictive analytics, enter the workplace?
  • HRM, big-data and the internet of things.
  • Surveillance and control at work.
  • Management theories and work design methods in the workplace of tomorrow.
  • Global mis-alignments in an industrial age.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 10
Practical classes and workshops 30
Independent Study 110
Directed Study 40
Formative Assessment - Independent 2
Groupwork 8
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 The student will judge the effectiveness of arguments and debates concerning the future of work and the HRM profession in relation to Industry 4.0.
LO2 The student will draw on multiple sources in order to create defensible scenarios and generate meaningful recommendations for the future of the HR profession.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Written Assignment (CW) Essay (CW) 1 Article : A journalistic article, that outlines and illustrates a researched possible scenario in relation to the future of work and HRM. 0 2500 50 No 40
Practical Assessment (CW) Production (Video) (CW) 1 Building on the research conducted for the article (Essay Coursework 1), the student will identify a series of actors (from the HR profession) and create a short series of interviews exploring their scenario. 15 N/A 50 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Essay (CW) 1
Production (Video) (CW) 1

Reading List

Bratton, J. and Gold, J. (2017) Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice. (6th edn). London: Palgrave.

Eubanks, B. (2019) Artificial Intelligence For HR: Use AI to support and develop a successful workforce. London: Kogan Page.

Taylor, S. (2011) Contemporary Issues in Human Resource Management. London: CIPD.

Wilkinson, A., Bacon, N., Redman, T. and Snell, S. (eds.) (2010) The Sage Handbook of Human Resource Management. London: Sage.