Course detail

Human Resources Management in Small Company

FP-BHRMEAcad. year: 2025/2026

The main content of the course is focused on HR competencies, it means in particular cognitive skills (analyses, syntheses, concluding, logical thinking) and abilities that owners and managers need to operate in environment of small companies. They will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of HR practices in small business environment and develop critical understanding of personnel activities and its influence of overall business performance.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

6

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Zdeňka Konečná, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Management (ÚM)

Offered to foreign students

Of all faculties

Entry knowledge

KSA in the field of social sciences on the A level required. English language competence min. at level B2.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Assesment of the course:
This course will be evaluated as follows:
A) Team Project „Proposal for HR Strategy for Small Business“:
Completion of a written report of an individual project,
handed exercises and cases, individually and in teams during
practical seminars, handed-in within the established deadline.
This will represent 25% of the final grade.
B) Practical activities:
Completion and presentation-discussion of an individual project, exercises and cases solved individually or in teams during practical seminars, handed-in within the established deadline. This will represent 20 % of the final grade.
C) Final written exam:
Final exam in form of test based on the materials handling by
students during lectures and seminars will represent 55 % of the
final grade. 
Regular attendance in lectures is is highly recommended. Attendance in seminars is obligatory.

Aims

The main aim of the course is to develop HR competencies, it means in
particular cognitive skills (analyses, syntheses, concluding, logical
thinking) and abilities that owners and managers need to operate in
environment of small companies.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1) Identify the key assumptions and topics of personnel work in small
company.
2) Discuss the main recent HR concepts and their implications in the
environment of small company.
3) Understand the principle techniques concerning people management
within organizations and know how to apply these techniques in small
companies.
4) Analyze personnel issues and understand the limitations of personnel
work in small company.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Ulrich David Human Resource Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results Harvard Business Press, 2013 ISBN 1422160696.
Wapshott, Robert and Oliver Mallett. Managing Human Resources in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Entrepreneurship and the Employment Relationship. Routledge, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-1138805194.

Recommended reading

Marlow, Susan, Patlon, Dean and Ram Monder. Managing Labour in Small Firms. Routledge, 2004. ISBN-13: 978-0415312851
Price, Alan. Human Resource Management in a Business Context . 3rd Edition. Cengage Learning Business Press, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-1844805488.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BAK-ESBD Bachelor's 2 year of study, summer semester, compulsory

  • Programme BAK-Z Bachelor's

    branch BAK-Z , 1 year of study, summer semester, elective

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Zdeňka Konečná, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. Introduction to the course. Course Schedule. Conditions for Evaluation.
Personnel Work in Small Companies and its Specifics.
2. Personnel strategy and policies in SME´s. Personnel activities, their
specifics in SME´s.
3. Labour Supply and Demand.
4. Work force analysis and jobs designing. Competence and use
competency modeling for personnel planning.
5. Recruitment. Internal and external resources. Choosing the right
methods for recruitment.
6. Staff Selection. Selection methods. Specifics of particualar selection
rounds.
7. Basic labour relations. Contract and its content.Adaptation process of
an employee and the adaptation process. Probation period.
8. Care for employees. Training and development. Identification of
training needs. "On-the-job" and "off-the-job" training forms. Selfdevelopment.
9. Employee motivation. Effective forms of employee motivation.
Principles of motivational interviewing.
10. Employee performance. Principles of appraisal.
11. Remuneration and compensation. Compensation factors. Employee evaluation. Evaluation methods. Principles of evaluation
interviewing.
12. Process of releasing employees. Outplacement.
13. Final summary of lessons learned and evaluation of acquired
knowledge and skills.

Exercise

13 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Zdeňka Konečná, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. Introduction to the seminars. Seminars´ Schedule. Conditions for Evaluation.
Personnel Work in Small Companies and its Specifics.
2. Personnel strategy and policies in SME´s. Personnel activities, their
specifics in SME´s.
3. Labour Supply and Demand.
4. Work force analysis and jobs designing. Competence and use
competency modeling for personnel planning.
5. Recruitment. Internal and external resources. Choosing the right
methods for recruitment.
6. Staff Selection. Selection methods. Specifics of particualar selection
rounds.
7. Basic labour relations. Contract and its content.Adaptation process of
an employee and the adaptation process. Probation period.
8. Care for employees. Training and development. Identification of
training needs. "On-the-job" and "off-the-job" training forms. Selfdevelopment.
9. Employee motivation. Effective forms of employee motivation.
Principles of motivational interviewing.
10. Employee performance. Principles of appraisal.
11. Remuneration and compensation. Compensation factors. Employee evaluation. Evaluation methods. Principles of evaluation
interviewing.
12. Process of releasing employees. Outplacement.
13. Final summary of lessons learned and evaluation of acquired
knowledge and skills.