This course is part of the Business Foundations Specialization

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2,421 ratings

Michael Useem +1 more instructor

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Offered By

Business Foundations SpecializationUniversity of Pennsylvania

About this Course

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People are the most valuable asset of any business, but they are also the most unpredictable, and the most difficult asset to manage. And although managing people well is critical to the health of any organization, most managers don't get the training they need to make good management decisions. Now, award-winning authors and renowned management Professors Mike Useem and Peter Cappelli of the Wharton School have designed this course to introduce you to the key elements of managing people. Based on their popular course at Wharton, this course will teach you how to motivate individual performance and design reward systems, how to design jobs and organize work for high performance, how to make good and timely management decisions, and how to design and change your organization’s architecture. By the end of this course, you'll have developed the skills you need to start motivating, organizing, and rewarding people in your organization so that you can thrive as a business and as a social organization.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Course 3 of 6 in the

Business Foundations Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

Skills you will gain

Decision-Making
Change Management
Human Resources (HR)

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 3 of 6 in the

Business Foundations Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.61/5 (232 Ratings)

Michael Useem

Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management

The Wharton School

57,618 Learners

2 Courses

Peter Cappelli

Professor of Management, Director, Center for Human Resources

The Wharton School

59,392 Learners

3 Courses

Offered by

University of Pennsylvania

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating94%(3,263 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Motivation and Reward

In this module, you'll learn how motivation affects an individual's performance and how to use that motivation to drive performance. You'll explore how incentive systems are designed and how psychological concepts such as behavior modification, imitation, conformity, and compliance influence and shape these systems. You’ll also examine the current process of hiring employees using technology, tracking systems, and outsourcing. And you’ll learn how you can provide valuable feedback to your employees, and make performance appraisals productive. By the end of this module, you’ll be able to apply what you've learned to best motivate, hire, and evaluate your employees.

2 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 87 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Tasks, Jobs, and Systems of Work

This module is designed to teach you the difference between a task and a job. You'll learn how jobs are historically designed, and you'll explore some of the drawbacks related to past work systems. You'll also learn how job design has been influenced by engineering and psychology. Finally, you'll look at real world examples from the GM and Toyota to compare their respective approaches. By the end of this module, you'll understand how jobs and systems of work have evolved to improve employee performance and productivity.

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 55 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Making Good and Timely Management Decisions

In this module, you'll learn how to make good and timely management decisions. Through several real-world examples, you'll see how leaders create and build a decision making mindset. You'll also learn how leaders can make costly decisions that affect their team or their entire company negatively. By the end of this module, you will be able to apply key concepts to making good and timely management decisions and build a higher performing team.

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 53 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week4

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Designing and Changing the Organization's Architecture

This module was created to describe the influence of an organization's architecture on management and its team's performance. You'll explore how inequity fosters disparity among employees and can inhibit a company's success. You'll also look at two real-world examples of leaders who tackled problems within their organizational structures to effect change. By the end of this module you will be able to identify key steps in which you can lead change within your organization.

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 61 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Reviews

4.6

417 reviews

5 stars
68.71%
4 stars
21.58%
3 stars
6.89%
2 stars
2.06%
1 star
0.74%

TOP REVIEWS FROM MANAGING SOCIAL AND HUMAN CAPITAL

by RPNov 23, 2017

The introduction may seem a little slow, but you swiftly take us deep into the real life of managing people and the trip is a great big 8. Thank you professors for your amazing insights !!

by JNov 4, 2019

A fantastic, thought provoking course. Gave us a lot of things to reflect on and be mindful of in different situations in the organization. Thank you Prof Cappelli and Prof Useem. Grateful to you.

by NTSep 26, 2017

Top course! I genuinely enjoyed this course. Both lecturers, but especially Mike Useem, are very good speakers, which bring across their expertise and enthusiasm for the topic. Well done!

by AAMay 25, 2018

The case studies in the course are exemplary. For an MBA student to understand the decision making process at the highest level and to gain right decision making approach this course is a must .

View all reviews

About the Business Foundations Specialization

In this Specialization, you’ll develop basic literacy in the language of business, which you can use to transition to a new career, start or improve your own small business, or apply to business school to continue your education. In five courses, you’ll learn the fundamentals of marketing, accounting, operations, and finance. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned by developing a go-to-market strategy to address a real business challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Managing Social and Human Capital

About this Course

Skills you will gain