Human Management

Teacher(s)

Taskin Laurent;

Language

French

Main themes

The overall objective of this course is to introduce students to Humane Management of Organizations. It aims to:

• provide theoretical frameworks to better understand individual and collective behaviours in organizational contexts;
• develop students’ ability to analyse human behaviour in organizations, by integrating insights from different disciplines and methods;
• encourage critical reflection on organizational functioning and on management practices applied to individuals and groups;
• raise awareness of interpersonal dynamics at work, and allow students to experience them through group work (case studies and fieldwork).

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	understand organizational dynamics affecting the meaning of work and work engagement; analyse a management policy using the Humane Management analytical framework; understand and apply the four dimensions of Humane Management to any HRM practice; analyse a problematic work situation and formulate relevant recommendations.

Content

Course sessions introduce the field of Humane Management through a progression from a macro perspective (context and societal evolutions), to a meso perspective (the organization, whether private/public, for-profit/non-profit), and finally to a micro perspective (individuals and groups).
Humane Management is presented as a lever for social transition, contributing especially to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, target 8.8: protect labour rights, promote safe working environments, and ensure the protection of all workers, including migrants, women, and those in precarious employment;
• SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, target 3.4: promote mental health and well-being;
• SDG 5 – Gender Equality, targets 5.4 and 5.5.

Course Structure
The course is organized around the following themes:

• Development and emergence of HRM and Humane Management: definitions, historical perspective (organizational logics, work organization, including control modes and social dialogue), contemporary evolutions of work, organizations and people management (self-management, empowerment, digitalization, hybrid work, etc.) and their consequences;
• Humane Management: the 3R + C model (Reflexivity, Recognition, Real Work + Community), as a lever for decent work, well-being and equality;
• Meaning and recognition at work: from motivation theories to recognition theories; group dynamics;
• HR practices and policies (Recruitment & Selection, Career Management and Mobility including job classification, Performance Evaluation, NWOW/New Ways of Working, etc.), with attention to their inclusive dimension.

Practical Work (“TP”)
The practical component supports the course by allowing students to explore HR practices and policies within an organization.
Students are expected to contextualize, analyse and understand the stakes of one organizational practice, based on meetings with various stakeholders (e.g., CEO, HR Director, union representative, manager, employee, worker, etc.).

Teaching methods

The course combines lectures with knowledge-sharing sessions, drawing on both scientific and professional expertise.
The practical work includes readings, support sessions (including methodological guidance), a field study (case study based on semi-structured interviews), and an oral presentation.

Evaluation methods

Learning outcomes are assessed through two components:

1. Individual written exam (70% – first session)
   A written exam covering the material discussed during lectures, readings, and class exchanges.
2. Group case study report + presentation (30% – first session)
   Students collectively write and present a case study analysing an HRM practice through the lens of Humane Management.

This is a continuous assessment activity and cannot be retaken in the second session. Second session weighting: Course exam: 85%, Practical work: 15%

Other information

For written assignments in this course, the use of AI tools is regulated according to the UCLouvain “AI Smart Teaching” guidelines. The following principles apply:

• Transparency: Any use of AI tools to support writing, research, idea organization, language correction, translation, outlining, or summarizing must be explicitly mentioned in the submitted work.
• Authenticity: Submitted work must reflect the student’s own understanding and skills. AI use must not replace the student’s critical thinking and intellectual contribution.
• Responsibility: Students remain fully responsible for the submitted content, even when AI tools have been used. Unreferenced or abusive use may be considered an academic irregularity and sanctioned according to the Study and Examination Regulations (notably Chapter 4, Section 7 of the RGEE).
• Record keeping: All AI-related dialogues and interactions used to produce content must be saved and made available for verification until final results are officially published.

In addition, in a perspective of energy and ecological sobriety, interactions with generative AI tools should be limited to what is strictly necessary.

Online resources

All communication related to teaching activities and the practical work takes place via Moodle.
Course materials (texts and slides) are uploaded to Moodle. The practical assignment must also be submitted through Moodle.
Students are therefore required to enroll in Moodle and follow the course activity there.

Bibliography

Taskin, L. & Dietrich, A. (2024). Humane Management. A Renewed Approach to Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour. De Boeck Supérieur, “Manager RH” collection, 3rd edition.

Teaching materials

• Manuel : Taskin, L. et Dietrich, A. (2024) Management Humain. Bruxelles: De Boeck (3è édition)
• Student-corner/Moodle : slides, textes et notes d'information

Faculty or entity

> CLSM