We are pleased to announce the 2023 program for the International Summer School in Advanced Studies in Labour, HR and Employment Relations at the University of Montreal's School of Industrial Relations. Join with other students and professionals from around the world in this unique international experience.

REI 6611 - INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Professor Pamela Lirio

Globalization and the increasing presence of multinational enterprises (MNEs)  and  global organizations highlights the importance of understanding how people are managed in different cultural and regional contexts. This has implications for many stakeholders in global business today, including employees, managers,  HR  practitioners, unions, policy makers and academic researchers. REI 6611 introduces students, through theory and practical examples, to the complexity of international human resource management and cross-cultural issues within global management.

This course aims to:

• Introduce the field of international human resource management (IHRM) and the concept of cross-cultural/global management
• Present key theoretical concepts and examples of IHRM issues in practice today Explore the impact of national culture within organizations and how HR practitioners and  managers  can  develop  key  global  competencies  (e.g.  cultural  intelligence, managing global talent through technology)
• Provide an opportunity for students to understand their own potential as an effective global leader and to consider building a future global career

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to: 1) Understand HRM in an international or global context and implications for policy in multinational or global organizations, 2) Analyze the impact of cultural dimensions on people’s behavior in work settings, and cultivate a global mindset for effectively managing staff worldwide, 3) Understand different forms of global work and implement this knowledge for strategic global HRM and one’s personal career development, 4) Implement effective communication techniques and managerial strategies for a global workforce, and 5) Conduct research in the international HRM field by investigating and networking within a multinational or global organization.

Course themes include (subject to change):

• Introduction to International HRM and the Global Context of Work/Business Interpreting culture (Country-level, Organizational)
• Global Talent Management (Staffing, Sourcing, Training and Development) Global Mobility issues (Adjustment, Compensation, Work-Life Balance) Global Careers and Diverse Global Workers
• Global Business Ethics

REI 6615 - DIGITAL HR

Professor Pamela Lirio

Digital transformation is a mechanism through which companies "adopt new processes and organizational practices to remain competitive in an increasingly digitalized world" (Kane, 2018). Its realization requires a diverse, agile, and "tech-savvy" workforce, as people and processes, not only technology, are essential. Working in the digital economy has been identified as one of the 16 Global Challenges of Tomorrow in Canada. Therefore, knowledge of digital transformation from a human resources (HR) perspective is critical to the success of this type of change. There is also a need to understand how the role of HR professionals is changing with the digitization of workplaces and the use of artificial intelligence. Through theories and practical examples, REI 6615 introduces students to the complexity of current issues that are related to digital transformation in HR.

This course aims to:

• Introduce the place of digital technologies in the workplace and the concept of digital HR transformation
• Introduce key themes (e.g., Industry 4.0/5.0; social media; artificial intelligence) and examples of issues related to the place of technology in today's HR practice (e.g., the "candidate experience" and the "employee experience" in the workplace)
• Enable students to understand their own role as a digital HR user and leader through interactive experiences with digital tools and varied pedagogical approaches

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to: 1) Understand HRM in a "digital" context in terms of organizational change and the implementation of new technologies in the workplace, all through a responsible and inclusive lens, 2) Analyze scientific knowledge in digital HR and develop the know-how to popularize it in order to collaborate with several stakeholders (e.g. practitioners, students, policy makers, etc., 3) Conduct  research  on  aspects  of  digital  HR  that  can  inform  academic  work  (e.g. graduate thesis or project or conference submission, etc.), while networking among academics and practitioners in the field, and 4) Gain digital skills and knowledge by using online digital platforms and attending demonstrations of cutting-edge HR software.

Course themes include (subject to change):

• Introduction to Digital Transformation and Industry 4.0/5.0 Algorithmic management (including Gig work/App work)
• Digital recruiting and employee experience (e.g. social media and AI platform use) Artificial intelligence (organizational applications and use in HR)
• Ethical frameworks and Responsible use of digital technologies and AI Regulation and Governance related to AI

Pamela Lirio, Ph.D.

Pamela Lirio is an Associate Professor in the School of Industrial Relations at the Université de Montréal. She has a PhD (Management) from McGill University, an MBA in International Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (California),  and  a  BA  in  Communication  from  Boston  College.  Dr.  Lirio teaches courses at the bachelor, master and doctorate level on international human resource management (IHRM) and digital human resources (HR). She has also taught Executive MBA students at EDHEC Business School in Lille, France and MBA students at the Asian Institute of Management-AIM in Manila, Philippines.

Specializing in global careers, digital transformation in HR, and responsible artificial intelligence (AI), Dr. Lirio is also a bilingual co-researcher in 2 international research centres based in Québec, Canada: the CRIMT[1] and OBVIA[2]. Her work has appeared in top ranked academic journals as well as practitioner outlets in both English and French. Additionally, Dr. Lirio is sought after by media outlets for her expertise on the “future of work” and AI use by HR.

She maintains close connections to global HR practice and professional associations and was named one of 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2023 as well as among the Most Inclusive HR Influencers since 2020. She blogs frequently on social media on the topics of diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), AI, Digital HR, and global work, thus creating unique opportunities to disseminate research and best practices to a broad audience     of academics and practitioners.

CONTACT INFO : pamela.lirio@umontreal.ca