University of Southern California: The Marshall School’s Competitive Advantage Through People course specifically discusses how smart firms develop strategic competitive advantage by nurturing their internal employee talent. Class topics include recruitment practices, employee training and compensation, and approaches for fostering strong employee relations. Students learn the importance of human capital by considering ethical, legal, and social dimensions of decisions made.

Vanderbilt University: As union membership has declined, how has the nature of employee relations changed? Does the corporation have a responsibility to its employees outside a legal employment contract? These questions are answered through Labor & Employee Relations, a course that relies on case studies and simulations to teach students grievance handling, arbitration, and performance appraisal. Students study abuses of power in US industry and discuss potential temptations corporations have to violate labor laws.

Villanova University: For MBAs enrolled in the Employee Engagement and Retention seminar class, employee engagement is more than typical HR. This course seeks students who wish to drive strong performance by properly managing talent. Concepts of employee engagement, as well as tools for designing and implementing an engagement strategy, are introduced. Throughout the class, students are encouraged to consider their employee relation practices in light of larger organizational goals.