A systems model comparing Australian and Chinese HRM education

This paper compares HR education in Australia and in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It explores implications for learning design in graduate HRM education in an increasingly globalised world. Beginning with a discussion of the HR profession and the competencies demanded for HR professionals and their accreditation, the paper takes an open systems perspective to argue that to provide optimal HR education (the transformation process) for the HR graduate (the product output) requires resource inputs from academe, from professional associations, and from industry. HR education comprises topics in the theory and process of HRM, general business knowledge and skills, and pedagogy that extends to industry experience and assessment and reporting. A comparison of Australian and Chinese curricula indicates similarities in terms of approximate programme weightings of general business units, core HRM, and elective units. It is recommended that curriculum design take into account the need to remain research-based academically yet industry-focused, in the context of an international workplace. A key to this is the collaborative input by academe, regulators, professional associations, and industry. The content and process is examined, with implications for education design.