Subject details

On completion of this subject students will be able to:

  1. understand the concept of employment relations strategy using different conceptual lenses
  2. understand the difference between and the overlap of employment/industrial relations and human resource management, in theory and in practice
  3. conduct a data collection process in order to gather background information for an employment relations strategy
  4. develop an employment relations strategy for an organisation
  5. critique employment relations strategy from different conceptual positions.
  • Topics
    • Introduction
    • What is ER Strategy? A Multidisciplinary Perspective Part I
    • What is ER Strategy? A Multidisciplinary Perspective Part II
    • The External ER Environment (a review)
    • People and culture (a subset of the environment assuming a PESTEL style framework for analysis
    • Industry studies --- (a subset of the environment)
    • Ideology and ER Strategy
    • Preparing an ER strategic plan
    • Review of unit and reflection on career
  • Study resources
    • Instructional Methods
      • Audio/Video conferencing
      • Disscusion forum/Discussion Board
      • Embedded Multimedia
      • Online assignment submission
      • Podcasting/Leacture capture
      • Web links
      • Wikis
    • Online Materials
      • Audio-Video streaming
      • Online Assessment
      • Printable format materials
      • Resources and Links

No eligibility requirements

Special requirements

No special requirements

This subject was previously known as IRL170.

The subject examines the concept of 'employment relations strategy' and revisits core concepts central to employment relations that have been introduced in other subjects. Drawing from a number of disciplines, including Management, Strategic HRM and Industrial (now 'Employment') Relations, the subject encourages students to think in a holistic way about strategic employment relations planning in an organisation.

Is it merely reactive, via adjustments to new legislation and via incremental changes through enterprise bargaining and/or in management policies? Or can employment relations be seen as 'strategic', affecting the bottom line of the organisation? To what extent are there multiple solutions to a particular problem or issue, and what kinds of decision making are necessary to ensure the optimal solution is chosen? What is the boundary between 'HR' and 'employment relations' and, in a day-to-day sense, are the two separable?

  • Assignment 1 - Report1 (30%)
  • Assignment 2 - Introductory Assignment (25%)
  • Assignment 3 - Report2 (45%)

Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a subject.

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Related degrees

Postgraduate

Master of Employment Relations