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?