Contemporary Perspectives in Employment Relations

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 6
• Convenor: Dr Rebecca Gumbrell-McCormick
• Tutors: Professor John Kelly, Dr Rebecca Gumbrell-McCormick, Dr Horen Voskeritsian
• Assessment: a 3000-word essay (100%)

In this module we introduce you to the theory and practice of employment relations (ER), and help you to develop a critical understanding of the relations between the main actors in the employment relationship (the state, employers and trade unions) and the economic, social and political contexts in which they operate.

Through an exploration of theories and practical examples, you will reflect on the different ways employment relations operate in contemporary organisations, as well as the consequences of various ER practices for the organisation and the individual.

Indicative syllabus

• Theory and practice: employment relations and the world of work
• Theories of employment relations  and the employment relationship
• The main actors: the state
• The main actors: employers
• The main actors: trade unions
• Wage determination (including collective bargaining and other forms)
• Equality and inequality
• Conflict at work (both individual and collective)
• The future of work

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives on employment relations
• understand the three main actors in employment relations (the state, employers and trade unions) and the economic, social and political contexts in which they operate
• interpret core concepts in the analysis of ER, including theories of the major academic authors on the subject
• evaluate the effects and consequences that various ER practices have for the organisation and the individual employee
• understand recent developments in the organisation of work and how these impact upon employment relations
• evaluate case studies of contemporary developments in ER in different employment sectors and in a comparative perspective.