CONTEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS - 2021/2

Module Overview

The module explorers the employment relationship from a socio-economic perspective and exposes students to the dynamic and varied nature of the employment relationship, focusing on the role of management, employees, and the state in both national and international perspectives. The module is broadly divided into three sections: (1) CER actors, (2) comparative and international CER, and (3) applied CER issues.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

WOODHAMS Carol (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None.

Module content

Indicative content includes (weekly topics):

1. Introduction to Employment Relations (ER)


2. ER Actors I: Management


3. ER Actors II: Employees


4. ER Actors III: The State


5. Comparative ER I: ER Systems and International Influences


6. Comparative ER II: ER Systems Across Countries


7. Applied ER I: Dispute Resolution Case Study


8. Applied ER II: Employee Voice and Involvement


9. Applied ER III: Equal Opportunities


10. Applied ER IV: Contemporary ER Issue (TBC)


11. Revision Session

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Failed coursework will be replaced with a 2,000 word assignment. For failed Examinations, a re-sit examination will take place in the Summer re-sit period with a paper of equivalent standard.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

• Critical application of course materials


• Knowledge of key employment relations components and systems and how they vary


• Knowledge of the evolution of employment relations


• Ability to present solutions to problems and assess their suitability in a given context


• Assessment strategy involves more than exam technique (e.g. presentation, teamwork, and research skills).

• Coursework will consist of a poster presentation word assignment done in groups (40%). The completed poster will be submitted after the Easter break.


• The end-of-semester 2-hour examination (60%) will give students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in-depth in relation to selected topics drawn from across the CER syllabus. They will answer two questions from a choice of six – drawn from all areas of the course.

• Verbal feedback in Lectures/tutorials


• Clear explanation of marking scheme will be given for all assessments


• Written feedback on coursework within three weeks of submission (by course tutors)


• Office hours held will be held bi-weekly should further feedback be required

Module aims

• To provide students with an understanding of the evolution of employment relations primarily in Britain and the shifting roles and nature of management, employees, and the state;
• To introduce international perspectives on contemporary ER, focusing primarily on Europe, North America, and China;
• To enable students to understand contemporary ER issues in an applied manner, teasing out their wider implications for organizations and society.
• On completion of the module, students should be able to understand the main trends in employment relations, provide accurate advice on frameworks of collective and individual employee relations in national and international contexts, and should be able to assess how contemporary issues and proposed developments are likely to affect management policies and procedures.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

The majority of learning will be independent learning, in line with other courses on the programmes for which this particular course is designed. The teaching will mainly be in the form of Lectures and seminar-style exercises in the Lectures (e.g. case studies, mini-quizzes, open discussions, and critical evaluations of texts).

The learning and teaching methods include:

 





Activity


Hours




Lectures (11 x 3 hours)


33




Directed learning


33




Self-directed learning (including poster)


84




Total


150

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM346

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.