NCIModuleDescriptors

(SubjecttochangesandtheBAHHRMprogrammaticreview)

IntroductiontoIndustrialRelations

Stage

2

Semester

2

ModuleTitle

IntroductiontoIndustrialRelations

ModuleReferenceCode

H7IR

Status(M/E)

Elective

ECTSCredit

5

ModuleNFQLevel

7

Pre-requisiteModules

Code

Title

Co-requisiteModules

Code

Title

Capstone(Y/N)

ContactHours

Non-ContactHours

Total

Lecture

Practical

Tutorial

Seminar

Assignment

Placement

Independent

24

12

89

125

AllocationofmarkswithintheModule

ContinuousAssessment

Project

Practical

TerminalExamination

Total

%Contribution

60%

40%

100%

IntendedModuleLearningOutcomes

Onsuccessfulcompletionofthismodule,learnerswillbeableto:

LO1. Demonstrateacriticalunderstandingofthekeyconceptsinthefieldofindustrialrelations.

LO2. Describethedevelopment,purpose,andfunctionsoftradeunions,andassessthemainfactorsaffectingunionjoiningandchangingmembershiplevels.

LO3. DefinecollectivebargaininganddescribeitsdevelopmentinIreland.Describetheinstitutionalframeworkofdisputeresolutionandanalyseitsimpactontheconductofindustrialrelations.

LO4. Analysethemaincausesandtypesofindustrialconflict,theirconnectionwithworkervoiceandthemanagerialcontroloflabour.

ModuleObjectives

Theaimofthismoduleistointroducestudentstothefieldofstudyinindustrialrelations,itsimportanceinworkinglife,theprovisionofworkervoice,andtheroleplayedbytradeunionsincollectivebargainingandrepresentation.

ModuleCurriculum

Thefieldofstudy:whyindustrialrelations?

Maindefinitions.Connectionwithworkinglife.Whatmanagementwants.Whatlabourwants

Tradeunionsandtheemploymentrelationship

Theemploymentcontractandconflict.Methodsofregulation.Whatisatradeunion,andwhatisunionpurpose?Tradeunionmethods.Changesintradeunionmembershipandreasonsforunionjoining

Perspectivesonindustrialrelations

IndustrialrelationsandtheworkerproblemFramesofreferenceandperspectivesonindustrialrelationsTheunitaryandpluralistperspectivesRadicalandMarxistperspectives

Introductiontocollectivebargaining

Whatiscollectivebargaining?Employersandtheirassociations.TheevolutionofcollectivebargaininginIreland.Differencesbetweenthepublicandtheprivatesectors.Tradeunionrecognition

Theinstitutionalframeworkofindustrialrelations

Employersandemployers’associationsTheIndustrialRelationsActof1990theregulationandresolutionofindustrialconflictChallengestothedisputeresolutionframeworksomecontemporaryissues

Conflictandindustrialrelations

Conflictandcooperationintheworkplace.Changingpatternsofindustrialconflict.Procedures,representationanddisciplineatwork

TeachingandLearningStrategy

Thelearningstrategyinvolvestheuseoflectures,tutorials,casestudiesandclassdiscussionsasappropriate.Studentswillalsohaveaccesstowebbasedsupport.Studentswilladdressthesubjectthrough:standardtexts,andsomeresearchmonographsandlearnedjournals,employer,unionandgovernmentpublications,andcasestudies.

AssessmentStrategy

AssessmentType

AssessmentDescription

Outcomeaddressed

%oftotal

AssessmentDate

FormativeAssessment

Therewillbeoneformativeassessmentinwhichstudentgroupswillresearchthemembershipofatradeunion,identifyacurrentindustrialrelationsissue,andpresentabriefreportinclass

2

Non-Marked

n/a

Assignment

Stagedassignment1.Studentswillwriteabriefessayoncompetingperspectivesinindustrialrelationsandtheirimplicationsfor‘workervoice’(30%)2.Studentgroupswillprepareareportonadisciplinaryorgrievancecasestudy(15%)3.StudentgroupswillprepareacaseforpresentationtoaRightsCommissioner(ornewequivalent)(15%)

1,2,3,4

60

n/a

TerminalExam

End-of-SemesterFinalExaminationAtwohourexamintwopartswithamixtureofmultiplechoicequestionsandessaystyleanswers

1,2,3,4

40

End-of-Semester

ReassessmentDetail

Reassessmentofthismodulewillconsistofarepeatexamination.Itispossiblethattherewillalsobearequirementtobereassessedinacourseworkelement.

ReadingListandOtherResources

RecommendedBookReading

WALLACE,J.,P.GUNNIGLE,G.MCMAHONandM.O'SULLIVAN2013,IndustrialRelationsinIreland,4thEd.,GillandMacMillanDublin

WILLIAMS,S.2014,IntroducingEmploymentRelations:ACriticalApproach,OUPOxford

SupplementaryBookReading

BURCHILL,F2008,LabourRelations,3rdEd.,PalgraveMacmillanBasingstoke

Thismoduledoesnothaveanyarticleresources

OtherResources

Journal:IndustrialRelationsJournal,Wiley,London

/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1468-2338

Journal:BritishJournalofIndustrialRelations

/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-8543

Journal:IndustrialRelationsNews“asappropriate

Journal:Websitesrelatingtoprimeactorse.g.LRC,ICTU,IBEC

LearningEnvironment

Learningwilltakeplaceinaclassroom/lab/