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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014 -
- ARCHIVE as at 1 September 2013 for reference only
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Business School : Business Studies

Undergraduate Course: International HRM and Comparative Employment Relations (BUST10121)

Course Outline
SchoolBusiness School CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) Credits20
Home subject areaBusiness Studies Other subject areaNone
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionThe exclusive national perspective within which the study of employment relations and their management has traditionally been approached is now considered of declining relevance in a context of ¿globalisation¿, increasing influence of the EU, and the evolving international human resource strategies of transnational corporations. This course aims to provide students with an integrated overview of the key conflict in employment relations ¿ that is, how the world of employment relations is becoming increasingly internationalised while differences in the employment systems of different countries continue to persist.

Rather than a country-by-country account, which can be excessively descriptive and devoid of analytical cohesion, the course adopts a thematic approach. The chosen themes and topics are structured in order to address the theoretical frameworks and on-going debates in the fields of international HRM and comparative employment relations. Within this framework, the chief integrative theme is the current debate concerning whether employment relations systems and practices are converging or diverging on a global basis and the role played by global actors such as pan-national bodies (e.g. the European Union) and multinationals (MNCs).

The first section of the course begins with an overview of the divergent characteristics of national systems, the sources of such diversity, and how systems might be classified. The major controversy of convergence versus divergence of national employment relations systems is initially introduced, a theme developed in the context of subsequent sessions that undertake a more in-depth comparative analysis of ¿national employment systems¿ ¿ specifically considering differences in production regimes, and systems of welfare, training and market flexibility.

The next section considers the influence of multinational/ transnational organisations and their reaction to this national vs. global dichotomy. A key feature of MNCs¿ HR practices is the degree of transfer and adaptation between home and host countries, with further variations across industry sectors. Moreover, the response of these international organisations in terms of internal HR strategies is also explored ¿ specifically focusing on the use of expatriates (as a traditional source of home country power) and the process of HR outsourcing across international subsidiaries. These issues are explored through careful readings of survey and case study results.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Managing Employment Relations (BUST08010) OR Organisation Studies (BUST08011) OR International Business: Globalisation and Trade 2A (BUST08008) OR International Business and the Multinational Enterprise 2B (BUST08009)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesAn equivalent pass in Managing Employment Relations (BUST08010) OR
Organisation Studies (BUST08011) OR
International Business: Globalisation and Trade 2A (BUST08008) OR
International Business and the Multinational Enterprise 2B (BUST08009)
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1) Learn enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 16/09/2013
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 20, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 174 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 70 %, Coursework 30 %, Practical Exam 0 %
No Exam Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Part-year visiting students only (VV1) Learn enabled:  No Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 16/09/2013
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 196 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
No Exam Information
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the course, students should be able to:
(a) ability to identify changes in the key characteristics of the international business environment
(b) display firm knowledge of the characteristics of different national systems of employment relations among advanced capitalist economies, including understanding of the sources of diversity;
(c) discuss critically the implications of ¿globalisation¿, and the key employment relations and HRM issues and controversies that are associated with the term;
(d) adopt a critical stance with respect to the convergence/divergence debate;
(e) speculate upon the longer term economic and social consequences of the internationalisation of employment relations, and HR policies and practices of multinational companies.

Cognitive skills
On completion of the course, students should be able to:
(a) digest, analyse and synthesise a broad range of factual and theoretical material in reaching a reasoned and informed understanding of international developments in the labour sphere;
(b) demonstrate critical facility and confidence to challenge contrary viewpoints.

Key skills
On completion of coursework, students should:
(a) demonstrate ability to understand and synthesise a wide range of complex issues in the field of international HRM and comparative labour relations;
(b) have developed adeptness in the use of websites and other electronic sources, as well as an appreciation of their limitations;
(c) be able to produce an essay on the subject which demonstrates the ability: to distil diverse and sometimes confusing assessments in a cogent fashion; to structure the writing in an orderly manner; to write clearly and succinctly; and to reach a conclusion which is consistent with the supporting argument;
(d) demonstrate an ability, under examination conditions, to draw upon both the course material and more-widely drawn information for the writing of the degree examination.
Assessment Information
Essay (maximum 2,500 words) - 30% of the final mark. Exam 70%.
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsIHRM
Contacts
Course organiserDr Sara Chaudhry
Tel: (0131 6)51 5672
Email: Sara.Chaudhry@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Paul Kydd
Tel: (0131 6)50 3824
Email: Paul.Kydd@ed.ac.uk
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