Tutorial Outline

MG204
Semester 1, 2017

Course Coordinator:
Maureen Fatiaki Karan
Room: S025
Phone: 323 2245
Email: dayal_m@usp.ac.fj

COURSE OVERVIEW
Management of Industrial Relations is the study of bipartite relationships that exist between
workers and their employers within the work environment at different levels. Most people
work in organizations of different sizes, which can be big, medium or small, whether in the
public or private sector, formal and informal sectors and involved in either manufacturing of
goods or providing services. Nearly all industrial relations systems have provisions for
tripartism -they are made up of three parties, the employer/management,
employee/workers/trade unions and the government/state. However, 3rd party will only
intervene if bipartism fails. The different ways in which these three groups interact account
for the different countries Industrial Relations systems. As an area of management concern
industrial relations has become increasingly important to ensure that industrial relations is
managed correctly, because if the relations between workforce and management are good
then the organizations have a good chance of being successful.

3.0 LEARNING OUTCOMES

Seven USP Institutional Learning Outcomes:

(1) Critical Thinking; (2) Ethics; (3) Pacific Consciousness; (4) Creativity; (5)
Communication (Oral and Written); (6) Teamwork; and (7) Professionalism.

Five SMPA Program Learning Outcomes:

(1) Academic Knowledge; (2) Technical Competency; (3) Research Literacy; (4)
Management Skills; and (5) Leadership Capacity.

MG204 –Course Learning Outcomes

Students shall demonstrate the following Five (5) Course Learning Outcomes:

 Examine the importance of the main events in industrial relations history,

development and approaches to industrial relations management;
 Compare the stakeholder roles and influences and their Pacific Island Countries
applications to industrial relations;
 Assess industrial relations laws, rules, conventions and processes and their Pacific
Island Countries systems applications;
 Appraise the concepts of employee representation and participation in industrial
democracy and their applications in industrial relations;
 Justify the ethical and professional applications of current and emerging trends and
issues in the management of industrial relations.

4.0 COURSE MATERIALS

Prescribed Text:

Salamon, M. (2000). Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice. 4th Edition, FT Prentice Hall,
England. (You will need to purchase this separately)

Additional readings on each of the chapters will be uploaded by the course coordinator in the
Moodle.

Suggested Journals (not exhaustive):

Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society (Library accession no HD6951.15)

Journal of Industrial Relations (Library accession no HD 4811.J63)

New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations (Library accession no

HD6958.5N 48)

International Labour Review (Library accession no HD4811.15)

Journal of the South Pacific

5.0 COURSE CONTENT

Week 1: 6/2/17 – 10/2/17
Introduction to IR – History and Nature of IR. Rules and Employment Relations

Week 2: 13/2/17 – 17/2/17

Approaches to industrial Relations –Unitarist, Pluralist and Marxist approaches.

Tutorial Questions

Where did IR concept start, give a historical account of this?

Week 3: 20/2/17 - 24/2/17

Concepts & IR values - Fairness & equity, Power & authority, Individualism &
collectivism, Rights & responsibilities and Integrity & trust

Tutorial Questions
Differentiate between the Unitary, Pluralist and Marxist theory using examples.
Week 4: 27/2/17 - 3/3/17
State institutions (Government) - IR function, State intervention and Legal system

Tutorial Questions
1. How does the state influence industrial relations in its role as an employer
2. List and discuss 5 major objectives of the industrial relations legislations.

Week 5: 6/3/17 - 10/3/17

Management (Employer & EA) – Structure, Management control strategies, Business
strategies & IR, Management style & attitudes

Tutorial Questions
1. What is Management prerogative?
2. List the three determinants of the management structure for industrial relations.
Week 6: 13/3/17 - 17/3/17
Employees (workers & TU) - Theoretical perspectives, Purpose & functions, Structures,
Statuses & development

Tutorial Questions
1. What is the difference between the Marxist and Reformist’s explanations for the
growth of trade unions?
2. What is the difference between craft union and an industrial union?

Week 7: 20/3/17 - 24/3/17

Trade Union structures & challenges - Problems encountered by TU, TU density and TU
revival strategies

Tutorial Questions
1. What does union democracy mean?
2. Describe three major reasons for the decline in workers union affiliation rates.

Mid Semester Break 27/3/17 - 31/3/17

Week 8: 3/4/17 - 7/4/17

Collective bargaining – Nature, Legal framework, Function, Contents, Relationships and
Structures of CB

Tutorial Questions
1. What do you understand by the term language analysis in the bargaining process?
How is this undertaken?
2. Describe three major roles of bargaining.

Week 9: 10/4/17 - 14/4/17

Industrial Democracy – Approaches, Typology, Pressures and Workers representations

Tutorial Questions
1. What are the four major theories that relate to the needs for employee participation?

Week 10: 17/4/17 - 21/4/17

Redundancy & dismissals – Issues relating to redundancy, dismissal and fairness

Tutorial Questions
1. What are some major issues concerning redundancy and dismissal of employees?

Week 11: 24/4/17 - 28/4/17

Discrimination & EEO – Discrimination and employment remedies, grievance and
disciplinary procedures

Tutorial Questions
1. What are some issues concerning discrimination in the workplace, how can we deal
with them?
unamb

Week 12: 1/5/17 - 5/5/17

Grievances & dispute settlement – Nature, Forms, Reasons and Processes of dispute
settlement

Tutorial Questions
1. What are some processes involved in the dispute settlement process?

Week 13: 8/5/17 - 12/5/17

Emerging Issues - Changing paradigmIR to ER; Feminization, Work intensification, Labor
commodification, Individualization, Flexibility and Job insecurity

Tutorial Questions
1. Discuss the emerging issues in IR and the way forward for all IR environment actors.

Week 14: 15/5/17 - 19/5/17

Revision – recap of the topics discussed during the semester.

Study break 22/5/17 - 26/5/17

TEACHING METHOD
In this course we will adopt several methods in imparting knowledge of the topic.

Lecture
The class follows lecture/discussion format. To better understand each lecture, Students are
expected to read the assigned chapters and reading materials before attending class.

Study groups
Students are encourages to study in groups.

Moodle - Further updates and information, see Moodle and contact the Moodle Helpdesk at
moodlehelp@usp.ac.fj.

ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION

Assessment Summary
Continuous assessment: 50%
Final examination: 50%
Total value: 100%
Continuous assessment (50%)

Table 1: Assessment Details

 Assessment Supervised/Invigilated Weight (%) Weeks and Due
Components Dates
1 Individual Presentation Course Coordinator 10% Week 3-13
2 Mid Semester Exam Course Coordinator 20% Week 7
3 Tutorial activities, Course Coordinator 10% On-going
attendance and
participation
4 Group Project Course Coordinator 10% Week 11

Continuous assessment N/A 50%

total
Final Examination Yes., individual 50%
(Individual – 3 hours) assessment
Total 100%

Students should take note of the following:

 Participants are required to obtain a minimum of 40 per cent in both

components (coursework and final exam) in order to pass the course. The pass
mark is 50/100.
 In addition, 60% of tutorial attendance is required to pass the course.

Mid Semester Test (20%)

This test will last approximately one hour consisting of short answer questions. Topics
covered in the first six weeks of lectures will be examined in the MST. Other relevant details
relating to test will be posted in moodle at a later date.

Group Project (10%)

Students are required to get into groups of minimum 3 and maximum 4 and work on a
project. The topics will be given in class. More details about the group project will be given
in moodle and in lectures.

Late assignments will be penalized at 10 percent per day. No assignment will be accepted
after seven days. Assignments must be typed on one side of the page with an adequate
margin for marker’s comments, and adequately identified. Refer to
http://www.smpa.fbe.usp.ac.fj/index.php?id=16656.

Individual Presentation in Tutorials (10%)

Each student is required to do an individual presentation in tutorial. The outline of the

presentation, topics and other details will be given in tutorials. Students must hand in a
written report straight after the presentation. Delays in submitting the written report will
attract penalty.

The pass mark is 50/100.

Students must follow the Writing Rubric, see:http://www.smpa.fbe.usp.ac.fj/index.php?
id=16610

Referencing guide: Use the Harvard referencing style, see here: http://www.usp.ac.fj/?
id=16266.

Plagiarism and other examples of academic dishonesty are not permitted. Plagiarism is
representing another’s work as your own, including through incomplete referencing and using
unquoted text. For information on policies for this course, you must read the following, at
link: 3.4.2 Academic Honesty: Policies & Procedures (for USP Students). See also:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.usp.ac.fj/2014calendar.
Student must use Turnitin–plagiarism detection software - see
http://www.smpa.fbe.usp.ac.fj/index.php?id=16656.
Tutorial activities, attendance and participation 10%
Students will be required to participate actively in tutorial discussions and also present on
case study and tutorial questions given in tutorials. Details will be given in tutorials and
tutorial guidelines.

Final Exam – 50% of the final grade.

Details about the final exam will be given later in lectures.

Individual Presentation topics:

What is IR?
Why is it important to study IR?
Industrial Revolution
IR in the South Pacific
Developments of IR in Fiji
Developments of IR in Samoa
Developments of IR in the Solomon Islands
Developments of IR in Vanuatu
Developments of IR in Kiribati
Developments of IR in Tonga
Developments of IR in Cook Islands
Unitary theory
Pluralist theory
Marxist theory
Dunlop’s theory
Labor process theory
Strategic choice theory
Globalisation theory
Role of government
Trade unions in IR environment
Management in IR environment
Collective bargaining
Employee involvement and participation