Managing Employment Relations

Assignment: Indicative content

“Analysis from the latest 2011 WERS survey showed that Employment Relations played a part in ensuring the workplaces survived the recession.

Critically evaluate how Employment Relations policies and practices in an organisation with which you are familiar have impacted on organisational outcomes such as organisational performance and employee engagement”.

Tip: focus on one or two topics (if two look at linked ones) – otherwise not enough words (3,500) to cover in sufficient depth.

NB: you can choose any aspect of ER that impacts on organisational outcomes such as discipline, grievance, dismissal, redundancy, health and wellbeing, diversity

Start with an introduction of what going to cover/the aim of your report and then go into overview of organisation/climate sections, main body of critique, finish with recommendations

This structure is a guide – INDICATIVE – if it makes sense to do structure it differently to you that’s ok…..

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Assignment – Comment on….

Climate and impact of organisational context (10-15% word count)

Brief description of the organisation itself and context

Unionised/nonunionised environment? What are the benefits and challenges from this ER climate?

What are the implications of the wider business context on ER e.g. M&A, Cultural Change, Redundancy and Re-organisation?

How do ER policies/practices align to the HR and Business Strategy, Organisational values?

Links to theoretical models e.g. Fox’s frames of reference

Scene setting- Why is this relevant/important to your chosen topic? Start to tell the story/weave the theme throughout…

Around 10-15% of words

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Assignment – Comment on….

Evaluate the impact of different roles controlling & managing the employment relationship (10-15% of word count)

Management

What is the role of senior management and line management?

Any employer bodies that are an influence e.g. national associations?

What is the management style – Purcell and Sisson? ER themes - power & authority, co-operation & compliance, which are at play?

Employees

What’s the impact on employees and their representatives and Trade Unions if applicable?

Has feedback from employees driven a change in policy, what’s the make-up of the workforce?

Are the interests of employers and employees divergent or convergent? Reality vs Rhetoric?

Government

What impact on your organisational context particularly e.g. relevant employment legislation, EU law, Acas early conciliation, ET fees etc.

Scene setting- Why is this relevant/important to your chosen topic?

Around 10-15% of words. Again this is scene-setting…..

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Assignment – Comment on….

Provide examples and critique of policies and practices that have had either a positive or negative impact on organisational performance and engagement (50-60% word count)

Include ER policies and practices covered throughout the syllabus e.g. role of TU’s, discipline, grievance, redundancy, diversity, employee voice, engagement practices, flexibility, health & wellbeing, conflict resolution etc.

Don’t purely describe policies and practices, how do they demonstrate link to Academic theory, employment legislation, Acas codes of practice, reflect or contradict research themes e.g. CIPD reports, WERS survey 2011

Critically evaluate your policies and practices, what impact have they had on performance and engagement.

How are the policies/practices in line with the organisation’s mission and values? What’s the impact?

How do you benchmark with other organisations – what do best in class organisations do in this area

This should be the bulk of the assignment i.e. circa at least 50 as a minimum to 60% of the words. Don’t be afraid to critique your own organisation…..

Minimum of 1 – if you do more than 2 will struggle on words….ideally select those that link together if doing more than 1…

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Assignment – Comment on….

Make appropriate recommendations on your findings (15% of word count)

Linked to the previous critical evaluation and flow through answer, don’t introduce a NEW idea not mentioned earlier here.

Recommendations could include but depend entirely on your organisation and findings…

Omissions, what’s missing?

Awareness – ER Comms?

Role of Line Manager or HR in implementation e.g. training?

Alignment to other policies/practices?

So what? What is the business significance of good ER?

15% of words

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Assignment

3,500 words

Use appendices e.g. examples of policies so you don’t have to describe them

Critical evaluation not descriptive

Presentation – business report – be persuasive

Referencing – balance of academic journals with key texts, ACAS, CIPD reports. Use WERS 2011 data to support or contradict your organisation with their findings

Use the online reading list as a start point – CATEGORISED BY TOPIC FOR YOU

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