MSc International Human Resource Management and Comparative Industrial Relations / Course details

This module focuses on regulation and law in relation to employment, with an international and comparative emphasis. The course unit will aim to give students an understanding and awareness of various dimensions of international regulation, including public law, regulation and labour standards deriving from international institutions including the European Union (EU) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), forms of private regulation adopted by some multinational companies and industries. This is followed by the exploration of themes including equalities, collective labour law, health and safety, labour exploitation and others, using research-informed teaching to examine how these thematic areas are regulated internationally and within particular national systems of employment relations.

The course unit aims to give students an understanding and awareness of the way in which the law impacts on work and employment, both within the international sphere as well as within particular countries and organisations. Students will gain a broad, detailed knowledge of employment regulation and law in an international context, providing contextual and analytical knowledge and skills with wide application both to the rest of their studies as well as potential roles as practitioners in their future careers. They will develop their research and analytical skills in relation to regulation and the law, and apply these skills in a formatively assessed seminar presentation, the final summative essay, and in terms of general preparation for class discussions in the weekly seminars.

Students will develop the capacity to understand, identify and analyse the implications of employment law and regulation at national and international levels and how they relate to the work of practitioners in the fields of human resource management and employment relations. This regulatory context is in a continual state of evolution, and the course will equip students to understand extant forms of regulation and the dynamics leading to regulatory change. Through the weekly thematic focuses on subjects of core importance to work and employment including international regulation and regulatory actors, equality and diversity, health and safety, pay determination, employment contract status and the nature of national-level employment and labour law, the unit will leave students with a strong body of knowledge on the current nature of these themes and emerging regulatory change that will impact on both future work as HR managers and other practitioners as well as broader research oriented agendas. Group working and collaborative presentation skills will be developed within the formatively assessed group seminar presentations. Students will, through the summative coursework assignment, be encouraged to undertake independent research on particular themes, national and sectoral contexts, their likely implications, and the practical impact of regulation and regulatory developments within the organisations, industries and in some cases research areas that they will engage with after completing the programme.

Weekly topics to be covered in lectures and associated seminars include  :Introduction to international and comparative employment regulation; The role, functions and institutions of the ILO; EU regulation of work and employment; Collective labour law, freedom of association and industrial action; International labour standards and unfree work and employment; Equality, diversity and inclusion – regulation and the legal context; Regulating health and safety in international and comparative perspectives; Contracts of employment and employment status in a global economy; Individual states and employment regulation in comparative perspective; Comparative analysis of core labour legislation in individual countries; and a final summary and revision lecture.

KU1 Critically assess the overall importance of employment regulation at the international, national and organisational level. Essay
KU2 Distinguish, compare and contrast public, private 'soft', 'hybrid' and 'hard' forms of employment regulation. Essay

IS1 Analyse the interrelation of these different forms and levels of employment regulation and law. Essay
IS2 Compare and contrast the labour/employment law regimes in a range of different countries. Essay

PS1 Research legislation, regulation and legal issues using professional source material and databases Essay and formatively assessed seminar presentation

TS1 Apply research and analytical skills in relation to regulation and law. Essay and preparation for seminars and presentations
TS2 Conduct comparative analysis on regulation and law within different national contexts. Essay and preparation for seminars and presentations
TS3 Apply legal concepts to issues within work, employment, industrial relations and human resource management. Essay and preparation for seminars and presentations

Essay 100%

Formative Assessment Task
Class presentation

Students will receive a mark and detailed written feedback within the University-stipulated timeframes

Servais, J.M. (2021) International Labour Law, Wolters Kluwer: 7th edition

Blanpain, R (ed).  (2014). Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations in Industrialised Market Economies. (11th and revised ed.). Netherlands: Kluwer Law International

Finkin, M.W and Mundlak, G (eds). 2015. Comparative Labor Law. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar