BSc International Management with American Business Studies

Globalization & Employment introduces students to discussions about the implications of globalization for employment. Overall, the course provides students with an international perspective on contemporary trends related to the changing features of employment in the context of globalization and an understanding of key issues relevant to national and international employment policy. It begins by identifying the key processes of globalization, such as changes to the global landscape of work, the role of different stakeholders (the state, multinational companies, migrant workers, etc) and the main dynamics that characterise the landscape of work and employment in a globalised world, such as global production networks, offshoring, and outsourcing. The course then invites students to critically investigate the implications of globalization for the organization/ location of production and patterns of employment, and to reflect critically on the social responsibility of multinational corporations in relation to those perceived to be winners and losers in employment dynamics in the context of globalization The course ends with a focus on the role of regulation in the context discussions of global governance, exploring the possibility of developing a regulatory framework that leads to sustainable employment in a global world.

Available as option for BSc Mgt/Mgt Specialism, IM and IMABS. Core for BSc Management with HR Specialism and BSc Management with IS Specialism .

Available as option for BSc Mgt/Mgt Specialism, IM and IMABS. Core for BSc Management with HR Specialism and BSc Management with IS Specialism.

 

Globalization & Employment has two main aims. First, it aims to introduce second year students to key issues relevant to employment policy and practice arising from the internationalization of economy, changes to labour markets and dynamics of contemporary work and employment emerging from economic globalization. Second, it aims to provide foundational theoretical and empirical knowledge that supports students to pursue specialist Year 3 courses, including Comparative Employment Systems, International HRM, and Comparative Industrial Relations.

On completing Globalization & Employment, students should be able to:

1. Understand the key characteristics of a globalised economy.
2. Identify the factors that influence the changing global patterns of production and employment.
3. Identify the implications of globalization for the roles of different stakeholders and their capacity to maintain and develop labour standards.
4. Recognise the empirical evidence for the impact of globalization on patterns of inequality within and between industrialised and developing economies.

Globalization and changes to the world of work

The relevance of the nation-state

Multinational corporations and employment in a global world

Labour migration: Causes and consequences

From international markets to global production networks

Globalization, offshoring and employment

The costs of 'fast fashion': global production in low-cost manufacturing and retail

Winners and losers in globalization and employment

Regulation of labour: Towards sustainable employment in a global world

Course review session and preparation for the examination

Lectures and seminars

Formative

Individual 500-word written piece (optional)

Group 15-minute presentation (compulsory)

Summative

Examination (100%): 2-hour examination (2 questions from 6)

In line with university policy, feedback for all formative and assessed coursework will be returned within 15 working days of the submission deadline and in the case of examinations, within 20 working days of the examination date. A working day is defined as Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays and excluding student vacation periods and University examination periods. Generic feedback will be provided following the examination via Blackboard on how each question was answered and on overall class performance. Students have the opportunity to discuss any feedback ‘in person’ by emailing the course coordinator and arranging a meeting.

Dicken, P. (2015) Global shift: Mapping the changing contours of the world economy, 7^th edition, London: Sage.

Steger, H. (2013) Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, 3^rd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Williams, S., Bradley, H., Devadason, R. and Erickson, M. (Eds) (2013) Globalization and Work, Cambridge: Polity.

Van der Hoeven, R. (Ed) (2011) Employment, Inequality and Globalization: A Continuous Concern, Abingdon: Routledge.

Thornley, C., Jefferys, S. and Appay, B. (Eds) (2010) Globalization and Precarious Forms of Production and Employment: Challenges for Workers and Unions, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Pre-requisites: None
Co-requisites: None
Dependent courses: None

Programme Restrictions:

BSc Management / Management (specialism)

BSc International Management

BSc International Management with American Business Studies

Core: BSc Management (Human Resources) and BSc Management (International Studies)

BMAN24271 is available to study abroad and exchange students admitted through the University of Manchester’s International Programmes Office

For Academic Year 2020/21

Updated: March 2020

Approved by: March UG Committee