BSc Management (Innovation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship)

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Globalization & Employment

Course unit fact file
Unit code BMAN24271
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

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.

Pre/co-requisites

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.

 

Aims

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.

Learning outcomes

On completing Globalization & Employment, students should be able to:
1.    Analyse the key characteristics of a globalised economy.
2.    Explain the factors that influence the changing global patterns of production and employment.
3.    Discuss the implications of globalization for the roles of different stakeholders and their capacity to maintain and develop labour standards.
4.    Evaluate the empirical evidence about the impact of globalization on patterns of inequality within and between industrialised and developing economies.

Syllabus

Globalization and changes to the world of work
Is the nation-state relevant?
Multinational corporations and employment in a global world
Labour migration
From international markets to global production networks
The costs of ’fast fashion’: global production in low-cost manufacturing and retail
Globalization, offshoring and employment
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

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures and seminars

Employability skills

Analytical skills
Through a combination of activities (e.g., discussion and group work during seminars) used to explore and scrutinise what individuals and organizations face in work and employment in the context of globalization, the course contributes to the development of thinking, analytical, problem-solving, communication and management skills required in professional and management jobs.
Group/team working
The activities combine the use academic readings, case study, news pieces, and documentaries, which are discussed and evaluated to encourage students to develop critical thinking skills. Furthermore, seminar group work reinforces the application and strengthening of different transferable skills, such as organisation, leadership, teamwork and time management.
Leadership
The course promotes socially responsible thinking that will enable students to gain the intellectual and transferable skills and adopt a leadership mindset to shape and drive organizations toward a more sustainable and equitable global future. Course content is directly aligned with the United Nations¿ Principles of Responsible Management Education¿s (PRME) goals of decent work and economic growth (goal 8) and reduced inequalities (goal 10).

Assessment methods

Formative

Individual written piece (optional)

 

Summative

Examination (100%)

Feedback methods

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.

Recommended reading

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


Jones, A. (2010) Globalization: Key Thinkers, Cambridge: Polity


Lechner, F.J. & Boli, J. (2014) The Globalization Reader, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell


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


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

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 20
Seminars 10
Independent study hours
Independent study 170

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Jenny Rodriguez Unit coordinator

Additional notes

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)

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

For Academic Year 2023/24

Updated: March 2023

Approved by: March UG Committee

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