Title: Online Course Assignments: Module 1 Discussion and Assignment Workbook

Module 1 Discussion

Topic 1: Points of View about Labour Relations

Activity 1: My Point of View

i. Were you compassionate to the plight of the restaurant employees? 

ii. Was it fair that the restaurant workers were only required to be paid CAD9/week, as set out in the Alberta Factory Act?

iii. Do you regard restaurant work hard work?

iv. Were your sympathies impacted knowing that the majority of restaurant workers are female?

v. Were you sympathetic to the McDonald's employees in the second case study?

vi. Do you think that retail workers must be in unions? Would your answer change if you knew that you would have to pay CAD1 more per Big Mac if every McDonald's was unionized?

Number of words: 554

Topic 2: Human Resource Management, Labour Relations, and Industrial Relations

Activity 2: Human Resources Job Postings

Use the Internet to find five(5) or six(6) human resources postings. You might want to search newspaper listings and/or look at the major job search sites. Examples are Workopolis at http://www.workopolis.com/ and Monster at http://jobsearch.monster.ca/

Read the description of the job posting. Write a paragraph about every posting. In the paragraph, characterize the job based on categories (for example, compensation, performance...) set out above. Describe what you would imagine is a "day in the life" of the incumbent.

Number of words: 608

 Activity 3: Systems Approach to Labor Relations

In your reflective journal, write one/two paragraphs about how the systems approach might be used to describe the issues raised in the McDonald's case study in Activity 1. For instance, you might consider how the external environment (for example, location of the outlet, local union culture…) affected the students' decision to contact the union.

Number of words: 249

Topic 3: Conflict

Activity 6: Game Theory

For information on Game Theory, go to the 'Shared Websites' option. The option is in your "Discussion" area. You will find websites that will explain the game theory concept. Examples are http://www.investinganswers.com/financial-dictionary/economics/game-theory-2160 and http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/GameTheory.html You may choose to access your own information on game theory by using your internet explorer. In your reflective journal, summarize how you think game theory might apply to labour relations disputes.

Number of words: 489

Activity 8: Personal Conflict

In your reflective journal, write two(2) to three(3) paragraphs on a latest conflict situation that you were involved. Answer these questions:

i. What were the triggers of the conflict?

ii. Who were the other party in the conflict?

iii. What category of conflict management style did you use?

iv. Was there a solution discovered to the conflict?

v. Was it a reasonable solution to you? Was it realistic to the other party or parties?

vi. Looking back now, do you think you must have handled the conflict in a different way?

Number of words: 586

Topic 4: Adversarial Model of Labour Relations

Activity 9: Labor Relation Statutes

Visit http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/L/96244_01.htm It is the BC Labour Relations Code. Browse the sections of the legislation. Locate examples of sections indicating there is an adversarial relationship existing between union and management. Record your instances in your reflective journal. Consider if you feel there is a side that is favoured in the Act. For instance, does the language in a particular clause favour the union or management)? Do you think this is fair, in your opinion?

Number of words: 415

Activity 10: Functional Conflict

Refer back to Jack and Jill's story and answer the following questions:

i. Was the conflict functional or dysfunctional?

ii. Can you identify the points at which the conflict shifted through the conflict process model?

iii. Discuss the conflict-handling approach that Jill must use? Which conflict-handling approach should Jack use? What might have been done in order to avoid the situation?

iv. Imagine that Jack represents the union while Jill represents management. In what way(s) would a negotiation play out between them?

Numbers of words: 758

Total Number of Words for the Module I Discussion/activities: 3,659 (12 pages)

 Module 1 Assignment

Part A: Human Resources Concepts

Visit http://www.hrma.ca It is a part of the British Columbia Human Resources Management Association (HRMA) website. There, you will find many hyperlinks to human resources websites.

Part A consists of two sections:

1. Focus on one of the human resources areas listed in Topic 2 (Human Resource Management, Labour Relations, and Industrial Relations). Find three(3) or four(4) different websites from the list of links present at the HRMA site that discuss your key concept. Browse the websites. Summarize in one(1) to two(2) paragraphs at least one human resources concept (for example, recruitment...) from every of the website that you did not know much about it before you began this course.

2. Re-examine your answer to the "Human Resources Job Postings" activity found in Topic 2. In one paragraph, explain a job posting for a human resources job that you might use the new human resources concept you explained above.

Number of words: 1,003

 Part B: Conflict Management Style (3 marks)

Number of words: 722

 Part C: Major Module Assignment

1. Edit, format, and submit the section of your journal that you answered the questions for the Jack and Jill story found in Topic 4. Ensure you answer every section.

2. Include an extra paragraph that discusses on how you see game theory pertaining to the situation outlined in the story. In doing so, in short, please discuss what game theory is in your own words. Discuss how this relates to the case.

Number of words: 1,274

Total Number of Words for Module 1 Assignment: 2, 999 (10 pages)

 Total Number of Words for Module 1 Discussion and Assignment: 6, 658 (22 pages)