HRM20030 People at Work

Academic Year 2017/2018

The focus of the People at Work module is, as the module title denotes, people at work. It begins by examining the development of the organisation of work, key trends and altering patterns in the world of work before moving on to consider who works, what workers do, and what it’s like to work. These and other issues are considered in the context of the major influences on the nature of work, including globalization, differing forms of capitalism and their governance, European integration, economic crisis, as well as the local, national, and transnational strategies and responses of management and labour. The module will also look at the structure of work within the workplace and will give particular attention to the nature of the managerial task, consensus and conflict in employment, as well as exploring different styles of people management.

The focus of the module is on people at work in the European Union. Reference will be made to other developed economies, but in brief and as points of particular comparison. Developments in emerging economies will be assessed where they have implications for work in the EU, but any such assessment will be brief.

The module is taught by members of the Industrial Relations and Human Resources Group in the School of Business. The module's focus reflects the Group’s academic heritage, which takes cognizance of the interest of firms, their employees, unions and the wider community.