Module: Employee Relations Procedures

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Employee Relations Procedures
Module Code	HR306 (ITS) / MNA1004 (Banner)
Faculty	DCU Business School	School	DCU Business School
Module Co-ordinator	Eugene Hickland
Module Teachers	Brian Harney
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Repeat examination
Array

Description

The purpose of this module is to examine the role of industrial relations procedures and bargaining in Ireland. The module will explore collective and individual bargaining and negotiating at the national, sector and workplace level. The module will cover the structural and legal aspects of collective and individual bargaining alongside theories of bargaining and negotiating to equip students with a holistic overview of how bargaining and negotiating functions in societies and workplaces today. In this module students will study bargaining case studies and participate in role playing exercises. Students will also develop a reflective learning portfolio to understand and enhance their own bargaining and negotiating styles. The module is designed to give students in an insight into the 'real' world of work using workplace negotiations as an arena to explore wage setting, gender pay gaps and concepts about fairness at work. The context of employment law is examined in areas, such as; unfair dismissals and discrimination and ethical approaches to the employment relationship.

Learning Outcomes

1. An understanding of the various forms of collective bargaining namely national, sector and workplace bargaining.
2. An understanding of various forms of individual bargaining in the workplace including contract and pay negotiations, performance appraisals, discipline, grievance, dismissal and redundancy.
3. An understanding of the role various agents and legal and structural processes play in different forms of bargaining and negotiations.
4. An understanding of the tactics and strategies that shape bargaining and negotiations.
5. An insight into and enhancement of own bargaining, communications and negotiating styles that will have direct and applied relevance to students when they enter the world of full-time.
6. An awareness of the role that concepts of ethics and fairness has in the employment relationships.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	2 one hour weekly lectures
Independent Study	101	Private Study
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Collective Bargaining.
Levels of collective bargaining, history and subject matter for collective bargaining and subsequent agreements, the negotiating process and its limitations, collective bargaining theories, conciliation, mediation and arbitration. Features, contents, additional aspects of collective agreements, content of early national wage agreements, national wage agreements, Programme for National Recovery (PNR), Programme for Economic and Social Progress (PESP),Programme for Competitiveness and Work (PCW), Partnership 2000 (P2000), Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF), Sustaining Progress1 & 2, Towards 2016 Partnership Agreement.

Individual Workplace Bargaining.
Development of indvidual bargaining, main features, participants - HR, managers, employees, contract and pay negotiations, performance appraisals, discipline, grievance, dismissal and redundancy.

Employment Law
Irish employment law governing collective and individual bargaining processes.

Bargaining and Negotiating Theories and Tactics
Theories of conflict, the nature of negotiation, integrative and distributive bargaining, power in bargaining and negotiations, negotiating strategy and tactics, planning, preparation, persuasion and personality.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	50%	Examination Weight	50%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Reflective journal	Reflective learning journal on own bargaining style and skills	50%	Week 10

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Wallace, J., Gunnigle, P. & McMahon, G.: 2004, Industrial Relations in Ireland, 3rd, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin,
Daly, B. and Doherty, M.: 2010, Principles of Irish Employment Law, Clarus Press, Dublin,
Lewicki, R.J. and J. Litterer.: 1985, Negotiation, Irwin., Illinois,
Hiltrop, J.M., & Udall, S.: 1995, The Essence of Negotiation,, Prentice Hall, London,
Brams, S.J.: 2003, Negotiation games: applying game theory to bargaining and ar, London, New York, Routledge,
Bazerman, M.H: 2005, Negotiation, decision making and conflict management, MA,

Other Resources

24151, Lecture Handouts, Dr. Jean Cushen, 0, Module Materials,