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ER-P09
PGDM 2009-11: Term-III

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
Prof. S S Ganesh

Course Objectives:

Understanding “Employment Relations” in the dynamics of organizational and institutional relationships is important for executives to regulate the employment relationship. This course attempts to provide insights into understanding the employment relationship in a liberalizing, deregulated and global environment.

As a result of succeeding in this course, participants will be better able to:

· Understand the nature of employment relationship from individual and collective perspectives in the non-traditional, professional labour markets.

· Identify the central significance of the basis of employment relations from the individual-organizational as well as from the institutional perspectives. · Gain insights into the future of employment relationship in the context of liberalization, privatization and globalization.

Delivery Method:

Delivery is primarily based on storytelling (See “Short Stories for Sharp Points” below) which is academically known as case discussion, role plays, debates, visual episodes and using other knowledge sharing methods like Dialectic forum discussions (See next page) etc.,.

Short Stories for Sharp Points:
Source: Rusell L. Ackoff (1991). “Ackoff’s Fables: Irrelevant reflections on Business and Bureaucracy”, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Having done some teaching about development and obstructions to it, I have learned that students remember relevant stories about these subjects much better than they remember the principles I have used to illustrate them. This is true for most subjects. Therefore, the older I've become, the more I've used stories to help me make points in lectures, discussions, and writing. When I meet old students--many of whom are now miraculously older than I - I find they remember the stories I told much better than the points they were used to illustrate. Some have reworked the stories creatively and were used to illustrate their own points. Although they may not have learned from stories what I had intended, they learned something by using them. This is more than I can say about the principles I’ve promoted. Therefore, I decided that here I would turn the usual way of presenting the ideas upside down.

Stories are commonly used to support or embellish the presentation of subject matter… All but a few of the stories are essentially true. They tell of my personal experiences. I have told them so many times, however, that they are bound to have "evolved" in the retelling; in addition, I've dramatized and condensed them a bit. This explains why I call them "fables." A fable, according to my friend and mentor, Tom Cowan, is a story that may not be true but ought to be.

I have embellished the stories to sharpen their points. All fables have a point, a lesson to convey. This is not true of many stories and most discussion. Therefore, I have used discussion only to illuminate the points of the fables. The point of the points I try to make ….is not so much to extract uncritical agreement… but to stimulate their critical thinking. In addition, I wanted to provide some fun. Stories, unlike discussion, are often sources of pleasure. A story that isn’t worth telling, however sharp its point
Dialectic Dialectic (also called dialectics or the dialectical method) is a method of argument, which has been central to both Eastern and Western philosophy since ancient times. The word "dialectic" originates in Ancient Greece, and was made popular by Plato's Socratic dialogues. Dialectic is rooted in the ordinary practice of a dialogue between two or more people who hold different ideas and wish to persuade each other (Source: en.wikipedia.org. Forum Discussion:

Dialectic forum discussions are intended to provide space for learning outside the classroom and help us keep connected throughout the term as a learning community. There will be topics of discussion on various themes initiated by the instructor at different intervals and every participant is welcome to contribute their ideas, views and opinions in the forums. For more details, check the FAQ section for Dialectic Forum Discussion in the course page in AIS.

Organization of the Course:

The course has 12 themes which are organized into two parts as pre-mid-term module and post-mid-term module. The pre-mid-term module has 6 themes (themes 1 to 6) and focuses on the nature and issues of employment relationships from the individual and organizational perspectives. The post-mid-term module has 6 themes (themes 7 to 12) and focuses on the nature and issues of employment relationships from the institutional perspective.


Text Book:

C.S. Venkata Ratnam, (2006). “Industrial Relations”, Oxford University Press, New Delhi.



Session Plan
Introduction
    ER…Taming the Beast…
    Session 01
    		Article ReadingRegulating the Employment Relationship: An Analytical Framework
    Theme 01
      Contracted or Connected?
      Session 02
      		Story No 01At IIT Mumbai, Job Letters Turn into Pink Slips
      Article ReadingA Position Statement on Rescinded and Deferred Employment Offers
      The Functions of Profit
      Text Book ChapterNone
      Theme 02
        At Will, So We Will…
        Session 03 & 04
        		Story No 02No Cause, No Notice
        Article ReadingBut It’s in My Contract
        Text Book ChapterNone
        Theme 03
        Abnormally “Normal” People…
        Session 05 & 06
        		Story No 03Rising Frustration with Microsoft’s Review System
        Article ReadingOverwork and Anxiety at High-Tech Firm
        Theme 04
          You Are Hired!
          Session 07 & 08
          		Story No 04Open Source Development
          Article ReadingTrouble in E-Topia: Knowledge as Intellectual Property
          Theme 05
            Ready for Non-Career Career?
            Session 09 & 10
            		Story No 05
            Story No 06            		Goodbye Career, Hello Success
            One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
            Article ReadingJob Satisfaction
            Text Book ChapterChapter 16
            Social Security
            Theme 06
              How Good are You in Gardening?
              Session 11, 12 & 13
              		Story No 07Partner for Life: The Story of Wipro and Beckman Coulter
              Theme 07
                Do Not Solicit!
                Session 14
                		Story No 08Who is a Customer and Whose Customer?: The Story of American Express Bank
                Theme 08
                  BTW, What is So Confidential?
                  Session 15
                  		Story No 09Non-Disclosure (Video Case)
                  Article ReadingThe Enforceability of Restrictive Covenants in Involuntary Discharge Cases
                  Theme 09
                    United We Divide
                    Session 16 to 19
                    		Story No 10
                    Story No 11                    		Airports Authority of India
                    Federation of Indian Airlines
                    Article ReadingTrade Unions and The Wider Society
                    Privatization in India – A Case for the Joint Sector
                    Text Book ChapterChapter 2 - Approaches to Industrial Relations
                    Chapter 4 - Management and Employers’ Organizations
                    Chapter 5 - Trade Unions – Theoretical Foundations and Legal Framework
                    Chapter 6 - Trade Union Structures
                    Theme 10
                      Friendly Opponents!
                      Session 20
                      		Story No 12Volkswagen: Cutting Labour Costs Without Redundances
                      Article ReadingNone
                      Text Book ChapterChapter 23
                      HRM and IR
                      Assessment of Performance:

                      1. Quiz (30%)

                      · There will be three quizzes conducted during the term and the average score of all the three quizzes will be taken for final grading. There will not be any makeup quiz conducted under any circumstance. There will be of multiple choice / true or false, objective type questions for the quizzes which are drawn from the case material, reading material assigned for the theme, text book chapters (if any), instructor’s presentation, the relevant “ER Live” material, and even from “Dialectic” forum discussion. While there will be 0.25 negative score for each wrong answer, the questions unanswered will attract no penalty. For more details, check the FAQ for quiz in the course resources page in AIS.

                      2. Individual Assignments (20%)

                      · There will be two individual assignments, each having 5% weightage. The individual assignments are essentially comparative case analysis. The detailed guidelines and FAQ for individual assignments will be given in the course resources page in AIS.

                      3. ZigZag Case Analysis (10%)

                      · A team of six members comprising two participants from each section will be formed for this purpose. The team will be provided with case facts from three different sources and the team is expected to synthesize the case facts and analyze the questions together as a team. For example, two members from Section A may get case facts from Source A, while the other two section members may get the same from Source B & C respectively. The “ZigZag Case Analysis” exercise will be conducted during the mid-term slot.

                      4. End-Term Examination (20%)

                      · The end-term examination would be a closed-book examination evaluating the learning in the post mid-term themes. The guidelines for end-term examination will be given through AIS at least three sessions before the end-term.

                      5. Course Involvement (20%)

                      · The measures of course involvement would be quality of contribution in “Dialectic” forum discussions (10%), quality preparation and performance in class exercises (5%), class attendance, and any other initiative to enrich the course design, content, process and outcome (5%). In order to be eligible to be considered for Course Involvement, there should at least two meaningful contributions from each participant in the Dialectic forum discussion.

                      Grading Pattern:

                      Score Intervals Based on grading pattern during the previous years. These intervals are subject to variation depending upon the batch performance in any given year. However the passing minimum in ER course is 30 marks whatever may be the maximum, average and standard deviation in any given batch.GradeGrade Point
                      75 +A+7.5 to 8.0
                      65 to 74 A6.5 to 7.49
                      60 to 64B+5.5 to 6.49
                      55 to 59B4.5 to 5.49
                      50 to 54C+3.5 to 4.49
                      45 to 49C2.5 to 3.49
                      40 to 44D+1.5 to 2.49
                      35 to 39D0.5 to 1.49
                      <35F0.0 to 0.49

                      Reach Your Instructor:

                      · In case of any learning difficulty or other administrative purposes, you may reach out to your instructor after the class, on the corridor (for signing leave applications etc.,), over telephone [Extension 874 (Home) & 836 (Office)], email (ssganesh@ximb.ac.in) and at office preferably between 5.30pm and 6.00pm on all working days.

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                      Created By: Debasis Mohanty on 12/09/2009 at 01:37 PM
                      Category: PGP-I Doctype: Document

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