COMM 203 - Managing the Employment Relationship

The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the essential elements of the relationship between employers and employees. Built around a team-based simulation spanning eight weeks of the course, the course will engage students in making decisions regarding forming, developing and maintaining a workforce and then evaluate feedback regarding the impact of their decisions on business results. Key issues in the employment relationship will be examined in terms of the three major contexts for managing the employment relationship: employment relations law, collective bargaining and trade unionism and progressive human resources management. Throughout, the course examines the importance of effective employee relations to business success. It is intended to familiarize students with the complexities of effectively managing a workforce in any organizational setting.

Learning objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

• analyze the connection between business strategy and human resources management.
• distinguish between different legal authorities regulating employment relations.
• choose from among various methods for recruitment and selection of employees.
• recognize the contribution to business results of employee training and development.
• outline an appropriate compensation strategy.
• respond lawfully to a union organizing initiative.
• understand the collective bargaining process.
• outline an effective process for evaluating employee performance.
• apply substantive criteria and procedural standards of fairness in managing discipline.
• recognize opportunities to capitalize on employee involvement and engagement.

Prerequisite: COMM 192 (formerly numbered as COMM 292) and either (a) all of ECON 101, ECON 102 or (b) ECON 100.