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Module Title LH Economics of Labour Markets
SchoolBirmingham Business School
Department Birmingham Business School
Module Code 07 22685
Module Lead Prof. William Siebert
Level Honours Level
Credits 20
Semester Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions As an optional module: BSc Business Management, International Business with Language, International Business, Business Management with Communications, International Business with Communications.
Contact Hours Lecture-34 hours
Seminar-10 hours
Guided independent study-156 hours
Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description

The module analyses the decisions of companies and workers in the labour market to understand workers' wages, and jobs. The interaction between company human resource strategies, worker choices, and government policy is emphasised. While the main disciplinary component of the module is economics, material from the industrial relations, European studies and HRM fields is also incorporated.

Under the heading of firms' HRM strategies, topics covered include training, recruitment, equal opportunity, employee participation, and motivation strategies. Government labour policies evaluated include education, training, discrimination, health and safety, minimum wage legislation, employment protection, and unemployment assistance programmes.

The emphasis is on contemporary developments with up-to-the-minute supplementary reading from newspapers and the web.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module the student should be able to:

  • demonstrate a critical knowledge and understanding of labour market issues such as analysing workers' wages, employment and unemployment;
  • demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of relevant government policies, including policies to help women at work, to combat strikes, to improved employment security, and to improve training;
  • critically appraise company personnel policies regarding incentive pay, worker supervision and employee participation;
  • analyse how labour economies interact with industrial relations and HRM within a UK and EU context.
  • debate these issues.
Assessment 22685-01 : Debate : Presentation (15%)
22685-02 : Test 1 : Class Test (10%)
22685-03 : Test 2 : Class Test (10%)
22685-04 : Exam : Exam (Centrally Timetabled) - Written Unseen (65%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions Assessment: 2 hr examination (65%) debate presentation (15%) and 2 x 30 minute class tests (2 x 10 10%)
Other
Reading List