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College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism Studies

Department of Management, OHS and Industrial Relations

HRivI701: Employment Relations: Theory and & Practise

Final Examination
Trimester II, 2011
Time:

Date:

Time Allowed: 3 Hours and 10 Minutes

Instructions
Read the following instructions before writing

1.

You are allowed 10 minutes reading time during which you are NOT to write.

2.

All

Write your ID Number on all the sheets of paper in your Answer Booklet that you use.

.') .

answers are to be written in the Answer Booklet.

Please also number all the sheets paperlpages that you use.

SUMMARY OF QUESTIONS

sEcnoN

GUIDELINE

All are compukory

8 Short Answer questions.

3 Case Study Questions.

4 Essay questions. Attempt only one

All are compulsory.

TOTAL MARKS
55

z0
Z5

SE,CTIOI{

SHORT

ANSWERS

55

MARKS

All questions in tiris section are compulsory.

Question

marks

Coilective Bargaining is a process of resoiving labor-management conflicts. Identify and explain

three importance of collective bargaining.
Question

marks

marks

Differentiate between distributive and integrative bargaining.

Question

Primary objective of Trade union is to promote and protect the interest of their members. Explain
why do employees join unions and what do they expect to achieve from tlieir union membership.
Question

marks

Every employment canttact must also have an employment gfievance and dispute procedure.
Identify and explain employment grievance process under ERP.
Question

marks

The two most commonly recognised styles of negotiation are competitive and cooperative
negotiations. Explain these styles using appropriate examples. Which one would you
recommend and rvhy.

Question

I marks

Explain the importance of employment relations for the efficiency and the equity of nations and
companies.

Question

marks

Differentiate between strike and lockouts. Explain what you understand by the term unlawful
strike and lockouts.
Question

marks

What qualities/attributes do 5'su think a shop steward should posses in order to maintain
industrial peace at work whilst at the same time being loyal, honest, and productive to his/her
employer? Discuss

SECTION B

CASE STUDY

20

MARKS

Read the following case and answer the questions that follow. All questions in this section
are compulsory.

Labour Turnover and Industrial Conflict at PastaCo

Terry really did wonder about the managers in his pasta company sometimes. For the last 12
months he had been hearing about a series of sales staff leaving the Queensland office- fellow
sales supervisors, area representatives and local merchandisers. He reckoned there must have
been five out of a total of 17 in the stafe who had left for greener pastures in the last calendar
year. These were men and women whom he had met over a beer at national sales conferences
over the years

people he called his mates.

What was more, the Queensland branch used to be the top of the table when it came to sales- they
had the highest market share of all states. They had the local. supermarkets in regional areas tied
up as well as the big chains and they had embarrassed Terry's New South Wales branch at the
previous two national conferences by getting all the praise for their performances. But the 'good'
people were leaving and the last six months had seen sales in Queensland nose diving. It was so
obvious that there was a problem up there!

Terry had called several of the departing staff to say goodbye and their stories all seemed to be
the same. Since the appointment of the new state sales manger, they had begun to hate their jobs.
The 'new' manager, who was appointed by the sales manager, had a fancy degree in marketing,
she dressed well and talked fast. But she was so young and she treated her staff really badly. She
had abused a couple of blokes when a quiet chat would have solved the problem. She never took
advice- she seemed to know it all, despite the fact that she had only ever worked the stores for a
couple of months. When the usual demands came from the national office for better reporting of
sales visits- bureaucratic nonsense in Terry's view- this new manager in Queensland actually tried
to make her staff comply! She did not realise, as Terry's more experienced boss in NSW did, that
job was to protect her staff from that kind of rubbish, not threatened them with the sack just
because they did not do their paperwork.
Yet, management did not give exit interviews. National managers did not visit the branches often
and they certainly did not spend time with the sales force. There were no unions to give voice to
the employees' complaints and the Queensland people did not say anlthing directly because the
new manager knew it all and the national manager had appointed her and thought she was great.
How long would it be until someone cottoned on to the disaster that was unfolding?
Adaptedfrom Bray, et al. (2009). Employment Relations: Theory and Practice, McGraw Hilt
J

Questions

1.

Imagine you're the national HR manager. Terry has sent you an email drawing your
attention to the sales staff turnover in Queensland. What sort of data would you collect,
from and about whom, in order to decide if you have a problem or its just a coincidence
that a number of people are leaving at the same time?
6 Marks

What factors should managers (like PastaCo's HR manager) take into account when
deirding on the right balance between good short term results and positive long term
relationships? Between being flexible and expecting everyone to respect the 'rules'?

6 Marks

3. Is conflict a natural part of work? Using PastaCo as an example, what are some of the
costs as well as possible benefits that come from workplace conflict?
B

Marks

SECTION C

25 MARKS

ESSAY

to answer any oNE of the

There are four essay questions in this section. You are required
in the answer bookJet'
four questions. write the number of question you are attempting
Each question is worth 20 marks'
Question

"

both parties of a dispute to

The basic thrust of the collective bargaining process is that it allows
has been in achieving the
resolve issues amicably. Explain how effective enterprise bargaining
involved at the enterprise level or
objectives of the employers? Do you believe that state be
national level in the mediation process? Discuss'
Question 2

Relation' You are

Identify and explain three different theoretical perspectives in Employment
philosophy, nature of employment
required to compare and contrast these on the basis of
relationship, role of state, unions and industrial

conflict'

'

Question 3

Effective organisation of work is an impofiant factor

in good industrial and employment

relations.

to ensure industrial peace is

What proactive measures and strategies would you recommend
maintained at workplace? Use appropriate examples'

Question 4
as a process of communicating back &
Ir{egotiation is a fact of life. Further, it is best described
the industrial front, there is ahafi &
forth with the objective of reaching a win-win situation. In
soft approach when it comes to negotiation'

& strategies that can be pursued using

Negotiation techniques aside, there are alternative tactics
zoPA (Zone of Possible
BATNA ( Besr Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) anti
Agreement) to achieving a mutually satisfactory agreement.
BATNA and zaPA. Discuss and examine
Under what circumstances are you compelled to use
in order to achieve positive results.
the steP bY steP aPProach that you are going to undertake
Discuss.

THE END