Pre-requisite: 51379
This unit examines some of the major features of human resource management and employment relations in a comparative context. It looks at the nature of labour markets, management traditions and cultures, and the involvement of trade unions as part of the framework for human resource practices. The unit is issue-based and analyses the similarities and differences in relation to particular issues across a small number of countries. This makes the workload manageable for students. A significant axis of comparison is between the Australian pattern and the situation in Asia because a focus on Asian economies and practices is crucial for the 1990s. The unit allows students to apply some of their understanding of HRM by examining varying contexts in the management of the employment relationship in different countries.