The purpose of this assignment is two -fold: i) to encourage you to take an
interest in current affairs which may have implications for the management of
employment relations, and ii) to critically analyse a key issue or topic in
employment relations.
In order to successfully complete this assignment, you will need to find a topic
that interests you and is related to a key aspect or theme of employment
relations.
First, you will need to keep a record (or diary) of the topic you have chosen so
that you can describe how it has unfolded/is unfolding in your report. Where
possible, cut out newspaper articles, or make notes regarding TV or radio
shows. Material from any media sources is acceptable. Keep track of events
unti l EITHER a natural conclusion is reached or you find a suitable cut -off
point in time to prepare this assignment if the issue appears to be on-going.
Second, critically analyse the material you have gathered by:
• Providing a succinct and chronological overview of the topic/issue;
• Evaluating the main themes or substance of the topic/issue with regard
to relevant employment relations theory/ies (you may choose the
theoretical framework(s)); and
• Providing a concluding discussion on the key implications of th e
topic/issue for the management of employment relations.
Your material must relate to 2015. It may relate to New Zealand and/or
overseas.
The media watch report will assess all of the LOs.
Learning Outcomes
In your assessed work, you will be able to demonstrate:
• An in -depth understanding of ER and its relevance as an area of study
and practice;
• The importance of analysing context to understand the evolving nature
of ER; and
• A capacity to identify and critically evaluate the significance of
emergin g trends and issues for the management of ER.
Assignment writing guidelines
In this course, the formatting requirements are as follows. Please note that
some marks are allocated for correct formatting.
Presentation
Ensure that your work is well presented, and follows guidelines presented in
the Assessment Criteria and Writing Guidelines. Typing your assignment is
preferable as this facilitates easy reading marking.
Spelling and grammar
There w ill also be marks allocated for correct use of English. Your grammar,
use of words, punctuation and spelling will influence your grade. Please use a
dictionary to check spellings. It is unwise to rely solely on computer-based
spelling checks because of the problems of American spellings and difficulties
with context. Please use New Zealand/UK spelling (not USA).
Citations
The correct format for presentation on in-text citations is listed in Emerson’s
Writing Guidelines for Business Students. This course uses APA style.
Reference list
You must provide a reference list indicating which articles, books, newspaper
articles or other source material you have read and used in connection with
the assignment. This should be entitle ‘References’ and attached a t the end of
each assignment on a new page. Reference lists should be in alphabetical
order by author surname. Reference lists are NOT included in the word count.
Please follow the style set out in Emerson’s Writing Guidelines. You do not
need to include a bibliography. If you have read material that is relevant to the
assignment, try and include it to develop and support your argument. Aim to
use each reference several times during your assignment. If you can’t it may
not be that relevant
Language
For academic essays, writing is formal and is in third person; that is, do not
use persona pronouns such as I, me, we, us, etc. You are expected to
develop and present an informed opinion by critically evaluating others’ ideas
and presenting this in an objectiv e manner. Do not over rely on personal
experience or anecdotes. Do not use gender biased or sexist language in
assignment writing.
Quality of material
Source material must also be of high quality – preferably peer-reviewed,
published academic journal articles, or good quality material from reputable,
relevant organisations. At 700 -level, introductory or general employment
relations, management or other texts are considered to be poor sources as
they only touch on basic ideas of this area. They may help your understanding
at a basic level, or may be useful for definitions and context, but in general try
and avoid them.
Age and relevance
Sources should generally be up-to -date and relevant. While it is acceptable to
reference a model or theory that may have been developed some time ago,
bear in mind that academic thought and research develops over time, and
accordingly some theories, ideas and models may have been strengthened,
while others may have become less relevant or refuted. A lot can change in
even 10 years so make sure your evidence is as timely as possible. This is
another reason why journals are generally better sources than books – they
generally have shorter lead times for publication so the data presented are
more up-to -date.
Academic journals
An academic journal is a periodical, usually produced quarterly or monthly,
with referenced articles written by scholars for an academic audience. Articles
tend to be (1) research evidence, (2) development of theory and/or (3) a
review of the literature. Some of the most relevant journals for this course are
listed in this guide. Most (although not all) j ournals have the word ‘journal’ in
their title.
Study guide commentary
The study guide commentary is there to guide your reading and
understanding of the course and should not be used as a source. However,
any articles, readings or excerpts provided in the course material (via the
study guide or Stream) may be used as the basis of your written assignments.
These will usually be articles or reports from journals or other reputable
sources – for example, in this course, government organisations. Note that
you must cite and reference the original article, not the study guide. Full
reference details of these have been provided in the guide or are available
from the original document.
Websites
Ensure that information from websites is from reputable organ isations (e.g.
government agencies, industry or professional organisations), is of good
quality and is relevant. In general, if the document has a published date and
details, those should be included. However, if there is no published date, you
will need to cite the date retrieved and the full web address (URL) details. For
full formatting requirements, follow the APA guidelines set out in Emerson’s
Writing Guidelines or on the APA style website.