Assignment Part 2: Essay Outline
IRE240H1: Introduction to Employment Relations
Prof. Jenna E. Myers
Summer 2022

Assignment details
Due date Monday, May 30 at 12:59pm EDT (submitted on Quercus before class)
Weight 15%
Objectives The overall essay assignment is intended to evaluate your ability to apply course theories, frameworks, and perspectives to understand and provide insights into contemporary, real-world employment relations problems and policy issues.
 
Part 2 is intended to set you up for later success and to ensure that you are progressing in one of our main course objectives—understanding how to connect abstract theories and concepts to real-world issues.
Requirements Submit an outline for your essay that shows how you will address each of the required topics and questions.
See below for additional requirements and guidance.
Style and format You may choose whether to submit your assignment in document form (e.g., MS Word) or slide form (e.g., MS Power Point).
·         In document form, use labeled headings and subheadings (e.g., I., a., i.)
·         In slide form, use slide titles, bullet points, and tables, as needed. There is no need to include pictures, animations, or other design elements that are unrelated to your main points, as these won’t help you in your final essay. (However, you may include important figures or tables in your final essay and your outline. These should be cited appropriately.)
·         In either case, save and submit your document or slides as a PDF. Include a title/title slide with your name, the course, and ‘Assignment Part 2’. Also include a reference list, which may have additional references beyond those you submitted in Part 1.
 
There is no length requirement for your outline but remember that the final essay in Part 3 should be approximately 8 double-spaced pages. You should outline your essay in enough detail that the instructors are able to understand and evaluate the flow of your main points and how you are relating them back to key course concepts.
 
If you would like detailed written comments on your assignments throughout the term and you did not already do so in Assignment Part 1, please include the following sentence at the end of your submission: “I would value receiving detailed written comments from the instructors.”

 

Additional Requirements and Guidance

Sources

  • Remember, your reference list should include at least one academic or “scholarly” source (e.g. books or articles in academic journals, sources of original data, etc.). You may use “popular sources” including news articles, podcasts, videos, etc. produced by reputable media outlets.
  • You may later identify and use additional sources in your final essay for Assignment Part 3.
  • For Part 2, you may find it helpful to note in your outline which of your points are supported by which of your sources. Please also provide a complete reference list in APA citation style.

 

Overall Assignment Details

You have already selected an organization and issue for Assignment Part 1. You should NOT change your selection for Parts 2 or 3 without extenuating circumstances. Please contact an instructor or TA if you have questions or concerns about your prior selection.
 
As a reminder, the final part of the Assignment (Part 3), will be an essay covering the following topics. At this point, we have covered all of the foundational theories and concepts in class, so you SHOULD address every main point below in your outline for Part 2. However, when a point below says “e.g.,”, you need not address all of the specific items or sub-questions. They are there as examples. For instance, you may wish to discuss a class concept that is not listed below. You may need to repeat and expand on some information that you submitted in Part 1.

  • Describe the organization (e.g., for a for-profit organization, you could describe the sector, industry, history, ownership structure, primary business activities, product markets, types of jobs, etc.). You may also choose a union, a government organization, or another type of organization.
  • Describe the issue this organization is currently facing (e.g., What is the problem? What aspects of the organization does this problem affect? What are the steps the organization is considering or has taken to address the issue?)
  • Describe how key class concepts relate to the issue. (e.g., Which of the types of conflict that we have discussed are causing or arising from this issue? Which of the perspectives on employment relations best describes how the organization has responded to the issue so far? What assumptions about ‘why we work’ are being represented in the organization’s response?)
  • Analyze the issue and its potential solution(s). In your opinion, which of the perspectives on employment relations should the organization draw on to effectively handle the issue? Consider what perspective might allow the organization to balance the objectives of efficiency, equity, and voice in the employment relationship and to incorporate the interests of its other stakeholders (e.g., customers, communities, environment).

 

Marking scheme

An exemplary response (10 points) will do the following:

  1. Identify and describe the organization and issue in enough detail that the reader can fully understand your subsequent analysis.
  2. Accurately relate the issue to one or more employment relations concepts discussed in class. Provide enough detail that demonstrates you fully understand the concept(s) in addition to how the concept(s) applies to your organization and issue.
  3. Clearly state and defend your opinion, supported by class concepts and other sources, about how the organization should resolve the issue. Clearly state which of the four IR perspectives best fits your proposed solution.
  4. Include at least five reference sources (at least one of which is an academic source) and indicate (though in-text citations) which of your points are supported by which sources.
  5. Be formatted correctly and free of errors.

IRHR Library Research Guides & Resources

Check out the IRHR Library website for additional resources – resources specific to this course are available on the IRE240: Introduction to Employment Relations guide, and the Research, Writing, and Citation Support guide will be useful for all your research projects.
Research help is available from the IRHR Library by email at [email protected] or book an online reference consultation. Find out more ways to connect with your library on the IRHR Library Quercus site.

Accessing UofT Library Resources Off Campus

When you use licensed University of Toronto Libraries resources (online journals, articles, eBooks, and databases) off campus, you’ll be asked to log in with your UTORid. Check out authentication tips at Is there an easy way for me to authenticate as a U of T user while I’m researching off-campus?

Useful Links for Citing Sources

Reminder of Relevant Policies (included in full on the course syllabus)
 

Term Work Policies

Submit your assignment in a timely manner and back up your work.
 
Late Assignment Policy
Plan your schedule ahead of time to ensure that your assignments are submitted by the due date. You may take a 48-hour (two-day) grace extension with no penalty. After that, a penalty of 5% per day will be applied to the grade received on the assignment (e.g., if the assignment is one day late and receives 80%, once the penalty is applied the assignment would receive 75%). No assignments will be accepted one week past the original due date.
Remarking Term Work
A student who believes an individual item of work has been incorrectly or unfairly marked may ask the person who marked it for a re-evaluation. Any remarking may result in the grade being raised, lowered, or unchanged. See the course syllabus for full details on this policy.

Academic Integrity

This is an individual assignment, so please do your own work and ensure you are familiar with the University of Toronto policy on academic dishonesty. If you have questions or concerns about what constitutes appropriate academic behaviour or appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to seek out additional information on academic integrity from the instructors or from other institutional resources.

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