This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 calendar. To access the most recent version of the calendar, please visit https://queensu-ca-public.courseleaf.com.
Program Notes
Subject Codes: EMPR (Undergraduate) MIR (Graduate)
Office: Faculty of Arts and Science
Professor and Director, Employment Relations Programs: Richard Chaykowski
Office: Robert Sutherland Hall 223
Telephone: 613-533-6000 ext. 77322
E-Mail Address: mir.program@queensu.ca
World Wide Web Address: queensu.ca/emprpgms/
Employment Relations Undergraduate Chair: Rob Hickey
Coordinator of Graduate Studies: Glenda Fisk
Overview
The study of employment relations has a long tradition at Queen’s, with several programs at both the graduate and undergraduate levels providing a broad foundation in the field, including labour-management relations, labour and employment law, conflict management and negotiations, economics, human resources management, organizational behaviour, and labour policy.
There are two undergraduate level programs in Employment Relations: a Certificate in Employment Relations and the Employment Relations BA General/Minor. The two programs differ primarily in the number of credits required, the resulting credential, and who is eligible.
The Certificate in Employment Relations requires completing 15 units and can be completed fully online (by completing five (5) online courses) or through a combination of online and in-class courses (to total five (5) courses). It is open to current undergraduate degree students at Queen’s University as well as to current and new part-time students.
The BA General/Minor in Employment Relations requires completing 30 units and is open to current undergraduate degree students at Queen’s University. The Minor Plan in Employment Relations, in combination with a Major Plan in another subject, and with sufficient electives, will lead to an Honours Bachelor Degree. The Employment Relations General Plan, with sufficient electives to total 90 units will lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Advice for Students
The Certificate and the BA General/Minor in Employment Relations are both excellent choices that will open up a number of possible career paths in both the public and private sectors in areas such as human resources management and labour relations, and complements a wide range of careers in other disciplines such as business, private and public sector management, and labour law. Below are some considerations when choosing which program to pursue.
The Employment Relations Certificate program can be taken either in conjunction with a degree program, in which case the Arts and Science regulations concerning limited double counting of courses apply; or the Certificate can be earned as a stand-alone credential. New part-time students for the Certificate need to meet existing admission criteria for certificates. New part-time student applicants can also enter the Faculty of Arts and Science as non-degree students and, if they meet Arts and Science eligibility criteria for progression to a degree program, can enroll in the Certificate program at a later date. All students enrolled in the Certificate in Employment Relations program need to meet the Faculty of Arts and Science progression criteria.
Whether the BA General/Minor in Employment Relations is taken in conjunction with a Major degree program or the General plan, the appropriate Arts and Science regulations concerning completion of degree plans apply. The BA in EMPR will normally be completed in three years of full-time study. All students enrolled in the BA General/Minor in Employment Relations program need to meet the Faculty of Arts and Science progression criteria.
Note: Students wishing to take a course at the 200 or 300 level, for which they lack the stated prerequisites, may appeal to the Course Instructor to have the prerequisites waived.
Faculty
Richard Chaykowski, Glenda Fisk, Robert Hickey, Deborah Leighton, Jacoba M. Lilius, Bradley Weinberg
Courses
This is a survey course designed to introduce students to contemporary challenges and the primary academic fields in the study and practice of employment relations: Human Resource Management, Organizational Behaviour, Labour Relations, Negotiations and Conflict Resolution, Labour and Employment Law, and Workplace and Labour Market Policies.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;12O;72P).
This first year course introduces students to the critical interpersonal competencies and communication skills required in contemporary workplaces. Students will gain and apply knowledge of foundational theories in communication and organizational behaviour to develop their professional written, oral, and interpersonal skills.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;12G;12O;60P).
This is an introductory course which focuses on the key factors which shape work and employment relations in Canada. Topics covered include aspects of labour and employment law, labour relations, human resources management, human behaviour in organizations, and labour markets and labour policies that govern workplace relations.
NOTE Only offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (72O;48P).
This introductory course will provide students a foundation to understand employment law in Canada. The course will examine the principles of employment law with a primary focus on current provincial and federal legislation affecting human resource management in a non-unionized setting.
NOTE Only offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (60O;60P).
This course provides an overview of conflict, with a focus on developing the analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills necessary to manage conflict in the workplace. Specifically, it examines the reasons that conflict arises, and how to productively manage conflict across levels (between people, within groups, and between groups).
NOTE Only offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (48O;72P).
This course will provide an overview of the key components of an effective organizational human resource management system, running the spectrum from recruitment and selection practices that ensure that an organization is staffed appropriately, to management approaches aimed at bringing out the best in employees once hired.
NOTE Only offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary).
LEARNING HOURS 120 (72O;48P).
The accelerating pace of market, economic, and technological change present many challenges to modern Canadian workplaces. This course examines how employers, employees, and governments seek to resolve workplace problems. By enacting workplace policies, it is hoped that workplaces maximize productivity while delivering fairness to its workforce.
NOTE Only offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary).
LEARNING HOURS 120 (72O;48P).
This course introduces students to employment relations practices and legislative frameworks related to workplace health and wellness. The course examines roles and responsibilities of employers, employees, and unions in occupational health and safety. Students will explore efforts to address stress and promote wellness, including mental health.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;84P).
The course considers the workplace policies, laws, and human resource management and labour relations practices that advance equity and diversity in the workplace. This course examines the nature and extent of diversity in the Canadian labour force and the implications for establishing and supporting equitable, diverse and productive workforces.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (72O;48P).
This in an introductory survey course of theory and research on individual and group processes (including personality, motivation, communication, and leadership), as well as structural and economic forces (including organizational design, power relations, inter-organizational ties, social norms, and laws) that shape the contemporary workplace.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;84P).
This course focuses on the fundamentals of accounting in the operations of the business, the type of information presented in financial statements, and the importance of accounting in relation to HR and employment relations. The course is designed to provide a foundation for HR professionals and other non-financial managers.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;84P).
This course introduces students to the various models of mediation used in the modern workplace to resolve conflicts as well as a variety of other emerging alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. Students are introduced to the theory, process, and practice of workplace mediation.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;84P).
High performance work systems (HPWS) refer to a series of interrelated practices in the management of human resources. In this course, students will learn how to design, implement, and manage a variety of high performance work practices in accordance with organizational strategy and culture.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;84P).
Compensation, including direct wages, indirect payments, and employee benefits, is studied in the context of economic and motivational theory, and from the point of view of practice. Topics include strategic perspectives on pay, pay equity legislation, internal equity and alignment of pay structures, external competitiveness, pay for performance.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;84P).
There is increasing recognition of the critical role of managers in shaping key employee attitudes (job satisfaction, motivation, and engagement), with important effects for organizational performance. Students will explore a range of theories and practices that are demonstrated drivers of employee attitudes and organizational success.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;84P).
This course introduces students to the foundational logic, metrics, analysis, and interpretation needed to link human resource practices to broader indicators of business strategy and organizational performance. Students will learn to gather, analyze, and interpret HR metrics to make better decisions about managing people in organizations.
LEARNING HOURS 120 (24L;24G;12O;60P).
Seminars on key employment topics such as team building, stress management, dealing with difficult people, etc. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Seminars on key employment topics such as quantitative and qualitative analytical methods and tools: design and use of metrics. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Seminars on key employment topics such as costing agreements, grievance handling, etc. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Seminar on key employment topics such as recruitment, selection, interviews, opinions, surveys. Specific topics may vary from year to year as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Seminars on key employment topics negotiation skills and strategies, and collective bargaining that focuses on long term and sustained results. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Seminars relevant to building and managing effective work teams. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as Issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
This course is designed to introduce students to the basic principles of conducting a mediation in the context of a labour and employment dispute. Students will have an opportunity to co-mediate in a mock mediation. Experienced mediators will observe and coach students through the exercise. (1.0 credit units)
The purpose of the course is to develop a critical understanding of the institutions of unionism and collective bargaining, their rationale, policies and procedures, and their effects on workers, organizations, and the society. The course is experiential and practical, building on the key conceptual principles of industrial relations.
Seminars on key employment topics that support positive Individual and organizational outcomes with respect to workplace health and safety, individual wellness, and employee mental health. Specific topics may vary from year to year as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Seminars on key employment topics such as legal considerations and consequences of workplace misconduct, unethical behaviour, human rights violation. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Seminars on key employment topics such as performance appraisal, effective feedback and coaching. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Seminars on key employment topics regarding workplace management practices and programs that support employee inclusivity, equity and diversity. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Students typically either do a project or case exercise in employment relations, on either an individual or small-group basis. Group cases or exercises may involve presentations of a report or findings. Specific requirements may vary from year to year depending upon the specific topic. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units).
Seminars on contract language interpretation, grievance and arbitration processes, and legal responsibilities and requirements. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
Seminars on developing skills to effectively manage and lead others. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved. (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
The labour arbitration skills seminar typically takes the form of a Moot Competition, based on a fictional case in a formal setting that simulates a real arbitration, which supports the development of formal presentation and advocacy skills in the practice of arbitration in employment relations. Although typically centered on a Moot Competition, the seminar may provide alternative approaches to learning and developing skills related to the practice of labour arbitration (Seminar; 1.0 credit units.)
This course addresses the fundamentals of the law governing the individual employment relationship and the collective bargaining relationship; rights of the employee and employer at common law, and their modification by minimum standards statutes and human rights legislation; the development of contemporary collective bargaining legislation; the certification process; unfair labour practices; the duty to bargain; the collective agreement and its administration through arbitration. The arbitration and adjudication process will also be studied, including such topics as powers of arbitrators and adjudicators and evidentiary issues. Students will have an opportunity to perform in mock arbitrations and adjudications.
This course addresses the fundamentals of the law governing the individual employment relationship and the collective bargaining relationship; rights of the employee and employer at common law, and their modification by minimum standards statutes and human rights legislation; the development of contemporary collective bargaining legislation; the certification process; unfair labour practices and the duty to bargain.
This course addresses the fundamentals of the collective agreement and its administration through arbitration. The arbitration and adjudication process will also be studied, including such topics as powers of arbitrators and adjudicators and evidentiary issues. Students will have an opportunity to perform in mock arbitrations and adjudications.
The focus of this course is to provide students with the tools required to create and maintain a culture of human rights in the workplace. Through the use of case studies, students will learn how to apply legal principles and law to develop practical solutions to the challenges they are sure to face.
The course is an advanced topics seminar providing contemporary perspectives on labour law. The course is intended to explore specific aspects of labour law that are relevant to industrial relations in depth. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
This course will familiarize students with the basic responsibilities of the human resources function in organizations. The course covers topics such as strategic planning, job analysis, recruitment, selection, training and development, career planning, performance appraisal, compensation and international HRM. Students will learn about the various tools and techniques available to human resource professionals through the use of lectures, case analyses, student presentations, and the text book with supplemental readings.
This course examines contemporary labour market behaviour and processes and considers some of the emerging labour market issues and policies that are relevant to the study of industrial relations. The approach is to relate theory and empirical research from labour economics to industrial relations and institutional analyses. A selection of major topics that are typically covered include: the demand and supply for labour; human capital investments; contracts and compensation; unions and their impacts; and labour market discrimination and related public policy; and NAFTA related implications.
This course provides a basic overview of the major purposes and elements of current Canadian labour policy and emerging challenges in the context of changing external and internal environments. The three major areas of labour policy studied include regulations related to labour relations, labour standards, and labour markets in both the public and the private sectors. Among key areas studied include legislation and programs related to labour relations, pay equity, occupational health and safety, employment standards, worker compensation, unemployment insurance, as well as broader policy programs such as the federal sectoral councils program for skills development and adjustment. Although the main focus of the course is on Canada, aspects of North American or global developments relevant to Canadian labour policy will also be reviewed.
This course applies theories and methods from the behavioral sciences to the analysis of organizations. Students are introduced to classical and contemporary theories of organizational behavior at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels, with a particular emphasis on identifying evidence-based solutions to organizational problems in the context of employment relations.
The purpose of this course is to create better understanding of the importance of relationships in organizations. Using a socio-psychological approach, the course will focus on topics central to relationship formation including social perception and cognition, attitudes and persuasion as well as inter-personal attraction and influence. Among the topics to be covered include attachment theory, social identity, social networks, organizational compassion, emotions, politics and influence tactics, diversity, harassment.
This course examines theories and research findings from the behavioral sciences that are relevant to leadership and the influence process in groups and organizations. Topics may include personality, situational factors, intergroup processes, interpersonal perception as well as the motivation to both lead and follow. The course also explores the implications of leadership training, organization development, and action research.
The course considers the range of human resource management and labour relations practices, laws and policies that influence equity, diversity, and inclusion in the modern workplace, and helps students develop their critical thinking on topics such as implicit and systemic bias, and how they relate to organizational issues of power, privilege, opportunity, inclusion, creativity and innovation, and effectiveness.
This course is an advanced topics seminar providing contemporary perspectives on employment relations, personnel management and organizational behaviour. The course is intended to explore selected topics in these areas in depth. Private and public sector industrial relations issues may be explored. Topics and instructors will vary from year to year.
An advanced topics course that explores the management and application of the collective agreement post¿negotiation. This course examines the link between contract administration, the bargaining environment, and issues brought forward for collective bargaining. Duty of fair representation, successor rights, bargaining history, and language¿building, among other topics, will be considered.
This course provides an introduction to the basic principles and skills in accounting and finance that are relevant to employment relations specialists. Topic areas may vary from year to year but typically include financial concepts, statements and tools, principles of accounting, budgeting processes, financial forecasting, costing and reporting and the regulatory regime. (Offered online or on-campus).
The seminar course examines technological change in the workplace and the relationship between technological change and employment relations outcomes. Examples of aspects of technological change examined include effects on employee skills and education, work organization and methods, employment arrangements and levels, and union management relations.
This course examines the basic components of compensation systems (i.e., compensation objectives, job hierarchies, forms of pay, salary survey, etc.). A Canadian text is used that combines economic, sociological and psychological approaches to the study and design of pay systems. The course uses a detailed description of a hypothetical organization and a problem-oriented teaching method to explore topics such as the relationship between compensation systems and firm performance, and the tradeoffs between internal and external equity in the design of compensation systems.
This course develops a critical appreciation of the role of industrial relations in a global economic environment. The emphasis is on providing an understanding of the nature and scope of adjustments and adaptations in labour-management institutions and relationships required to deal with international competitive pressures, focusing on strategic links between HR/LR and competitiveness, the Japanese challenge, evolving management approaches and strategies, union responses and the labour agenda, and restructuring experience in key Canadian industries.
The object of this course is to develop industrial relations and human resource expertise including negotiation, conflict resolution and facilitation skills for those who will be employed in line, staff, or union positions in the public or private sectors. The course deals specifically with negotiation strategy and behaviour, labour and management attitudes and relationships, conflict and cooperation, methods of conflict resolution and facilitation, workplace innovations, strategic choice in IR/HR policy, new directions in IR/HR, and in the new roles of staff and line management in the high performance workplace.
The course is an advanced topics seminar providing contemporary perspectives on labour relations. The course is intended to explore specific aspects of labour relations in depth. Private and public sector labour relations issues may be explored. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
The course is an advanced topics seminar providing contemporary perspectives on human resources management. The course is intended to explore specific aspects of human resources management in depth. Private and public sector human resource issues may be explored. Specific topics may vary from year to year, as issues change and different instructors are involved.
The purpose of the directed special studies/reading course is to provide additional flexibility in the MIR program to enable students to pursue in-depth study of a topic/subject relating to industrial relations and human resources management that is not covered by existing course offerings. The scope of this course will be arranged by the student in consultation with the instructor. Although the exact course format and requirements will depend on the nature of the subject area and on the discretion of the instructor, the following guidelines may be helpful: the minimum workload for the course is the same as required for a normal course; the student is normally required to undertake a review of the literature, including an annotated bibliography of the subject covered by the course; the student is normally required to write at least one major paper (minimum 20 typed pages or 5000 words in length) as a requirement for the course. The course is available only under special circumstances and with the permission of the Director. This course may be taken in any one of the three terms, but it can only be taken once during the MIR program.
This course introduces students to research methods and tools used in the study of industrial relations. The course includes selected topics related to the application of labour economics, human resources management, organizational behaviour, and labour law approaches to the analysis of industrial relations. Specific topics and emphasis vary according to the instructor.
Written under the direction of a faculty supervisor and normally about 50 pages in length, the research essay provides students with the opportunity to undertake independent research of an IR/HR issue or a case study of an organization and to develop the ability to express their ideas in an organized and literate form. Preliminary work is normally completed in the winter term and research and writing conducted during the spring/summer term. Counselling for the research essay (choice of an appropriate topic, selection of a supervisor, etc.) is provided by the School. Every effort is made to inform students about the research interests and activities of faculty members and associates and to encourage them to undertake topics related to these. The written essay will be examined by a committee composed of the supervisor, and one other member of the faculty of the School or a related department.