Note that this is an entry level EMPLOYMENT RELATION essay.
Topic:
“Conflict is inevitable in the employment relationship”. Discuss.
Discuss, with reference to at least 8 academic sources.
Length: 2,000 – 2,200 words
Formatting Requirements: 12 point Times New Roman font, 1.5 line spacing.
There is no set answer to this essay, the topic could be dealt with in different ways.
Whether or not you agree with the statement is not so important as how you justify your answer.
‘Discuss’ means that you need to think about and write about the different
possibilities before making your own judgement.
The words in the essay topic suggest what we would expect the essay to cover. Some hints:
– What is the nature of the employment relationship?
– Are there aspects of the employment relationship which necessarily lead to
conflict? If so, why?
– Can the employment relationship also be cooperative? How might cooperation,
rather than conflict, be brought about?
– How do the various employment relations actors contribute to whether the
outcome is conflict or cooperation?
You should avoid relying on concepts studied in other units. We are exploring this topic from
an employment relations perspective, not an HRM or Management perspective. Similarly,
the sources you select should have an employment/industrial relations focus, and should
not be dominated by management or HRM literature.
