Assg1: Processes, Actors in Employment relations, Strategies, Polices & Management.

1. Processes: Description Create an action plan for settling the dispute in a given case study from the employer’s perspective, considering available employment relations processes in Australia. Support the chosen process with information that is current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate.    Overview In this activity, you will develop an action plan from the employer's perspective to settle the dispute in the provided case study. As an essential part of HR practice, this activity encourages a strategic approach to address the conflict by choosing and describing one appropriate employment relations process (i.e. bargaining, unilateral employer action, employee participation and involvement, employee engagement, or third-party intervention). You will support your chosen process with information that is current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate.  Relevant Unit Modules * Employment relations processes * Managing workplace conflict Key Components of the Activity 1. Reviewing the case study. Begin by thoroughly examining the case study to understand the nuances of the dispute. Identify key issues, perspectives, and relevant details that will inform your action plan. 2. Understanding available processes. Consider the different processes available for dispute resolution in Australia, including bargaining, unilateral action, participation and involvement, engagement, and third-party intervention.  3. Decision-making. Decide which process you believe will be most effective in resolving the dispute from the employer's perspective. 4. Finding credible sources of information to support your chosen process. recognising information that is current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate.  5. Including credible sources of information. As this is a practical and applied activity, your supporting information may include a combination of peer-reviewed journal articles, scholarly books, published research data sets, and non-scholarly works such as news, general websites, blogs, government documents and publications, public speeches. The objective is to use information that strengthens the validity and reliability of your chosen process. Screenshots which document your research process are also acceptable.  6. Creating the action plan. Describe the steps involved in your chosen process to settle the dispute, including a realistic timeline for implementing the plan that recognises the urgency of resolving the conflict efficiently and effectively. Detail the desired outcome for each step - i.e., what you hope the step will achieve towards the overall goal of settling the dispute.    Review the Case Study Thousands of nurses across New South Wales have defied a strike ban and walked off the job for the first time in a decade. They are seeking a pay rise above 2.5% and better conditions from their employer, the New South Wales government. With conflict escalating, the employer is considering how to settle the dispute. [Video of this news is found in attacment] Choose the Process Select the process you believe will be most effective in resolving the dispute from the employer's perspective from the list below. -Bargaining -Unilateral employer action -Employee participation and involvement -Employee engagement -Third-party intervention Action Plan Describe the steps involved in your chosen process to settle the dispute, outlining a realistic timeline for implementing the plan that acknowledges the urgency of achieving an efficient and effective resolution for the employer. Detail the desired outcome for each step. The table will expand as information is input.  [Step | Start date and end date | Desired outcome] ——————————————————————————————— 2. Actors in Employment relations: Description Identify your own perspective on employment relations, annotate a given case study, and complete a table to delineate the interests and perspectives of each actor. Explain your position on the dispute by specifying whether you support the employer, union, or have a nuanced stance. Support your position with information that is current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate.  Overview In this activity, you will engage in a review of a case study through a structured process. First, specify your perspective (i.e., neoliberal-egoist, critical, unitarist, or pluralist) on employment relations. This is the frame of reference through which you see the employment relationship, understand and explain employment relations. Next, annotate the case study to identify interests, including goals, concerns, and motivations, as well as perspectives held by each actor involved. Following this annotation, complete a table classifying the identified interests and perspectives of each actor in a clear and concise manner. Finally, outline your personal position on the dispute, specifiying whether you support the employer, union, or have a nuanced stance and explain your position using information that is current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate.  Viewing employment relations from different perspectives and understanding that others may respond to the same set of facts and circumstances in different ways, is a core skill for HR professionals. This is important for understanding rulemaking, the underpinning thinking of policy-making and employment relations more generally.  Access the case study here.       Relevant Unit Modules * Module 2: Theories and perspectives in employment relations * Module 4: Employment relations processes * Module 9: Managing workplace conflict Key Components of the Activity 1. Identifying your perspective. Review the different perspectives on employment relations, including neoliberal-egoist, critical, unitarist, or pluralist outlined in Module 2. Specify the frame of reference through which you see the employment relationship, understand and explain employment relations.   2. Reading the case. Read the entire case study from start to finish to get an initial sense of the overall content. After the initial reading, go back and reread sections that may need additional attention or clarification. This can help ensure a thorough understanding. 3. Annotating the case. Annotate the case, using highlighting, underlining, and margin notes to mark key information, such as the names of actors, key events, dates, and any clues about the interests and perspectives of each actor. You can access an example of an annotated text in the attcments provided. 4. Completing the table. Use the insights gained from your annotation to complete the provided table. Classify the identified interests and perspectives of each actor in the case study. Ensure that the table captures a comprehensive list of interests, encompassing goals, concerns, motivations, and perspectives (neoliberal-egoist, critical, unitarist, and pluralist) of each actor in the case study. 5. Decision-Making. Decide whether you support the employer, union, or have a nuanced stance on the dispute. Your position should be clear, as it relates to your perspective (i.e., neoliberal-egoist, critical, unitarist, pluralist) - i.e., the frame through which you see the employment relationship.  6. Finding credible sources of information to support your position. These resources are designed to help you with search techniques, smart searching, and recognising information that is current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate.  7. Including credible sources of information. As this is a practical and applied activity, your supporting information may include a combination of peer-reviewed journal articles, scholarly books, published research data sets, and non-scholarly works such as news, general websites, blogs, government documents and publications, public speeches. The objective is to use information that strengthens the validity and reliability of your position.  Screenshots which document your research process are also acceptable.  8. Explaining your position on the dispute. Write a short explanation of your position in one academic paragraph. Outline the key reasons behind your stance with reference to examples from the case study. Integrate others’ ideas, quote, paraphrase, or synthesise current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate information to substantiate your position.     9. Referencing. Use the APA 7th Edition referencing style to include a full end-text reference for all information cited.    Your Perspective Select from the list below the frame of reference that best represents how you see the employment relationship, understand and explain employment relations.   -Neoliberal-egoist -Critical -Unitarist -Pluralist Annotated Case Study Add your annotated case study as document or image. Actors' Interests and Perspectives Use the table below to classify the identified interests and perspective of each actor in the case study.                                                             [Interests]    [Perspective] [DP World]----------------------------------------------------------------------------                                      [Maritime Union of Australia]--------------------------------------------------              [Australian Council of Trade Unions]------------------------------------------ [The Australian Labor Government]------------------------------------------- Your Position on the Dispute Select the position from the list below that most closely represents your own stance on the dispute in the case study. Add current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate information that strengthen the validity and reliability of your position. -Support the employer -Support the union -Have a nuanced stance Explain Your Position on the Dispute Write a short explanation of your position in one academic paragraph. Outline the key reasons behind your stance with reference to the case study. Cite current, relevant, authoritative, and accurate information to substantiate your position.  (Max 250 words) Referencing Using the APA 7th Edition Referencing Style, write a full end-text reference for all sources of information cited in your explanation.  ———————————————————————————————————————————- 3. Strategies, Polices & Management Description Identify the management style in a given case study, before writing a short-answer response to four questions about how the identified style informs and influences an organisation's strategy, policy, and management practices.  Overview In this activity you will identify Atlassian's distinctive management style. This includes underlying values (beliefs about what is important), characteristics (e.g., loyalty, generosity), and attitudes (positive, negative) that serve as guiding principles—both explicit and implicit—establishing boundaries and providing direction for management actions in employee treatment and event handling. With this knowledge, you will explain how this style actively shapes and influences policies and management practices at Atlassian. This will be achieved through a series of four focused questions, prompting a concise short-answer response.  Understanding management styles is crucial for HR professionals in navigating employment relations effectively. The nuances of management style are intricately tied to broader frameworks of unitarism, pluralism, neoliberal-egoism, and critical frames of reference. For instance, organisations embracing a unitarist perspective can be either authoritarian or paternalistic in their attitudes, which can have a major impact on management style. In contrast, those adopting a pluralist perspective prioritise collective relationships, acknowledging the inevitability of conflicts but emphasizing the cultivation of cooperative and constructive relations among interest groups. This distinction manifests in divergent employment relations strategies, policies, and day-to-day management practices. With this knowledge, HR professionals can contribute to creating an environment where employees thrive, conflicts are effectively managed, and the organisation's overall performance is optimised.   Relevant Unit Module * Module 4: Employment relations processes * Module 7: Organisational strategies policies, and management practices in employment relations Key Components of the Activity 1. Understanding Life at Atlassian. Review all the information provided in the case study. Take notes as you watch or read, focusing on explicit mentions of values, statements or behaviours that represent characteristics, and implicit verbal and non-verbal cues that reflect positive or negative attitudes. Highlight or underline key information, such as key events, dates, and any terms or concepts that seem important. Capture screenshots, considering how observed elements highlight Atlassian's beliefs and outlook.   2. Identifying values, characteristics, and attitudes at Atlassian. Consolidate and add your notes and screenshots from the review of the case study. Use the table provided to list and classify the values, characteristics, and attitudes you have identified at Atlassian. 3. Identifying Atlassian's management style. Choose the management style from the provided list that aligns with the style (values, characteristics, attitudes) observed at Atlassian during your review of the case study. 4. Explaining strategy, policy, and management practices. Draw upon your review to provide a short-answer response to three questions about strategy, policy, and management practices at Atlassian. Use examples from your review to give evidence and help give your writing clarity.  Case Study: Life at Atlassian Atlassian is a globally renowned Australian enterprise software company, known for developing a diverse suite of products that facilitate collaboration, project management, and software development. Founded in 2002 by Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar, Atlassian has grown into a major player in the technology industry, with its headquarters located in Sydney, Australia. In 2023, Atlassian was ranked #16 in the Great Place to Work List—the only Australian company among the top 25.  1. Watch the video about life at Atlassian. [Video in the attachments] 2. Explore Atlassian's story by navigating their Discover our story webpage, where you will find sections such as Values to live by, Meet the team behind teams, and the video Opening work up, providing a glimpse into the company's evolution and guiding philosophy. Expand your review, taking in other webpages such as Atlassian's Worklife publication, Resources, and articles about Communication.   3. Read about Atlassian's decision to overhaul its performance review framework in the blog post What you should really measure in your annual performance reviews (and why), considering the [journal articles by Kulik (2023)], and [Boyd and Gessner (2013)]. 4. Read about [Atlassian's decision to make 500 employees redundant] in the blog post A difficult update on our team. 5. Review the blog post Lessons learned: 1,000 days of distributed at Atlassian and webpage Team Anywhere, which outlines Atlassian's approach to its employees choosing where they work.  6. Study the benefits and perks for Atlassian employees in Australia and broader careers resources. 7. Examine Atlassian's response to the US Supreme Court reversal of Roe V. Wade, its plans to donate all future revenue generated from Russia to Ukranian courses, and Public Policy Platform. Identifying Values, Characteristics, and Attitudes List and classify the values, characteristics, and attitudes you have identified at Atlassian from your case study review in the table below. The table will expand as information is input.  Add your notes and screenshots from your review of the case study. [Values]-----[Characteristics]------[Attitudes] Recognising Management Styles Choose the management style from the list below that aligns with the style observed at Atlassian during your review. -Authoritarian -Parentalistic -Consultative -Constitutaional -Opportunist 1.Explaining Strategy, Policy, and Management practices #1 Reflecting on your review, discuss how Atlassian incorporates employee voice in its decision-making processes. Provide two examples from any of the sources (video, webpage, blog posts) that highlight the input of employees in decisions. [max 150 word] 2.Explaining Strategy, Policy, and Management practices #2 Summarise the key points from Atlassian's blog post on What you should really measure in your annual performance reviews (and why). How do the changes mentioned align with the values, characteristics, or attitudes identified in your review? Provide two examples from your review. [max 150 word] 3.Explaining Strategy, Policy, and Management practices #3 Briefly describe the sentiment in the blog post A difficult update on our team. Discuss whether Atlassian's decision and its communication aligns with the values, characteristics, or attitudes identified in your review. Provide two examples from your review. [max 150 word] 4.Explaining Strategy, Policy, and Management practices #4 Describe instances where Atlassian has actively engaged in social issues, whether through public statements, initiatives, or concrete actions. What specific policies or management practices support this engagement? Provide two examples from your review. [max 150 word]