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LRT811S - LABOUR RELATIONS THEORY - 2ND OPP - JUNE 2024 |
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nAmlBIA unlVERSITY
OF SCIEnCE Ano TECHnOLOGY
FACULTY OF COMMERCE, HUMAN SCIENCESAND EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
QUALIFICATION: BACHELOR OF EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR RELATIONS HONOURS
QUALIFICATION CODE: 08BERH
LEVEL: 8
COURSE CODE: LRT811S
SESSION: JULY /AUGUST 2024
COURSE NAME: LABOUR RELATIONSTHEORY
PAPER: THEORY
DURATION: 3 HOURS
MARKS: 100
2NDOPPORTUNITY/SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER
EXAMINER(S} Mr Elias Kandjinga
MODERATOR: Ms Penehafo Johannes
1. Answer ALL the questions.
INSTRUCTIONS
2. You are expected to apply your subject knowledge to the questions.
3. Write clearly and neatly.
4. Number your answers clearly.
1. Pen
2. Ruler
PERMISSIBLE MATERIALS
THIS QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF 5 PAGES (Including this front page)
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Section A (Answer all the questions)
[43 marks]
Question 1
Read the following case study and answer all the following questions.
Imagine you are the new HR director of a company involved in the manufacturing of !
j
heavy equipment that is used to build roads. Part of your brief as HR Director is to !
suggest increasing profitability and decreasing staff turnover. Your discussions will
form part of a strategic planning session focusing on how to turn the company around.
Poor economic circumstances and general staff mismanagement have led to minimal I
pay increases, and staff turnover is at a record high. The company functions within a 1
unionised solid environment, and you have only been in your new position for one day
I when you were told in no uncertain terms that "things need to change, or staff will
engage in strike action to force the boss's hand".
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1.1. You prioritise involving employees in decision-making processes. Compile a
possible action plan for items to address with unions and staff matters about
changes that need to be made. Employee participation and involvement should be
the focus of your plan.
[15]
1.2. Examine the "tripartite" and 11multipartite 11 viewpoints on Employment Relations
and how they differ in today's employment settings.
[16]
1.3. Discussthe four various approaches to collective bargaining.
[12]
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Section B (Answer all the questions)
[57 marks]
Question 1
Read the following case study and answer all the following questions.
Where does it all belong or how does it fit in?
Paragraph one
David Tsabadi, Ryno Steyn and Steven Buhlungu were all full-time final-year students
at the 'University of People for Excellence' (UPE). David was studying Law, Ryno was
doing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology and Political Studies, and Steven was
completing a B-Com, majoring in Industrial and Organisational Psychology. They were
also all working at Pizza Nuts People (PNP) - doing dine-in as well as takeaways of
pizzas on campus at UPE. On this Friday night they were working on the same shift,
from 20h00 till closing time (usually about 02h00). They were once again engaging in
one of their favourite conversations- or some might say debates. David was confiding
the fact that Peter Sikwebu, owner-manager of PNP, had asked his advice the previous
evening over the phone about how to go about dismissing one of the full-time,
permanent staff members - as the said employee had been making a habit of being
late, absent from the workstation and often completely absent for a day or sometimes
two, claiming to have been ill - without any doctor's certificate. Apparently, Peter had
said that he just did not want to "clash with the law", and he knew the employee
belonged to a trade union. "You see", said David, "at the end of the day it is all about
the law - labour relations is built around labour law!".
Paragraph two
"Well,", said Steven, "the law may be important when things break down, but did Peter
build a good relationship with the employee?" He added pompously: "If he had he
known the principles of human behaviour that we get from studying Psychology- and
better still, if he had understood aspects of Industrial/Organisational Psychology - he
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would have known that the employee's behaviour was probably symptomatic of a lack
of "employee satisfaction" - which can often lead to deviant employee behaviour and
conflict in the work environment. If he had detected that early enough, he could have
intervened and got the help of an 1/0 specialist to investigate the behavioural issues
that were harming their employment relationship. If they had done that, the employee
might well have felt better about her work situation, improved her poor time-keeping
behaviour, and not have had to face possible dismissal problems. So, you see - it is all
about relationships and human behaviour!" "No, no, no - guys - you are all getting
this quite wrong!" Intervened Ryno. "What you are both missing here is that Labour
Relations as field is part and parcel of Industrial Sociology. Sociology looks at society-
and work and working people form a key area of study of Industrial Sociology. The
employee belongs to a trade union because she knows she has no power to protect
herself against ruthless capitalists like Peter. While behavioural knowledge is good,
and legal help often necessary, the key is to understand how societies work and why
workers are joining forces to form organised labour movements to get right the
imbalances of power in societies where capitalists rule."
Paragraph three
Overhearing the conversation, Peter jumped in: "You must leave your academic
debates out of PNP - I have a business to run here, and the important thing is the
customers! While you are jabbering on about theory, what I need are committed and
dedicated staff to serve the customers - or else they leave and go to other places like
Pizza Hut or Debonairs. If staff members do not perform, they must go - whether of
their own will, or by getting fired! I am a manager, I studied management, in fact,
Business Management - and I can engage whoever I like to give me advice and avoid
clashing with the authorities or parasites like trade unions. I have learned about trade
unions, unfair labour practices and discipline and dismissal as part of my Business
Management studies. Hence, labour relations as a topic was part of my management
studies. It's just that I am a little rusty on these things nowadays and that is why I asked
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David for his viewpoints! Now get on with your work, serve the customers, or expect
to be fired too!"
Source: Ne/ et al. 2020
1.1. In paragraph one, the students had an exciting conversation that suggests that
"labour relations form a small and almost insignificant part of HRM both in theory
and practice, and HRM is the field of study that encompasses labour relations."
Analyse and debate this claim by referring to the case study and your knowledge
base.
(15]
1.2. Develop a theoretical understanding of the essential components of the labour
and employment relationship mentioned in the case study's second paragraph,
then integrate them to create a cohesive portrayal of the core of an employment
relationship.
(15]
1.3. Pizza Nuts People (PNP) is a Namibian company. Do you agree or disagree with
Peter's assertion in Paragraph three of the case study? Justify your answer.
(15]
1.4. Based on the case study's third paragraph, which ideological stance does Peter
hold? Additionally, given that Pizza Nuts People (PNP) is a Namibian business,
describe an ideal employment relationship ideological stance to alter Peter's
opinion on trade unions in general and collective bargaining in particular.
(12]
End of Paper
Good Luck!
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