INSTRUCTIONS

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING

1 Only minimal referencing is required. Citation of material contained in this Unit Reading Material is only necessary if there is a direct quote or close
paraphrasing. Citations for the Unit Reading Material need only be simple: e.g., (Bray et al 2014, p. 178) or Auer (2010, p. 372). Students are NOT required consult
material not included in the Unit Readings. Material citied from the Unit Readings does not need to be included in a list of references.
2 The exam has two (2) parts: Part A and Part B. Part A is worth 30 marks. Part B is worth 20 marks. All questions in Part A are of equal value. All questions in
Part B are of equal value. The exam is worth 50% of the total marks for this unit. Students must gain a mark of 22.5/50 in the take-home exam to pass the unit.
3 There are four (4) questions in Part A, but you are required to answer three (3) questions only. There are two (2) questions in Part B, but you are required to
answer one (1) question only.
4 The maximum word limit for your exam answers is 2000 words (excluding references). The maximum word limit for an answer to a question in Part A is 400 words.
The maximum word limit for an answer to a question in Part B is 800 words.
5 The total words used in your exam answers is to be shown: e.g., 1953 words overall. The word amount used to answer each question is to be shown: e.g., 359
words for a Part A answer; 710 words for a Part B answer. If an answer exceeds the word limit the marker will stop reading once the word limit has been reached.

PART A.
Answer 3 (THREE) questions from this Part. All questions are of equal value. Part A is worth 30 marks.
Question 1 (360-400 words)

Kotter and Schlesinger (2008), Supplementary Readings Week 3, argue there are four “most common” reasons why people resist workplace change: (1) parochial self-
interest; (2) misunderstanding and lack of trust; (3) different assessments; and (4) a low tolerance for change.

Which one of these four reasons is the more prominent obstacle to implementing workplace change? In your answer discuss reasons or relevant examples.

(Provide the reason why this one, but why not other three)

Question 3 (360-400 words)

Butler (2009, p. 211), in Supplementary Readings Week 7, mentions Upchurch et al.’s (2006) concept of “a paradox of intention” to explain why management might
introduce non-union employee representation (NER) arrangements: “… management claim NER gives rise to employee involvement and influence, the reality is that of a
consolidation of existing power discrepancies”. By discussing relevant examples, assessment the merits of this claim.
Between question 2 and 4, you can choose one. Thanks.
Question 2 (360-400 words)

Both Kirsch and Wailes (2009) and Badigannavar (2009), in this unit supplementary readings, discuss aspects of the “Varieties of Capitalism” (VoC) framework to explain
similarities and differences in management decision-making and industrial relations outcomes. How useful is the VoC framework in understanding contemporary workplace
change? In your answer discuss reasons or relevant examples.
Question 4 (360-400 words)

Bray, Waring, Cooper and Macneil (2014, p. 50) suggest, “The distinctive feature of unitarist values is the assumption that employment relationships are essentially
harmonious, with employees and employers sharing common interests and goals”. Yet Bray et al (2014, pp. 363-64) also assert, “Unitarism, for example, sees … where
industrial conflict exists, it is seen as temporary or the product of aberrant behaviour [such as] … a failure of employees to grasp the commonality of interests”.

Is there a contradiction with this understanding of workplace interests? Is it possible to reconcile the common interests and goals assumptions of unitarist values
with the signs and symptoms of covert workplace conflict?

PART B.
Answer 1 (ONE) question from this Part. All questions are of equal value. Part B is worth 20 marks.
Question 5 (720-800 words)

Quality Airways Ltd is an Australian-based airline serving both the domestic and international passenger air travel markets.

Quality Airways wants to introduce new technology for its domestic flights passenger check-in system. The new system has automatic check-in machines to encourage
passengers to use the technology to “self service” their own check-in process which allows for selection of available seats and prints each passenger’s boarding pass
before they proceed to the check-in counter. The effect of the new technology and check-in procedure is that check-in counters will be converted into “bag drop”
facilities only.

Under the Quality Airways Ltd Collective Bargaining Agreement 2015, check-in counter staff are classified as “Level 3” workers. Due to the less demanding tasks of
check-in counter staff the new technology would produce, Quality Airways management believe it is appropriate to reclassify check-in counter staff to be “Level 2”
workers, once the new system is fully operational. Level 2 workers are paid between $7500 to $5000 a year (about $150 to $100 a week) less than Level 3 workers.

The conditions of employment and level of remuneration for the airline’s airport operations staff are regulated by the Quality Airways Ltd Collective Bargaining
Agreement. The collective bargaining agreement also contains the following clause:
When a situational assessment by management leads to a proposal for workplace change, management will develop a written draft proposal for change, outlining the vision
which initiates the proposal, the nature and rationale of the proposed change and the expected outcomes, including advantages and disadvantages.
The workplace change proposal will include the following:

a) situational assessment, describing the current operation and the opportunities for improvement identified;
b) statement of a vision for the desired future state following the implementation of change;
c) planning for change, describing how the future state will be achieved; and
d) the evaluation and confirmation of change.
The General Manager of the airline’s airport operations division is concerned the proposed new passenger check-in system and the reclassification of check-in counter
staff from Level 3 to Level 2 will be resisted by both the union and employees, and be viewed as a crude cost-cutting exercise because of the lower rate of pay for
check-in counter staff and the opportunity to reduce the number of check-in counter staff.

The General Manager has asked you, an employment relations consultant, to advise the airline on the proposed workplace change. You are commissioned to write a short
draft “proposal for workplace change”, as required by the Quality Airways Ltd Collective Bargaining Agreement. She has instructed you to emphasize part “c” of the
proposal (planning for change, describing how the future state will be achieved). The airline will use your draft proposal to overcome or reduce employee and union
resistance to this proposed workplace change.

Write the proposal.

TO GET YOUR ASSIGNMENTS DONE AT A CHEAPER PRICE,PLACE YOUR ORDER WITH US NOW