Reference no: EM133440945

James and Stacy are standing in line for the registration of their first-year modules at University of Johannesburg. Looking at the first semester modules, they learn that they will be studying Employment Relations II. They are intrigued by this subject and their perceptions of it sparks a debate between the two of them.

Based on his background, coming from a working-class home, James was not interested in doing the subject, as he believes that this subject involves the conflicting interests of workers and those who own the means of production. He insists that those who sell their labor are exploited, and that this has been the case for time immemorial. He defines his parents' work as "modern slavery" and is convinced that studying Employment Relations will not teach him anything new. He believes that the Capitalist system means that his parents is and will remain in an exploitative and inequitable relationship with the owners of wealth. He says that this subject can basically be defined as the study of modern slavery.

Stacy has a different idea of the subject. While she agrees with James that Employment Relations as a field of study is founded on the evolution of the employer-employee relationship, which revolves around the unequal distribution of wealth and income, she believes that James's view on the topic is too narrow. Stacy perceives employment relations to be mainly about the employment relationship. This entails the participation of various actors, whose interaction is governed by the rules and regulations that ensures justice in the work environment. For Stacy, Employment Relations is not just about the two actors - employees and employers. For her, the topic is more important trying to understand the current and future nature of work in South Africa and globally. For Stacy, studying Employment Relations as a field of study will expose them to other related disciplines such as sociology, psychology, law and human resource management.

Rebecca is listening in on their debate and, having read the Introduction of the South African Employment Relations textbook in preparation for her studies, she joins in. She advises James, in support of Lauren, that the study will also teach them about how the field of Employment Relations has developed over the years, what and who have influenced the field and why the module will be relevant for developing solutions for practical and modern work environments. Rebecca further advises James that the problem of ensuring decent jobs and decent pay is not just a South African issue but that even the most developed countries still experience similar challenges. She feels that studying Employment Relations will help them to understand the principles underpinning the theory and practice of the field.

Question

The content should include contemporary examples to highlight and illustrate arguments on:

1. What Employment Relations as a field of study entails.

2. Which of the two views of Employment Relations held by James and Stacy more closely resembles the definition provided by author BJ Swanepoel?

3. Who are the "actors" that Dunlop refers to in his definition of the industrial relations system? Also explain the primary roles of these actors in regulating their relationship.

4. Why is Employment Relations as a field of study and practice still relevant and how can it be used to understand and solve modern-day workplace problems as claimed by Rebecca?