The main objective of this course is to prepare students for managing a workforce within the international context given that most organizations are impacted by the global economy. It introduces students to emerging trends in international policy in key labour and human resource issues. Although national laws governing employment have been in place for a long time, these regulations have proved inadequate to address all the challenges in a world economy that is increasingly linked across nations, regions and continents. We consider employment policies and practices of workplaces impacted by trade and organizational linkages across national boundaries. The course is divided into two halves. The first half deals with labour standards within the context of freer trade, international unions and other worker organizations, international collective bargaining and the role of global institutions such as the United Nations (UN), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Bank, among others. The second half examines codes of conduct and similar other private attempts to regulate labour conditions. It focuses on the role of international corporations, which may have their own initiatives or act in concert with strategic partners, both corporate and non-corporate.
