According to Beer et al (1984), human resources management (HRM) has developed as a way to serve workers’ interests, albeit internally within the workplace. This challenges the role of worker advocacy. Historically, workers’ interests have been served by external representatives from labor unions, and have also been protected through government interventions such as laws and regulations. The purpose of this assignment is to understand the roles of unions and the role of HRM, and examine whether workers have adequate support and protections in the modern workplace. After reading the text chapters for Week 1 and Week 2 and reviewing the resources provided:
- Explain how unions, human resources management personnel, and government interventions (such as laws and regulations) serve to address worker rights and worker safety.
- Evaluate whether unions and HRM have unique roles for different groups (i.e., the organization, management, and the workers) or if there are areas of overlap.
- Assess the following statement, “Workers in the modern workplaces of America are well protected and well supported.” Explain whether you agree or disagree with this statement, based on what you now know about government interventions, unions, HRM, and worker advocacy. Be sure to support your agreement or disagreement with statements of reasoning from your analysis.
The paper must be four to five double-spaced pages in length (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least three scholarly sources other than the textbook to support your claims. Cite your sources in text and on the reference page.
