We interact with work organisations every day, not only via formal employment, but also when we shop, bank, enjoy entertainment or need medical assistance. Since contemporary work organisations are crucial to how our society operates, this module addresses a series of key issues associated with work and organisations such as: What is work? How is work organised at both the local and global level and how has this changed over time? How do organisations and culture in organisations operate in the contemporary world? How is work experienced and what meaning does it have for people? How can we best understand the 'Employment Relationship'? How do we research work and employment? The module will introduce theoretical perspectives on work and organisations and investigate the ongoing transformation of work practices. Issues such as unemployment, underemployment, retirement, technological innovation, migration, globalisation and the rise of trans-national corporations will be reviewed. Consideration will be given to how class, gender, race and ethnicity, among other social divisions, influence both access to, progress through and the experience of work.

Introduction to the module; definitions and perspectives on work; changing conceptualisations of work over time; Organisations and organising; structure, control and work; Occupations and professions in the contemporary workplace; Social divisions and work; The employment relationship - conflict, cooperation, mutuality, resistance and mischief; Unemployment, underemployment and retirement; The meaning of work in our lives; Research on work and employment studies; The future of work - technology, AI and the end of work?

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: 1. Distinguish between the main theoretical frameworks used in the analysis of socio-economic change and how work and changes in work are conceptualised. 2. Demonstrate awareness of the impact of globalisation on the structure and experience of work. 3. Explain the changes in the organisational context of work. 4. Discuss the role of structure and agency in regard to work lives. 5. Discuss the interaction of such variables as class, gender, race, age and ethnicity on the structure and experience of work. 6. Describe the importance of research in work and employment studies.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: 7. Defend their own theoretical understanding and position regarding the employment relationship. 8. Value the different roles, importance and meaning of work in people's lives.

A blended mix of online, face-to-face and asynchronous lectures which aim to engage with and use the student's own work experiences to illustrate and understand the core concepts employed across the 'Contemporary Perspectives on Work and Organisations' module. Lectures will be supplemented with virtual discussion boards and peer-to-peer discussions to support the students in all aspects of the module. Research from the Department of Work and Employment Studies and wider academic community as appropriate will be incorporated into the syllabus. This will include drawing on a range of research studies on the quality of work, the impact of technology on employees and the digital transformation of work.