Globalisation of Work

Choose ONE from the following questions

1. Labour codes that are built into contracts between buyers and contractors are designed to ensure that workers are treated well in global supply chains as not doing so damages the reputation of buyer-firms.Discuss the reasons why this action may in itself be insufficient to protect workers.

• Answer either 2a or 2b:

2a.Technology is often seen as a solvent or destroyer of national borders, as scientific knowledge and technical practices at work are not confined to one country, but spread across the world.  Critically discuss this statement.

Or

2b. Investment in automation and robotisation can potentially return work to developed economies and undermine the advantages that emerging economies have in a surplus population of low cost labour. Critically discuss.

• Critically discuss the extent to which the reshoring of work to developed economies is challenging the processes of globalisation.

• Are Chinese multinational companies different in the management of labour and work compared to other multinationals? Use examples or case studies in your answer.

• The remote or objective measurement of performance of workers is promised by human resource analytics (HR-A). Using case study examples, critically discuss the extent to which HR-A offers a new global and independent way of organising human resource practices, such as recruitment, rewards and retention.