The Changing Nature of Work - MAN00076M

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  • Department: The York Management School
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2025-26

Module summary

This module explores why conflict can emerge from paid work/society. More specifically it examines the impact of gender, class, and contractual relationships on workers and organisation.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2025-26

Module aims

This module is concerned with the evolution of the workplace and explores why conflict can emerge from paid work/society. More specifically it examines the impact of gender, class, and contractual relationships on workers and organisations alike. It then explains why this relationship is partially regulated by external forces such as unions and the State and its regulation at the organisational level.

Module learning outcomes

Academic and graduate skills

By the end of this module students should be able to:-

  • Understand how societal norms have helped shape the workplace

  • Understand the structure of work and the sorts of skills people need today

  • Appreciate the meaning of work for individuals

  • Recognise how individuals interact with employers and some of the difficulties that emerge from these interactions

  • Make sense of workplace conflicts

  • Navigate and mobilise the current literature on work and employment studies

Academic writing skills

By the end of this module students should be able to:-

  • Develop and argument

  • Structure an essay

  • Identify main arguments

  • Distinguish between arguments, facts and opinions

  • Recognise the features of a variety of academic genres and use them appropriately in their writing

Module content

To be selected from the following:-

  • The socio-economic context of work (evolution of the world of work, significant social and economic changes, future directions)

  • The evolution of employees and organisations in society (occupations and the social division of labour, industrialism, post-industrialism, contemporary forms of work, changes to work contracts)

  • Power and politics: Strategy and Managing people (management decision making, control, bargaining, the Human Relations movement)

  • The individual meaning of work (motivation, reward, identity, the ‘employment relationship’)

  • Organisational culture and group dynamics (how to manage groups, intercultural dimension, teamwork)

  • Latest manifestations of work (platform work, gig economy, virtual organisation, digital nomadism)

  • Leading and managing change (role of leadership and motivation, implementing change, resistance to change)

  • Inter-personal management (challenges, cohesion, collective belonging, how to improve the workplace)

  • Making sense of the new world of work (changes and continuities, importance of key constructs, future of work)

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Students receive individual written feedback on each item of coursework within five weeks of submission. A comprehensive module assessment report is released to students after the exam board.

Indicative reading

  • Edgell, S., & Granter, E. (2019). The sociology of work: Continuity and change in paid and unpaid work. Sage.
  • Dundan & Rollinson (2011) ‘Understanding Employment Relations’