This course will allow students to deeply explore a methodological approach that they could use in their media focused dissertations. For the purposes of this course, “media” will be defined broadly as encompassing all types of communication media, including social media, radio and television media, mobile media, etc. The methodological approach that students choose to focus on in this course should fall within the domain of “social science,” which includes quantitative methods such as surveys, experiments, and digital trace collection, and qualitative methods such as interviews and participant observation. Hybrid approaches that draw on more than one of these methods will also be encouraged when they fit within the students’ dissertation objectives. This course will also engage students to consider ethical issues relating to their dissertation projects. Given the seminar format of this course, students will be exposed to methodological approaches chosen by other students in the class, thereby broadening their methodological foundations. Further, at the beginning of the course, students broaden and firm-up their methodological foundations by reviewing methodological approaches that are commonly used in the social sciences. It should be noted that given the limited duration of this course, we will not focus deeply on data analytics. Nevertheless, students will need to consider the types of analyses that are appropriate once they have collected data for their dissertations, and they will be encouraged to follow up on these analytic approaches through other means.

This course is a survey of cultural and interpretive methods as they are applied to the study of media and technology across fields such as media studies, science and technology studies, cultural studies, game studies, and internet studies. Students will learn about genealogical, analytical and interpretative approaches to media content and technologies as well as cultural and critical ethnographic approaches to the understanding of media audiences, online communities, and creative labour participants. The emergent ethical and political dimensions of cultural and interpretive research will be stressed. This course presents the opportunity for students to learn and apply foundational theories in the field of Media, Technology and Culture through coursework deliverables such as research papers, proposal reviews, and research design documents. This fulfills objectives such as PLO 2: Research and Scholarship – b. The ability to make informed judgments on complex and emerging issues in information studies, which may require the creation of innovative methodologies, as well as c. The ability to produce original research, or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, and to merit publication in diverse scholarly and practitioner venues.

A reading course in a special field to be carried out under the supervision of a member of the faculty (With the permission).

An intensive workshop for post-candidacy doctoral students to assist in the development of the conceptual structure of their dissertations. Writing a doctoral dissertation is a larger intellectual project than most doctoral students have undertaken at any prior point in their studies. Doing a good job requires developing a conceptually coherent and compelling argument that makes the case for the claim(s) being advanced and defended. Developing such arguments is a hard-won skill, which must be practiced, honed, and refined over many iterations. A number of factors can impede the process of formulating a conceptually sound argument, especially in the context of a dissertation: (i) the magnitude of the writing task can get in the way of focus on the argument itself; (ii) writers can become mired in the details of a set of findings, and find it difficult to grasp the logical structure of what is to be claimed; (iii) the best structure for the ultimate argument is often far from clear early in the process. Arguments often need be adjusted during the dissertation process—often completely restructured (an analogy, in prose, to refactoring a computer program); (iv) once draft prose is created, it has a tendency to draw the writer ineluctably into an endless process of incremental adjustments and edits, at the expense of addressing more urgent and fundamental structural problems in the underlying conceptual framework. The aim of this seminar is to assist doctoral students in framing, articulating, developing, and revising the conceptual structure of the arguments on which their dissertations will be based. Techniques to be developed include the developments of skeletons—short, distilled, logical précis of arguments, stripped of all prose, rhetoric, introductions, etc., designed to reveal the conceptual structure of an argument in a bare-bones manner. Developing a good skeleton is extraordinarily difficult, but more than repays the effort in simplifying and making more effective the subsequent writing process.

This course surveys theories of HCI design, models of user interfaces, interface design, and empirical approaches for analyzing systems and interfaces. Through individual and/or group research projects, this course emphasizes applied user experience (UX) design grounded in a multi-disciplinary analysis of the interplay between human factors, human perception, and societal and cultural dimensions. Students will evaluate designs of emerging, novel interactions through an emphasis on UX lifecycle, usability, utility, and acceptance. PhD students have priority. MI and MMSt students can enroll by permission of the instructor. Students would email the instructor with the following information: 1) list research methods courses taken and 2) list experience and/or courses taken in the field of UX design or Human Computer interaction) – space is limited

The purpose of this course is to prepare students to hone their professional identity, professional communication skills, and professional learning capacity. Learning to become a capable workplace professional is as important as competence in one’s field of study. Characteristics of the capable workplace professional include: engaging in reflective practice to aid learning and to solve problems, valuing excellent communication and interpersonal skills, developing strong self-awareness, exercising sound ethical judgment, and developing an orientation to elevating their profession. The conceptual hub of the course is an exploration of the ideal type of ‘the professional’. Three overarching course themes are: (a) developing new awareness of learning and skills needed to become a capable workplace professional: (b) the reflective journey to develop one’s own sense of professional identity; (c) a practical emphasis on presenting oneself effectively in the job market. Students will become prepared to enter their field and to thrive as emerging professionals, both in student placements and beyond graduation. This course is recommended for first-year students contemplating the Co-op option and it is also suitable for graduating students contemplating the job market.

INF3902H, or Cooperative Education Placement II is worth .5 FTE and unfolds in the summer following a student’s first year in the program. It comprises the student’s 4 month work placement in their field of interest/concentration, and the completion of a number of deliverable throughout that placement.

INF3903H or Cooperative Education Placement III is worth .5 FTE and unfolds in the fall following a student’s first year in the program. It comprises the student’s second 4 month work placement in their field of interest/concentration, and the completion of a number of deliverable throughout that placement.

The course is worth 1 FTE and spans terms 5 and 6 in the executive delivery option of the Information Systems and Design (ISD) Concentration. It comprises a student’s 8 month work placement project in their current place of employment in the area of information systems and design and the completion of a number of deliverables throughout that workplace project. Students will complete a medium-scale independent information systems design project under the supervision of their workplace and Faculty of Information culminating in a written report, demonstration, and/or oral presentation.

This course is designed to provide you a familiarity with the scope and application of statistical analysis. Topics include the following basic statistical techniques: descriptive measures, elementary probability, sampling, estimation and testing and regression. Examples are drawn from business and economics. The course will enable you to read statistical studies intelligently and critically.

Foundational aspects of economic theory that are of relevance to a career in industrial relations and human resources are the subject matter of this course. The theoretical analysis is supplemented by empirical evidence related to the Canadian labour market. Topics covered include competitive labour markets and the incidence of payroll taxes; employee behaviour, the labour-leisure choice model and alternative work-time arrangements; firm strategy, production, costs, present value, and fringe benefits; the impacts of unions and collective bargaining on the labour market; the impact of the macroeconomic environment on various HR and IR outcomes such as strike activity, union certifications, and the magnitude of wrongful dismissal awards; the impact of government monetary and fiscal policy on unemployment, inflation, and wage settlements.

A reading course or individual research in an approved field. Students are permitted to take up to two Reading/Research Courses as electives with the approval of the Graduate Coordinator. Reading courses are not intended to substitute for existing courses in the program. Reading courses are most useful for exploring specific interests or enabling more in-depth research of a topic previously introduced in another course.

The course is designed to provide knowledge of one of the key environmental inputs of the industrial relations system — that being the labour market. Emphasis is placed on how the labour market functions (and malfunctions), its results, and how it affects, and is affected by, the industrial relations system within which it operates. The basic tools of labour economics will be provided, but the emphasis is on applying them to various policy issues such as: the incentive effects of income maintenance programs; retirement decisions and the impact of pensions; the effect of market structures (e.g., monopoly, public-sector employment) on wage and employment; the role of wage structures; the impact of institutional constraints such as gender discrimination, unemployment insurance, wage subsidies and negative income tax plans; special topics such as pay and employment equity, volunteer activity, labour shortages, health and safety, workers' compensation, immigration, and the brain drain.

This course is intended to provide an overview of the labour arbitration process applicable to unionized employees. The course will focus primarily on grievance arbitration and examine both procedural and substantive issues, including the scope of arbitration, pre-arbitration and arbitration processes and select issues in arbitration — discipline and discharge, contract interpretation, disability accommodation, privacy and discrimination. Mediation and med/arb as alternative dispute resolution mechanisms will also be discussed. The format will be a combination of lecture/seminar, class discussion, in-class exercises, video review, and mock arbitration. Students will participate in mock arbitration hearings.

This is an introductory course in Canadian labour relations law intended to prepare students to identify and address labour relations law issues that they may encounter in the field. The first part of the course will consider the labour relations system under the Ontario Labour Relations Act and specifically issues such as: acquisition of bargaining rights by a trade union; defining an appropriate bargaining unit; and determining the employees to be included in a bargaining unit. The second part of the course will examine unfair labour practices, the collective bargaining process, the duty to bargain in good faith, and the regulation of strikes, lockouts, and picketing. The third part of the course will address the grievance arbitration process, including specific issues such as discipline and discharge, policy grievances respecting the interpretation of the collective agreement, and grievances challenging management prerogative.

This course is intended to provide an overview of the three main legal regimes governing the employment relationship: common law, the statutory framework, and collective bargaining law. The focus is largely on the Ontario experience, although some of the case law and discussions will emanate from other Canadian jurisdictions. The course will provide students with an overview and working knowledge of the principles, theory, and law of the employer-employee relationship. Students will gain an understanding of the employment relationship in both the non-unionized and unionized contexts. The course will explore the basic nature of the employment relationship from formation to termination, minimum standards legislation and regulations (including human rights law), and collective bargaining law.

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with fundamental Organizational Behaviour (OB) principles and applications. Students will develop an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the field and examine individual, group, and organizational processes that shape how people act and interact with others at work. Topics include personality, motivation, leadership, group dynamics/teams, organizational culture, and change. The major learning objectives are to learn how OB theories and principles help build and foster a high performing workplace, to learn how OB theory and research can influence HR program design and evaluation, and to strengthen critical analysis skills to evaluate current organizational concepts and challenges.

This course 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; 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), and the World Bank. The course also examines codes of conduct and similar other private attempts to regulate labour conditions and the role of international corporations.

This is an overview Human Resource Management (HRM) course intended to give the modern business leader a broad understanding of how and what is involved in delivering competitive advantage through effective HRM. The key theme for the course is the creation of alignment between business strategy and objectives, structure, and what it is that people are actually doing to create value, personally and professionally. In short, the alignment of: strategy, structure, and people. Value creation by employees, for customers and on behalf of shareholders, will also be a key theme of the course. The course begins with a look at organizational strategy, leading to subsequent sections on: workforce planning and role clarity; attraction, recruitment, selection, and integration; reward and recognition; performance management and appraisal; training and development; people change management; employment legislation and health and safety; industrial and labour relations; talent and career management; and organizational culture.

This introductory course will place emphasis on the practical application of basic skills required to manage either in unionized workplaces or in workplaces that might be faced with a certification application. Lectures, readings, simulations, and assignments will serve to acquaint the student with the structure and functioning of the Canadian industrial relations system, basic employment law concepts, the union certification process, negotiation and administration of collective agreements, strikes and dispute resolution, and Canadian industrial relations in an international context.

The nature and meaning of work in relation to changes in the position of the professions, unions, and government, of women and minority groups, and in industrial societies more generally. Career choice and strategies, occupational mobility, and individual satisfaction at work. The course focuses on issues that are high priorities for practitioners in human resource management, labour relations and employment policy.

The recent economic crisis has revealed the interconnectivity of the contemporary world. Financial crises that began on Wall Street spread to government takeovers of automobile companies that included imposed concessionary bargaining on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. Countries around the world — both developed and developing — their business sectors, citizens, and workers have all been coping simultaneously with this crisis. This course focuses on a number of themes that globalization and the new economy raise for workers, unions, and the state. Through seminar discussions, presentations, and the completion of a research essay, students will have the opportunity to explore these themes in greater depth and come to an appreciation of the increasing complexity of industrial relations in a globalizing world.

This graduate course in industrial relations is conducted as a seminar, which examines current issues in labour relations, and investigates their historical background as a way of placing them in historical perspective. The approach is interdisciplinary, and the readings and discussions relate the present to the past and vice versa. Historical methodology and historiography are not covered, as the course is intended to supplement the study of industrial relations with a selection of readings pertinent to current themes. Topics covered include: Hours of Work, Occupational Health and Safety, Technological Change, Unions Globalization and the Environment, Immigrant Workers Experience, Whistle-blowers, Gender in the Workplace, The Employee Representation Debate, and the Unorganized Employee.

The objective of this course is to give students a solid basis for understanding contemporary issues in public sector collective bargaining and labour relations. Although the course will focus on the Canadian experience, there will be some material related to the broader North American context. The course will examine historical, legislative, constitutional, fiscal, and political factors in the new paradigm. In particular, questions about collective bargaining rights, right to strike, privatization, and precarious employment will be raised and addressed through an analysis of recent experience of collective bargaining in federal, provincial, municipal, and education sectors.

As human resources and labour relations professionals, our ability to negotiate effectively is paramount to our performance as the majority of our workday is spent influencing colleagues, vendors, clients, and other stakeholders. This course is about becoming a better negotiator through the understanding of theory, practice, and self-reflection. As this course is highly interactive, students are expected to prepare by completing the course readings and applying that knowledge directly in class every week. Periodically, we will also be joined by human resources and labour relations professionals who will discuss the types of negotiations they face in the course of their work, and how they handle these situations to achieve a desired outcome.

This course examines the collective bargaining process, including underlying theories, current practice, and likely future trends. It examines the major elements to be considered by unions and management in their preparation for collective bargaining and in the negotiation of labour contracts, how to align collective bargaining strategy with HR and business strategies, how to apply interest-based and traditional approaches to negotiations, and how to resolves disputes and build trustworthy relationships. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a collective bargaining simulation, which will allow them to apply their knowledge and hone their negotiation skills.

Trade unions have faced many challenges including: economic recession; a crisis in manufacturing employment with closures, outsourcing and mass layoffs; cuts to public sector employment and moves to privatize it; as well as attacks on the right to strike. Meanwhile the private service sector, at least up until the current economic crisis, has seen continued growth, albeit with relatively low levels of compensation. At the same time, full-time more secure employment has declined, while precarious (non-standard) insecure employment has increased. These same decades have witnessed the rise of neoliberal policies and a decline in the nation-state’s willingness to intervene in the economy, regulate transnational corporations, enforce employment standards, and reform labour legislation. Such developments have challenged trade unions making it more difficult for them to organize new members, help maintain good jobs and expand union coverage. This course will examine such challenges plus issues such as the role of women in unions, diversity, pensions, coalition activity and more.

This is an introductory course on managing and resolving workplace conflict. The focus is on studying the various theories related to the nature of conflict and the processes and techniques of conflict resolution in both union and non-union settings. Using this theoretical groundwork, the course will examine and evaluate a variety of third-party dispute resolution systems such as mediation and arbitration. The core of the course will be the study of conflict management systems within organizations and their systematic approach to preventing, managing, and resolving conflict. Students will learn how to identify existing workplace conflict management systems; the phases, components, and considerations when designing and implementing a conflict management system; and the critical elements for evaluating and monitoring the system.

This course will focus on the organisational, legal, social, political and economic dimensions of occupational health and safety. The course will begin with a discussion of the key constructs and components of the occupational health and safety system, and the principal actors in it. We will review how regulation and its enforcement work, and the breadth of their reach. We will also discuss the primary and secondary prevention mandate historically held by workers' compensation, and how it has evolved over time. The bulk of the course involves looking beyond the basic components and mandate of the occupational health and safety system to understand system design, the recognition of health and safety risks, and the management of risk in the workplace.

The course has two objectives: 1) to introduce you to the field of consulting and 2) to enhance your consulting skills. It focusses on external consulting but will discuss internal consulting briefly. Our class process will be participative. As much of your learning will come from discussions and experiential exercises with your peers, it's vital you come prepared to make contributions of quality to the content and process of our classes. In our discussions, we'll practice our appreciative inquiry skills.