Question: Compare and contrast an aspect of employment relations in any two Southeast Asian countries. What are the causes of the differences between the two? You may choose any aspect of employment relations for this essay. Two suitable aspects of employment relations would be the state and trade unions. You may choose any aspect of employment relations for this essay. Two suitable aspects of employment relations would be the state and trade unions. The Journal of Industrial Relations devoted a whole edition in 2016 (vol. 58, no. 2) to employment relations and the state in Southeast Asia, with articles on Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Cambodia and Myanmar. Two of those articles would provide a solid basis for your research for this essay. You would also need to find additional materials to supplement those JIR articles. Benson and Zhu (2008) has chapters on unions in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Any two of those chapters would provide a good foundation for an essay on unions - again, those two chapters would need to be supplemented with additional materials of your own.
• Benson, J & Ying Zhu,Y (eds) 2008, Trade unions in Asia: An economic and sociological analysis, Routledge, London. Other suitable topics for comparison in the essay could include:
• Collective bargaining
• Contingent or precarious work
• Strikes or industrial conflict
• HRM
• Regulatory standards and minimum wage
• Management style
• Maternity leave
• Gender equity
• Work-life balance
• Teleworking
You would need to ensure there is sufficient relevant academic literature available on that topic in your two preferred Southeast Asian countries. Essential materials for the essay You must use a minimum of six scholarly sources in your essay. Assignment marking criteria The assignment is an essay question and your answer must be in essay format; that is, it must be structured around an argument that answers the question. The essay will be marked according to the following criteria: understanding of the issues raised by the question and comprehensiveness; written expression; structure; use of sources; originality; and presentation. A Marking Criteria table setting out the standards of these criteria in detail will be available. Referencing style Harvard method of referencing.