The University of Toronto will offer one Industrial Relations and Human Resources course in Tokyo, Japan The course is worth one full-year credit and is contingent on adequate enrolment.
IRE332Y0 Resolving Workplace Conflict While Employing a Cross-Cultural Perspective
Japanese society and its emphasis on harmony, group identity and on lifelong employment has fueled tremendous economic success and resilience during national crises. This course will look at these national traits by exploring them through the lens of Japanese culture, its governance, and its workplace ethos by reading and discussing scholarly works, as well as experiencing fieldtrips. After analyzing these characteristics, the course will culminate with an understanding of strategies for resolving workplace conflict.
Prerequisites
None
Distribution Requirements
Social Science
Breadth Requirements
Society and its Institutions (3)
2024 Course Outline (draft only)
Instructor
Bob Thompson lectures on Employment and Labour Law, Negotiations, Industrial Relations, and Collective Bargaining to U of T undergraduate and graduate students as well at other institutions in Toronto. As an engaging instructor, he understands that education extends beyond the classroom and his genuine goal is to make the learning experience memorable, enjoyable, and inclusive for all students. As a practical professor, Bob gained experience in human resources, labour relations and workplace law. Prior to joining academia, Bob was Senior Employment Law Counsel at Canada’s largest financial institution, Manager of Labour Relations at Canada’s largest grocery retailer, articling lawyer at Canada’s largest litigation law firm, and co-op engineering student at Canada’s largest automotive manufacturer. For nine years he was an active board member of Ontario’s regulator of Human Resources Professions. Bob is a graduate of the LLM Program in ADR at Osgoode Hall Law School, he obtained his joint LLB/MBA degree at the University of Ottawa, an MBA at Kent University in Canterbury, England, and his Industrial Engineering Degree at Kettering University in Michigan.