Econ 6510/7510: Theory and Analysis in Labor and Industrial Relations

Version 3: Under construction for Summer 2005.

This course is advanced, not in sophistication of technical analysis but in
rigors of integrated thought and application.  For Masters students
concentrating in Industrial Relations, Econ 6510 is required, and the
design complements Econ 6500 (Modern Issues in Labor and
IR).  Furthermore, Econ 6/7510 draws upon material from Econ 4/5420 (Labor
& HR Economics), Econ 4/5390 (Employee Benefits), and 4/5510 (Unions and
Collective Bargaining).

For Ph.D. students contemplating a field in Labor, this course is followed
by Econ 6/739 (Social Insurance and Pensions) in the Spring of 2006.  I
strongly encourage you to purchase the benefits text recommended below to begin
familiarization with the basics of benefits, some of which apply this
semester, and much of which will be applied next spring.

There will be several data bases for analysis and reports.  I ask no more
technical analysis than what a recent version of Excel (Data Analysis Tool
Pack) can compute, including time value computations and data manipulation
and presentation.  However, you can use whatever software does the equivalent.
Some financial computations are more conveniently done on a financial
calculator.  Bring one to each class, or a laptop with applicable software.


Ph.D. students will be expected to perform at higher levels of competency 
than Masters students, and will be assigned a special projects or 
presentations to justify 7000 level credit.  We will consult on this, as it 
should fit your dissertation interests, or complement other work in a way 
that may accelerate your program completion.  Otherwise, I have research 
projects in mind that.

Reading Materials
Required Text:
Modern Labor Economics
Ronald Ehrenberg and Robert S. Smith
Publisher: Addison-Weseley
ISBN: 0-321-05052-5
8th edition

Note: I will be assigning specific models from this text for students to 
explain to class.  In this context I am interested in your understanding
of conceptual depth, technical correctness, and applicability of the model
to the real world.

Strongly recommended as an intro text if you are not familiar with
employee benefits.  A more in-depth text will likely be used for Econ 7390
next spring.

Employee Benefits
by Joseph J. Martocchio
Published by McGraw-Hill Higher Education
ISBN: 0-07-251548-1

Also, this course blends labor market analysis and a wide array of models
with the institutional context (law, regulation, unions, etc.), so it may
be helpful to browse a recent text on labor law and/or unions and
collective bargaining from the library.

MTSU Library Journals Related to this Course
American Economic Review
Benefits and Compensation Digest
Employee Relations Law Journal
Employee Rights and Responsibilities
Employment Relations
Human Performance
Human Resource Development Quarterly
Human Resource Development Review
Human Resource Planning
Industrial and Labor Relations Review
Industrial Relations
Industrial Relations Research Journal
Journal of Economic History
Journal of Economic Issues
Journal of Economic Literature
Journal of Economic Perspectives
Journal of Economics and Business
Journal of Human Resources
Journal of Industrial Relations
Journal of Labor Economics
Journal of Labor Research
Journal of Law and Economics
Journal of Political Economy
Journal of Public Personnel Administration
Journal for Specialists in Group Work
Labor History
Labor Studies Journal
Personnel Review
Public Personnel Management
Social Security Bulletin

Library Reserved Readings

Required 
(Meaning I'll discuss some parts in class, and fair game for comps)

Books

Theoretical Perspectives on Work and the Employment Relationship, Kaufman
The Origin and Evolution of the Field of Industrial Relations, Kaufman
The Economics of Imperfect Competition, Robinson (pages 179-327)
Do Compensation Policies Matter?, Ehrenberg

Articles/Other--embedded in specific dates in syllabus

Bringing the Study of Labor Back to Labor Studies, Juravich/Bronfenbrenner
Mastering Market Data, ACA
Measures of Inequality, Allison
U.S. Earnings Trends and Earnings Inequalities, Levy and Murnane
Employment Schedules Among Dual Earner Spouses, Presser
Mandatory Overtime Work in the United States, Golden/Wiens-Tuers
The Problem with Human Capital Theory: A Marxian Critique, Bowles/Gintis
Unions as Social Capital, Jarley
Teaching Labor Relations, Budd
Changing Chinese Employment Relations Since WTO Accession, Zhu/Warner
The Economics of Real Superstars, Kruger

Recommended
(Meaning may be useful in your research or future reference, and certainly
important to understanding your intellectual heritage if you make a career
in this field.

Industrial Relations Systems, Dunlop
Essays in Industrial Relations Theory, Somers
Nonstandard Work, Carre, et. al. 
What the Best College Teachers Do, Bain


Grading
Grades will be based on analytic quality (especially interpretation and
application of models or data set problems), writing quality, test results, 
and class participation/contributions.  

I may shift the grading criteria slightly once we meet a couple of times,
but for now the plan is as follows.

5 in-class exams of 1-1.5 hours each, on each Saturday we meet.
Open-book, open-notes. (50% of grade)

2 short papers/presentations (approximately 3-5 pages), based on data set
analysis or empirical modeling.  (20% of grade)

1 paper on a topic of research interest (approximately 5-10 pages).  You
may choose a labor related topic you'd like to explore for dissertation
possibilities.  Examples I have in mind are listed below.  For those of
you who develop a deep interest in your topic and have done work of
sufficient quality, I suggest you consider presenting at the Southern
Industrial Relations and Human Resource Conference in Savannah, GA on
October 13-16, 2005.  This is a very low key, small conference that is a
good forum for grad students to get started.  Details at:
http://conted.georgiasouthern.edu/sirhrc2005.html.
(20 % of grade)

Grade penalties apply for late work.

Paper examples:
The Separation of Intellectual Capital from Workers
Labor Market Participation of the Elderly
Labor Market Participation of Undergraduates
The Labor Market for Higher Education Faculty
Zero and Near-Zero Market Price Labor Markets: volunteer, children, GA's
War and Work
Labor Supply and Demand for Illegal Immigrants
The Labor Market for Home Health Care
The Symbolism of Words in Describing Work and Workers

Class participation and contributions.
(10% of grade)

Class Meeting Dates and Planned Coverage
****Note****  
The first two Mondays are 4-6pm, and 6-9 thereafter.
Saturdays are 9-4pm, variable, depending on how much we accomplish.


06/13--Monday

Introductions
Course and Field Review (including Econ 7390)
Multi-disciplinary context: econ, law, regulation, history, unions...
Taxonomy: Labor, IR, ER, LMR, UMR, HR, Personnel...
Academic and Professional Fit of this Field
Internet Resources (Handout)
Notes from Theoretical Perspectives (Kaufman)
Macro Policy
Theory of the Firm
Labor Demand and Supply Basics
Forensics Modeling
Handouts:
	An Examination of College-Bound High School Students, Baum/Hannah
	An Analysis of the Linkages Between High School Allowance, High
		School Market-Place Work, and Academic Success in Higher 
		Education, Baum/Hannah
	The Equity Niche in Total Compensation, Hannah
	Insights for Analyzing Earnings Growth Rates, Hannah
	Assessing the Dynamics and Value of Internet Discussion Lists,
		Hannah
	Economic Damages, Employee Benefits, and the Expert Witness,
		Hannah
Model Presentation Assignments for next meeting

06/20--Monday
Presentation of Monopsony Model (Ch. 3)
Presentation of General Training Model (Ch. 5)
Presentation of Specific Training Model (Ch. 5)
Review Forensics Questions
Data files sent
Review Quantitative Analysis Tools
	Statistical Distributions
	Growth Rates: arithmetic, geometric, harmonic
	Discount Rates: individual, institutional, government
	Time Value Analysis
	Regressions: linear and nonlinear
	Cobb-Douglas Function
	Measures of Inequality: SD, CV, Lorenz, Gini, Theil

Handouts:
Economic Damages, Employee Benefits, and the Expert Witness, Hannah

Reserve Readings:
Bring the Study of Labor Back to Labor Studies, Juravich/Bronfenbrenner

06/25--Saturday
Exam on models and materials covered in class
Short paper/analysis on forensics modeling due & class discussion
Job analysis
Class exercise
Presentation of Work-Leisure Model (Ch. 6)

Handouts:
The Equity Niche in Total Compensation, Hannah
Insights for Analyzing Earnings Growth Rates, Hannah

Library Reserves:
Mastering Market Data, ACA
Employment Schedules Among Dual Earners, Presser
Mandatory Overtime Work in the United States, Golden/Wiens-Tuers


07/09--Saturday
Exam
Short paper/analysis on Equity file due
Presentation of Life Cycle Model (Ch. 7)
Presentation of Human Capital Model (Ch. 9)
Presentation of Earnings Profiles Variations (Ch. 9)
Presentation of Signaling Model (Ch. 9)
Overview of compensation and benefits (browse Martocchio book)
Handout: Forensics article

Library Reserves:
The Problem with Human Capital Theory--A Marxian Critique, Bowles/Gintis


07/11--Monday
Presentation of Productivity and Sequencing (Ch. 11)
HRIS
XML
DVD HR in Alignment

Handouts:
Assessing the Dynamics and Value of Internet Discussion Lists, Hannah

07/16--Saturday
Exam
Short paper/analysis on Equity file due & discussion
Presentation of Discrimination Model (Ch. 12)
Presentation of Crowding Model (Ch. 12)
Presentation of Spillover Model (Ch. 13)
Presentation of Lorenz Curve (Ch. 14)
Education & labor market linkages
Survey design exercise

Handouts:
An Examination of College Bound High School Students, Hannah/Baum
An Allowance of the Linkages Between High School Allowance, High School
	Market-Place Work, and Academic Success in Higher Education, Hannah/Baum

Library Reserves:
U.S. Earnings Levels and Earnings Inequality, Levy and Murnane
Measures of Inequality, Allison


07/18--Monday
DVD cases
Presentation of Models of Union Behavior (Ch. 13)
Unions
Dispute resolution theory and practice

Library Reserves:
Unions as Social Capital, Jarley

07/25--Monday
This date is questionable, as I may have to be out of town.

07/30--Saturday
Exam
Presentation of Models of Job Search (Ch. 15)
Finish Ehrenberg book
Data Sources: NCES, DAS, THEC

Library Reserves:
The Economics of Real Superstars, Kruger
Changing Chinese Employment Relations Since WTO Accession, Zhu/Warner

08/06--Saturday
A reserved date to be used if needed.

08/13--Saturday
Exam
Research paper due & class discussion
Teaching in the field
Next course and holiday reading
Fall review

Library Reserves:
Teaching Labor Relations, Budd

08/20--Saturday
A reserved date to be used if needed.


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