Learning Outcome 1 Understand different perspectives on employment relations and how they influence the roles of people professionals and line managers.
Question 1
AC 1.1 Provide an overview of the three main perspectives on employment relations, unitarist, pluralist and radical, explaining which approach is adopted at your organisation, critically evaluating how this influences the work of its people professionals.
Overview of Employment Relations Perspectives
Employment relations characterise the dynamic relationship between employers, employees and their representative and impact on the policies on workplace, the mechanisms for resolving workplace disputes and generally the employment climate (Noh and Hebdon, 2022). There are three dominant approaches to employment relations including unitarism, pluralism, and the radicalism. An organisation’s perspective affects how people professionals resolve conflicts, employee engagement and policy development (Cranston, 2021).
The Unitarist Perspective
Unitarist perspective believes that the organisation is one cohesive entity with a common goal with supervision and subordinates having joint interest and working together to achieve the success of the organisation (Patil, 2023). It assumes that workplace conflict is rare and most often arises from misunderstandings and bad communication, rather than basic issues of interest. It argues that trade unions are not necessary; employees’ needs can be met by communicating directly with employers. According to unitarist perspective, Human resource professionals cooperate in creating a strong organisational culture and encourage employee engagement, loyalty and accordance with the company’s goals (Cullinane, 2021). Although it pays great attention to organisational cohesion, critics of the unitarist view characterise it as an approach that ultimately reduces employee voice especially when disagreements occur. Neglecting collective bargaining and external representation can lead to the organisation inadvertently suppression dissent and lead to dissatisfaction, high turnover, and areas for reputational risk (Bukar, Suleiman and Mohammed, 2022).
The Pluralist Perspective
The pluralist perspective views work place relations as inherently made of a combination of interests among various interest groups such as between employer and employee (Patil, 2023). According to the pluralist perspective, trade unions and collective bargaining serve as a bridge between employer and employee interests. When an organization adopts a pluralist framework, it puts in place formal dispute resolution mechanisms like grievance procedures and joint consultation committees, thereby making it possible to allow employee voices to be heard and considered when decision making is being taken (Harvard Law School, 2024). However, pluralism has its challenges. The presence of many stakeholders with different interests may cause long negotiations as they delay decision-making processes. Such adversarial relationships between management and trade union can also cause industrial action and disrupt organizational operations (Noh and Hebdon, 2022b). To counter these challenges, effective people management strategies are essential to minimize these challenges and continue to have constructive dialogue and compromise as major facets of organizational policies.
The Radical Perspective
The radical or Marxist or critical perspective considers that employment relations, more generally, are essentially determined by power imbalances and class struggles (Themba Mzangwa, 2020). It contends that capitalist structures are in certain manner inherently exploring and subordinating workers. Under this perspective, workplace conflict is not only inevitable but also a sign of broader socio-economic inequalities (Mwogereze, 2023). From a radical perspective, trade unions, worker movements and regulatory frameworks are necessary to counter employer’s dominance and work towards fair working conditions. However, while this perspective is important regarding issues of power dynamics and social justice, but it adopts an adversarial approach, with high risk of an adversarial environment, prolonged disputes and operational disruption (Kaufman et al., 2020).
Application of Employment Relations Perspectives in My Organization
My organization primarily operates in a unitarist employment relations model with greater emphasis on teamwork, organisational loyalty and open communication between management and employees. This is also reflected in open door policy, employee engagement initiatives and performance driven reward systems. It creates a corporate culture that encourages employees to align with the mission and the values of the company (Kaufman et al., 2020).
The unitarist approach plays a major role on the role of people professionals in the organization. HR practitioners provide leaders, context, and direction to their teams offering leadership-training skills, organizing recognition programs, and promoting employee well-being (Okolie, Omole and Yakubu, 2021). Mediation and coaching are favoured in addressing conflict resolution mechanisms because conflicts are resolved through collaborative problem solving instead of adversarial negotiation. It also allows the organization to quickly adapt of changing markets, as well as to implement policies without resistance, as trade union influence is not present.
However, there are challenges associated with this approach. In some instances missing a formal collective representation to represent employees, employees may feel disenfranchised, especially after major organization changes (Hubbart, 2023). Management creates and allows feedback through surveys and one on one meetings, but employees may perceive these as incomplete in comparison to formal collective bargaining structural systems. In addition, conflicts that result from expectations or perceived unfair treatment may not be resolved as well and will result in employee dissatisfaction and turnover (Yean et al., 2022).
Critical Evaluation and Implications for People Professionals
The adoption of a unitarist approach has several implications for people professionals within the organization. On the one hand, it facilitates HR to concentrate on strategic association and corporate culture, while at the same time requiring a proactive attitude to employee relations to avoid disengagement (Kaufman et al., 2020). HR function has to play the role of a bridge between management and the employees to ensure that the concerns are addressed, and that the organization provides an environment that is safe, fair and inclusive for the employees.
Besides, due to the absence of trade unions, HR professionals must establish very strong internal dispute resolution mechanisms. effective employment relations entails investing in training programs through which managers acquire skills in handling conflict, implementing anonymous feedback channels, and you establish a culture of transparency (Fatma Bramly, 2024).
Finally, while the unitarist approach is efficient and cohesive, pluralism would need to be balanced in the realms of diverse employee interests and they need to be provided a truly inclusive environment. If the organization recognizes the value they place on an employee voice and put proper representation mechanisms, the organization will be able to increase an employee’s job satisfaction, will reduce turnover, and overall will improve the employment relations framework.
Conclusion
Employment relations theories provide critical insights into how organizations manage workforce dynamics. The unitarist, pluralist and radical perspectives have different approaches to how employment relations should be handled and imply different approaches for how conflicts should be resolved, how employee represent should be organised and who has power to take organisational decisions. Although my organization generally adopts the unitarist approach, some elements of pluralism could be used to increase employee engagement and satisfaction. In defining the perception of working life in the organization, people professionals have a crucial role in defining the shape of employment relations policies, so that the environment is fair, transparent and supportive. An organization can create a productive and harmonious workplace by setting up balance between managerial priorities and employee needs.
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