...Industrial relations is a post-industrial revolution term that replaced the expression "master-servant" used to define the relationship between a worker and an employer. Contemporary industrial relations still refers to the employment relationship and the business unit that manages the employment relations, personnel or human resources. It often includes labor unions as parties to that relationship. The main objective of industrial relations is to improve the economic conditions of workers in the current economic climate. The value added outcomes that can result from good industrial relations include improved morale and commitment, fewer grievances, productivity increases, and better control of labour costs. (Waiganjo, 2012) However there are three theories on how this can be obtained: unitarism, pluralist and radical perspectives. Each of these perspectives takes a different approach to the workplace and the roles of the parties involved; but not all will be effective in today’s evolving labour market. If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work With your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. - Nelson Mandela The unitarist approach to industrial relations is one of mutual benefit; the management and other members of staff are presumed to share a common purpose emphasizing mutual cooperation. (Waiganjo, 2012) This approach to working relationship promotes the virtues of teamwork, where everyone strives to reach a common objective. Many Canadians take...
Words: 2050 - Pages: 9
...Different Perspectives Of Employment Relations For the employment relations, there is complicate and compelling area of study which involves relationships with employees, employers, trade unions and government on a regular basis. At the same time, there are three perspectives which are unitarism, pluralist and radical, each offers a special perception of workplace relations and explain the actions, statements and employers behaviours and trade unionists, such as workplace conflict, role of unions and job regulation vary differently. Based on the UK employment relations structure, the essay will analysis which perspectives appropriate for employee relations in the UK. Unitarist pespective The unitaty perspective is based upon the assumption that the organisation is, at the same time, the unitary perspective organisation can be as an integrated and harmonious whole with the ideal of "one happy family", where management and other members of the staff are all share a common purpose, emphasizing mutual cooperation(Naukrihub, 2007) and they have a set of common values, interests and objectives. Furthermore, unitarism has a paternalistic approach where it demands on all employees loyalty, being predominantly managerial in its emphasis and application. For unitary perspective, there are two important implications stemming from this. The first one is that conflict as the expression of employee dissatisfaction and differences with management is perceived as an irrational activity....
Words: 4404 - Pages: 18
...Which perspective, unitary, pluralist or radical offers the most robust explanation for the decline in Trades Unions? This essay will look at statistics on membership and density, along with important legislation to conclude whether there has been a decline in trade unions. A trade union is an organisation that looks after the interests of its members, usually employees of a particular industry. Jackson (1982, p.1) cites Webb and Webb (1942, p.1) that a trade union is “A continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the condition of their working lives”. This is a very succinct definition of trade unions, but it gets across their main purpose. Several perspectives will be examined for the function of trade unions in each, to try and determine if one perspective offers a clear and suitable explanation for a potential decline in trade unions. It has been suggested that there has been a decline in trade unions. Hamish Fraser (1999, p.231) indicates that trade union membership was on the rise well into the late 1970’s “In 1974 for the first time ever…union density…crossed the...50% mark overall and would continue to rise until 1979”. This shows that as late as 1979 trade unions were in a very strong position; they had their largest ever membership density. Using figures from Jackson (1982, p.4) we can see that in 1978 there were 462 unions within the UK with 13,112,000 members, and that 80% of total union members within the UK belonged to the...
Words: 2887 - Pages: 12
...TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Page: 3 Collective Bargaining and the Employer Page 3-4 The Employment Relationship Page 4-5 Trade Unions & Collective Bargaining Page 5-6 Conclusion Page 6-7 Bibliography Page 8 INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Collective bargaining is the most effective means of giving workers the right to representation in decisions affecting their working lives’ (Donovan, 1968: 54). Discuss Introduction: While Collective Bargaining is a Democratic right of all workers, recent trends have indicated a significant reduction in Trade Union membership. Such a trend is in contrast with recent management directives to integrate employee’s opinion at organisational level. This report attempts to define Collective Bargaining and the approaches undertaken by Employers to manage the area. The Employment Relationship is then studied with a particular emphasis on the structure and balance of power between the Employer and Employee’s. The contribution of the Trade Union movement to the Collective Bargaining issue is then discussed. This Report is then concluded with a definitive view on the role of Collective Bargaining on workers lives. Existing literature will be used to support arguments throughout this...
Words: 2196 - Pages: 9
...(FORMATIVE FEEDBACK) The beginnings of a good report, you will need to: 1. Ensure your line spacing is consistent. 2. Provide a little more detail in your introduction about TOYCO’s challenges. Refer to a wider range of PM and Reward theories. 3. Apply fully to the case study. 4. Provide action-based specific recommendations. Jane Chilman 14/20 Executive Summary This report was written in response to the request from the Senior Management Team at Contents Overall comments (FORMATIVE FEEDBACK)…………………………………………………..2 Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………….....3 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………...5 2. People Management………………………………...…………………………………………5 3.1. Employee Relations…………………………………………………………………5 3.2. ‘Hard’ vs. ‘Soft’ HRM………………………………………………………………..6 3.3. 10-C Model…………………………………………………………………………..7 3.4.1. Comprehensiveness………………………………………………………..7 3.4.2. Coherence…………………………………………………………………...7 3.4.3. Control……………………………………………………………………….7 3.4.4. Communication……………………………………………………………..8 3.4.5. Credibility…………………………………………………………………….8 3.4.6. Commitment…………………………………………………………………8 3.4.7. Change………………………………………………………………………8 3.4.8. Competence…………………………………………………………………8 3.4.9. Creativity…………………………………………………………………….8 3.4.10....
Words: 2911 - Pages: 12
...Employee Relations What are the implications of the decline in union forms of representation for effective employee voice within workplace? Introduction: Union has been a very important part in employee relations. This was actually the voice of employees towards the management/ employers at workplace. Basically union is “an association, combination, or organization of employees who band together to secure favourable wages, improved working conditions, and better work hours and to resolve grievances against employers” (Bagchi, 2003). Unions always try to protect workers right and maintain a balanced relationship between workers and management. Unions’ existence can be traced from the 18th century, when the rapid growth of industrialisation took place. This industrial growth drew attention of women, children, rural workers and immigrants to the work force in different roles and actions. This unskilled and semi-skilled work force continuously organized them to fit in to the system from the beginning; and later become an important arena for the development of trade unions. In recent age the relationship between employee and employer has changed so does the process of representation process. The relationship between employee and employer should have some sort of equality in it. But as a matter of fact this has rarely be a case when an applicant or employee gets the choice to select the desired workplace or work itself from the employers. It’s rather more driven by employers’...
Words: 3906 - Pages: 16
...Resource Management 2 University of London Course Introduction and Overview Centre for Financial and Management Studies 3 1 Course Objectives This course aims to introduce you to the study and practice of International Human Resource Management (IHRM). To benefit from this, you need, of course, to have a basic understanding of Human Resource Management (HRM) itself. HRM has developed from personnel management, but instead of concentrating primarily on the hiring and firing of staff, it is the strategic and coherent approach to the overall management of an organisation’s most valued assets – the people working there who contribute to the objectives of the business1. Its main aim is to develop personnel policies that improve employee relations at work. This course will, therefore, begin with an examination of the history and nature of Human Resource Management, before embedding it in its international context. In Unit 1, you will learn about the main tasks involved in HRM: • human resource planning • job...
Words: 8611 - Pages: 35
...Introduction In recent times the Trinidad and Tobago industrial relations climate has been experiencing heightened activity. This has been characterized by the numerous strikes and news reports of the actions and statements of the principal actors involved. The recent TCL strike (Newsday, 2012), statements threatening strike action by PSA president (Guardian, 2010), and threats to the government for a nationwide strike (CARICOM News Network, 2011) all give credence to the concerns of the ECA “that the industrial relations climate will become increasingly adversarial”(Business Guardian, 2011). This type of conflict and balance of power issues in the long-term can have adverse economic consequences as well as a negative effect on international competitiveness. The term ‘Industrial Relations’, in a broad sense, covers the employment relationship between employers and employees either directly or through their representatives. An explanation of Industrial Relations which clearly identifies the principal actors is:- “the relationships between employees and employers within the organisational settings. The field of industrial relations looks at the relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union. Industrial relations are basically the interactions between employers, employees and the government, and the institutions and associations through which such interactions are mediated” (Naukrihub.com). Actors and their roles ...
Words: 2057 - Pages: 9
...Conceptual analysis and specification of Morgan’s metaphors using the CAST method Taken from: Gazendam, Henk W.M. (1993). Variety Controls Variety: On the Use of Organization Theories in Information Management. Groningen: Wolters-Noordhoff. 400 pp. ISBN 90-01-32950-0. 4.2. An overview of Morgan's metaphors Morgan (1986) distinguishes eight metaphors for organizations: machine, organism, brain, culture, political system, psychic prison, flux and transformation, and instrument of domination. Each metaphor highlights other aspects of organizational life (see Figure 4.1.). For further analysis, the metaphors can be grouped into three groups: the machine group, the organism group, and the mind group. The machine group only contains the machine metaphor (Paragraph 4.3.). The organism group focuses on the dynamic relationship of organization and environment and contains the organism metaphor and the flux and transformation metaphor (Paragraph 4.4.). The mind group (Paragraph 4.5.) contains two subgroups. The first mind subgroup concentrates on the relationship between the minds of persons and the organization as a social construct; it contains the brain metaphor, the culture metaphor, and the psychic prison metaphor. The second mind subgroup focuses on coordination mechanisms and power plays, and encompasses the political system metaphor and the instrument of domination metaphor. metaphor machine highlights efficiency, quality, and timeliness of production processes in a machine...
Words: 16192 - Pages: 65
...uk/citylink The company offer a large packet of services to their costumes: standard delivery services, UK next day delivery, international air express, international road express and opportunity to add insurance cover for fragile or valuable items, or to use online booking system where people can send the occasional parcel without opening any kind of account or having a formal arrangement with the company. “The national network is supported by dedicated account management and costumer services team, which benefits our customers by working with a partner who provides a reliable, secure and flexible services. The company vision is to maintain our position as the expert within the UK parcel market” LO1 Understand the different perspectives of human resources management. Explain Guest’s model of HRM Human Resources Management can be define as “the organisational function that deals with recruiting ,managing ,developing and motivating people, including providing functional and specialised support system to foster regulatory compliance with employment and human rights standards” (Strandberg,2009,p2) Guest’s (1987) ideal-type model is used to characterize...
Words: 5221 - Pages: 21
...chapter two Strategic human resource management John Bratton If a global company is to function successfully, strategies at different levels need to inter-relate.1 Throughout the first half of our century and even into the early eighties, planning – with its inevitable companion, strategy – has always been a key word, the core, the near-ultimate weapon of ‘good’ and ‘true’ management. Yet, many firms, including Sony, Xerox, Texas Instruments, …have been remarkably successful… with minimal official, rational, and systematic planning.2 Chapter outline Introduction p. 38 Strategic management p. 38 Hierarchy of strategy p. 42 Strategic human resource management p. 46 HRM and organizational performance p. 60 Chapter objectives After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Explain the meaning of strategic management and give an overview of its conceptual framework. 2. Describe the three levels of strategy formulation and comment on the links between business strategy and human resource management. 3. Explain the two models of strategic HRM, the matching model and the resourcebased model. 4. Comment on the various strategic HRM themes of re-engineering, workplace learning, trade unions and leadership. 5. Explain the methodological difficulties of measuring the link between HRM practices and organizational performance. 38 The Nature of Human Resource Management Introduction In the first chapter we examined the theoretical debates on the nature and significance...
Words: 15323 - Pages: 62
...* ------------------------------------------------- Home ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- Quality ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- About RPHRM ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- Current Issue ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- Submissions ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- Archive ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- Search RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT * Volume 3: Issue 1 * Editorial * Regular Papers * Practitioner Focus * Reviews ------------------------------------------------- Highlight, copy & paste to cite: ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- http://rphrm.curtin.edu.au/1995/issue1/banking.html Wilkinson, A., (1995). Towards HRM? A Case Study from Banking, Research and Practice in Human Resource Management, 3(1), 97-115. Towards HRM? A Case Study from Banking Adrian Wilkinson Abstract ------------------------------------------------- HRM has been much talked about and written about in recent years...
Words: 8635 - Pages: 35
...Human Resource Theories and Current Market Place Trends 34 Human Resource Theories 34 Current Market Place Trends 38 Strategies to Be Implemented For the Next Ten Years 40 Recommendations 41 Conclusion 42 References 43 Consultant Report 1 Introduction The term ‘trade union’ is referred as an association which includes variety of members consisting of both workers and union leaders among others, integrated to defend and endorse the universal interests. Trade union acts as a weapon for the labourers or workers to fight for their own rights against the management of an organization. The prime objectives of a labor union may include bargaining about wages and provisions of working circumstances, legalizing the relations in between workers and owner, taking necessary actions for implementation of the policies of communal bargaining, elevating new demands on behalf of the employees and finally settling down the criticisms among others. Trade unions were primarily initiated in Europe rather it became popular in many other countries during industrial revolution. Moreover, a trade union may be of varied forms such as house union, company union, general union, industrial union and craft union among others (BIS, n.d.)....
Words: 10901 - Pages: 44
...authors About the contributors Preface Authors’ acknowledgements Tour of the book HRM as I see it: video and text feature Publisher’s acknowledgements Key topics grid xviii xx xxi xxii xxv xxxiii xxxiv xxxvi xxxviii xl 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 6 8 9 9 13 16 17 18 18 20 22 22 24 25 27 30 I the arena of contemporary human resource management 1 the nature of contemporary HRM John Bratton Outline Objectives Introduction The development of HRM Keynesianism: collectivism and personnel management HRM in practice 1.1: A new role for HR professionals Neo-liberalism: individualism and HRM Management and HRM The meaning of ‘human resource’ The meaning of ‘management’ The nature of the employment relationship Scope and functions of HRM Theoretical perspectives on HRM HRM in practice 1.2: Twenty-first-century senior HR leaders have a changing role The Fombrun, Tichy and Devanna model of HRM The Harvard model of HRM The Guest model of HRM The Warwick model of HRM The Storey model of HRM HRM and globalization: The HRM model in advancing economies? Ulrich’s strategic partner model of HRM Studying HRM Critique and paradox in HRM viii contents ix Case study: Canterbury Hospital Summary, Vocab checklist for ESL students, Review questions and Further reading to improve your mark 33 34 37 37 37 38 38 39 41 44 44 45 46 48 50 52 54 55 56 56 58 60 62 65 66 69 69 69 70 70 71 72 72 73 73 74 77 78 80 81 88 92 2 corporate strategy and strategic HRM John Bratton Outline Objectives Introduction Strategic...
Words: 37021 - Pages: 149
...i STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ii For free online support material please go to the Kogan Page website: www.koganpage.com/strategichrm Password: SHRM53756 iii STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT A GUIDE TO ACTION 4TH EDITION Michael Armstrong London and Philadelphia iv Publisher’s note Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and author cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or the author. First published in Great Britain and the United States in 1992 as Human Resource Management: Strategy and Action Second edition published as Strategic Human Resource Management: A Guide to Action 2000 Third edition 2006 Reprinted 2006 Fourth edition 2008 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers...
Words: 74350 - Pages: 298