A Paradigm Shift in the Management of Employee Relations - Essay Example

Introduction

From the early 1980s, there has been a paradigm shift in the management of employee relations to the one that focuses mainly on the integrated and strategic frameworks based on the commitment of the employees and shared interest at the place of work, rather than the old managerial control and conflicts between employees and their employers. These employee relation strategies can be traced back to 1950s in the US during the time in which Human Resource models were prominently used (Afuah, 2009). Such models included the matching model, Harvard Model and ‘control to commitment model.' Such employee relation changes were also realized in the UK, though it was felt in larger organizations. Some authors have argued that the manager’s frame of reference affects how these perspectives are used or not used and how they are also interpreted. This paper evaluates how unitarist theoretical framework is adequate as means of understanding the dynamics of the employment relationship

Use of Unitarist Approach in Employment relations

According to Employee Relations, Unitarism refers to harmonized and integrated system within an organization. This paradigm shift majorly focuses on strategic and integrated frameworks geared towards shared workplace interest and employee commitment. This approach is one of the major employee frameworks in human resource management. According to this framework, there is only one source of authority within the organization and that is from the top management where least opposition is expected from the employees. Leaders within the organization have a big role to play especially in promoting commitment and loyalty to employees. Although there has been the reduction of membership of trade unionism as a result of unitarism, trade unions still have a role to play in employee relations (Aggarwal, 2014). Furthermore, there has also been reduction of government intervention although it is still prevalent through dispute resolution and tribunal engagement in employee relations. Countries such as Australia and Britain still use the unitarism approach in their employee relations.

Unitarism provides a new challenge for the government and Trade unions to adjust to new working environment. Various unions are aware of traditional practices, customs, and work patterns within a pluralist or collectivist approach in industrial relations (Dundon, 2011). For example, in Australia, the management and deregulations of the working environment was appropriate for decentralized bargaining. This has led to adoption of new methodologies in human resource policies that would fit employee relations. The management skills in unitarism hinder the functionality of trade unions. Furthermore, government mediation especially during the disputes is also very limited. The firm policies and strategies of an organization that practices unitarist approach prevent unions from airing employee complaints. Changes made on traditional systems weaken the position of trade unions and that of the government with the staff.

According to the unitarism approach, the management has the responsibility of managing and overseeing the conflicts. This approach states that conflicts arise as a result of lack of information and inadequacy or lack of proper presentation of policies by the management. This perspective regards the staff as the source of the conflict and not the management. Nonetheless, there are those conflicts that arise the management as a result policies, guidelines, objectives and policy implementations. For this reason, unitarism limits or disregards the impact that role in which management plays in staff conflict. In some cases, there are some organizations that have “hard” oriented strategies that do not consider the human role. This hinders the government from implementing the labor in countries such as Britain and Australia (Gennard, 2010).

The authoritarian approach in unitarism puts a limit on the disagreement between the employer and employee disagreement and articulation of grievances. Management is tasked with controlling employee relations, therefore, reducing the methodology where staff can air their problems and concerns without fear of necessary consequences. This is the work of the government and trade unions in acting as a link between employees and employers. Nonetheless, the unitary system doesn’t provide for opponents management. Thus workers are organized in a manner that does not allow them to air their grievances against those in managerial positions within the organization as experienced in some organizations in Australia. Both the government and the trade unions are not allowed to have any influence in the management decisions in employee relations. This approach is opposite to the pluralistic theory that brings together various policies and institutional control (Williams, 2010).

The unitary theory is based on various assumptions. The policies do not realize the inequalities of power that are in the workplace. This is majorly between the employers and their employees. These differences may end up creating some conflicts that might have some effects in the working environment. Managers put a lot of power on their employees to determine the working conditions. This leads to the poor working environment since employees may not have proper systems of expressing their needs and grievances. As a result of management control, the role of trade unions is reduced. Suitable interventions by the government during the crisis time become very difficult as a result of the management structure (Turnbull, 2010).

Under the unitary system, the perception of conflict makes it difficult to integrate both government and trade union interventions. Any conflict in the unitary system is treated negatively. It is not seen as the force that depicts the inequalities existing in the current place of work. Therefore, a conflict can be regarded as an opportunity to redeem the confidence and maintain harmony in the place of work. There are various kinds of conflicts in place of work, and some may be beneficial for organizational growth. Some studies have shown that conflicts are very important in employee activities and group projects. Therefore, conflicts have some important impact in improving the relationship between the employee and the management. This can only be achieved with the presence of a mediator such as trade unions. Conversely, the unitary approach towards conflict inhibits the effective mediation by the government and the trade unions (Judge, 2005).

The unitary structure does not offer a room for a clear incorporation of the opinions of an individual workforce. Thus such sentiments are not properly integrated into the objectives and policies of the organization seen in some cases in some Australian organizations. The unitary system does not have the techniques or the process of identifying the common interests of laborers. Also, unitary ideology is very normative. The department of human resource lacks some basic guidelines to successfully implement unitarism (Mason, 2005). Therefore, these processes do not offer suitable conditions for the incorporation of trade unions during the process of policy formulation; on the other hand, the government lacks the efforts of reaffirming its labor laws. Pluralistic perspective, on the other hand, allows for the incorporation of various institutions such as trade unions, employees, government policies and other bodies during the formulation of the organizational policies (Judge, 2005).

The management has the final say during the formulation of the policies in the unitarism approach. The unitary system does not into the grievances of employees with the assumption that the staff reward system is designed to enhance loyalty and commitment. Incorporating the unions is very important during the process of designing employee rewards. In Britain, studies that assess employee relations have shown that trade unions grease the process of industrial relations. Conversely, the entire administration inhibits the procedural association of trade unions during the process of designing the reward system (Turnbull, 2010).

On the other hand, the public sector has also experienced some transformation in the management structures concerning unitarism which has finally influenced the worker. There has been a major focus of the industrial system in public corporation in the recent past. With the example of Western Europe, Australia, and Britain, the regulated system within the sector is raising the alarm to both the trade unionists and the employees. The use of the unitary system and personalized management are reducing the functions of trade unions and government interventions. The current reduction of industrial relations will lack proper mediation systems by the trade unions (Rose, 2008).

According to Mason, (2005), the unitary structure doesn’t have a chance of nurturing collective bargaining agreements. Collective bargaining agreement is different from individual bargaining since it introduces a very important aspect of negotiation during the process. This is not frequently experienced during the individual negotiations. Under the unitarism, the individual contracts are as a result of dictated policy of the employer and are not the results of the individual negotiations. Collective bargaining agreements provide the entire industry or some sectors with agreements that are applicable and are also bound to benefit the employees. This trend has been seen dwindling in Australia and Britain since both countries have adopted the unitary system.

The unitary system has led to a reduction in government interventions and trade union membership. The structure of employee-employer relationship in the Unitarianism approach does not offer opportunities or makes them inadequate to incorporate trade unions. In countries such as Britain, the trade union membership has either reduced or has no continuous growth at all. The power of most of the trade unions is in membership, the more the members, the stronger they are. Reduction in trade union membership decreases their power in industrial relations. Membership fee allows the unions to collect revenue which can be used to protect the fundamental rights of the members. Trade unions finally lose their power during the process of collective agreement, and as a result, the collective bargaining agreement is also reduced (Mullins, 2010).

In Britain and Australia, most managers prefer the use of the unitary system to pluralistic system. The role of government is not regarded since the management does not collaborate with the government. The unitary approach is associated with independence of employment contract. Both the employers and the employees negotiate and discusses the employment terms and conditions. This is done without the any undue influence from the external factors such as the government and trade unions. The pluralistic approach gives room for collective bargaining by the trade unions that are external to the workforce to negotiate the terms and conditions. Employers have changed their tactics and techniques about trade unions. This change is seen in Unitarianism si9nce they always compete with trade unions and evading confrontations. This reduces the chances of employees joining trade unions. The unitary approach does not adopt a wide range of policies about employee operations (Judge, 2005). Organizations are managed with particular policies that are formulated and implemented by the top leadership. Therefore, the diversity of employees regarding background, culture, and class is not considered. Most organizations under this system adopt no-union policies and don’t allow optimal engagement of trade unions. On the contrary, the pluralist system uses a wide range of policies that are relevant to employee relations. Organizations are not limited in the implementation of staff policies. Different policies are also used to identify and recognize the existing differences among the employees. Organizations can still adopt a no-union policy but can also incorporate trade unions. Trade unions offer effective allies in the arrangements of the individual and interests in comparison to the approach in employee relations (Nichols, 2003).

The diminishing role of trade unions is credited to the employers and the government. By adopting the Unitarianism, organizations have provided an alternative for workers to join trade unions. The government has also allowed corporations and organizations to implement Unitarianism in the management. The policies and the amendments made by the government also promoted the fading influence of trade unions. For example, Britain has applied laws that reduce the influence of trade unions. These laws demand to poll for the strike action of some trade unions. Organizations under the unitary system make use of such situations that pull away employees from trade unions. The management of the organization, therefore, conducts individual contracts (Mullins, 2010).

How unitary approach likely to achieve managerial objectives at the expense of the interests of employees

The pluralistic approach is an employment relationship where every work within the organization is an integrated entity shared objectives and common goals. In most cases, the relationship depends on cooperation and congruence of interest between the employees and the management. Also, there is no eventual conflict between the employees and the capital owners. One of the strengths of unitarist approach is that it instills loyalty to the entire management of the organization and its workers (Aggarwal, 2014). Unitarist approach demands that the employee should be loyal to the management and the entire organization to allow the organization achieve its goals. Unions in this type of employment seem to compete for loyalty and commitment of employees. Unions are regarded as unnecessary since the loyalty among the employees, and the organization is seen as mutually exclusive thus unions are denied the presence within the organization.

Unitarist approach regards conflicts as not intrinsic within the workplace and the organization. Unitarist believe that workplace conflict is as a result of poor communication or management, or as a result of the work of trouble makers (Gennard, 2010). Unitarists puts much emphasis on unitary or single interest of organizational members, which if properly managed, will lead to harmonious functioning of the organization

Conclusion

Unitarism provides a new challenge for the government and Trade unions to adjust to new working environment. Various unions are aware of traditional practices, customs, and work patterns within a pluralist or collectivist approach in industrial relations (Afuah, 2009). For example, in Australia, the management and deregulations of the working environment was appropriate for decentralized bargaining. This has led to the adoption of new methodologies in human resource policies that would fit employee relations.

The unitary system has led to a reduction in government interventions and trade union membership. The structure of employee-employer relationship in the Unitarianism approach does not offer opportunities or makes them inadequate to incorporate trade unions (Williams, 2010).

The management has the final say during the formulation of the policies in the unitarism approach. The unitary system does not into the grievances of employees with the assumption that the staff reward system is designed to enhance loyalty and commitment. Incorporating the unions is very important during the process of designing employee rewards