The Conflict between Employers and Workers as a Feature of Human Resource Management - Essay Example

Decline in Strike: Does this mean that conflict is no longer significant in present HRM practices? of Course] [Date] Decline in Strike: Does this mean that conflict is no longer significant in present HRM practices? Background to the Context: The relationship of an employer and employee is a very critical one as it associated with market and managerial interests i.e. gaining profit. In other words, it is a relationship involving service rendered by employees to employer on the exchange of rewards. By nature, this relationship remains critical because the interests of both parties are not meant completely in the agreement. One of the reasons behind this incomplete structure of employee-employer relationship is divergent goals of both the parties. In case, employers assert pressure on the employees, conflict is more likely to arise. The expression of this conflict is undertaken in the form of strike to which employers have to reply in the form of addresses to their demands. Introduction: Over the past few decades, a decline in strikes within United Kingdom has been observed. The question remains whether the decline in strike activity over recent years means that conflict between employers and workers is no longer a significant feature of present day human resource management? This paper aims to discuss the causes behind the decline of strikes in UK and the assessment of conflict between employers and employees. Furthermore, the practice of Human Resource Management (HRM) will also be discussed in this regard. Understanding Conflict: Herein, the most important aspect of human resource management practice is conflict to which resolutions are provided by applying theoretical frameworks. It will not be incorrect to state that conflict is the basic focus of HRM practice on which theories and models have been formed underlying the criticality of employer-employee relationship (Honeyball, 1986). As noted above, conflict arises when both the parties are experiencing clash of interests. Conflict may arise for numerous reasons (Kang, 2012). As a matter of fact, conflict is interpreted in various ways that justifies the understanding of its context with strike. The first perspective that interprets conflict is unitarist that defines the workers to be agitators while employees to be ignorant on their part of agreement. According to this view, conflict would arise because there is a lack of communication which is completely incorporated in the modern human resource practices. The second view on conflict is by the pluralist school of thought that claims this act to be completely natural. The reason as asserted by pluralist behind conflict is that parties may get involved in divergent goals. Finally the third school of thought is radical perspective on conflict that states it is due to the class division. Furthermore, they appoint the view that employers may act in a capitalist mode of production which will never affirm to employees need (Sloane et al., 2013). Types of Conflict: In practice, the expression of conflict is done through strike of labor union that would be collective in nature. Another form of dispute expression is done individually by applying for employment tribunals (ET) (Gennard & Judge, 2002). For this paper, the second type of conflict expression is termed as individual resistance. These are the two major types of conflict expressions that have been marked as risky for the profit of companies as there is a stoppage of production at work for many days. Absenteeism and resignation from the company are other two forms of protests are other forms of dispute between the two parties. These disputes may or may not affect organizations because this has risk associated with the company to a small extent (Williams, 2014). In order to understand the reasons behind the decline of strikes or estimating the thesis that it is the happiness of employees with employers that the decline in strikes has been noted, it is rather suggested that one should review the patterns of collective as well as individual resistance in UK (Storey, 2007). Let us now look at the pattern of decline in collective resistance from a historical order of statistics. Patterns of Strikes or Collective Resistance: As a matter of fact, since 1980s, there has been an increasing decline in the collective resistance in UK. This in no way suggests that the companies were able to handle disputes quiet successfully. There were major strikes in UK that led many companies to experience loss and risk as work was stopped for many days. In this way, strikes were considered to be a factor arousing a large number of people with longer days of protests making production stop. In this way, the number of strikes decreased and turned into one major strike of all time in respective companies. In a rough statistical survey, it was mentioned that almost 7 million working days were on official records being wasted because of strikes that were major in nature. Later on, in the twentieth century, this measure was noted to decrease to half a million working days wasted because of major strikes in UK (Klang & Murray, 2005). After the Second World War, strikes were noted to become fewer in a dramatic manner. The trend of lack of strikes in a calendar year motivated the stance of lesser strikes. The threat to job termination and the legislations that were being imposed on the workers was considered as one of the reasons for which the decline in strikes was noted largely. After 1998 till modern times, the statistical record of working days being stopped remained quiet balanced. Later on, it was also marked by a number of researchers that power vested in the trade unions was limited because they were in a fear that their power may be made further limited. At the same time, private sector made a record of some distress in four year’s time after 1998 (Dix et al., 2008). After 2004, the only year that has made a record of the lowest stoppage working days were in the year of 2005. Later on, the statistical recording of strikes measured up and low on the stats but with a very little diverging measure. However, this has been the case of collective strike. The opposite has been noted in the individual resistance type of disputes (William, 2009). Patterns of Employment Tribunals or Individual Resistance: At the time of conflict resolution system installation, it was suggested that collective resistance was being solved with the help of obligatory clauses of Redundancy Payments Act of 1965. It was suggested that if conflicts were to be handled or resolved on an individual level then it was expected that lower cost of resolution was to be paid by the company. Also, the method was noted to be very immediate making it effective for the employee to focus on work rather than the grievance. It was this time when employment tribunals were introduced by the companies. Unfair dismissal legislation was introduced with increasing number of cases being filed on an individual basis. The volume had also increased with was critical for employers. It was noted right in the beginning of application of ET that people who were busy in strikes were now heading towards the individual levels of dispute resolution. The applications in the early 1990s were noted to be more than 4000 (Dix et al., 2008). The major disputes subject among these applications included sex discrimination, unequal pay rates followed by racial attacks. After few years, the rate of applications grew lesser but this time the subject of applications seemingly added the reason of inequality being observed at workplaces. The decrease that was noted was 29000. Then comes the time when increase in the statistis of applications was noted swiftly making the count to make a record of 34000. These times the subjects of the applications were in variety. By this time, the research and development in the field of human resource management was able to provide safeguard to many rights of the employees. By twentieth century, the number of applications of ET was marked to make groundbreaking record of 100,000. These applications are now ever increasing and making it critical for corporate law to incorporate all the cases (Gilmore & Williams, 2012). Causes of Decline: The above noted assessment of the patterns of resistance makes it evident that the picture has rather flipped instead of becoming better than before. For some people, it is the happiness of employees that they make thinks that it is better to file a complaint on an individual level rather than taking the issue to a whole new level of strike. But on the other side of the picture, it can be well stated that the labor force is now making use of individual resistance count more than strike. It was inferred previously that it will be cost-effective for the organizations to undertake conflict resolution (Farnham, 2000). On the contrary, this supposition has not worked as well as it should have been. However, the fact remains that increasing number of cases on an individual basis have saved the company from the risk of stoppage of working days which had resulted in major loses and bad market position in previous eras. The role of different institutions should also be taken under consideration because they have been historically commendable (Wilton, 2010). There is enhanced role played by institutions in removing discontent which led in the dispute in the form of collective resistance or strike. There are many ways through which strikes can be reduced. Nowadays, managers and the top leadership have turned to effective methods of communication through which they will address the concerns and demands of employees. The main concern behind strikes is more likely to be the fear of employees that they will never be heard. In the modern times, human resource management implements models that make it liable for employers to communicate with the employees for making sure that employees are being heard. This is surely to be credited for decline in strikes. Looking at the structure of organization, it has come to understanding that more and more channels of communication have led in less ambiguity. It is not being marked here that there is no miscommunication cases but the intensity and measure has decreased vastly. Strikes have been considered as an informal or unorganized way of discussing clash of interests. In the current HRM practices, it is rather observed that if trade unions have some issues to discuss with the management then they have to take formal procedural steps (Albright & Eplion, 2006). In addition, there are procedural obligations for individual resistance as well that makes it easier yet effective for the company to handle any sort of disputes. Nevertheless, the presence of procedural ways of filing strikes is not the only reason behind decline measure of strikes in UK neither it suggests that the nature of conflict has become easier to solve. The presence of discussions and communication mechanisms were well-known in UK previously as well. However, ratio of strike was increasingly higher. Private sector has been famous for undertaking discussions in the past after they faced increased number of strikes from the trade unions. The presence of procedural steps may not be the sole way to reduce strikes but it can surely help companies to solve disputes with the resisting party (Sauser Jnr., 2007). This same application is obvious for those who may protest individually. It is rather marked that with the help of procedure of filing the discontent, it will be easier for the companies to get away with any form of conflict on an individual basis. In both the cases, it has become important for the companies to follow procedures to regulate dispute complaints. Since employees do not get help from their fellow co-workers, it is expected that a person may deal with his problem or discontent himself on an individual basis or by simply resigning from the company. Trade unions in the modern times have been shaped in such a way that they are able to appeal their complaint with top management by actually working for the benefit of employer. In simpler words, it can be said that the trade unions are created along with the team of personnel who will be suggesting the point of view of employers to the employees. Many complaints that are noted in this manner are immediately addressed leaving no space for the grievance to become bitter from the side of employee towards employers. One to one communication and direct meeting have become quite effective ways of conflict management (Banfield & Kay, 2012). Discussion: Undoubtedly, the decline of collective resistance in UK is quiet obvious over the past few decades. This decline is no different than other many developing countries of the world. However, the fact remains that increase in individual resistance in the form of employment tribunal has been noted. The increase of applications of TB has relatively increased in the same time period when collective resistance was meeting its decline. This denotes the evident risk and loss that companies were noting because of individual resistance as they did previously because of the collective resistance (McClelland, 2012). Other than these two dispute expressions, absenteeism and resignation from the company is being noted to remain same in terms of its occurrence rate. This makes us aware of the fact that if employees are given a way to increase their dissatisfaction towards the employees, the use of strikes may increase. Since these mechanisms have been taken care of and have added a risk for employees in return, individual bases of resistance seem to continue as a way to express dispute and discontent. It will not be incorrect to state that if such air is not provided to the employees, it is expected that most of the conflicts may become resolved on an individual level (Isles, 2013). The above noted patterns of strikes and other disputed expressions make it quiet easier to understand that decline is not merely because employees in the current HRM practices or industrialized economies are comfortable with agreements (Hendy, 2002). In no way, one can claim that lesser strikes and decrease in application of employment tribunals show comfort of employees with the working conditions. Looking at the downsizing which took place in mid 1990s and in the recession of 2008, public demonstration of disputes because a critical expression for employees as well. In other words, it can be said that the employees has no assurance that their demands would give them job security. Undertaking such a claim is only possible because patterns in the expression of disputes have worked as a backing up resource of the argument. This makes us aware of the fact that there are mechanisms and institutions that are working in benefits of the employees and employers to be on a same note of agreement. Other than this, the patterns work as indicators of conflict that can arise critically because of the divergent goals (Thornley & Appay, 2010). Conclusion: It can rightly be said at this point that the picture has rather flipped. Despite the fact that human resource management, corporate law and other institutions making performance management count has all played their respective role in making conflict heard and resolve in a formal and organized manner. Yet there is no assurance that conflict will not arise between employer and employees. The decline in strikes in UK have not suspended the ideal of protests and disputed but have taken another shape i.e. 137,000 and increasing number of employment tribunals being applied each year with versatile subjective discontent. 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