Non-Union Forms of Employee Representation - Coursework Example

Non-Union Forms of Employee Representation Introduction Employee voice is an important facet in an organization. With good employee voice in an organization, higher levels of organizational performance can be achieved (Blyton & Turnbull, 2004). Some organisations are firm believers of engaging in union forms of employee representation to ensure employee voice. However, in modern times, this is the contrary as majority of organizations are engaging in non-union forms of employee representation. There has been a shift from union to non-union and other forms of employee representation in many organizations within Europe (Blyton et al, 2010). A non-union form of employee representation is one in which employees disregard the traditional avenues of providing employee voice through labour unions. They prefer the representation of their own interests as workers as opposed to relying on labour unions to regulate various relations through collective bargaining agreements. This paper will evaluate the efficacy of non-union forms of employee representation in addressing the representation gap and achieving positive outcomes for employees in the workplace. The study will borrow from various literatures such as books, case studies and online content. This indebtedness to foreign text and ideas shall be properly referenced within the text and full bibliographic description provided in the reference page of the paper. Where applicable, the discussions will take into consideration companies located within the United Kingdom with minimal reference to organisations located in other European countries. Employee Voice The term employee voice has been widely used by practitioners and academic literature on human resource management and industrial relations. Geoff Armstrong in an issue of the Industrial Participation Association bulletin (IPA) suggested that the historical meaning of voice is the collective bargaining present in organisations (Dundon et al 2004). This chosen method of joint regulation, as he proposed, was the straight jacket responsible for inhibiting the things needed to win and retain customers. He was of the opinion that the management of organisations was to hold the blame as the shift to direct involvement reflected the desire to improve organizational performance. In contrast, the arguments of Margaret Prosser of the TGWU propose that collective voice achieves what the lone voice could never: humanization and civilization in the workplace. She argues that collective voice is responsible for creating a foundation of a partnership relationship that ensures positive benefits for the business (Prosser, 2001). Voice can be perceived as an articulation of individual dissatisfaction in an organisation (Dundon et al 2004). In such a situation, the aim of voice is to address specific problems or issues within the management. The second strand of voice is the expression of collective organisation (Dundon et al 2004). In this, voice provides a countervailing power source to the management by unionization and collective bargaining. Thirdly, voice can be perceived as a form of contribution to management decision-making (Dundon et al 2004). The purpose of such concern is the improvement of work organization and efficiency in the company especially in the work teams. Voice can also be seen as a form of mutuality with partnership aimed at the delivery of long-term viability for the company and its employees (Dundon et al 2004). The Representation Gap The representation gap in an organization is the void created when trade unions fail to represent certain members or organisations as a whole (Wilkinson, 2010). This representation gap occurs as a result of the trade unions failing to provide suitable representation. The gap is responsible for the increasing trend of organizations breaking away from union representation and embracing other forms of non-union employee representation (Gollan, 2007). It is, however, important to note that this representation gap is filled with much wider characteristics other than the failure of representation of employees by a trade union. For instance, this gap is characterised in some organisations as the failure of representation by trade unions in covering individual employee representation in matters of grievance, training issues and disciplinary matters. Due to this representation gap, a majority of employees and companies are engaging in non-union forms of employee representation to voice their concerns. These non-union forms of employee representation have a number of benefits in addressing the challenge of the representation gap and ensuring a number of benefits to the organisations’ employees (Dundon et al 2004). Trade unions usually shoulder the discussion of management plans and proposal whether via partnership agreements or consultative committees. The challenge of this approach is that at times, collective redundancy occurs creating the said representation gap. With the application of non-union forms of employee representation, employees can voice their concerns through direct communication with the management of their companies. The previous approach of voice through formal employer and trade union representatives are rather being replaced by new yet effective forms of communication through non-union employee representation. The spread of direct forms of communication has been facilitated by the use of social media in many organisations. Social media has provided employees a platform to communicate, respond and disseminate information with each other in a much faster way. Non-union forms of employee representation have placed a great emphasis on employee engagement and other aspects such as employment relationship and wider leadership styles. These have led to the achievement of greater commitment and engagement with the organisation from the employees. The reward of having a voice and being heard is one of the most important antecedents of such non-union forms of employee engagement in representation. Non-Union Forms of Employee Representation The prevalence of the representation gap in many public and private organisations has called for the adoption of non-union forms of employee representation. Employees voice their concerns through these forms of representation, as opposed to waiting for coverage from the trade unions. In the UK, researchers have witnessed the emergence of new legal initiatives for union recognition. In addition, there has been a decline in the levels of union membership from employees and unions. The resultant effect has been the growth of alternative forms of employee representation. These non-union forms of employee representation have ensured the achievement of success in areas where the representation of employees by trade unions has previously failed. For instance, through this non-union forms of employee representation, majority of workers have successfully addressed the representation gap existent in trade unions. Non union firms have also been able to achieve greater employee cohesion, employee voice and other benefits that are discussed at length below in regard to the non-union form of employee representation in place. Direct involvement and communication methods of employee voice According to Forth and Millward (2002), there has been remarkable growth in the use of direct communication by employees in organisations in the last 25 years. A survey by the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) found out that 91 percent of workplaces that had more than ten employees used at least one type of face to face communication method (Dundon et al 2004). This figure had grown by 6 percent over a period of seven years (Dundon et al 2004). 38 percent of the organisations held employee meetings in which a senior manager would address the employees on a monthly basis. 10 percent of the time was allocated for employees to air their views and ask questions (Kersley et al 2006). In the organizations that participated in the study, half of them held monthly team briefing sessions that were led by frontline managers which also dedicated 10 percent of time to hearing of views and questions from employees. The matters that were frequently discussed in such meetings included production issues, work organization and employment matters. These matters were usually devoted to future plans of the organization and less frequently, financial performance. Managers prefer engaging in direct methods of communication. This preference is responsible for the increase in the prevalence of this form of communication in companies. The main advantage of this form of communication is that employees receive information in a timely manner directly from their managers as opposed to representatives from unions. The briefings and meetings are short thereby ensuring minimal debate. Due to this fact, these meetings are usually characterized by a high level of precision in questions and views from both parties. Employee engagement and employee surveys Employee engagement does not necessarily comprise of employee voice, but rather a desirable result of good leadership employment practices and extensive use of voice systems in an organization. Employee engagement exists in organisations where a sizeable majority of the workforce is committed to their work, colleagues, management and the overall organization. The results of such are reflected in positive behaviour which Organ (1988) calls citizenship behaviour. Employers use attitude surveys to assess the level of employee engagement in an organization and identify the factors and barriers that lead to its formation (Dundon et al 2004). The survey can be seen as a weak form of employee voice. It is thus often used for isolation, as opposed to a check or diagnostic tool on progress in an organization. A challenge of such tools is that some managers may be slow in reporting of the data collected in the survey especially in cases where they are critical of the management. Employee surveys are thus not a useful tool for employees to express their views or be consulted, but rather a key tool in the collection of employee opinions. The full benefits of such tools are harnessed by a combination with other tools. Consultative committees According to Budd and Zagelmeyer (2010), consultation entails the right of an individual to be informed of the planned measures in advance and have an opportunity of expressing their opinion prior to implementation. For this to happen, an organisation requires a consultative committee in which representatives of the employees are elected by the workers themselves (Dundon et al 2004). These representatives meet with the management of the organization to discuss the various issues raised by the employees. These consultative committees have a long and distinguished history in the British employment relations. The preference of trade unions in collective bargaining has been displayed by a sense of ambivalence (Dundon et al 2004). These trade unions fear that employers may use the consultative committees as a substitute for the trade unions (Dundon et al 2004). Consultative committees are communication bodies in companies. Employees raise most of the topics of discussion in these consultative committees. The management of the company is always the dominant partner in such committees as opposed to trade unions in an organisation that embraces union representation. This is because the management is responsible for setting up the key parameters of the agenda. In an organisation with such a committee, therefore, direct forms of communication are used by both the employees and management in addressing the various agenda (Dundon et al 2004). This approach is beneficial to employees in an organization as it creates harmonious relationships, integration and builds engagement in an organization. Analysis of Organisations In the study, a focus on organisations in various sectors within the UK and Scotland was considered. The benefits of a non-union employee representation are discussed. Table 1: Background data on all organisations Organisation No. of Employees Sector Informant Market Context Airflight 2,500 Transport and communications HR Director Head of Cabin Crew Airflight was established about ten years ago, and grown substantially through a series of company acquisitions. It de-recognised the TGWU and recognised BALPA for pilots. Compucom 220 Hi-tech engineering Personnel Manager Compucom was founded in 1982 and manufactures CCTV technologies. It has a small niche market for digital security and surveillance systems. The workforce is spread across 5 continents, with about 90 people employed at the technical hub and head office in Manchester. In 1997 about 60 people were made redundant when all manufacturing operations re-located to Malta. ConsultancyCo 290 Computer and security consultancy HR Manager Senior Office Manager Consultancy Co specialises in computer software and security consultancy services. One owner founded the company in 1992, and it has grown on average by 30% a year and has sites in London, Edinburgh, Dublin and a head office in Manchester. About 70% of the workforce is consultants with the remaining 30% support staff. HiFi Sounds 350 Retail HR & Training Manager Branch Manager Housing Association is a ‘not-for-profit’ housing association established over 100 years ago to manage a company housing estate for a large paternalist employer. It has grown since the 1980s from a workforce of 150 to 300 and now provides a wider range of services, including some sheltered housing and care homes. Housing Association 300 House letting Personnel Manager Deputy Director Housing Association is a ‘not-for-profit’ housing association established over 100 years ago to manage a company housing estate for a large paternalist employer. It has grown since the 1980s from a workforce of 150 to 300 and now provides a wider range of services, including some sheltered housing and care homes. Leisure Co 50 permanent 400 casual Theme park HR Manager Managing Director Leisure Co is over 10-years old and has had a relatively stable market share during that time, employing mainly non-unionised seasonal workers, with the bulk of the workforce (about 400) recruited during the summer months. Scotoil 100,000 Oil and gas exploration HR Manager 2 x Senior Business Unit Managers Scotoil employ over people in 100 countries, and in the UK the company has a high market share for its product. The site visited employs about 3000 staff, with around 1,200 working on oil platforms. Scotoil, like Scotchem, is part of a large multinational company which has a large degree of autonomy in how it manages employment relations Source: www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm. Source: www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm. Upward problem solving is the dominant form of workers’ voice in all the non-union organisations (Dundon et al 2004). The regular form of upward problem solving in these organisations is two-way communications and project teams (Dundon et al 2004). Suggestion schemes, attitude surveys and project teams are the most predominant methods used by employees to air their voice (Dundon et al 2004). These non-union organisations ensured greater employee voice and participation. The employees in these organisations had greater benefit of representation through the non-union consultative forums as they had breached the representation gap present in unionized organizations. Conclusion Employee voice is an important aspect in all organisations. The benefits of employee voice in an organization include an impact on employee performance, service delivery and retaining customers. The challenge to employee voice, however, is the representation gap existent in union forms of employee representation. This gap is responsible for reduced employee voice among other disadvantages to workers in an organisation. To combat this challenge, organisations are shifting to non-union forms of employee representation where the employees speak for themselves through such avenues as direct communication, as opposed to waiting for representation from unions or union members. I believe that this non-union form of employee representation holds the key to the representation gap and other forthcoming challenges present in unionised representation of employees in an organization. It is thus pertinent that organisations seeking to ensure greater employee cooperation, cohesion and employee voice should consider in engaging in various forms of non-union employee representation. References Blyton, P., & Turnbull, P. (2004). The dynamics of employee relations. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Blyton, P., Heery, E., & Turnbull, P. (2010). Reassessing the employment relationship. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan. Budd, J. and Zagelmeyer, S. (2010) ‘Public policy and employee participation’ in A. Wilkinson, P. Golan, M. Marchington and D. Lewin (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Participation in Organisations Oxford: Oxford University Press pp 476-503. Dundon, T., Williknson, A., Marchington, M. and Ackers, P. (2004) The Meanings and Purpose of Employee Voice, International Journal of Human Resouce Management, Vol. 15, No. 6. Retrieved from: https://fs08n5.sendspace.com/dl/525f343eb7a1eeaeb5db5aceef6d5790/5326e9f47c3cf737/c8xt9p/Dundon%20et%20al%202004.pdf   Forth, J. and Millward, N. (2002) The Growth of Direct Communication, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Gollan, P. J. (2007). Employee representation in non-union firms. London, Sage. Kersley, B., Carmen, A., Forth, J., Bryson, A., Bewley, H., Dix, G. and Oxenbridge, S. (2006) Inside the Workplace: Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey. London: Routledge. Organ, D. (1988) Organisational Citizenship Behaviour: The Good Soldier Syndrome. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. Prosser, M. (2001). ‘Speaking up for the collective voice’. IPA Bulletin. No. 7. Purcell, J. & Hall, M. (2012). Voice and Participation in the Modern Workplace: challenges and prospect. Retrieved from: http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/g/7/Voice_and_Participation_in_the_Modern_Workplace_challenges_and_prospects.pdf Wilkinson, A. (2010). The Oxford Handbook of Participation in Organizations. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Print. Read More