03.PLURALISM & MARXISM

 

INTRODUCTION

PLURALISM

Figure1: Pluralism

Pluralist theory holds that the workplace consists of a diverse range of views, values, attitudes, and behaviors. It implies that there are opposing sources of leadership and connection in organizations where conflict is unavoidable due to competing interests. However, in this setting, disputes are not regarded as undesirable qualities, but rather as beneficial if discovered and managed within institutional responses. Management's function in this case is to mediate between opposing interests and trade unions that are considered legitimate representatives of employees, and they are viewed positively because they assist employees in emphasizing their decision-making authority.

In this method, employment relations stability can be achieved through a series of concessions and discussions between managers and employers throughout the collective bargaining process, in which they meet and discuss important issues affecting both employees and the company. Employee performance, compensation reviews, training opportunities, career paths within the organization, and other positive conditions all contribute to the company's harmony and productivity. Employees regard trade unions as representatives who deal with conflict and disputes through collective bargaining, whereas employers recognize trade unions as part of the labor scene and collaborate with management and employees to limit or settle issues.

According to josephinetransite(2017) the pluralism frame of reference focuses more on compromising and collective bargaining as it recognizes different interests within sub-groups can cause conflict, primarily between the management and trade union. Contrasted to unitarism, pluralism recognize the importance of conflict and negotiation. Cradden (2011) emphasize that companies that utilise this practice values negotiation and coming to an agreeable resolution that benefits both the employees and employers equally. This limits the employer’s authority or any misuse of power toward the employee. A major limitation of this approach is the power and control that managers possess. The significant imbalance of power between capital and labor, effects the employee’s performance toward the company (Adigun 2014). Managers have the authority to propose a solution when conflicts cannot be resolved through negotiation. This emphasizes the primary power belongs to the manager, thus could increase the frustration of employees within a company.

                                    Source: YouTube (2020)

Advantages of Pluralism 

• The pluralist approach recognizes and promotes diversity among various groups, whether small or large, and ensures that they have equal opportunities to participate and protect their interests.

• Everyone here strives to comprehend one another's differences in order to reduce prejudice and discrimination against minorities.

• Different points of view are welcomed in an environment of plurality, so new ideas and ongoing debate open people's eyes to new potential. This generates more inventive thoughts.

• Peace is an essential feature of any kind of community. Pluralism allows people to respect each other's perspectives, beliefs, cultures, and religions without discrimination.

• Democracy is inextricably linked to pluralism. This implies that everyone has a voice and equal rights. Indeed, democracy is an essential feature of plurality.

Disadvantage of Pluralism

• A diverse society is difficult to control since each individual has a unique point of view. This means that individuals will be unable to agree on a wide range of issues, which may contribute significantly to protests.

• Pluralism ignores the reality that certain groups are dominant over others, with the dominant group holding some power and control over the interests of the smaller group.

• Lack of coordination among various cultural groups and difficult implementation process lead to inefficiency and make the system ineffective.

• Pluralism is destroying individualism, and children are taught that they must measure their words for fear of offending others. This hinders their ability to express themselves.

MARXISM

Figure2 : Marxist Criticism

Figure3 : Marxist approach to industrial relations

The Marxist ideology is centered on economic power and society, and class conflict between employers and employees is required and unavoidable for change to occur. This theory examines the organization in terms of class, specifically the working class and the management class, which are inevitably at odds in order to solve certain challenges. According to Karl Marx, a German philosopher, situational conflicts inside an organization allow us to discover new sets of rules, and as a result, a new organization arises from the old ways to new ways of working.

According to Arghaa (2017) Marxism is a by product of a theory of capitalist society and social change. Marxist argue that industrial relation is a relation of clashes between capital and labor. Employer tries to maximize profit by holding surplus value and underplaying workers remuneration. Workers clash for his share in the outcome of wealth because he is the human means in the production, so the most important factor of production.  Employee relations is a continues process of clash between Employer and labor. This clash will finish in the socialist society only, where capital is controlled by labor class. 

Advantages of Marxism 

• Many injustices and inequalities occur as a result of societal class divisions, and as such, Marxism establishes a system of true equality in which everyone shares abundantly in society's resources.

• Marxism supports capitalism. Capitalism is significant because it stimulates competition and innovation, but it also creates monopolies. A monopoly occurs when one corporation dominates the market and controls prices. As a result, Marxism advocated for governmental ownership of businesses in order to abolish monopolies.

• Marxism supports capitalism. Capitalism is significant because it stimulates competition and innovation, but it also creates monopolies. A monopoly occurs when one corporation dominates the market and controls prices. As a result, Marxism advocated for governmental ownership of businesses in order to abolish monopolies.

Disadvantages of Marxism

• Marxism abolishes the concept of private ownership, which means that ownership of private property is limited to those who contribute to the common good by residing in a specific location within the society. This results in a lack of control over where to reside, hence there is no privacy.

• Under Marxism, business primarily serves the government. Thus, monetary incentives, a lack of creativity, and a lack of motivation are frequently found. As a result, it discourages the development of new businesses.

• It could lead to communism. It precludes the idea of a free market because the government sets prices, hence removing free market will. Furthermore, it is feasible in Marxism, which does not foster individuality.

OVERVIEW OF UNIRAISM ,PLURALISM AND MARXISM 

Figure4:Overview of theories

CONCLUSION

There are various approaches on managing relationships in businesses. These include unitarism, pluralism, and Marxism. Various businesses and their respective management take a specific approach to employee relations management.

However, in today's management dynamic world, businesses may opt to use multiple management styles, but in an integrative and collaborative manner. Because of the dynamic of today's economy, the pluralist perspective is the ideal management style because it addresses the majority of the needs of employees and managers. This is because it promotes participatory management.

REFERENCES

Joseph. (2017). josephinetransite. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from osephinetransite.wordpress.com: https://josephinetransite.wordpress.com/2017/06/17/hrm-107-unitarism-pluralism-and-radicalism.

Arghaa. (2017, January 09). Arghaa. Retrieved from Arghaa commited to growth: https://arghaa.com/news/unitary-perspective-of-industrial-relations/186.

Figure1 :     Pluralism   

Figure2 :     Marxist Criticism

Figure3 :     Marxist approach to industrial relations

Figure4 :    Overview of Theories

02.VIEWS OR TYPES OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

 

 

INTRODUCTION
 

Figure1:Nature of employee relations

Figure2: Industrial Relations

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There are various viewpoints on how to manage relationships inside businesses. These consist of Unitarism, Pluralism, and Marxism. Different organizations and their management select a certain approach to employee relations management.

                                                Source : You Tube

                                         Source : You Tube

     In this blog trying to give a brief idea regarding the Unitarism  view.

1.UNITARISM 

Unitarism The Unitarist viewpoint sees the organization as an integrated and harmonious system in which all members have the same goals and interests. Trade unions are thought unneeded, and dispute is viewed as disruptive.

Unitarism is a a perspective on employment that emphasizes the shared interests of all members of an organization. It assumes there are compatible goals, a common purpose, and a single (unitary) interest which means that, if managed effectively, the organization will function harmoniously. This viewpoint assumes that conflict is abnormal and is caused by troublemakers, bad communication, and poor management. Consequently, a unitarist will seek to eliminate conflict. The term unitarism is derived from the groundbreaking work of industrial sociologist, Alan Fox, who identified the unitary frame of reference within the employment relationship (Oxford,2008). 

                                        Figure3:Unitory perspective

According to the Arghaa(2017) Unitary perspective views the industrial organization as an entity unified by one aim, and that is success. In unitarism, the organization is perceived as an integrated and harmonious system., viewed as one happy family. A core assumption of unitary approach is that management and staff, and all members of the organization share the same objectives, interests and purpose; thus working together, hand-in-hand, towards the shared mutual goals. Furthermore, Unitarism has a paternalistic approach where it demands loyalty of all employees. Trade unions are deemed as unnecessary and conflict is perceive as disruptive.  

 In this method, management makes all decisions, and people obey because they trust management. Thus, employees labor to the best of their abilities and accept their position within the organization. Thus, there is no need for dispute or disagreement. However, in this worldview, trade unions are viewed as negative and external intrusions, competing with management and redirecting employee loyalties.

ADVANTAGES OF UNITARISM

•  In order to increase employee dedication and loyalty, the unitarist viewpoint expressly seeks to merge employer and employee interests

•  It also highlights the part managers play in achieving win-win outcomes for workers and organizations, wherever their interests can be well matched.

•  The unitarist viewpoint assumes that all parties involved are reasonable individuals who will think about sharing interests. This idea offers a consistent justification for highlighting shared objectives in order to establish a solid system of employee relations.

• This strategy suggests individualism rather than collectivism, which is led by trade unions and causes choices to be made quickly within the organization. 

DISADVANTAGES OF UNITARISM

• The primary flaw in this theory is the failure to recognize that there are power imbalances between employers and employees, which will lead to a variety of disputes.

• In this perspective, conflict is viewed overly negatively, rather than as a force that highlights disparities and may be exploited to restore work harmony.

• It is unclear how individual worker attitudes may be appropriately integrated into organizational goals because the unitary perspective is very prescriptive and does not describe how common interests can be recognized and shared across organizations.

CONCLUSION

From the perspective of employees, a unitary strategy requires flexible working methods. Individuals should be focused on business process improvement, multi-skilled, and prepared to tackle any work with efficiency. Employee engagement in workplace decisions is allowed. This serves to empower individuals in their responsibilities by emphasizing teamwork, invention, creativity, and discretion in issue solutions. Employees should feel that the skill and expertise of management support their efforts.

Employers believe that staffing rules should aim to unify effort, excite, and motivate people. The organization's larger goals should be appropriately communicated and discussed with employees.

This blog further discuss the other two views of employee relations and methods to improve the employee relations and how it affects the organization in later blog posts. 

REFERENCES

Fox, A. (2008). Oxford. Retrieved March 22, 2024, from Oxford reference: https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199298761.001.0001/acref-9780199298761-e-1357

Arghaa. (2017, January 09). Arghaa. Retrieved from Arghaa commited to growth: https://arghaa.com/news/unitary-perspective-of-industrial-relations/186.

Figure 1 :  Nature of Employee Relations

Figure 2 :  Industrial Relations

Figure 3 :  Unitory Perspective

 

 

01.EMPLOYEE RELATIONS IN HRM

 INTRODUCTION

FIGURE1:EMPLOYEE RELATION

Employee relations focuses on both individual and collective relationships in the workplace. A positive climate of employee relations - with high levels of employee involvement, commitment and engagement - can improve business outcomes and contribute to employees' wellbeing (CIPD,JULY 2023).

When it comes to employee relations, an HR department has two primary functions. First, HR helps prevent and resolve problems or disputes between employees and management. Second, they assist in creating and enforcing policies that are fair and consistent for everyone in the workplace. Employee relations refers to an organization’s efforts to fulfill these functions and create and maintain a positive relationship with its employees.

By maintaining positive, constructive employee relations, organizations hope to keep employees loyal and more engaged in their work.

Typically, an organization’s human resources department manages employee relations efforts; however, some organizations may have a dedicated employee relations manager.

EXAMPLES OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

FIGURE2:EXAPMLES OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

Since employees are the engine of any organization, you want to make sure that both employee-employer and cross-employee relations are well maintained.

According to the AIHR(2023) Effective employee relationship management translates into the following advantages: 

• More effective workplace communication – Fostering the relationship between employers and employees encourages open communication throughout the organization on a wide scale basis and at a personal level. This allows employees to better understand expectations, goals, and objectives and how their contributions make a difference.
• Less workplace conflict – Stronger relations between management and teams creates an atmosphere that encourages dialogue and honest conversations that can resolve issues before they turn into a controversy. When disputes do occur, having a platform for addressing them ensures that employees are heard and makes conflict resolution swift and effective.
• Higher employee morale and loyalty – Viewing employees as partners in a relationship shows them respect and appreciation. When employees feel a positive connection to their employer, they are empowered to be more satisfied and productive in their jobs. A work environment with high morale keeps people more content and dedicated to their employer.
• Better reputation as an employer – Employees who feel valued at work will speak highly of their employer to others. Companies with strong employee relations often have a better reputation among potential employees, customers, investors, and other stakeholders. That can lead to increased business opportunities for the organization.
• Lower employee turnover – Employees who have a good relationship with their employer will tend to focus more on the positive aspects of their job, making them less restless and prone to searching out other opportunities. This allows the organization to retain valuable, productive employees longer and reduce turnover.
• Improved organizational performance – Keeping employees content and motivated is a crucial factor in overall organizational performance. When workers feel connected to their employer and are thriving in their roles, they become more productive and inspired to contribute toward the long-term success of the business. 

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF HR MANAGER IN EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

FIGURE3: ROLE OF HR MANAGER

An HR Director develops corporate HR plans, supports the human factor in the company, oversees HR initiatives, and ensures compliance with employment laws and regulations. They supervise HR personnel, handle employment relations, and analyze data to report on HR metrics for informed decision-making.

HOW TO HANDLE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS  ISSUES

According to the bambooHR(2024) there are few methods to handle employee relations issues which are mentioned below 

1. Create an Employee Relations Strategy

An employee relations strategy is a way to maintain a balance between employers and employees by creating an environment conducive to each group’s needs. Employers want productivity and performance; employees want acknowledgment and appreciation. A good employee relations strategy will help both get what they want.

At a minimum, your strategy should include the following KPIs:

• Number of recognitions
• Number of complaints
• Complaint response time
• Quarterly benefits and compensation data compared to competitors
• Employee satisfaction
• Employer performance

2. Listen to Employee Feedback

There are many types of employee relations issues, and the way to handle them can vary depending on the issue. However, there are some general guidelines to follow. One is to listen. Give your full attention and focus on what is being said vocally and physically before taking appropriate action.

3. Educate and Communicate

Make sure to educate and communicate with employees to maintain positive employee relations. The more your employees know the rules and expectations, the better. Consistency across the board is key here. If some employees have privileges over others, no one will care what you say.

4. Ensure Compliance

Finally, document everything. Keeping accurate legal and employee records is vital for employee relations issues. You will likely find yourself needing to refer back to them, and they will be especially useful if an employee lawsuit is brought against the company.

CONCLUSION

It is important to handle employee relationships well so that everyone is happy at work and the company succeeds. By prioritizing communication, engagement, conflict resolution, and legal compliance, businesses can create a harmonious and productive atmosphere for their employees

This blog further discuss the views of employee relations and methods to improve the employee relations and how it affects the organization in later blog posts. 

REFERENCES

Rachel Suff. (2023, July). CIPD. Retrieved March 13, 2024, from CIPD: https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/relations-employees-factsheet/#:~:text=Employee%20relations%20focuses%20on%20both,and%20contribute%20to%20employees'%20wellbeing.

Neelie Verlinden. (2024, March 03). AIHR. Retrieved March 13, 2024, from Academy to innovate HR: https://www.aihr.com/blog/employee-relations/#:~:text=Importance%20of%20employee%20relations,-Since%20employees%20are&text=This%20allows%20employees%20to%20better,their%20contributions%20make%20a%20difference.

bambooHR. (2024). HRglosary. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from bambooHR: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/hr-glossary/employee-relations

Figure 1:  Employee Relation

Figure 2:  Examples of Employee Relations

Figure 3:  Role of HR Manager