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SU1: Perspectives and Evolution of Employment and Industrial Relations -…
SU1: Perspectives and Evolution of Employment and Industrial Relations
Definition
ER: much broader & exists in both unionised and non-unionised companies - HRM
IR: used more from a unionised perspective involving collective bargaining and is seen to be a subset of ER
The Three Frames
Pluralist
Definition
Conflict is inevitable; there is competing interests between the parties
Power is diffused among the main bargaining groups within the employment relationship: no one group dominates
Trade unions are viewed as providing a mechanism that legitimates employees' rights to bargain within the workplace
The State is regarded as an impartial entity, primary function is to protect the 'public interest'
Criticisms
Power is not evenly diffused (it is typically wieghted towards management in the workplace)
Emphasis upoon rational approach to conflict management - that conflict can be readily managed through rules, regulations and processes
Radical/Marxist
Common features
Fundamental and inherent conflicting interests between management and workers
Uneven distribution of power between bargaining groups, within the workplace and society
The role of trade unions - to challenge managerial control
The State protects the interests of capitalists
Criticisms
Preoccupied with conflict - obscures any cooperation or shared goals between management and workers
Class struggle not part of modern capitalism
Capital is not homogenous (competition among capitalists)
Under-estimates the independence of the State
Unitarist
Definition
Unions are seen as an unwelcome intrusion, there is complete loyalty of employees
Assumption of a common purpose and shared goals, with no fundamental conflict of interest between labour and capital
Conflict is an aberration, the result of poor communication and management
Role for straong management
Criticisms
It is a narrow approach that neglects causes of conflict
Fails to explain the prevalence of conflict within organisations
Does not account for uneven distribution of power among employees and employers in the decision-making process
Dunlop's ER/IR System Model
4 Key Features
Contexts
Rules
Shared Ideology
Actors
Tripartite GUM Model
5 Key Features
A single dederation of trade unions
Symbiotic relations: government and union leaders
Outcomes: economic growth, political stability, harmony
Win-win probelm solving approach
The government playing the central role as policy maker