Employment Relations process
: Identify the methods through which employees are involved with the employment relations process. Do
employees have a legitimate say in the organization’s decisions, or have employers simply manipulated
employees into believing they have a say?
The following conditions must meet in the essay:
1) I want a typical and a quality answer which should have about 1400 words.
2) The answer must raise appropriate critical questions.
3) The answer must include examples from experience or the web with references from relevant
examples from real companies.
4) Do include all your references, as per the Harvard Referencing System,
5) Please don�t use Wikipedia web site.
6) I need examples from peer reviewed articles or researches.
Employment Relations Process
Introduction
In general terms, employee employment relations deal with the hypothesis and practice
related to the management and control of employment deals. It is more concerned with the social
and political aspect of the job relationship and the allocation of power between executive and
Business 2
employees. It also delves into expression of disagreement and the shared and regulatory
structures within which the job relationship exists (Scott-Ladd, Travaglione & Marshall 2006).
To shed more light on the topic, this essay discusses a number of hypothetical
perspectives of the job relationship and how specific viewpoints can inform methods used to deal
with employees. It then investigates advancements in employment relations concerned with the
fall of organizational unionism. The essay then summarizes the range of methods by which
workers can have a say in organizational decision-making relating to operational and strategic
challenges. The essay also looks at partnership methods of employee relations that employers
use.
Employment Relations
Typically, employment relations deal with the organization and control of the job
relationship in its political, social, legal, and also the economic context (Wilkinson et al. 2004).
Key trends in employee relations include a fall in trade union connection, recognition and power,
a fall in joint bargaining and the rising individualization of the job relationship.
The variety of explanations given for union fall over the past three decades includes
variable industrial structures, socio-political opposition towards the union progress; greater
individualization and adaptability of the management of workforce, changing social stances and
an increasingly varied labor market (Ackers & Wilkinson 2003).Traditions in the administration
of the job relationship differ between states. They are influenced by leading cultural values and
organizational structures like the level of intervention in economic movement.
Often employed interchangeably, participation tends to mean practices which give the
opportunity for cooperative decision-making, whilst involvement is linked with practices which
look to engender worker contribution and dedication to organizational goals.
Business 3
Beaumont (2003) discerns four wide categories of employee connection and participation
initiatives that offer differing extents of influence over the process of decision-making. The
process includes downward communication, increasing problem-solving, envoy participation and
financial involvement. Partnership deals depend on the notion of mutual gains for executive and
employees. However, some critics question the degree to which such results are achievable.
Approaches to employee relations
The relations processes comprise of the methods adopted by managers to deal with
workers either jointly through their unions or independently (Pyman et al. 2006). They will rely
on the organizations’ expressed or indirect employee relations guidelines and strategies. The
manner in which guidelines are created and how they work will be affected by, and will have an
influence on, all employee relations environment. The development of policies also factors in
employee influence.
Industrial relations procedures are those characteristics of relations that deal with the
connections between managers and trade unions (Ackers & Wilkinson 2003). They are made up
of: methods applied in recognizing trade unions; official methods of shared negotiation;
collaboration as a method used for employee relations; all informal contacts on employment
concerns that occur in the office between administration and trade union members or officials;
aspects of all industrial relations scene like union association in the places of work, the check-
off, meetings and strikes.
Negotiating methods and aptitude as a feature of shared bargaining are two different
ideas which managers and employees choose to discuss from different perspectives (Wilkinson
et al. 2004). Additionally, it is important to note that there exist employee relations processes
used for contribution, participation as well as communication.
Business 4
The results of these developments are various types of procedural and necessary
agreements and employment measures, including coordination of terms and circumstances, and
the methods used by institutions to administer with and even without trade unions (Pyman et al.
2006).
Four methods of creating employee relations regulations have been recognized by many
Industrial Relations experts. The first is adversarial through which the organization makes a
decision on what it wishes to work on and workers are anticipated to fit in (Katz & Darbishire
2000). Employees only exercise influence by refusing to collaborate. The second method is the
traditional approach. The traditional ideas create a good working relationship but administration
proposes courses of action and the personnel react through its chosen representatives (Hoel &
Beale 2006). The third method is partnership. Through this method, the organization involves
workers in the creation of regulations and execution of policies, but keeps the right to control.
The fourth is power sharing. Through power sharing workers are involved in daily and strategic
processes of making decisions in the workplace.
Adversarial approaches are less common today compared to the last half century. The
traditional approach is the most common but more concern is being shown in partnership. Power
sharing is evident but rare in the work place.
Against the backdrop of an inclination for a single approach, employee relations policies
articulate the values of the institution on what kind of relationships between executive, workers
and their trade unions are required. The policies also express the manner in which they should be
sorted. A joint venture policy will aspire to develop and sustain a positive, creative, cooperative
and credulous climate of worker relations (Beaumont 2003).
Business 5
When they are expressed, policies give procedures for action on worker relations matters
and can assist to guarantee that these matters are dealt with every time. They give the basis for
explaining management’s aspirations (its worker relations plan) on important matters such as
trade union recognition and shared negotiation.
Role of Employees in Decision Making
Participation of employees in decision-making procedures has resulted in victorious value
creation in a lot of organizations (Morgan & Zeffane 2003). Though the degree to which
employees must participate in managerial decision making is a matter of public discussion. A
number of people say that workers’ trade unions should contribute to the management as
identical partners while others believe in limited or bounded involvement, or, participation of
workers to a narrow extent. On the other hand, there are numerous techniques through which
workers can participate in organizational decision-making process of their institutions.
The first is participation in board meetings. Representation of workers at the board is
identified as industrial democracy (Scott-Ladd, Travaglione & Marshall 2006). Indeed it can play
an essential role in defending the interests of workers. The envoy can put the challenges and
matters affecting workers in front of the executive and direct the board affiliates to invest in
worker benefit schemes and remuneration processes.
The second is participation by virtue of part ownership of a company. It is a method of
ensuring workers’ contribution in managerial decision making process is making them a part of
shareholders of the organization (Witt, Andrews, & Kacmar 2000). Inducing them to purchase
equity shares, giving loans, and offering financial assistance to allow them to purchase equity
shares happen to be some of the methods to keep them concerned with the process of making
decisions.
Business 6
The third is participation by way of shared negotiation. Shared negotiation refers to the
contribution of workers through group agreements and by settling on particular rules and
regulations (Marchington & Wilkinson 2005). This is a good way to ensure worker participation
in decision-making processes. It ought to be well managed otherwise each party attempts to
consider itself more important than others by defending selfish positions.
The fourth is participation by way of proposal systems. Proposal systems aim at
encouraging workers to design unique thoughts. They refer to ideas that can solve multiple
problems especially on issues such as expenditure reduction, waste control, security measures,
and remuneration system (Witt, Andrews & Kacmar 2000). Building a developed process can
increase the value of the managerial functions and generate a healthy surrounding and work
traditions. For example, many multinational companies are known to have launched amazing
regional suggestion schemes that have solved many issues. They receive many ideas from their
employees and all organizations accept to fully discuss most of the issues.
The fifth is participation by way of absolute managerial control. This approach is referred
to as a creative system of personal management where employees unions acts as executive
(Marchington & Wilkinson 2005). Through chosen boards, they assume full control of
organizational administration. In this method, employees directly deal with the majority of
managerial aspects or industrial matters through their own representatives in positions of
decision making.
Conclusion
Employee relations are a term exploited for a huge number of practices and procedures.
They are also a means by which workers can contribute to managerial decision-making
processes. The degree to which diverse types of employee voice encourages employees to
Business 7
influence executive decisions varies depending on their vigor, extent, type and level. Employees
can, therefore, have a legitimate say if managers support implementations of organizational
policies that seek to improve employee relations with management and other employment
processes.
References
Ackers, P & Wilkinson, AJ 2003, Understanding work and employment: Industrial
relations in transition, Oxford University Press.
Beaumont, P. B. (2003). Information and consultation. CIPD Publishing.
Hoel, H & Beale, D 2006, Workplace bullying, psychological perspectives and industrial
relations: Towards a contextualized and interdisciplinary approach, British Journal of
Industrial Relations, 44(2), 239-262.
Katz, HC & Darbishire, OR 2000, Converging divergences: Worldwide changes in
employment systems (Vol. 32), Cornell University Press.
Marchington, M., & Wilkinson, A. (2005). Direct participation and involvement. Managing
human resources: personnel management in transition, 398-423.
Morgan, D & Zeffane, R 2003, Employee involvement, organizational change and trust in
Business 8
management. International journal of human resource management, 14(1), 55-75.
Pyman, A, Cooper, B, Teicher, J & Holland, P, 2006, A comparison of the effectiveness
