Strategic Employment Relations - Perspectives, Conflicts, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining Assignment Sample

Task 1: Journal Article For Strategic Employment Relations

1. Different perspectives on employment relations

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employment relations is mainly a collection of spectacle that usually helps to perform outside and within the organization of a larger scale, which is affected by diverse regulating and demarcating employment connection (Osterman, 1994). There are mainly diverse kinds of theoretical perspectives that usually contrast with the knowledge and evaluation of employment connections.      

1.1 Evaluate the style adopted in an organization and recognize dissimilarities and similarities that exist 

There are three sorts of perspectives for firm relations that are usually understood as Marxism, Unitarian, and Pluralism. Separately delivers a straightforward appearance of working conditions relations. It will also translate such experiences as work conditions, the position of organizations, and professional guidelines in an incredible manner. 

Pluralistic perspective 

In pluralism, the company is seen as being comprised of “disparate and strong sub-gatherings - the executive's and worker's organizations”. Apart from that, this technique usually catches irreconcilable circumstances and conflicts among higher officials and laborers over the appropriation of benefits as standard and confident (Osterman, 1994). Thus, the position of the administrative might incline slightly towards “upholding and controlling” and additional toward influence and co-appointment. It has been observed that trade unions have a major role in terms of managing conflicts raised across the workplace. 

Unitary perspective 

In Unitary, firms are usually smelled as a pleasant and integrated technique, which is usually considered as one optimistic family. According to Johnstone and Ackers (2015), Unitarian also maintains an oppressive methodology where it requests reliability for all workers on a larger scale. Moreover, worker's guilds are usually considered pointless and struggle is noticed as problematic. 

Marxist perspective  

A Marxist viewpoint is likewise summoned as an extremist stance. This outlook is to uncover the idea of the industrialist civilization. It also feels that work environment connections are mainly against the collection of experiences. Apart from that, It perceives disparities in authority in the working relationship and the additional extensive organization overall. Subsequently, the struggle is also witnessed as an inescapable outcome in the employment relations of the firm. What's better, a characteristic reaction in regards to laborers against the unrestricted enterprise replication-dealing is considered an employee guild.

1.2 Conflict and cooperation within the employment relationship in diverse firm contexts 

The engagement connection is tormented by an unpredictable combination of bottoms for collaboration and confrontation. Gould and Desjardins (2014), have endeavored to accommodate the concurrent existence of focalized and different attractions among finances and work in more ways than one and particular collections of hypotheses tending to this concern have arisen.  The specialization of modern relations has gone through a basic change in many years. Aggregate dealing and association portrayal, which customarily fibbed at the core of this pasture of analysis, have encountered broad disorder and weakening. Moreover, modern connections scholars have started to explore new regions of “individual employment rights”, but the meadow more broad speculations and diverse representatives have not found the moving idea of work relations.

Leading-performing groups always flourish with participation and joint effort, yet firms mainly require expecting clashes will emerge. Moreover, some contention and association will also deliver clever fixes. Creating a believing group that usually imparts and handles diverse kinds of conflicts with excitement for the goal is critical (Colvin and Gough, 2015). In the case of discrimination or harassment performed by any employee, managers have the authority to intervene with a conflict resolution approach. Along with that, managers are also entitled to the power to make judgments concerning lawful punishment or termination of employees. Apart from that, there might be diverse kinds of conflict that might occur in the organization's relations such as “task conflicts, value conflicts, and relationship conflicts”. 

1.3 Analyse employer strategies towards trade unions

Trade unions are usually self-supported in nature and they are mostly membership-based firm that functions on behalf of performing individuals. Associations likewise make sure that their individual's “lawful freedoms are authorized”, and also deliver specialist “schooling and learning open doors for individuals”, along with advance equivalent open doors at operation, battle against segregation, and that will also guide with guaranteeing a solid and secure workplace. Numerous associations and firms also suggest diverse types of backing for their individuals, for instance, government contribution benefits, monetary administrations, and individual lawful assistance. There might be various kinds of employer strategies such as ensuring work environment safety, creating loyalty among workers in the organization, making better trade judgments, nourishing access to abilities and learning, and enhancing productivity. All these strategies are very crucial for the firm and will always assist them to make better outcomes as compared to the competitors in an effective. Employer resistance to employee representatives is not a sensation which includes intimately linked with “German labor relations” (Behrens and Dribbusch, 2020). Trade unions mainly assist in creating huge loyalty in the firm where employees feel better grievance and abilities that mainly lead to a productive working environment. Apart from that, it also helps the firms to save finances for foremost utilization that will assist them in building additional outcomes and profitability.              

1.4 Diverse Ways to Fostering Employment Relations by People Professionals 

According to Spreitzer et al. (2017), the flexibility of employment understandings may be ordered within three valuable measurements: “(a) flexibility in the plan of employment, (b) adaptability in an establishment where creation is completed, and (c) variability in work connections”. It might be challenging to encourage workers to perform better in their profession for more satisfactory outcomes. Additionally, to accomplish all these ways, human resource laborers are required to concentrate on cultivating optimistic worker connections. Moreover, this may be possible in various ways however consistency is the legend. The Line managers of any organization have been retained with a huge responsibility of dealing with conflicts and maintaining a positive environment across the workplace (Spurk and Straub, 2020). There are also diverse ways for fostering employee encouragement by individual professions that help them to communicate easily in an effective way. It also nourishes educational opportunities and delivers workers a voice to motivate them. As people professionals, their major accountability is to ensure workers feel pleased, enjoyed, and trusted.        

Task 2: Report For Strategic Employment Relations

1. Introduction 

Workers' connection in the workplace is crucial for better outcomes and productivity of the work. Employees' connections are impacted by numerous variables, all of which mainly influence essential harmony between the firm and workers. Moreover, creating major areas of strength for a relations system usually includes specifying a climate that obtains what individuals require. Workers also require sensing more accepting of “what they accomplish and where they perform”. Organizations also require to sense sufficiently “efficiency, execution and creation of future pioneers”. Apart from that, external firms may also shape professional connections in the workplace at a diverse level. Numerous interior and exterior elements usually influence engagement connections in the firm. The surroundings in which a firm generally functions are in consistent transformation or instability. Therefore, to generate convincing worker concentration, Human Resources coalitions, and leadership require existing and being knowledgeable of characteristics that might influence the relationship. The worker's connection is usually connected with employees and employers on a larger scale. it also exists when individuals function service or employment under confident circumstances in recovery for compensation. Moreover, employees might be self-expressive which will help them to express their voice which usually enhances job satisfaction and better possibility for expansion and growth. An association profession connections procedure mainly constitutes a scope of convincing from beyond the firm like “long-term and short-term competitive intimidations, development, and establishments” such as the “CIPD”.           

2. Section 1

2.1 The role of short-term competitive pressures in terms of shaping employment relations at an organizational level

It has been observed that the employment relationship of any particular organization reflects a compact relationship that exists across the employees and employers. The major objective of this relationship has been focused on encompassing and enhancement of emphasis among the line managers and team members. Therefore, it can be stated that the mitigation of competitive pressures is solely dependent upon the approach of conflict resolution that exists throughout the team. Employment relationship refers to the underlying relationship between the employees and the employers. Employment relationship focuses on both collective and individual relationships in the organization and an emphasis on the interconnection between the team member and the manager. Thus, managers of the concerned organization have to retain a gratitude and appreciation perspective with the employees. It has been observed that nearly 80% of line managers thoroughly maintain effective relations with employees across the UK (Groenendaal et al. 2022). The lack of addressing such issues has resulted in the occurrence of conflict that leads to short-term competitive pressure. However, according to, the economic and social relevance of employment relationship and work is an important factor for further success of the organization. The term employment relationship covers several aspects such as practical, and contractual along with dimensions that are emotional and physical bases of the relationship between employees and employers. The concept of employment relationship reflects the highlighted efforts of an organization along with the working procedure of the HR department that is beneficial for managing the efficiency of the relationship. These kinds of organizational efforts are generally formalized in a program or policy of employee relationships. 

The employment relationship is a crucial aspect of several underlying factors in an organization regarding overall productivity and performance. According to Oruh et al. (2020), some vital factors help to stimulate the success of organizational sustainability. However, the most difficult challenge for a firm is sustainable and long-term retention of effective employees; those employees are the actual resource for the firm to utilize to create organizational wealth along with providing potential service. However, according to Malik (2018), there are various factors such as social, political, technological, cultural, and legal, these factors play a crucial role in the impact of managing employees in an organization that is generally termed Employment relationship along with human resource management. 

According to Pedaci and Betti (2020), the practice of employment relationships is shaped by competitive pressure that is short-term including the extent and nature of workforce employee management communication and training that is deemed for a good supplier. Along with the enhanced employment that requires the underlying changes of the suppliers along with the arrangements for employee relationships and Human resource management. 

2.2 Impact of competitive pressures concerning the changing nature of work in different parts of the economy

It has been observed that the nature of work in an organization has been profoundly transforming due to the influence of competitive pressure. It has been observed that engagement of technology has been facilitated with a major scope of automation. Due to such an approach, the speed of organizational operations has increased and quality is also improved. In contrast to the scenario, highly skilled employees in the manual performing category have been negatively influenced by competitive pressure. The current economic market advantages are increasing along with participants. Some of the organizational platforms are creating innovative marketplaces along with trends for trading services and goods. Small firms are also a part of the global economy that is gradually growing. Along with the advancement of technology, organizations are adopting new procedures for the expansion of the market, and society evolvement along with production (Worldbank.org, 2022). The employees, organizations along the government are creating new competitive benefits according to the changes in the condition. Several underlying factors have a great impact on the topic of changing work nature. On the other hand, due to such pressure, existing employees' workload has been reduced thus the major advantage of paid leave and health incentives have been gained by employees. Besides that, it has been observed that zero-hour contracts were a hugely critical issue for employees. Along with the utilization of digital technology, the entrepreneurs are building a global platform that is based on corporations that vary from the production procedures of traditional style, in which the input is equipped at one end and the output is offered at the additional (Worldbank.org, 2022). Economic globalization plays a vital role in affecting the job structure that includes economic activities that are globally distributed (Europa. eu, 2022). Due to such a type of working approach, no fixed period of work was practiced by most of the organizations. However, competitive pressure has profoundly transformed the sector and employees have benefited from a fixed period of working hours.  

3. Section 2

3.1 Significance of people management decisions to promote trade unions to sustain mutuality and voice

It has been observed that different types of employee voices have been associated with communication, resolving upward problems, collective representation, and discussing issues. Thus, it can be stated that the perspective of the voices of employees of any particular organization needs a platform and collaborative representation. A well-designed strategy of the HR department of an organization carries into consideration the external aspects that might influence the department. There are several aspects the effect HRM department in an organization, such as:

Economic condition: One of the major external factors is the present economy of an organization. The economy affects several factors such as the talent pool, and it also has a great influence on the hiring procedure of an organization. Organizational strategic planning is beneficial for preparing the organization against the challenges caused due to economic conditions; there is a high requirement for gathering relevant information about the ongoing situation of the world that has an impact on economic factors. It will provide great benefit to the organization for working on strategic planning that is based on the economic downturn. 

Workforce demographics: The advanced HR department is working on innovative operational activities that influence the hiring of a compensation package for the present workplace environment. Therefore, trade unions have been brought into practice, and issues faced by the employees at the workplace have been represented by trade unions. Hence, trade unions play a critical role in terms of the resolution of issues and conflicts raised across the workplace. It has been observed that the UK-based organization CIPD has a significant role in terms of addressing employee voice and a suitable ethical approach to conflict resolution. 

Government regulations: Along with addressing compliance standards for the new workplace the HR department is under constant pressure to operate as per the legislation. Such workplace legislative rules influence every workplace activity of the human resource management department. The organizations have a key role in terms of formulation and implementation of different regulations and norms concerning employee relations, workplace environment, and work ethics. The application of such a rule is beneficial for an organization to prevent such extensive conditions that may affect the market position or growth of the organization. 

Technological advancement: Advancement of the implementation of innovative technological operations that are introduced in the HRM department can work on observing the downsides and further work on cutting expenses of the business operation of the organization. It even adds benefits for the downturn of the employee's work activities. Technology is working on a business revolution that is focused on cost-saving operations. 

3.2 The influence of informal and direct voice could contribute to improved levels of organizational performance and employee outcomes

It has been observed that the voice of employees concerning any issues can be raised through two different approaches such as direct and informal approaches. The informal voice of the employee reflects that employees of any particular organization can discuss their issues or deliver feedback. The CIPD has lately accomplished an "Alternative Forms of Workplace Voice Report" that demonstrates Employees' invoices as employees are enabled to convey their thoughts, ideas, opinions, and concerns that are based on the commitment of the organization that ensures the further operations of the firm. It also includes building a wider range of influence on a greater range of engagement of its employees by the utilization of strategies that are based on the robustness of employees' voices. The notion of employees' voice strategies can be considered advantageous along with impactful techniques for business operations. This type of approach needs to be practiced by the line managers of any organization with their team members. Due to such an approach, the detection of issues and resolution of those issues can be performed much faster (Simms, 2022). As a result of this scenario, the operations of the organization will be improved and employees will be also satisfied. It requires the management to be receptive to feedback and ideas. It is required to be accurate for ensuring transmissions that are based on two-way communication, the management and the workers are required to be a part of effective communication ads to operate as per the impact of the communications and the employees' voice and it is also required to understand its significance. 

On the other hand, the direct or formal voice of the employees reflects addressing the issues through the team briefing, survey, and measuring employee engagement. Due to the concerned approach organizational risks can be instantly identified and the occurrence of conflict can be addressed. Such leadership kind is comprehended as transformative leadership and must be accurate as a leader builds dynamic procedures for generating a wider range of motivation by driving collective organization vision and collective communication for the expected objective of higher ideals and values amongst everyone. 

Several organizations are growing through the utilization of strategies based on employees' voices, to enhance employee well-being, motivation, business efficiency, and productivity.  The employees are enabled to utilize a mixture of collective and individual channels that may include direct interaction with the leadership team or in an indirect way along with the help of representatives. These kinds of strategies include briefs and meetings of the companywide team through an open platform for interaction with the management, senior staff, and rest. It also includes management questionnaire sessions, social media, and workplace online platforms for interactive communication, effective group meetings, and engagement of the employees with surveys that will be efficiently full of suggestion boxes and anonymity. 

4. Section 3

4.1 The role of collective bargaining in determining pay and other contractual issues in organizations

It has been observed that collective bargaining plays a critical role in terms of the formulation of the collective agreement concerning the employment relationship of any organization. Thus, a general common problem or issue of any particular industry can be accurately addressed through this collective bargaining approach. The contracts of renegotiation by a specific organization or the employees may enhance salaries above the agreed rate at higher levels; however, in a few cases, a reduction of wages may also take place. The results such as employment or productivity are generally not a part of the collective bargaining agreement. It has been observed that based on the issues of Collective Bargaining have been categorized into 4 different categories such as distributive, composite, integrative, and productive (Villanueva and Adamopoulou, 2022).  However, as per the opinion of Speckesser Nafilyan and Ledermaier (2015), national wage bargaining organizations are important in achieving pay outcomes that are beneficial in enhancing economic growth as well as employment under the context of evading macro balance imbalances. However as per the studies of Boeri (2014), the structure of two-tier bargaining, in which the salary negotiations supplement in the wage settlement at the industry level for better decentralization in wage identification. The two-tier structure can reconcile the stability of macroeconomics along with a closer connection between payment and productivity. 

The effect of collective bargaining depends on the market structure as well as on the competitive degree (Oecd-ilibrary.org, 2022). It has been explored that through collective bargaining both union-based and non-union-based employees of an organization can take a competitive advantage. Additionally, in-market product competition when the organization is empowered with some degree of oligopoly or monopoly the wider range of wages may not induce unemployment in greater range. The role of collective bargaining for employees' market performance is dependent on the firm's operational system. 

4.2 Impact of negotiations between employers and employee associations/trade unions aimed at problem resolution

It has been explored that the dynamics of any type of negotiation have been comprised of multiple elements such as options, legitimacy, alternatives, interests, and commitment. Therefore, Mullett has given the "Five P's of Negotiation" which comprised of "prepare, probe, possibilities, propose and partner". Collective bargaining or negotiation is a constructive forum that works on identifying the terms and conditions of the employment relationship between employers and employees. It is generally much more efficient and flexible rather than state regulation, It is also beneficial in anticipating important issues that can also be improved mechanisms for operating with them along with looking for solutions that are prioritized are requires both employers and the employees.

Negotiation is a voluntary procedure that is utilized for the determination of terms and conditions for regulating relationships between employers and employees and work procedures. This led to the conclusion of a negotiation agreement. The basic nature of negotiation has a core tendency of developing a win-win scenario for both the parties such as employee and employer. Some advantages are effective for settling down the challenges with consensus rather than confrontation and conflict. Independent association and practice of negotiation provide advantages for constructive rather than confrontation. However, such tackles significance to concentrate on the resolution that results in advantages to stakeholders, enterprise, and largely to society.  

The procedure of negotiation enables the interests of both employees and employers to be voiced for the identification of common interests. It is required that the additional interests must be counterbalanced against one another along with trades-offs to be negotiated. Along with that issues have been also resolved and both parties have enjoyed a mutual benefit perspective (Tijdens et al. 2022). It also includes building collective value between employees and businesses that is related to the improvement of organizational cultures that are based on sustainability. 

Employee silence is a crucial aspect that falls in several businesses; it can be elucidated as a withholding, of views as well as opinions of workplace intentional ideas. However, the business that faces failure during the implementation of potential policies may experience extreme employee silence as there is no presence of security or reassurance for the raised queries and concerns, there is a huge risk present in the business is required to engage the staff. The lack of motivation as well as a positive work culture may work as an influential factor in the further silence of the employees of the organization. 

5. Conclusion 

Exterior characteristics dissemble worker connections that mostly incorporate convincing that are autonomous of a firm. This also determines technical modification and lawful procedures as the major exterior persuading’s which generally affect employment relationships. Government approaches to business usually influence head officials and workers' connections. For instance, government arrangements that advance full work limit the haggling strength of trades by expecting them to grow their work projects for better outcomes to oblige better agents. “United Kingdom (UK)” labor regulations endure upgrading equivalency in the firm by mainly charming how firms and higher officials of the organization structure their training and recruitment programs. Apart from that, technology has also played a vital part in explaining the strength of employees and the firm's connections in an effective way. Modifying nature of the function that is performed in the firm for economic change is also described along with the practices of worker's connection at diverse institutional levels. Various forms of direct and informal voice are also described that might contribute to an upgraded level of worker outcomes and firm implementation. Worker’s voice is significant in a building comprising and secured workplace. Effective voice usually comes up with the formation of confidence in workers, creation, productivity, and managerial modification. Therefore, for workers, “self-expression in a voice” frequently results in sensation appreciation, supplemented employment fulfillment, more extraordinary convincing, and more pleasing possibilities for growth and evaluation. Building prospects for individuals for a better voice in operation is a basic characteristic of making sure employment standards.   

References

Books

Johnstone, S. and Ackers, P. eds., 2015. Finding a voice at work?: new perspectives on employment relations. OUP Oxford.

Malik, A., 2018. Strategic human resource management and employment relations. An International Perspective. Germany: Springer, 10, pp.978-981.

Osterman, P., 1994. How common is workplace transformation and who adopts it? Ilr Review, 47(2), pp.173-188.

Journals

Behrens, M. and Dribbusch, H., 2020. Employer resistance to works councils: evidence from surveys amongst trade unions. German Politics, 29(3), pp.422-440.

Boeri, T., 2014. Two-tier bargaining. Available at SSRN 2475326. DOI: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2475326

Colvin, A.J. and Gough, M.D., 2015. Individual employment rights arbitration in the United States: Actors and outcomes. ILR Review, 68(5), pp.1019-1042.

G.M. Spreitzer, L. Cameron, L. Garrett Alternative work arrangements: Two images of the new world of work Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 2017, pp. 473-499

Gould, A.M. and Desjardins, G., 2014. Static and dynamic views of conflict and cooperation in the employment relationship: A new kind of time-based theory with implications for non-standard work forms. Personnel Review.

Oruh, E.S., Mordi, C., Ajonbadi, A., Mojeed-Sanni, B., Nwagbara, U. and Rahman, M., 2020. Investigating the relationship between managerial employment relations and employee turnover intention: The case of Nigeria. Employee Relations: The International Journal, 42(1), pp.52-74. DOI: https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/18318/3/FullText.pdf

Pedaci, M. and Betti, M., 2020. The regulation of employment relationships at the enterprise. In Regulating Work in Small Firms (pp. 131-163). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. DOI: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-21820-1_4

Simms, M., 2022. Employment Relations, Unionisation and the Future of Human Resource Management. In The Emerald Handbook of Work, Workplaces and Disruptive Issues in HRM (pp. 29-47). Emerald Publishing Limited.

Speckesser, S., Nafilyan, V. and Ledermaier, S., 2015. Pay in Europe in different wage-bargaining regimes. DOI: https://policycommons.net/artifacts/1841558/pay-in-europe-in-different-wage-bargaining-regimes/2586115/

Spurk, D. and Straub, C., 2020. Flexible employment relationships and careers in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 119, p.103435. doi: 

Tijdens, K., Besamusca, J., Ceccon, D., Cetrulo, A., Van Klaveren, M., Medas, G. and Szüdi, G., 2022. Comparing the content of collective agreements across the European Union: Is Europe-wide data collection feasible? E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies, 11(2).

van den Groenendaal, S.M.E., Freese, C., Poell, R.F. and Kooij, D.T., 2022. Inclusive human resource management in freelancers' employment relationships: The role of organizational needs and freelancers' psychological contracts. Human Resource Management Journal.

Villanueva, E. and Adamopoulou, E., 2022. Employment and wage effects of extending collective bargaining agreements. IZA World of Labor. doi:10.15185/izawol.136.v2

Websites

Europa. EU, 2022. Document II/4 - The Impact of Globalisation on Employment Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/1001617/4576272/SESSION-II-DOC-4.pdf [Accessed on: 26/10/2022]

Oecd-ilibrary.org, 2022. The Role of collective bargaining systems for labor market performance Available at: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/068bb29d-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/068bb29d-en [Accessed on: 26/10/2022]

Worldbank.org, 2022. CHANGING NATURE OF WORK - World Bank Documents Available at: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/816281518818814423/2019-WDR-Report.pdf [Accessed on: 26/10/2022]

Worldbank.org, 2022. The Changing Nature of Work Available at: https://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/10.1596/978-1-4648-1328-3_ch1 [Accessed on: 26/10/2022]