PROJECT TITLE: EMPLOYEE RELATIONS: A STUDY ON EMPLOYEE RELATIONS PROGRESS AND PERFORMANCE Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Essex International College Employee Relations Student ID- Student Name- Submission Date: 09-12-2013 Executive Summary Effective and fruitful employee relations are beneficial to every firm to maintain productivity and efficiency. Here, we have analyzed the ASDA or Wal-Mart case study to examine the significance of employee relations in the workplace. In the whole assignment basic features of employee relations, role collective bargaining in employee relations, ways to solve the workplace conflict and HRM role in improving employee relations are discussed. Content Page Content Items Page Number Introduction 4 Task 1 4 1. On the basis of your research, and through the case study, would you categorise Wal-Mart’s and ASDA’s approach to resisting trade union organisation as unitarist or pluralist (union substitution or suppression) 4 Give examples of the strategy they appear to have adopted (AC 1.1) 4 2. With reference to these two approaches, how do you think that the changes to trade unionism (certainly since the 1980’s) have affected employee relations? (AC 1.2) 5 3. Who are, and what are the roles of, the main players in employee relations? (AC 1.3) 5 Task 2 7 1. Explain the procedures Wal-Mart/ASDA should have followed when dealing
A union is an organization of workers who join together in order to have a voice in improving their jobs and the quality of work within the organization. In many occasions, unions help employees of an organization negotiate pay, benefits, flexible hours and other work conditions that may arise. Unions have a role because some degree of conflict is inevitable between workers and management (Noe, 2003). In this paper, I will be discussing the impact of unions and labor relations within an organization.
22. Which of the following labor organizations endorsed the philosophy of “bread and butter” unionism by concentrating on demands for higher wages, shorter hours, and improved working conditions?
The changes brought up labor unions in the United States over recent history has brought about a movement. This specific movement has shaped the way that employees and workers are treated in the workforce,and how they maintain their quality of life through this employment. Many people think that the labor unions’ influence has created a power struggle between management and union leaders. In many cases this can be considered true, as there have been countless feuds between management teams and labor unions, especially in recent history. In today’s times, on the one hand, some people believe the existence of unions are a necessity in order to ensure and promote employee freedom; while on the other hand some people view labor unions as just another problem in the line of employee success.
“Robert Tobias (2010) argues that to be effective, human resource managers need to embrace the possibility of positive and productive relations with labor unions.” (Riccucci pg. 10-11)
Although Hoffa and the Teamsters faced stark resistance from employers concerning unionization, the resulting creation and evolution of employment legislation has since improved working conditions and impacted the type of strategies implemented by employers to avoid organization. Employers are taking more proactive and less historically barbaric approaches to address employee job satisfaction and union avoidance. Godard and Delaney (2000) argued that traditional collective bargaining agreements among unions have been replaced with innovative high performance work and
Being part of a union gives members the benefit of negotiating with their employer collectively, as part of a group; giving them more power than if they were to negotiate as individuals (Silverman, n.d.). Overall, unions demand fairness which can lead to the unions influencing and changing ‘managerial decision-making at the workplace level’ for decisions in which employees are affected (Verma 2005). Unions are also beneficial to have present in the workplace because their bargaining of better condition will often benefit non-members as the conditions negotiated with management are implemented across the organization with no regard to membership status. Management is also able to avoid union disagreement by benchmarking conditions to that of an already unionized workplace.
From this perspective, trade union is perceived not necessary and the role of it is creating conflict, and it is seen an unwelcome intrusion into the organization from outside competing with management for the loyalty of employees (Rose, 2004). Trade unions exist either as the result of wickedness or perverseness of individual employees, or because of a failure of management to anticipate and incorporate worker needs and concerns (Bray, Deery, Walsh and Waring, 2005).
1.1 Describe 4 factors, 2 internal and 2 external, which impact on the employment relationship
An employment relationship describes the dynamic, interlocking economic, legal, social and psychological relations that exist between individuals and their work organizations. Palgrave Macmillan (2013), Glossary [online] Available at: < http://www.palgrave.com/business/brattonandgold/glossary/glossary.htm> [Accessed 17th September 2013]. Factors that impact on this relationship both have a detrimental effect to the running of a business. I will focus on two internal and two external. These being:
History shows that there has been conflict of power within the workforce between union and management. This essay will discuss if management should have the right to determine whether a union should operate within their workplace. It is necessary first to discuss the roles of unions and management in the workplace and discuss both points of view on the power distribution between unions and management in the workplace.
A union is an organization of workers who join together in order to have a voice in improving their jobs and the quality of work within the organization. In many occasions, unions help employees of an organization negotiate pay, benefits, flexible hours and other work conditions that may arise. Unions have a role because some degree of conflict is inevitable between workers and management (Noe, 2003). In this paper, I will be discussing the impact of unions and labor relations within an organization.
“Robert Tobias (2010) argues that to be effective, human resource managers need to embrace the possibility of positive and productive relations with labor unions.” (Riccucci pg. 10-11)
Employment relation is one of the vital and critical parts of HRM. For making an effective and healthy relationship between employers and employees, it is important to understand the perception of employment relations along with its importance in an organisation (Wang & Chen, 2005). Thus, if an organisation fails to understand its significance of employment relations and unable to manager employer and employee relationship efficiently, this might lead to impact on the organisation power and will deter its strength and profitability. According to Singh (2011), employee relations is basically a study of regulations, agreements and rules through which employees are accomplished with collective and individual group, importance imposed to individual
When evaluating relationship management, we can see that Mr Callahan is held in quite high regard at Pancontinental Airways by his employees and is described as a ‘visionary leader’. Having the admiration of employees is very beneficial in any organisation, and by doing so can create many advantages in the industry, such as the maintenance of ‘low staff turnover rates and high commitment from staff’. This we can see as happening at Pancontinental Airways where the company employs individuals seen to have the ‘right attitude.’ This is then followed by ‘specific training to develop the already present personal qualities of staff’. (Case study) Callahan openly encourages membership of unions so that he can have improved negotiations than with the individual
In every organisation or company where people work together, misunderstandings and agreements will occur. Sometime, conflicts often are hidden in a workplace, which has not been dealt with in an open way. These types of hidden conflict can lead to decreased motivation among the employees. So, in Management studies, they discuss conflict more in Human Resource way, it is all about motivations and relationship between people. Moreover, in Management, conflict between employer and employee is usually caused by Discrimination, which is also from Human Resource perspectives.