Check

Managing Workforce Engagement

and Commitment

Assignment 2

By

InuYasha

Report on the conflicting perspectives that can exist in an organisation

To,

Human Resources Manager,

Employee Relations, historically known as industrial relations is concerned with contractual, emotional, physical and practical relationship between employer and employee. As much of the relations between the employer and employee is non industrial, the term ‘employee relations’ is being increasingly used (Employee Relations definition, 2014). Since 1980’s, Employee relations ( ER) is shifted to more strategic and integrated framework that are based on employee commitment and shared workplace interests rather than traditional managerial control and conflict between employer and employees. According to Fox (1996), there are two main perspectives of ER, they are unitarist and plurarist perspective. Managers may adopt one of these perspectives in their organisation when dealing the relationship between employer and employee (The Typed Gold, 2010).

Managements who adopt unitarist view see their function as that of directing and controlling the workforce to achieve economic and growth objectives. Management believes that it is the rule making authority and see the company as a unitary system with one source of authority- itself and one focus of loyalty- organisation. In this perspective everyone praises teamwork, where everyone works jointly to a common objective, everyone pulls their weight to the best they can and everyone accepts their place and functions gladly following the leadership of the appointed manager or supervisor. This view is autocratic and authoritarian and sometimes it is expressed in agreements as ‘management’s right to manage’ (Armstrong, 1999). The major strength of unitarist perspective is it wants to integrate employee and employer interests, so that it can enhance employee’s commitment and loyalty. It emphasise on the role of managers to achieve win-win...