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Date Submitted: 02/25/2015 01:59 AM
Businesses in Singapore are often portrayed as adopting a “unitarist” (power vested in a central body) rather than a “pluralist” (power sharing) attitude to employment relations. Is this justified or are times changing? Illustrate your arguments with contemporary examples.
Unitarist & Pluralist
“Unitarist” (also known as unitarism) and “pluralist” (also known as pluralism) are the more common types of theoretical models or rather perspectives about employment relations.
So what is employment relations? Employment relations are observations and studies of theory and practice associated with the management and regulation of the employment relationship. (Number 3) As mentioned by Wilton, 2013 (no.4) employment relations is often associated with the socio-political dimension of the employment relationship and the distribution of power between management and employees, the incidence and expression of conflict and the social and legislative regulatory framework within which the employment relationship exists. It is a study of perspective that will reflect a range of developments in the political, economic, social and legal context of the employment relationship. (no.4)
Unitarism is often viewed as a whole unified entity of common interest; best described as a ‘family’ or a ‘team’. (no.4) whereby management is the single source of authority, conflict does not exist and trade unions are viewed as unnecessary.
Pluralism is view as an organization where it consist of different groups of people who have different interest and groups. Whereby management leads but ultimately might have no authority, conflicts are “recognised” and “acknowledged” and trade unions are the collective representative voice for employees. (no.6)
Let us take a look at how employment relations in Singapore evolved over the past decades; the interactions between the government, employees and labour unions. How has these interactions shaped the businesses of Singapore today....