Employee Relations and Conflict Management

This assignment delves into the complex field of employee relations and conflict management. It examines different perspectives on these topics, including legal frameworks, organizational practices, and individual experiences. Students are tasked with analyzing a range of academic sources to understand how employee relations influence workplace dynamics, and explore various strategies for effectively managing conflicts within organizations.

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EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
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EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
Contents
Task 1..........................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Unitary and pluralistic frames of reference explaining the implications of each of the
perspectives for the appropriate means through which conflict is to be resolved....................................3
1.2 Assess how changes in trade unionism have affected employee relations...................................4
1.3 Explain the role of the key players in employee relations............................................................5
Task 2..........................................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Explain the procedures an organization (NHS employer) should follow when dealing with different
conflict situations....................................................................................................................................7
2.2 Explain the key features of employee relations with reference to the above conflict situation..........8
2.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of procedures followed so far from both parties in this conflict situation 9
Task 3........................................................................................................................................................10
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Negotiation in collective bargaining................................................................................................10
3.2 Impact of the strategies after the negotiation...................................................................................11
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................11
Task 4........................................................................................................................................................12
4.1 The assessment of the influence of EU on the industrial democracy of UK....................................12
4.2 The popular methods which are mainly used to gain the employee participation and involvement in
the decision-making process..................................................................................................................12
4.3 The assessment of HRM approach on employee relations...............................................................13
References.................................................................................................................................................14
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Task 1
1.1 Unitary and pluralistic frames of reference explaining the implications of each of the
perspectives for the appropriate means through which conflict is to be resolved
Conflicts are the incident of the contentions and the battles between the employer and the
employees in an organization which specifically influences the relationship between the business
and the worker and makes the uneven execution level in an organization(Proksch, 2017). Aside
from, employee relations are the investigation of the role of employees to deal with the relations
of the representatives and the businesses in an organization to meet the preserved relations and
viable communication in the organization.
According to unitary frames, conflicts in the workplace is not expected relation or behave
between the employee and the manager. Unitary frames start from the assumption and values.
Moreover, a conflict starts from the occurrence or behavior of two individuals which impact
adversely on other employees to constrain further problems. The unitary frame of reference is
concerned with the way of thinking, a mindset of attitudes, practices, values, assumptions
relating to organizational as well as management membership. As per my experience, the
particular frames states that for achieving success, members of a particular company or
organization must share the same goals, values, and objectives(Keet, 2010). The members must
ignore about their individual role in the organization and work together with coordination. It has
an implementation of mission statements and measures success through the actual
accomplishment of set objectives. I believe that the workers are considered to be loyal and the
privilege of management is accepted as parental. It is done according to everyone’s interest.
Therefore, it can be concluded that unitary frame of reference helps in solving conflict among
employees in a particular organization.
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Apart from unitary frames, pluralistic frames play a major role in solving conflict among
employees in a particular organization. Here, the organization deviates firm into a different and
powerful sub-group. According to the pluralist perspective, the two main sub-group are the trade
unions and the management(Eunson, 2007). Each sub-groups has its own legal loyalties and with
their own set of leaders and objectives. I have observed in most of the organization that pluralism
signifies as more perfect and suitable. The role of management would incline less towards
upholding and controlling and more toward impact and co-appointment.Moreover, trade unions
are regarded as legitimate employees of representatives. The conflict is managed by aggregate
bartering and is seen not really as a terrible thing and, if oversaw, could in certainty be diverted
towards development and positive change.
1.2 Assess how changes in trade unionism have affected employee relations
According to me, the trade unions must continue to reinvent themselves in order to remain
significant. The trade unions must continue to reinvent for growing, attracting and retaining
membership from the new workforce. Moreover, the trade unions have changes the conditions of
the organization along with the employees(Kelly, 2012). In May 1831, the trade union was
internationally developed. However, the experts used in the international association conveyed
the streets to hit with the necessities and longing for growing the pay and the salaries and
opposing against the low salaries gave and the general employment. Consequently, this scene
gave the trade union to present the operations at the international level. Trade unions were
surrounded to offer assistance to the workers who have the shocking working conditions at the
workplace and the not reasonable conditions for the experts. I believe that the trade unions were
set up to give the managers and the labors of the business and the company the security against
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the abuse and to get the change the working conditions. The business miracle of the differing
countries raises the trade unions(Chaudhuri, 2015).
According to my point of view, the managers in the organizations have been abused and are not
dealt with honest to goodness before the establishment of the trade unions. The new strategies of
the ventures and the company gave the hugeness to the experts and the labors or the delegates for
working in the better environment and the better conditions in which the authenticemployees and
the mechanical authorities can make particular improvement and the work with the security. The
higher class people have the procedure to manhandle these specialists. Therefore the labors or
the authorities or the delegates of the business and the company independently outlines the trade
union for the improvement of the employees and the experts(Vinten, 2000). This is the reason or
the go for which the trade unions were solidified or confined to improve the working and living
conditions of the delegates of the relationship for securing the benefits of the workers and to
guarantee their interests too. The trade unions aredelimited for the better-trading system on the
planet and the improved employees and the work or the conditions of authority in a company.
After trade union has grown, more delegates are found in the organizations. The trade union gave
the enhanced wages plan to the employees and the authorities of the company and besides pulled
in the socialists.
1.3 Explain the role of the key players in employee relations
I sorted out some role of the key players in employee relations which are described below:
 Representatives and the trade unions
The trade unions are the designed groups of some individuals who decide to give the workers
and the employees of a company the good working conditions and their rights. In employee’s
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relation, the trade unions play a major role(Stewart, 2010). Moreover, the objective of the trade
unions is to increase the relationship between the employee and the employer in a manner to
provide the benefits of a particular company. The employees have various rights which are
communicated by the trade unions.
 Employer and Employee
The relationship between the employee and the employer is a significant factor in the
organization. The particular relationship provides a healthy environment in the workplace. The
employees should follow the policies and rules of the company. I believe that they should also be
responsible and loyal towards their work and the organization. A big project is performed by a
group and in that group, a good communication plays a major role(Hollinshead, Nicholls and
Tailby, 2003). The employer expects from an employee that he should be ready for the
opportunities along with the challenges in the working environment. An employee also expects
that an employer should commit to his work.The employer should consider the inspiration
technique of the administration to expand the spirit and lift up the employees’ expectation to
work to pick up the magnificent execution of the employees in accomplishing the hierarchical
objectives and the goals. The employer and representative should dependably make the solid
environment for the association with their compelling correspondence and the conduct.
 Role of team leaders
A team leader should be a role model to his team members. I think thata leader should treat
everyone with equal priorities at work. I have seen in some organization that the leaders are
treating their team members in a harsh manner(Gennard and Judge, 2010). It should not be
practiced by a leader. It is essential that the leader assigns challenging tasks to his team members
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as per his interest and specialization. If the employees are motivated during working hours then
conflicts among them can be avoided. In this way, team performances can be increased.
Task 2
2.1 Explain the procedures an organization (NHS employer) should follow when dealing with
different conflict situations
A relationship between the employee and the employer of NHS is crucial. Their relationship
shows the marketing and managerial relationship between each other. Moreover, the employee of
NHS is employed at a fixed rate and the management of the health care service allot the tasks
accordingly. The employer and the employee are enthusiastic to regulate according to the work
and the salary provided. When there is an argument on different topics apart from work between
an employee and an employer, conflict can be seen(Conflict management, 2005). The conflict
increase when the third party gets involves between them. Conflicts between the individuals in
National Health Service can be generated between the employer, co-workers, and partners. NHS
should take some positive steps for maintaining a healthy workplace environment. There are two
steps such as formal and informal steps.
Informal Step:In this step, the conflict can be resolved by daunting the justification on the
parties without the third party.
Formal Step:In this step, the conflict should be determined and resolved with the aid of the third
party from outside National Health Service who can decide the solution without taking anyone's
side. It is an arbitration procedure where both parties are bound to perform the task asked by the
third party(Huang, 2010).
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Apart from these above two steps, the organization can resolve conflicts by simple methods such
as realizing the pattern of the problem, understanding them and developing strategies to solve
these conflicts. NHS needs to get to the root of the problem. Moreover, the health care
organization should teach the employees to appreciate their differences. It might be probable to
readjust the roles each party has in a given condition to better utilize their individual strengths
and reducedissimilarities of opinion. However, the employees can also avoid problems and move
on and it is the best strategy to avoid conflicts in the workplace. Another strategy such as
compromise helps to decide to step back and compromise to the problem(Dickey, 2015).
2.2 Explain the key features of employee relations with reference to the above conflict situation
The relations of employees are appropriate and trusted in the obligation of the all-inclusive
community to get the benefit of the convincing relations in organizations like National Health
Service and business environment. The relations of employees can be sustained by no conflicts
or less conflict at working spot. Besides that, the resounding relationship of the employers and
the workers of the business and also the company is the fundamental variable to enhance the
execution of the company and making a healthy and protected environment in
acompany(Massey, 2004). The conflicts in National Health Service can be cleared and settled by
the making improved employment conditions, bonuses and incentives of the employee,
commitment towards work as well as appropriate working hours. The purpose of the British
Medical Association concerning the above case is to give the rights to the junior doctors and the
better working conditions, the powers to the junior doctors and to shield them from mishandling.
Additionally, the employees of the company or the concerned doctors should keep up a vital
separation from the conflicts by treating workers or the junior doctors sufficiently.
The key segments of the employee relations for the above case are:
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Ineffective communication: It is the purpose behind conflicts and the disputes in a company.
Negotiation: It is the condition of tending to the conflict of employer and the employee.
Grievances:The interpersonal relationship with the issue is known as the grievances.
Collective bargaining:The total bargaining is the raised voice of the general social occasion for
their rights.
Moreover, mediation is an option to help manage and resolve conflicts as early as possible. NHS
provides neutral and confidential settings for the individuals to meet to discuss the issues as well
as develop communallysatisfactory solutions.
2.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of procedures followed so far from both parties in this conflict
situation
The process utilized for the resolving conflicts is the negotiation and it is effective. The reason
behind this is it may not offer the ultimate satisfaction to the employees. Moreover, the particular
process is concerned with the unified steps(Stasek, 2005). These unified steps may be harmful to
the employees and workers of National Health Service organization and may be the employees
are not satisfied after the solution to the problem. Hence, the formal strategies in the National
Health Service are more compelling to comprehend the contentions between the business and the
workers as the instance of delicate issues, for example, less compensation. Besides that, the
union is framed for the most extreme fulfillment and the assurance of the privileges of the
representatives and laborers of the association and the business. The diverse associations have
the distinctive methodologies and the strategies to tackle out the contentions. The win-win
approach gives the circumstance of picking up or winning some advantage to both the
gatherings(Tir, 2006). The approach of win-win circumstance is the well-known and compelling
way to deal with settling the contentions between the specialists and the administration. The
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gatherings of the contention get the fulfillment of winning something in the contention and
losing something in the contention with a similar proportion. There are different circumstances
of win-lose circumstance in which one gathering win the contention or the contention and
another loss which is not agreeable and viable approach. The other approach is a predicament in
which both the gatherings lose the contention and the contention. The gatherings will be
unsatisfied in this circumstance as well.The effectiveness of these procedures can be improved
by the implementation of conflict management(Posthuma, 2013). Conflict management is the
procedure by which problems in the workplace can be solved with the aid of argument
maintenance. Additionally, conflict management is significant in the organizational environment
to provide the maximum effectiveness as well as efficiency working environment and the proper
arrangement of the company.
Task 3
Introduction
There must be situation among the BMA and the junior doctors where the effectiveness of the
collective agreements (Coy, 2014) and the collective bargaining would have gone to a biased state
where both the parties would have to be satisfied. The process of this negotiation can be termed
as the practice of Collective bargaining.
3.1 Negotiation in collective bargaining
The term collective bargaining can be termed as the mechanism tool for the industry. This factor
mainly does the perception of the negotiation and working with the employment relationship
(Employment relationship, 2011). The employees will select the representative among many
available options, and the representative will explain the issues and the needs of the employees.
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The authorities of NHS are also explained with the details by the representative so that
everybody can work on the problems and the issues. There are few aspects that are followed by
the methodologies and the workings. The factors are given below:
 Collective bargaining and the collective agreements are of different issues. Collective
agreements are the outcomes of the collective bargaining (Masui, 2013).
 The methodology is mentioned mainly to improve the technical part of the organization.
 The motivational example for the employees is set by this process. Mainly this is done by
completing their respective needs.
 There is a specific level of consideration for the employees.
 The process mainly increases the level of relation among BMA and the junior doctors.
 The government makes the participation in the matter, and the legislation by the
government is so much crucial that it is called bipartite.
3.2 Impact of the strategies after the negotiation
To satisfy the junior doctors and for the development of the organization, NHS applies different
strategies. The employees should have the responsibilities to satisfy the junior doctors with all
their needs. There is one thing that must be kept in the mind of the employees, and that is to
satisfy the organization too. There can be a situation that the conflict among the junior doctors
can happen. Then there should be a process of vote by which the representative of the junior
doctors will be selected. The representative then will explain everything in front of BMA. The
employees of BMA will then understand the situation and will come up with a solution. First of
all, BMA will make a try to replace the issues with something different that can make the
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replacement and if the junior doctors are not satisfied with the replacement, then the process of
negotiation will start. NHS employers and the junior doctors can come to a state of negotiation
where the junior doctors may decoy without affecting the organization. Now if there is a case of
negotiation becoming smoother then it will help the organizational environment (Zhong and
House, 2012) where the environment becomes more suitable for the employees. This also helps to
make the relation smoother among the employees of NHS and the junior doctors. BMA have to
follow the rules and the regulations which are set by the UK government. The aspects of legal
and general strategies will help both the organization to be maintained in a consistent way. The
maintenance includes the following steps:
 If there arise any issues among the employees, one of them must mention a representative
for them.
 Following by, the issues will be explained, and then the selected representative will
explain the problems to the NHS employers and the employers will take the issues of the
organizational issues.
 Then the employers of NHS will try to solve the problems after getting the brief of the
problem. The brief will be made by the representative only.
 The needs of the organization must be looked after first, and then the employers will try
to fix the problems of the junior doctors.
 Then the main point of negotiation will arise whether the BMA and the junior doctors
will come to a saturated situation.
 This is the process by which the junior doctors are satisfied by BMA.
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Conclusion
The bargaining among the junior doctors and BMA makes all the facts upon which the above-
mentioned points lie. To make the communication process (Polgár and Kazinci, 2013) smooth
among the junior doctors and BMA the points are effective enough. There are specific rules and
regulation of UK government to deal with the mentioned methods.
Task 4
4.1 The assessment of the influence of EU on the industrial democracy of UK
There are any policies that are formed by the European Union to control the internal function of
the organization as well as the business of the organization. The policies can be termed as the
following policies like recruiting policies, trade policies, anti-harassment policies, environment
control policies, training policies, employee relationship maintain policies, HRM policies, safety
and healthy workplace policies and training policies. All of the mentioned policies are influenced
by the industrial democracy (Akan, 2012) of the employees. Like for example:
 Recruiting policies are the initial stages of any business where the organizations recruit
the best employees to do any particular job. The recruiter must be very specific to judge
the concept and the knowledge of the employees to check the ability of the employee.
 Trade policies are the license to any organization. It means that this policy give the
allowance to any organization to trade internationally.
 It measures the safety inside the organization where an employee, especially the female
employees can get the assurance that no harassment will be there. It means that the
employees will be able to work with ease.
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 Training policies mainly describe the situation where the employees of a particular
organization get the best training sessions to work properly in the field of work.
 Safety and healthy workplace refers to the situation where the democratic right of
employees is measured. The degree of freedom of an organization is measured by this
policy. It also helps an organization to maintain the safe environment where the
employees can work without any fear and tension.
4.2 The popular methods which are mainly used to gain the employee participation and
involvement in the decision-making process
There are few methods where the participation and the involvement of the employees can be
described in the field of the decision-making process. The involvement of the employees in the
decision-making process is a topic which is debatable. There is a debate among the managers of
the organization and the employees of the worker union whether the employees should be a part
of the decision-making process or not. The methods of participation (Mu ller, 2016) are
mentioned in the following processes:
 Participation in the process of Ownership: This process of participation is very clear.
The employees have the authority to buy the share of the company, and this helps the
company in the financial field also. It puts a positive impact on the employees.
 Participation at the board level: Industrial democracy is known to be the
representation of the employee at the board level. In this case, all the problems of the
employees are kept in front of the managing committee. This process also helps the
authority to invest in the employee benefit schemes.
 Participation in the suggestion scheme: This process of participation clearly indicates
that the employees of the organization can be a part of the company's decision-making
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process where the company may come up with options of ideas of the employees of the
organization and these ideas may help the organization to increase the level of the
business in the future. The employees are always eager to join the decision-making
process, and the company hopes to get a fruitful decision after concluding much decision
of the employees.
 The participation of the quality circle: A quality circle in the group of people in the
company who are expert in the particular field of work. This group of people has the
experience of work, or they are more dedicated towards their work. It is so because the
employees of this group have been maintaining a good performance in the field of work.
They have achieved all their targets within the given deadline that make them more
effective for the organization. The involvement of this group in the decision-making
process can help the organization big time. The organization will get the benefits of the
experience of the team as well as they will get the discipline to achieve the organizational
goals (Sehgal, 2011).
 Collective bargaining participation: This process allows the employees to take the
authority in the decision-making process. It increases the interest of the employee
towards his or her work in the company. This process of decision making helps the
organization in a different way. But one has to be careful with this process. There have
been cases like the employees are abusing the opportunity by taking advantages.
4.3 The assessment of HRM approach on employee relations
The employee relations are directly or indirectly connected with the Human Resource
Management approach. This approach contains some features. They are as follows:
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 The health care delivery quality must be checked very often as the general needs of an
organization are delivered by the Human Resource Management team. This team
produces the manpower for any particular organization. After going through the details of
the Human Resource Management approach, one can say that the main job of this team is
to provide the manpower in every single part of the organization where manpower is
needed.
 Every organization needs a particular leader who can guide their employee in every
aspect of the work. A true leader does all the hard works to set perfect examples for their
team, and once it is done, the recommendation for the employee is to follow the path to
achieve the organizational goal. A perfect leader takes the responsibilities on his/her
shoulder and motivates the employees. This leader is mainly gained from the HRM team.
The condition and the environment of the organization are perfectly understood by the
team. After knowing the situation perfectly, they deliver all kinds of help to the
organization by producing true leaders.
 The proper environment of work is mainly set by this team. Every employee of the
organization looks for a perfect environment to work. Creating a perfect environment to
work is the best thing that an HRM team does.
After going through every single aspect, one can say that HRM approach is the best approach
that is available in the market to get the organizational success (Jeske and Stamov-Roßnagel, 2012).
HRM provides proper eligible workers for the organization, and this makes the organization
efficient enough to reach the desired goal within the given deadline and a disciplined manner.
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