Employee Relations and Stakeholder Engagement in Marks and Spencer

This report discusses the importance of employee relations and stakeholder engagement in Marks and Spencer. It covers the fundamentals of employment law, rights and duties of employers and employees, and mechanisms for managing the employment relationship. It also explores the impact of positive and negative employee relations on different stakeholders. The subject is BSc (Hons) Business Management (Top up) and the course code is BMP6005.

BSc (Hons) Business Management (Top up)
BMP6005
The Work and Employment Relationship
Assessment 1
How employee relations can influence the
behavior of
different stakeholders
Submitted by:
Name:
ID:
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................3
An explanation of the value and importance of employee relations in application as well
as explanation of the fundamentals of employment law.....................................................3
An explanation of the different types of rights, duties and obligations an employer and
employee has within the workplace. An exploration of various mechanisms for managing
the employment relationship and make justified solutions for a range of specific
organizational examples........................................................................................................5
A stakeholder analysis for the organization and analysis of how stakeholder engagement
and contribution can support positive employment relationships.......................................6
An analysis of the impact of both positive and negative employee relations on different
stakeholders..........................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES...............................................................................................................................1
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INTRODUCTION
Employee relation is the term which is used to define the relationship between
employee and employer. This can be stated as the collective workplace relationship which
reflects inline in individualisation of employment relationship that will support in building a
trust based relationship in the organization (Employee relations, 2021). The practices of
employee relation is managed through transparent practices, laws and regulations. Marks and
Spencer is a British multinational retail company that is offer a variety of apparels, home
products, and food range by operating in various regions all around the globe. The fashion
brand was started by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in the year 1884. This report will
be discussing about the importance of employee relation and will outline different rights and
duties of employer and employee in an organization. The project will analyse the engagement
of stakeholders with the help of stakeholder analysis and its positive and negative impact on
stakeholders.
An explanation of the value and importance of employee relations in application as well as
explanation of the fundamentals of employment law
Employment relationship is the legal link between employees and employers which
foster commitment to performing the work that can bring various advantages to the
organization and this can be helpful in enhancing the productivity of organization. In context
of Marks and Spencer, the company will be focusing on maintaining two-way
communication through which they can develop a strong employee relation that will be
helpful in maintaining a positive organizational culture and will also enhance the
performance of company within dynamic business environment.
Value and importance of employee relations
Employee relation is helpful in maintaining coordination and fostering innovation in
the company that will assist organisation in sustaining their position in such uncertain
marketplace. Employee relation can be helpful in resolving various issues in workplace
where employees and employers can collectively plan and form creative decisions that will
be helpful in meeting the targets of company (Ales, 2020). While considering Marks and
Spencer, the value and importance of employee relation is addressed below:
 Boost employee motivation- An effective employee relation plays a crucial role as
this can be helpful in boosting the motivation level of employees through which they
can preform effectively in the company and support organization in maximizing the
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profitability of company. In case of M&S, the fashion brand will be maintaining
strong employee relation through which they can maintain motivation level of
employees that will be helpful in motivating them to participate in business activities
and maize the revenues of company within dynamic business environment.
 Reduces employee absenteeism- Employee relation is the approach of maintaining
cordial relationship between employee and employer through which an organization
can reduce employee absenteeism from the organization and encourage their
employee to actively participate in managerial activities (Aloisi, 2018). In relation to
M&S, the company will be appraising their employees through which they can feel
valued in the organization and this will be helpful in motivating employees to perform
effectively and meet the performance standards of the company. This will be helpful
for Marks and Spencer in reducing employee absenteeism and increasing their
engagement in the organization.
 Maintains organizational culture and leads to fewer workplace conflict- In case
of Marks and Spencer, the company will be focusing on maintaining healthy and
positive employee relation hat will support the organization in maintaining
organizational culture which will foster innovation in the organization. This will also
support M&S in reducing the chances of conflicts that can arise in workplace.
Fundamentals of employment law
Employment law is the area of law which governs employee and employer
relationships. The approach of employment law is helpful in preventing discrimination,
promoting health and safety, preventing work disruption and establishing economic support
(What is Employment Law, 2021). In case of Marks and Spencer, the fundamentals of
employment law in relation to the company are discussed underneath:
 Protect employee from unlawful discrimination- Employment law is the medium
of offering employees safe and healthy working scenario through which they can
engage in business activities and maximize the potential of employees for the
company. In relation to Marks and Spencer, the company focus maintaining
diversified workforce where they value people from all backgrounds, gender, race and
ethnicity. Through various approaches of making every employee feel equal, the
company follows anti-discrimination policy in their organization that will support
them in creating a highly skilled and competent workforce.
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An explanation of the different types of rights, duties and obligations an employer and
employee has within the workplace. An exploration of various mechanisms for
managing the employment relationship and make justified solutions for a range of
specific organizational examples
Rights, duties and obligations an employer and employee have in company
For employees
There are various roles and responsibilities that must be performed by employees in
the organization and this can be highly influenced by the employee relation in company.
Some of the employee rights and duties in workplace that must be offered by the company
are discussed beneath:
 Safe and healthy work environment- it is the role, responsibilities and duty of
employees to learn and develop skills and competencies through which they can
create a safe and healthy working environment in the organisation (Bray, Budd and
Macneil, 2020). It is the role of employees to understand the skills and competencies
that must be developed through which they perform all task effectively and this will
also help in creating a safe and healthy working scenario in the organization.
 Meeting assigned task and duties- It is the role of employees to perform all assigned
job roles and responsibilities and through which they can meet their daily task and
accomplish all business objectives. This helps in enhancing the effectiveness of
company and also strengthens the competitive position of company within the
industry.
For employers
Am employer plays a key role in organization and this can support companies in
meeting their targets. Some of the employer rights and duties in workplace that must be
offered by the company are discussed beneath:
 Provide adequate job training- It is the duty of employer to offer required training
to employees through which employees can effectively perform all managerial
activities that will also support them in meeting the standards and objectives of the
company (Budd and Bhave, 2019). It is the duty of employer through which they can
evaluate the training requirements that can enhance the performance and productivity
of employees.
 Maintain positive organizational culture- In case of Marks and Spencer, the
company will be focusing on maintaining positive organizational culture through
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which they can ensure effective employee performance can be ensured. It is the
responsibility of employers of M&S to maintain a positive organizational culture
through which employee performance can be enhanced and this can be maintained by
the help of offering employee benefits and by appraising employee participation in the
organization.
 Resolve workplace conflicts- In relation to Marks and Spencer, it is the role of
employer where they have to maintain positive organizational culture through which
they can maintain positive organizational culture and also eliminate workplace
conflicts from the company (De Stefano and et.al, 2021). The employers of fashion
brand will be focusing on communicating more effectively through which they can
manage to reduce workplace conflicts which can hamper the performance of
company.
Employee relationship management
Employee relationship management is the process of adopting controlling methods
and practices that can be helpful in regulating employee relations in the organization. The
employee relationship management is the approach of maintaining effective employee
relation through which organizational efficiency can be enhanced. In case of Marks and
Spencer, the company follows employee relationship management which is managed by
maintaining effective communication through which required performance standard can be
met and this will also help in developing the skills and competencies of employees that will
support in performing assigned task (Duan and et.al, 2021). The tactics that support M&S in
effective employee relationship management is by giving valuable feedback to employees
through which they can understand the deviations and criteria that must be improved for
future. By investing time in employees and though staying in touch with them will be helpful
in maintaining effective employee relation that will enhance the productivity of organization.
A stakeholder analysis for the organization and analysis of how stakeholder engagement and
contribution can support positive employment relationships
Shareholder analysis is the approach of systematically gathering and analysing the
qualitative information through which interest of all stakeholders can be determined and this
will be helpful in developing and implementing policies and programs (Leighton and
McKeown, 2020). In relation to Marks and Spencer, the stakeholder analysis of company is
discussed beneath:
 Employees- These stakeholders are the internal sources of organization which focus
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on meeting the roles and responsibilities of their job. In relation to M&S, these are
critical stakeholders of the organization who are the source of creating livelihood of
the organization and can create an impact on the profitability of the organization as
well. The power of employees is high and their interest in organization is also high
which can support companies in meeting their targets and sustain their position in the
industry.
 Suppliers- These are external stakeholders of the company who can influence the
operations and also create an impact on the sales of products and services that are
offered by the organization (Newsome and Vorley, 2020). In case of marks and
Spencer, the power and interest of suppliers in the organization can be low and this
can reduce the chances of suppliers to substitute the brand. The suppliers will be
taking advantage by working with brand through which they can lead to higher sale of
products and service offered by the brand and this will be helpful in generating higher
revenues of the brand.
 Customers- These are the main stakeholders of brand and they can play a crucial role
in maintaining the profit margin of the brand. In case of Marks and Spencer, these
shareholders have high power and high interest in the brand and can also create
significant impact on the operations and revenues of the fashion brand. Such
stakeholders are highly valuable who can lead to more fluctuations in the brand.
An analysis of the impact of both positive and negative employee relations on different
stakeholders
Positive employee relation is the principle of human resource which reflects the
developed and productive workforce. The aim of positive employee relation is to create a
culture where employees feel motivated and an organisational culture in which all employees
can be encouraged for meeting the roles and responsibilities in most competent manner and
this will also support management in developing and maintaining effective organisational
culture (Piatak and et.al, 2020). Negative employee relation can make companies face serious
issues and this has been responsible for creating adverse impact on the operations of company
as this can also hinder the performance of employees. Employee relation creates an impact
on various stakeholder and this can be reflected in various forms, which are-
 Employee performance: employee relation is responsible to creating a significant
impact in the performance of employees which can rely on positive as well as
negative employee relation in the organization. In case of positive employee relation,
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such factors will be favourable for employees and this will lead to higher employee
engagement and this is the outcome of positive employee relation. In case of negative
employee relation, this can lead to more frustrated employees which is responsible for
creating negative impact on the employee performance.
 Employee engagement- Employee relation plays a crucial role in maintaining
employee engagement in the organization. In case of positive employee relation, this
will assist Marks and Spencer in encouraging their employees to take active
participation in business activities and will also support in meeting the corporate goals
of company (Keenoy, 2019). While in case of negative employee relation, this can be
the source of incline in employee turnover and absenteeism in the organization and
can also create negative impact on the brand image and profit margin of the company.
CONCLUSION
From the detailed analysis of above project, it can be stated that employment
relationship are based on contracts between employee and employers. This defines the
connection between employee and employer which can be helpful in eliminating the chaos in
the organization. It is essential for companies to maintain an effective employee relationship
through which companies can maintain organizational culture, foster innovation in company
and develop effective team spirit in the organization. Employment law regulates the
relationship between employees and employers. The process of stakeholder analysis is the
approach of evaluating the interest and power of different shareholder that are involved and
are connected with the organization. Employee relation is equally responsible for creating
positive as well as negative impact on the performance and productivity of employees and
overall organization.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Ales, E., 2020. Is Performance Appraisal Compatible with the Employment Relationship? A
Conclusive Plea in Favour of an Achievement-Oriented Approach to Work
Organisation. In Performance Appraisal in Modern Employment Relations (pp. 255-
262). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Aloisi, A., 2018. Facing the Challenges of Platform-Mediated Labour: The Employment
Relationship in Times of Non-Standard Work and Digital Transformation. Bocconi
Legal Studies Research Paper. (3179595).
Bray, M., Budd, J. W. and Macneil, J., 2020. The many meanings of co‐operation in the
employment relationship and their implications. British Journal of Industrial
Relations. 58(1). pp.114-141.
Budd, J. W. and Bhave, D. P., 2019. The employment relationship: Key elements, alternative
frames of reference, and implications for HRM. The Sage handbook of human
resource management.
De Stefano, V and et.al., 2021. Platform work and the employment relationship (No.
995121493302676). International Labour Organization.
Duan, J and et.al., 2021. How employment relationship types influence employee work
outcomes: The role of need for status and vigor. Journal of Business Research. 128.
pp.211-221.
Keenoy, T., 2019. The Employment Relationship. Management Under Differing Value
Systems: Political, Social and Economical Perspectives in a Changing World. p.405.
Leighton, P. and McKeown, T., 2020. Work in challenging and uncertain times: The
changing employment relationship. Routledge.
Newsome, K. and Vorley, T., 2020. Contemporary work and employment and the
productivity puzzle. In Productivity Perspectives. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Piatak, J. S and et.al., 2020. Infusing public service motivation (PSM) throughout the
employment relationship: A review of PSM and the human resource management
process. International Public Management Journal. 24(1). pp.86-105.
Online
Employee relations, 2021 [Online]. Available through
<https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/employees/
factsheet#6059>
What is Employment Law, 2021 [Online]. Available through
<https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-employment-law-an-introduction-to-
employment-law.html>
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