Employee Relations Report: British Airways Case Study Analysis

This report examines employee relations within British Airways, focusing on key concepts such as unitary and pluralistic frames of reference, and the impact of trade unionism. It analyzes the roles of various players, including managers, workers, and government authorities, in maintaining employee relations. The report further investigates conflict resolution processes, specifically addressing disputes within British Airways, including the 2011 strike, and evaluates the characteristics of employee relationships. It also explores negotiation strategies in collective bargaining, the influence of the EU on industrial democracy, methods for gaining employee engagement, and the assessment of human resource management on employee relations. The analysis highlights the importance of fair practices, ethical conduct, and a safe working environment for maintaining positive employee relations and organizational success.

Employees Relation

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Explaining the Unitary and pluralistic frame of references..................................................1
1.2 Effects of change in trade unionism on in employee relations.............................................2
1.3 Main player's roles in maintaining employee relations........................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Process of solving conflict in the British Airways................................................................4
2.3 Different characteristics of the employee relationship in the British airways......................5
2.3 Effectiveness of the process adopted by the organisation to solve the dispute.....................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Negotiation roles in collective bargaining............................................................................7
3.2 Impact of negotiation strategy...............................................................................................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
4.1 Influence of EU on industrial democracy.............................................................................9
4.2 Methods which are used to gain Employees engagement in the process of decision making
.....................................................................................................................................................9
4.3 Assessment of Human resource management on employee relations................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
Books and Journal.....................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
In the general context employee relation can be defined as the relation between
Employees and the employers. For the maintenance and controlling of relation regarding to get
the highest level of coordination between both of these, several legislation works in an
organisation. In this current competitive market condition, it is very crucial for every company to
maintain their relations with their potential stakeholders and their employees to positively carry
out their business activities (Ayyagari, Grover and Purvis, 2011). In this report British Airways
company is selected to understand about the importance of to maintain employee relation, In
these, such big Aviation company it is very for the organisation to maintain their relation to their
customers by providing them the best quality services to customer base, as well as to maintain
their employee and stakeholders relation. The following report is covering the key characteristics
to maintain employee relation and the roles of negotiation in bargaining.
TASK 1
1.1 Explaining the Unitary and pluralistic frame of references
For to understand and determine the significance and nature of maintaining public
relation, there are certain methods which are introduced to the HR manager of British Airways
such as: Unitary and Pluralistic frame of references. Both the frame of references depends and
works on different ideas and thoughts however, both can be focused in the development of cited
company Employee relation with their Employers and the relation of company to its stakeholder.
In Unitary frame of reference it works on some assumptions and values that any type of conflicts
are not accepted behaviour and relation in between manager and the employees within a
workplace. Where as, in Pluralistic frame of references the organisation deviates the firm into
sub-groups and powerful firms (Baccaro and Howell, 2011).
The main purpose of using these frames and approaches is they take care and assure in
carrying out and managing the workforce in very effective manner which assists in carrying out
business activities in dependable manner of success. In relation with Unitary frame of reference
it states that the power and the authority approaches should lies in the hands of every individual
who is working in managing of company or to the management level. In relation to this all the
authorities working in British Airways are focused by the senior authorities and the managers
and other workers and employees are not participated in taking strategies decisions. This type of
frame creates the commitment and the loyalty toward the organisation by their employees and
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the directions to work will be clear and focusing in one direction because of the decision are
taken by individual and also encourages professionalism (Bach and Bordogna, 2011). Unitary
frame of reference is the approach believed that conflicts between employers and employee can
be avoided in an organisation.
In relation to Pluralistic approach, a trade union plays very important role in taking
decision which is favourable for the staff members and their different demands and need can be
effectively satisfied. It believes that by the mean of different values, behaviour and the attitude
better workplace can be developed by developing positive work-environment in Company. In
this frame negotiation is based to feel their importance towards toward the company to the
employees. Thus, by using these frames British Airways can manage and maintain their relations
with their customers, employees and their potential stakeholders in efficient and effective
manner for the development of the company.
1.2 Effects of change in trade unionism on in employee relations
Changing management and governing of the trade union directly affects the relation of
employees towards the organisation (Batt and Colvin, 2011). Generally, trade union is the group
of workers and their leaders working together aiming to create and provide best working
environment with securing employees and promoting their common interest regarding to their
other financial profits and their pay scales. The new model and the movement of Union was
carried out in 19th century. As the trade union is against the exploitation of workers and working
in to serve benefits to staff members, but sometimes because of certain changes in trade union it
can affect employee relation, it can be even clear taking an example of British Airways.
1. Legal and political: - Changes in the political and legal strategies can directly affect the
relationship with employees in British Airways, Further more the senior management of
the company has to work according and follow different set rules and regulation by the
government of the company which are built in respect to help and support employees of
the company by sometimes can be contradicting and may creates conflicts.
2. Technological: - With the continuous up-gradation in the technology of companies like
British airways where update in technology is very important, this development in
technology can leads the organisation to reduce their workers, which indirectly put very
adverse effect on employment (Daymon and Holloway, 2010). Associating with saving
of human resources, British Airways is encouraged to improve their rules and strategies
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to save the rights of their employees. This is how trade union of British Airways is acting
as a shield to save their rights, advancement in technology assists in the development of
the business operation but costing for customers relations.
However, thus trade union works for the well-fare of the society and to maintain the
potential relations in an organisation, it also took care to prevent other factors such as resisting
child labour and other factors which are affecting the welfare of society and culture of the
company.
1.3 Main player's roles in maintaining employee relations
For the maintenance of fair relationship with employees and employers, there are several
people who are responsible for this, in this concern it is the responsibility of management senior
to listen properly to the conflicts in between their staff members and to resolve those conflicts in
an effective and fair manner. These are some major players who are playing very critical role in
the maintenance of employees relation in British Airways.
 Managers: - The senior front line managers in British Airways are mostly responsible and
plays crucial role in the developing of relations with their employees and employers.
Regarding to this they take several decisions and develops different innovative strategies
which promotes fair relationship (DiStaso, McCorkindale and Wright, 2011). These
further taken by managers and ensures to provide better working environment to the staff
of British Airways. The managers are also very helpful at the time of criticism in an
organisation which can affect the whole functioning and environment of the company. In
addition to these managers motivated other employees to work with more efficiency and
effectively and to development of healthy competitive environment.
 Workers: - Workers are the main players whose obligation are for the execution of
defined operations and tasks by the management in the best effective manner such that
the company would be able to attain its set objectives and Aims. And hence, it is very
important for British Airways that along with their managers, their staff also having
responsibility to being loyal towards the company. By providing their full potential and
loyalty toward the company workers can also act as main players.
 Government Authority: - Government authorities are also playing an important in the
development of fair employee's relation, British Airways has to work abiding to the set
rules and regulation by the government for example- It takes care and prevent from child
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labour, low pay wages, health and safety act and other making their efforts in developing
better employee's relationship.
TASK 2
2.1 Process of solving conflict in the British Airways.
Industrial dispute has become very big in the British airways which have impacted
negatively on the company’s performance and their profitability. Due to these, they are losing
customers’ loyalty and confidence over the firm. British airways need to find internal as well as
external environment to find different problems of various stakeholders. There are various
factors which lead to dis-satisfaction, de-motivation and dis-engagement of the employees and
external factors including political, social, technological etc. which impact on the organisation
and create dispute among management team and employees (Webb and Higgins, 2017).
In 2011, more than 10000 crew members went on the strike and announced that they are
at the dispute level which is related to the travel concession. Management team have made new
pay deals, working arrangements and safeguard route. This was the longest dispute in the British
Airways which was solved.
In this situation, resources are not properly allocated to the workers as well as the
working environment was not safe for the members of the company by which motivation of the
staff have been reduced. These problems lead to raise in the voice of employees rather than
following the policies and strategies made by the top level of management. The biggest problem
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Illustration 1: Roles of Employee relations
(Source: - international industrial relations, 2014)

they face is that they are doing discrimination with the workers while allotting work, they said
that was not on the basis of age, experience and knowledge. This situation created conflict
between the employees and managers. This will lead to reduce zeal of working which will
hamper the profitability and productivity of the organisation. To solve the problem, top
level management should be fair with all the employees while delegating task, responsibility and
authority among them. They should adopt the policy of taking feedback where all the employees
get chance to tell their problems and express their view, feelings, thoughts. This will help the
company to find innovation ideas for the problem which is faced by the company as well as they
will be aware about the hurdles and disputes faced by the workers.
Other problem faced by the organisation was they was not following ethical code of
conduct, they were not listing to the problems of the company stakeholders and due to that
employee fells that they are not important for the firm. Managers need to react to the unfair trade
practices and unfavourable working environment. By implementing ethical code of the conduct,
company can solve this problem which has reduced the efficiency of the employees (Eagly,
2017).
The biggest problem which is faced by the company was the employees are not finding
themselves safe in the business environment, human resource manager should serve different
facilities to the workers which help to fell that they are secure in the organisation atmosphere.
British Airways should not negligence these problems because is they will increase it will
hamper the performance of employees, organisation's profitability and productivity and the most
important that is customer experience.
2.3 Different characteristics of the employee relationship in the British airways
By analysing the problem, the biggest hurdle face by the organisation is collective dispute
where all the resources, task, responsibility and authority is not delegated in the proper way with
in different depart and level of the company (Eyo and Francis, 2017). This problem or conflict
have impacted the organisation on large basis such as it reduces the productivity and profitability
of the company as well as hamper the performance of the employees. There are different
characteristics related to the employee relationship in the firm, that are as follows:
Hinder female and male member relationship in the organisation: Due to collective disputes
of the company, members of the organisation will not prefer to work in team, they will be de-
motivated through different problems. each member tries to dominate other members in the
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group and they will try to fulfil the personal interest rather than organisational interest. This
problem reduces the brand image of the company, where customer finds that the employees are
selfish and workers are not luffing the firm's goal.
Reduce satisfaction level of the company: The main reason behind arising the problem is the
employees are not satisfied with the decision made by the top level of management related to
delegation of work and communication of information. Top level executive is not able to allocate
task properly to the all the members of the organisation. Due to these problems, employee
relationship has affected on the large basis. To reduce this problem, company need to be fair with
the employees while allotting the work, they should analyse the capabilities, knowledge,
experience and skills of the employees and then delegate the responsibility accordingly.
2.3 Effectiveness of the process adopted by the organisation to solve the dispute.
The conflict which has arrived in the organisation, top level of the company need to
implement different approaches so that they can able to resolve the conflict within the members
of the venture. To overcome the battle situation in the venture, top level management should
create the platforms to have better communication between the supervisor and employees. They
should be honest with the members of the organisation so that employee cab does fair work for
the company as well as implement firm's objective with the personal objective (Lehouillier and
Omer,2017). They shroud take feedback constant from the employees so that they can able to
find the problems of employees. If the able to know the conflict stage at the initial level, they
will able to solve that problem at the ground level as well as that conflict will not take the drastic
change for the venture. The solution or process which is taken by the organisation will reduce
inefficiency and employee will find that they are the part of the company which give motivation
to work hard and serve better customer experience.
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TASK 3
3.1 Negotiation roles in collective bargaining
Bargaining can be referred as the collective negotiating with the staff or the employer to
the group of employees’ regarding to create an agreement relating to wages, working hours,
promotions of the employees and other conflicts which arises during working in an organisation.
It also assists the staff to reach and consider some specific feature. In relation to the cited
company (British Airways) the organisation is having lot of workforce in order to carry out their
various operations. The company adopts collective process of the bargaining for the negotiation
with their employees and employers to present and resolve the conflicts and different issues
faced by the employees of British Airways (Edmans, 2011). By adopting these processes of
bargaining employers develop various tactics for to meet the demands of employees and for the
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Illustration 2: Roles of Collective bargaining
(Source: - Trade union and Collective Bargaining,2012 )

development of favourable work-environment in an organisation. Some of these roles for
negotiating and to determine the effective bargaining are as follows: -
 It helps in the improvement of effectiveness: - Negotiating assist in the improvement of
effectiveness of the company. The issues which are arising in an organisation can easily
be resolved by the collective bargaining processes negotiating it with employers in
British Airways. In this by the help of proper discussion the conflicts can be elaborate in
between employees and employers. Furthermore, by handling work in effective and
efficient manner it can develop fair and positive work environment in British Airways.
 Negotiating enhances the quality of work: - In British Airways, employees with the help
of their union leaders and officers present their necessary demands to the employers in
order to carry various function in an organisation (Edwards, 2011). Bargaining also
ensures the quality of work because of employees’ satisfaction.
 Negotiation supports the firm in reaching productive conclusion: - The employees select
their representative for the identification of key solution of their various issues they are
facing while working with British Airways. Also, with this collective bargaining process
the employees can easily communicate with various changes which can assist in to
effective solutions to the rising issues.
3.2 Impact of negotiation strategy
Negotiation is a process which is useful to resolve all the disputes which are faced by an
organisation in their working period. By using these strategies, firm can achieve the best result
which are in favour of the company. British Airways negotiate with their employees which make
negation impact in the business growth. In order to resolve the disputes in the working place
cited firm deal with employees so that they will achieve their desire goals. Negotiation strategies
is essential by which disputes and issues are identified by which company make effective tactics
to solving the problems (Ferner, Edwards and Tempel, 2012). There are various strategies which
are used by the British Airways:
Competing strategy: These strategies is related with the competitive situation which are
faced by the cited organisation. British Airways analysis each and every activity so that it is
proved to be positive for its growth. Manager of company analysis the working culture so that
they can make effective changes in them and achieve desire outputs.
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Accommodative Strategies: It includes all the major issues which make negative impact
on performance level of British Airways. In order to this, cited firm mainly focus on employee's
working schedule issues and make some efforts so that it can overcome or improve the working
style of employees.
Compromise Strategies: These strategies are applied when there are no changes done in
favour of employees’ welfare. British Airways faces various time constraints which effect the
performance level of employees in a working environment. It can be said that British Airways
hold their position and beat the competitive environment by using an appropriate compromise
strategy.
TASK 4
4.1 Influence of EU on industrial democracy
Organisation's operational activity is highly influenced by the EU on industrial
democracy (Guest, 2011). It includes working environment in which an organisation design itself
in effective manner. British airways adopt these policies and procedure by which they will make
effective working environment. This policy is different in different place. Hence, it is essential
for the organisation to cope up with all the policies which are suitable in different working
environment easily. EU passes various provisions which highly affect the working condition of
British Airways. It makes equal employees' participation in the decision-making process so that
there will be effective participation of employees in an organisation. It can be said that adopting
new policies raise the standards and performance level of employees in a business. Furthermore,
employers of British Airways also share the functioning information to the employees which is
beneficial for the organisation for increasing their efficiency level. There are various kind of
major issues in the organisation. Hence, British Airways set their standards so that all
predetermine objectives can be achieved by the organisation. Hence, it can be said that all these
policies are beneficial for British Airways for raising their standards and creating favourable
working environment.
4.2 Methods which are used to gain Employees engagement in the process of decision making
There are several methods to enhance the quality of work-environment in an
organisation, such as by engaging employees to various functions and activities by which it will
provide various resources and ideas to accomplish various objectives and aims of the company
(Kalleberg, 2013).
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British Airways is adopting some methods of consultation through which the company is
easily able to develop other tactics, which directly affects in the development of work
environment which will increases the involvement of employees and make to company to
provide full customer satisfaction, this leads to the overall functioning of British Airways by this
they effectively enhance the work-environment of the company and able to create new standards
in efficient manner. Using these methods to can be beneficial for British Airways in innovating
employees in the direction of decision making of British Airways (Kalleberg, 2013).
 When the employees are involved decision-making they feel like the other management
staff cars about their existence and their decision and they will apply more efforts to
achieve their goals and to maintain the positive work-environment in British Airways
which will allow the company to achieve their past objectives and aims. When, the
employee's feels that they are valued they put their best potential efforts to in the
succession of their company (Underhill and Quinlan, 2011).
 Since, involving in decision-making the employees of British Airways were having full
information about the company's policies and future strategies they can effectively work
according to that and there will be fewer chances for the developing of communication
gap in between employees and the potential employers. Having full information about the
task will allow them to more significantly for the succession of the company.
 The associates will have found more responsibilities in decision-making and put more
efforts in working to deal with future oriented problems.
 This will develop greater range of moral and motivation to the employee's and within the
company (Wilkinson and Fay, 2011).
 Allowing decision-making of employees will impact their work and reduces the work
load from management and managers and allows them to focus on different bigger issues
regarding to the company. This will allow management to change their different
procedures and refining processes.
4.3 Assessment of Human resource management on employee relations
Policies to HR management in improvement of employee relations.
1. Incentives: Proper incentives make the employees motivated to work which is important
for the firm's growth. These incentives also make the employees feel being cared for
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which enhances the relation between employee and employer. British airways can
provide the employees with more incentives to initiate a better relation.
2. Regular negotiations between the employee and employer to feel the employee of British
airways important towards the firm.
3. Decision making: The HR management makes decisions which are in favour of the
employees in order to keep them motivated and fulfil their wants in a more effective way.
British airways make efforts to find out the needs of the employees and satisfy them.
4. Managers: The managers of BA make sure to provide the employees with satisfactory
working environment (Walby, 2013). They comply with the employees and listen to their
problems in order to provide solutions making the employee relations with the employer
boost.
5. Team work: encouragement of team works my management enhances employee
relations. Giving work to team and letting employees willingly take the challenges help
reduce conflicts among the employees and with the management. British airways should
provide freedom in team work and friendly environment between employees.
6. Communication: communication between the management and employees is written in
British airways so there is more transparency. Verbal communication is proof of nothing
and it increases risk of conflict.
7. Feedback: A proper channel of feedback provided by the HR management decrease
conflicts. British Airways management has developed a channel of feedback for the
employees to give feedbacks on the policies of the management which reduces conflicts
among the employees (Van De Voorde, Paauwe and Van Veldhoven, 2012).
No bad language: Policy of use of formal language among the management and employees make
the communication channel free and the employee relations becomes bonded with management.
British airways have a strict policy against use of language in the working environment.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded and observed that, maintenance of employee
relation is very critical for the airline company British Airways in order to develop the
performance of their employees and the organisation as well, it helps in to provide customer
satisfaction. The above report illustrates two major approaches which are Unitary and pluralistic
frames with the help of these top-level management of British Airways can maintain their
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relationship their potential stakeholder and to carry out their task with more effective and
efficient manner. In addition to this the report is also giving information about the trade union
which leads the organisation of various developing and training sessions I order to increase their
employees’ different abilities and skills as according to the convenience and the need of an
Organisation.
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