Employee Relations Report: Unitary, Pluralistic Frames, and M&S

This report analyzes employee relations, focusing on the case of Mark & Spencer. It explores unitary and pluralistic frames of reference, the influence of trade unions on employee relations, and the roles of key players in this context. The report details procedures for resolving organizational conflicts, including identifying the root causes of disputes and implementing effective solutions. It also examines the key features of employee relations during conflict situations, such as reward systems and employee involvement, and evaluates the role of negotiation in collective bargaining. Furthermore, the report discusses the impact of EU regulations on industrial democracy and various methods for gaining employee involvement in decision-making processes. The report concludes by assessing the influence of the HRM approach on employee relations, providing a comprehensive overview of the subject.

Employee Relations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Unitary and pluralistic frames of reference...........................................................................1
1.2 Influence of trade unionism changes on employee relations................................................2
1.3 Role of main players in employee relations..........................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Procedures to solve conflict situations in organisation.........................................................4
2.2 Key features of employee relations in conflict situation.......................................................5
2.3 Effectiveness of procedures used in conflict.........................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Role of negotiation in collective bargaining.........................................................................7
3.2 Impact of negotiation strategy for given situation................................................................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
4.1 Influence of EU on industrial democracy in the UK.............................................................9
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
4.2 Methods of gaining employee involvement or participation in decision making process....9
4.3 Impact of HRM approach on employee relations...............................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
In previous years employee relations was called as industrial relations, which determines
the physical, cerebral and contractual relationship betwixt superiors and subordinates. In
organisations people make positive relations with their co-workers, superiors and top mangers
(Atkinson and Hall, 2011). These kind of bonding between employers and employees are made
to satisfy workers of company because, success of any enterprise depends upon its human
resources. Basically it is a process of communicating business problems and decisions between
top management and lower management. It includes organisational grievances, issues of trade
unions and collective bargaining. Through this company mangers make healthy relationships
with their workers so that they can motivate their subordinates and also can get best out of them.
This project report is based upon ''Mark & Spencer'' which is a multinational retailer brand and
it is located in United Kingdom (Bach and Kessler, 2011). It is famous for its domestic goods,
food products and fashionable designed cloths, it have approx 82,904 employees. In this report
its relation with its workers and influence of trade unionism on it has been observed. Along with
this, effective procedures has been evaluated to solve various situations of conflict at work
place.
TASK 1
1.1 Unitary and pluralistic frames of reference
Unitary frames : These are the perspective which includes different thinking, beliefs,
assumptions, attitudes, activities and values which is related with business administration and
membership of organisation (Biswas and Varma, 2011). According to this frame, mangers
should assign different roles to employees to accomplish same goals and objectives of company.
In this actual performance is measured by standard performance. In other words through unitary
frame all interests of mangers and staff members are integrated to achieve organisational goals
and objectives. It allows employees to develop their personal life as well as professional life. It
make it clear that conflicts between mangers and employees are not expected at work place,
because conflict creates various problems which effect the organisational growth and also
influence other employees to commit future troubles. To remove these problems unitary frame
help workers to take part in important decision making procedures.
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Pluralistic frames : This perspective allow companies to make different strong sub-
groups with their own legal loyalties, goals, leaders and objectives. It is a situation where
differences of ethics and cultural groups are are solved within business enterprise. Basically it
helps employers, employees and mangers to fight against their disagreement on profit sharing
and other organisational issues (Clarke, 2011). Different disagreements between employer and
employees can be solved by their collective negotiation which can influence organisation to
change internally as well externally. Pluralistic frame is highly focused on trade unions, in this
business mangers does not command or enforce its employees instead of this he become more
cooperative to concern its subordinates. Through trade unions, workers represent their different
interests and organisation have to make their decision according to employee's requirements,
which can be result in effective and affirmative change towards organisational success.
According to this perspective company is divided into two groups first is management and
second is trade unions, which enhance the healthy relationships between mangers and
employees.
Hence, above mentioned perspectives of reference plays an important role in business
organisation to solve carious conflicts or disputes within organisation (D.Waters, Sevick, Bortree
and TJ Tindall, 2013).
1.2 Influence of trade unionism changes on employee relations
The concept of trade union was developed to protect and promote different interested of
employees at work place. Members of these unions are known as representative of workers
which help them in getting their required needs and wants. In recent times, most of the developed
countries are making labour regulations to facilitate conditions of employees, it involves various
standards like compensations, incentives, different allowance and employment forms which is
governed by legal authorities or joint negotiation contracts. After 1901, trade unions become
more powerful which can sued and get sued for different indemnities. In previous years, due to
declining in industries employers started cutting wages and also increased working hours. To get
solve these problems various unions were emerged to provide appropriate wages and working
conditions to workers. Emergence of new labour groups has influenced various changes on
employee relations (D'Cruz and Noronha, 2011). At the starting stage there was worst
relationships between employers and employees. But when trade unions started their appropriate
work then it resulted in good relations betwixt mangers and subordinates. Through this
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employee relationships was get developed in almost all organisations. In recent times, success of
a company totally depends upon the continuous efforts of its workers.
Basically trade groups are associations of individuals within organisation which protect
them from exploitation of their superiors. The main object of these sub groups is to defend rights
of subordinates and also remove unethical practices of employers. Through this living standard
and working conditions of workers can be improved. In business enterprises labour relations has
a significant role because it improves growth and development of company. In simple words it
also know as relationships between superiors and subordinates, It also facilitates cooperation of
employer and employee at work place. In past years, these relations was figured to protect and
promote the requirements of workers but in future it is continuously rising work quality and
healthy working environment (Dasgupta, Suar and Singh, 2012). In recent times, through trade
groups company can easily mange labour relations so that it can enhance its production and
remove organisational conflicts.
1.3 Role of main players in employee relations
Associations or workers is generally known as trade unions which represent the different
interests of labours within business enterprise, it also provide appropriate payment of wages and
good working environment to individuals employed in company. There are four kind of labour
groups, first is craft unions in helps in representing specific workers with specific abilities,
second is general unions involves those employees who have number of skills and who are from
a number of commercial enterprises, third is industrial unions which represent the interest of
subordinates in a specific company and last one is while collar unions which stand for specific
occupations like teachers and pilots. There is a number of main players who have their
significant role in employee relations and these are following as under :
HR mangers : Important tasks of human resource mangers is creating job, making
various business plans, managing employee payrolls etc. These roles of HR person effects
relations with workers.
Employee trainee : The work of worker trainee is to provide appropriate training
programs to subordinates which facilitates relationship between employer and employee.
Financial mangers : These leaders help in strengthen the bondings betwixt superiors and
subordinates through giving accurate information about requirement of employee relations in
financial activities so that he can improve healthy relationships with labours (Devonish, 2013).
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Chief executive officers : These persons are highly focused on industrial relations
because they think abilities and competencies of worker can help organisation to achieve higher
success.
In addition, There are various functions which is played by organisational or national sub
groups. These unions work on the behalf of its members, mostly they bargain for appropriate
wages, working environment and working time. Protecting right of employees is one of the main
function of labour units. It also promote various education and training programs to update
current knowledge of workers. Through this employees can get various benefits like strike
payment, sickness payment and unemployment payment (Richards, 2011). Hence, it can be said
that trade unions plays an important role in making and improving employee relations.
TASK 2
2.1 Procedures to solve conflict situations in organisation
Organisational disputes are known as some kind of deviation betwixt superiors and
subordinates which can influence working environment of company as whole. These kind of
situations arise when employer and employees show their disagreement on some specific
aspects. Some of issues are maximise salary, minimise working hours, request for bonus and
other facilities. Problems which arise from these issues are known as organisational disputes. To
get rid of these troubles employers and employees make collective negotiation and other
mutually negotiated contracts. There are various steps which help in solving organisational
disputes and those are discussed below :
 Identify the reason of dispute : This first and foremost point of conflict solving process,
according to this mangers should recognise the reason behind arising industrial dispute it
involves various causes like lack of communication, inappropriate working conditions,
previous issues, inefficient leadership style, unfair practices of employers, lack of training
programs, harassment and exploitation of employees (Do Paco and Cláudia Nave, 2013).
These are some issues which impact a negative effect on organisational performance.
 Identify ways to solve dispute : After recognising causes of dispute mangers should take
corrective actions to solve them. Mutual understanding between employer and employee
can remove organisational disputes. Apart from this, there have been many ways through
which conflicts can be abstracted and these are continuously reviewing job statement,
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providing informal working environment, enhance involvement of workers, give priority
to employee safety, remove labour exploitation, provide future opportunities to each
individual within company, solve worker problems and so on.
 Implementation of solving processes : After identifying the solutions for industrial
disputes managers should implement those solutions in organisation to solve conflicts.
This can be done through making healthy relationship between superiors and
subordinates and taking help of worker's representative.
 Maintain records : In this mangers manage all letters, notes, reports and memos related
to meeting and events which are organised to remove organisational disputes.
Hence, these are the some important stages of conflict solving procedures through which
company can keep maintain good working conditions within work place (Robertson, Gockel and
Brauner, 2012). If mangers remove industrial disputes then they can get best out of employees
and enhance performance of organisation and workers as well, because highly performed human
resources can accomplish organisational objectives in a small period which will help in
increasing company's efficiency.
2.2 Key features of employee relations in conflict situation
Employee relations are the main foundation of every business enterprise. Lack of
relationships between mangers and workers results in poor performance of organisation.
Appropriate working environment in a company facilitates efficiency and effectiveness of
employees as well as firm. Mark & Spencer give its central attention to its labours because its
success depends upon continuous efforts of its workers which can lead it to next level of growth.
Increasing reward system and recognition of employees can work as key features of industrial
relations. These elements can improve productivity and profitability of business enterprise.
Along with this, enhancing involvement and empowerment of workers can also facilitates
relationships with them. Through increasing engagement of labour company can motivate them
to contribute their extra efforts towards organisational success (George, 2015). Also assigning
authorities and responsibilities to subordinates can make them confident to take corrective
actions. Mark & Spencer provides extra compensation to individuals who are employed in it
because workers contribute their activities in exchange of high remuneration. The main reason
behind arising conflict in this company was incapability of its mangers to discover labour
unions, if they were capable of identifying unions then no such dispute took place. That time
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they used pluralistic approach to solve organisational conflict. There are some aspects through
which leaders can improve industrial relations which are following as under :
 Provide reward system to workers
 Solve managerial problems
 Enhance employee engagement and empowerment
 Provide training and development programs to individuals employed in company.
Furthermore, with the help of above mentioned points Mark & Spencer can improve its
relations with its employees. If this organisation wants to become most powerful enterprise then
it have to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of its labours, for that firm have to take help of
various key features like providing safety and security to workers. Company should make
strategies to consider the needs and demands of its employees so that it can get desired goals and
objectives through their continuous efforts (Upchurch and Marinković, 2011).
2.3 Effectiveness of procedures used in conflict
In recent times, organisations are continuously modifying its structure to to cope up with
environmental changes. Different variations in business environment can influence positive as
well as negative impact on organisational performance. After globalisation market have become
more competitive because it has involved various competitors from different countries. Along
with this, changing needs and demands of customers has also effecting business organisations.
Emerging environmental changes and different beliefs of individuals can create industrial
disputes. It is a situation where two or more than two persons work together and show their
disagreement on specific issues. It involves divergence in perceptions, actions, attitudes,
expectations and so on. There are also some external factors like technological, political, social,
cultural and economical issues which can rise conflicts within organisation (Guillot-Soulez and
Soulez).
Industrial disputes refer as negative aspect of company. A number of conflicts can results
in employee stress and lack of organisational profitability. So that mangers have to regularly
monitor and review job descriptions of workers. To consider that main function of business
mangers is to facilitates dispute administration, through this company can can get many benefits.
To solve industrial conflicts leaders use various process in which they identify reason of
differences and also find solutions to solve them. Procedure of solving organisational problems
can help mangers to overcome company's disputes. With the help of this process business
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persons can discover causes of mutual misunderstanding and if he is able to understand those
causes then he can also identify required actions to solve them. A good leader should be ware
about the consequences of industrial conflicts. Through dispute solving procedures company can
have good relations with its employees and it also help in increasing organisational productivity
and profitability. Mark & Spencer use pluralistic approach in which it give importance to its
management and also trade unions. It also determines the employee disputes which influence
negative effect on performance of mangers and enterprise as well. So to remove conflicts leaders
should identify its causes and also implement corrective actions to solve them (Gupta andKumar,
2012).
TASK 3
3.1 Role of negotiation in collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is known as negotiation process between employer and employee.
It is a method which is used in organisation to solve conflicts betwixt superiors and subordinates.
In this bargaining is based on salary, employee safety and working hours. It also influence a
positive relationship between top management and lower management. HR manager of a
enterprise plays a important role in collective bargaining because human resource are the person
who have expertise in industrial relations and employee relations (Van Buren III and
Greenwood, 2011). In previous years, HR persons have few roles and responsibilities but due to
environmental changes duties of mangers have become more important in areas like strategy
management, employee retention and some other business activities. The term negotiation helps
in enhancing productivity of labours and it also provide them self respect within work place.
Different movement of trade unions have been strengthen by effective collective bargaining.
With help of this, business management can discover various solutions for industrial disputes and
it is also significant for settling differences between employers and employees.
Moreover, collective bargaining involves trade unions to negotiate on different aspects
like Woking hours and terms of employment and it also improve relations between mangers and
representative of workers. It also introduce various trade unions which talk over the employees
interests and their needs (Hendrix, Hayes and Kumar, 2012). Leaders of these unions work
behalf on its members and help them in dealing with various organisational problems. Through
collective bargaining employers and employees come together and set wages and other working
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conditions with their mutual understanding. It is come under The Industrial Disputes act which
facilitates negotiation betwixt employers and members of trade unions on the issues of
employment. It is mostly resulted in mutual agreement which are approved by both parties.
Basically negotiation includes four stages which are following as under :
 Preparations : In this various researches and issues are prepared.
 The opening : In this both parties represent their needs and demands.
 Trading : In this both side make mutual agreement in exchange of something.
 Agreement : In this step both parties make their expectations clear.
3.2 Impact of negotiation strategy for given situation
Negotiation strategy plays an significant role in every business organisation. It is a
process where top management and lower management get together to solve particular problems
within company. At the time of wages maximisation employers and trade member both should
set achievable objectives and according to organisational policies. Before taking any actions
about salary increment labour groups should do market research to identify current trends and
rates of payment in same companies which can support their statements (Suliman and
AlKathairi, 2012). After analysing those aspects union members identify that what kind of
facilities should be provided by top management, if mangers are not providing requires facilities
to their employees than labour units can take appropriate actions to fulfil their bargaining. But if
top management give acceptance to provide appropriate conditions then it can result in positive
negotiation procedure.
Mark & Spencer use their debate strategy to overcome their industrial disputes, which
can be justified by following example : Trade union of this company wants to increase wages by
6 %, but inflation rate has increased by 2% according to index retail prices. So that members of
union groups wants increment of 2 % in salary to manage exact buying power. Due to this HR
manager of this company is facing various complications from last one year to solve these
problems organisation have to increase its growth and inform shareholders to enhance sales
volume by 7 % so that demands of trade unions can be fulfilled (Ibrahim and Al Falasi, 2014).
Moreover, negotiation can be of two type positive and negative, both of them impact a lot
on the performance of Mark & Spencer. Future growth of this company is totally lies upon its
debate strategy. Impact of negotiation can determined its success as well as its failure.
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TASK 4
4.1 Influence of EU on industrial democracy in the UK
There are several steps which can be included in industrial democracy. These are making
decisions, sharing of responsibility and workplace authority (Kazlauskaite, Buciuniene and
Turauskas, 2011). In European policies, there is a set procedure of workers involvement in
decision making criteria. Concept of “partner based relationship” have been introduced in which
both unions and management work upon a same goal and objective. Role of work council is very
importation as it is elated with discussing long term target of the organisation. They are also
liable for suggesting several strategies to meet future objective of the company. This makes their
role very essential in any organisation. They are actually responsible for setting up all future
based target and then at last they give their full attention in determining steps and procedures to
achieving the set objective for the company. European monetary union is working in the concept
of wage dumping. They are planing to increase the concept (Jennings, McCarthy and Undy,
2017).
1. Employees are free to move in different areas for the purpose of employment- One of
the major affect of EU on industrial democracy can be considered as employees are free to move
in different regions and thus this will maximize the level of employment. It will further provide a
better life style to the working people as their standard of living will also increase.
2. High level of production- As employees are working in a free environment where
management are involving them in decision making process. Therefore, this will increase the
efficiency level of workers and it will further result in better production by the organisation.
TASK 4
4.2 Methods of gaining employee involvement or participation in decision making process
Involvement of workers in decision making process is an essential element of
organisation success. Because participation of employees increase their confidence level all
workers have the knowledge about what organisation wants to achieve (Larson, 2017).
Involvement of subordinates helps in creating or maintaining a positive work environment
maximise their performance. It helps enterprise in setting mutual or effective goals for both
workers and employees. After gaining the employee involvement M&S can create a enthusiastic
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work environment. Following methods can be used by managers of M&S for gaining
participation of workers in decision making process:
 Information method: Under this method employers give information to employees about
all activities of enterprise. It helps workers in gaining knowledge about what is going on
all departments of organisation. Employees shape their activities or take decisions
according to the set objective or goals. It helps in decreasing the cost of business
operations. For this M&S can use a management information system for collecting,
analysing and distributing information to employees.
 Authority and power: Increased power increase the responsibility of employees and
increased responsibility increase the involvement of workers in operations of business.
All this increase the capabilities or skills of workers which increase the overall
performance of firm.
 Delegation: It is a process of assign senior's work to the junior employee. It gave chance
to employees for learn something new and show their talent to large number of people.
All this increase the responsibilities of workers.
All these methods can be used by managers of M&S for gaining workers involvement in
decision making process. Research has shown that participative decisions give effective results
and increase the satisfaction level or confidence of workers (Mathew and Jones, 2012). This is
used by enterprises gfor setting mutual goals or to decrease the cost of its business operations.
4.3 Impact of HRM approach on employee relations
Concept of human resource management deals with the activities of managing workers
and their activities at workplace. Employees are the important assets of every organisation so it
become necessary for every manager to give proper emphasis on this. It includes recruitment,
section, training or performance evaluation of workers. Approach of human resource
management affect the quality of employee relations in an enterprise (Morris, 2012). For
building or maintaining good relations with workers it is very necessary for manager of M&S to
give proper consideration on this factor. Practices of HRM helps in making the compensation
packages of workers which affect the productivity or activities of workers in various ways. If
manager make the policies of human resources by complying with all legislations of employment
than this will encourage the positive work practices at workplace. Pay for performance,
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