Employee Relations: Analysis of Iceland Ltd's Practices and Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of employee relations, focusing on the practices of Iceland Ltd. It begins by explaining the unitary and pluralistic reference frames, crucial for understanding the relationship between employers and employees, and then assesses the impact of trade unionism on employee relations. The report explores the roles of key players in employee relationships, including employees, employers, and representatives, and examines organizational procedures for handling diverse conflict situations, such as understanding the situation, gathering knowledge, problem agreement, finding possible solutions, and solution negotiation. Furthermore, it delves into the key features of employee relations in conflict situations, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and effective communication. The report also explains negotiation roles in collective bargaining and assesses the impacts of negotiation strategies. Finally, it assesses the influences of the European Union on industrial democracy in the UK and compares methods for enhancing employee involvement and participation in decision-making processes, concluding with an assessment of human resource management's impact on employee relationships. The report utilizes information from Iceland Ltd, a food retail company in the UK, as a case study to illustrate the concepts discussed.

ASSIGNMENT: EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
STUDENT NAME:
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Task1:..............................................................................................................................................3
AC 1.1 Explaining unitary and pluralistic reference frames........................................................3
AC 1.2 Assessing changing effects of trade unionism in employee relations.............................4
AC 1.3 Explaining role of main players in employee relationship..............................................5
Task 2:.............................................................................................................................................6
AC 2.1 Explaining organisational procedures to deal with diverse conflict situations...............6
AC 2.2 Explaining key features of employee relations in organisational conflict situation........7
AC 2.3 Evaluating effectiveness of procedures used in conflict situation...................................8
Task 3:.............................................................................................................................................9
AC 3.1 Explaining negotiation roles in collective bargaining.....................................................9
AC 3.2 Assessing impacts of negotiation strategy.....................................................................10
Task 4:...........................................................................................................................................11
AC 4.1 Assessing European Union influences on industrial democracy of UK........................11
AC 4.2 Comparing methods of enhancing employee involvement and participation in
organisational decision-making process....................................................................................12
AC 4.3 Assessing human resource management impacts on employee relationships...............13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................13
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................14
Appendices:...................................................................................................................................17
Appendix 1: Logo of Iceland Ltd...............................................................................................17
Appendix 2: Vision and Mission of Iceland Ltd........................................................................18
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Introduction
Employee relation is always considered to be the foundation of organisational success, as it
ensures the effectiveness of the workforce abilities for an organisation. This study has tried to
focus on this issue in light of the unitary and pluralistic frames followed by the consideration of
unionism and employee representations. In this regard, this study has considered Iceland Ltd,
which belongs to the food retail industry of UK. This study has tried to develop critical
assessments on diverse components of employee relations in considerations with legislations and
organisational objectives.
Task1:
AC 1.1 Explaining unitary and pluralistic reference frames
The relationships between the employees and employers are considered to be the foundation of
organisational successes. In most of the of the cases, they are found to be connecting to each
other for the purpose of achieving organisational objectives and ensuring the benefits from the
competitive markets. However, certain conflicts are often found there that take place in particular
situations. In the words of Rees and Porter (2013), conflicts within an organisation refer to the
occurrences of debates, fights or arguments between the employers and the employees. In most
of the instances, such conflicts are found potential enough to cause difficulties for the
organisational benefits and extensively affect the relationships between both the parties.
Conflicts between the employees and employers are also liable to cause imbalances in the
organisational performances, which is also potentially harmful to the sustainability goals as well.
The management of an organisation is supposed to resolve such conflicts for the purpose of
ensuring the most efficient workforce within their workplaces. In this regard, they use to
acknowledge two fundamental perspectives, such as Unitary and Pluralistic.
Unitary Reference Frame
Unitary reference frame refers to the shared interests of each member within an organisation. As
opined by Heery (2014), unitary reference frame encourages both the employees and employers
to work together for the common interests and purposes within an organisation. With the prior
emphasise on the common interests and purposes, both these parties are found liable to ensure
their workforce towards the organisational success. In addition to it, the management of Iceland
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Ltd has also acknowledged the unitary reference frame for the purpose of preventing the
intervention of troublemaker components, poor communication skills and badly conducted
management skills within the organisation.
Pluralistic Reference Frame
Pluralistic reference frame, on the other hand, refers to the acceptance of multiple views of the
members of an organisation. As stated by Tansley et al. (2013), this reference frame
acknowledges diversities in perceptions, interests, values, beliefs, and objectives of the members
of the organisations. With the prior imposition of the pluralistic reference frame, the
managements of the organisations use to segment their employees as individuals and as groups.
The management of Iceland Ltd has also acknowledged this reference frame in order to
encourage their employees to contribute to their innovative business goals.
AC 1.2 Assessing changing effects of trade unionism in employee relations
Trade unionism is considered to be the former adherence to labour standards, which used to
ensure the employee workforce within both the Government and private sector organisation. It
had also been enabled to for the purpose of ensuring the wages and working conditions of the
labours in the international markets. As per the observation of Poole (2013), trade unionism had
been globally accepted by the Governments and managements of the organisation in 1831 in
order to definite the premises of the trading systems. However, it had also shed light on
acknowledging the interests of the labours keeping the trading situations mind. In addition to it,
trade unionism had been found potential in developing the livelihoods of the workers by
empowering the trade policies. However, the effects of trade unionism are still found within the
managements of the organisations, which are mostly aligned with the employee retention
objectives.
A great impact of trade unionism had been aligned with the employee relation goals of the
organisations as well, as it allowed the managements of the organisations to work with the most
efficient workers. The increasing wages for the workers on the prior considerations of the trade
unionism had encouraged the workers to perform better for their organisations. Besides, it also
allowed them to improve the qualities of their lives, which played a potential role for the
interests of the managements as well. In the words of Meardi (2012), the increased wages and the
legitimate working hours through trade unionism enhanced the morale of the workers
extensively, which encouraged them to enhance their own work abilities for the interests of the
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organisations. In addition to it, the trade unionism had also enabled prior protection for their job
securities as well considering the diversity issues and workplace exploitations in mind. The prior
imposition of trade unionism had also insisted the managements of the organisations to
acknowledge and maintain the legislations and Government regulations. According to Turner
and D’Art (2012), the management of Iceland Ltd has also acknowledged the benefits of trade
unionism and aligned their human resource management objectives with the changing effects of
trade unionism. In this regard, they always emphasise on their recruiting policies and workforce
managements by ensuring the effective communication between the employees and employers.
AC 1.3 Explaining role of main players in employee relationship
Employee relationship is always considered as a vital objective for any organisations, on the
basis of which the management of an organisation is supposed to ensure their sustainability
objectives. It is extensively important for an organisation to acknowledge the effectiveness of the
employee relationship goals for the purpose of ensuring continuous competitive advantages in
the growth markets. However, it is supposed to be aligned with the control of the legislations that
empowers the efficiency of it within the organisations. In the words of Goetsch and Davis
(2014), employee relationships are usually controlled by two groups, which are known as
employees and employers. In this regard, they are found liable to ensure the objectives of the
main players in the employee relationships of an organisation. The management of Iceland Ltd
has acknowledged the roles of these main players for the purpose of emphasising their objectives
regarding employee relations. In the context of Iceland Ltd, the management has addressed the
roles of main players in employee relationships.
Employee and employer
The relations between employees and employers are always found liable to encourage the
company objectives by prioritising the workforce abilities. In addition to it, the relations between
employees and employers are considered to be the most appropriate parameter of organisational
communication, which is liable to enhance the work abilities of an organisation. In the words of
Harrison (2012), the most efficient objective of the effective relationships between the
employees and employers are subjected to confront the organisational challenges and utilise the
organisational opportunities.
Representation
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In most of the cases, the relationships between the employees and employers are threaded by the
trade unions or other employee representative groups. They are usually controlled by a few
numbers of employees, who are subjected to act as representatives of all the employees. They
use to convey the needs of the employees to the employers in order to let them shed light on
them. According to Campbell et al. (2012), representation is recognised as another main player
in employee relations within an organisation that empowers the government legislations
regarding employee management issue to be acknowledged by the management.
Collective negotiations
The negotiation between the employees and employers is also considered to be one of the main
players of employee relations in an organisation. The purpose of negotiation is usually regarded
with ensuring the rights of the workers. However, it is also supposed to ensure the equality
demands of the employees under Equality Act 2010 (legislation.gov.uk. 2017) followed by
diversity management Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (legislation.gov.uk. 2017), equal pay under
Equal Pay Act 1970 (legislation.gov.uk. 2017), legitimate working hours and appraisals. It also
focuses on preventing the unfair practices of the employees within the organisation.
Task 2:
AC 2.1 Explaining organisational procedures to deal with diverse conflict situations
Conflict situations within an organisation are always considered to be potentially harmful for the
overall growth, as it causes massive negative impacts on the relations between the employees
and employers. In most of the cases, the conflicts within an organisation are associated with the
decision-making issues followed by other sorts of grievances between both the parties of
employers and employees or among the employees or among the employers. As per the opinion
of Moore (2014), conflicts within the organisations are often shaped up to be sensitive issues to
cause massive harms in the potential work force abilities of an organisation. The management of
Iceland Ltd has addressed this issue for their workforce enhancements, during the conflict
situation regarding employee performance appraisal.
Understanding situation
It enables the management of an organisation to gather knowledge on the issue and find out the
root causes of the conflicts. This plays the fundamental role in summarising the issue and
categorising the reasons behind it.
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Gathering knowledge
This is likely to be another fundamental approach from the end of a management for the purpose
of dealing organisational conflicts. It is mostly regarded with the data and findings of a conflict
situation to support the prevention measures to be taken against the conflicts.
Problem agreement
This refers to the edge points, where both the employers and employees agreed to the
organisational decisions. According to Slaikeu and Hasson (2012), acknowledging problem
agreement is mostly regarded with prioritising the organisational objectives, on the basis of
which both the parties can be brought for agreement. In addition to it, it can also be prioritised
for conflicts settlements considering the effective measures.
Finding possible solutions
This is another prioritised process that is enabled by the managements of the organisations for
the purpose of conflict prevention. It refers to shed light on the possible alternatives and
components that can be utilised to resolve the conflicts.
Solution negotiation
Solutions for the conflicts are usually based on the available alternatives or components within
the organisation. However, they are required to be negotiated with prior considerations of
possible advantages and disadvantages in order avoid the side effects or negative impacts of the
solution.
AC 2.2 Explaining key features of employee relations in organisational conflict
situation
Employee relations within an organisation are subjected to be aligned with certain key features
that are potential to prevent the conflict situations. In most of the instances, the objectives of
employee relations are supposed to be acknowledged on the prior basis of organisational benefits
(Cummings and Worley, 2014). Thus, the managements of the organisations are liable to address
the key features ensure maintenance of them in the organisational conflict situations. The
management of Iceland Ltd has always tried to address these key features for the purpose of
enhancing their organisational objectives, especially during the conflict situations regarding the
employee performance appraisal.
Working together
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Working together as a team is always considered to be the foundation of employee relations
within any organisation, as it ensures benefits of the united workforce. Additionally, it also helps
the managements of the organisations to emphasise on the organisational objectives through the
collective approaches.
Relationship and trust development
Development of relationship goals within an organisation is subjected to enhance the trust issues
among all the members of it. As opined Sidaway (2013), the managements of the organisations
are always liable to ensure the trust development goals among the employees and employers for
the purpose of prioritising the relationships to avoid conflicts.
Diversity management
Diversity management indicates at uniting all the members of an organisation irrespective of
their demographic backgrounds. It is extensively liable to enhance the morale of the employees
and encourage them to gain their confidence on their organisations.
Attention to employee needs
Prioritising the needs of the employers can also be fruitful in terms of enhancement of the
employee morale.
Understanding situations
Understanding the situation of conflicts is considered to be a distinguished quality of a
management that helps them in categorising the components within it. Understanding the conflict
situations can also allow the managements to sort out the solutions considering the organisational
objectives.
Foreseeing conflict issues
This is another distinguished quality of a management, on the basis of which they can avoid
conflict situations in future. In the words of LeBlanc et al. (2012), foreseeing the conflict issues
can be extensively useful in terms of preparing the solution measures beforehand.
AC 2.3 Evaluating effectiveness of procedures used in conflict situation
The conflict situation observed at the Iceland Ltd had been associated with the employee
appraisal issue, where the employees were found disappointed about their recent increments. It
had been recognised as a massive conflict situation that is supposed to cause harm to employee
relation goals in the organisation (Rittberger et al. 2012). This study has tried to develop certain
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procedures for ensuring prevention for the conflict situations. However, the effectiveness of the
procedures is supposed to be evaluated in this context of Iceland Ltd.
Focusing on understanding the situation of conflict had helped the management of Iceland Ltd to
address the employee appraisal. This procedure has also helped them in knowing the root cause
of the issue witnessed in the recent past regarding the disappointments of the employees on their
appraisal issue.
Henceforth, the management of Iceland Ltd has emphasised on gathering knowledge on the
issues, which had been related to the appraisal dissatisfaction of the employees. It had
extensively caused massive harms to the employee relation goals of the organisation. In line with
this, it had also been aligned with the consequences of the reduced work force in the workplaces
of Iceland Ltd. Thus, the management of Iceland Ltd had tried to gather the reasons behind it
where they found a deficiency of revenues to be the major reason behind the employee appraisal
issue, which eventually resulted with negative influences on employee relations.
Problem agreement addressed by the management of Iceland Ltd has been associated with the
development of employee-management meeting. In the words of Rubin and Brown (2013),
employee-management meeting is usually found highly potential in resolving the issues of
conflicts within the organisations. The management of Iceland Ltd has also acknowledged it and
addressed the issue of low revenue earnings as the reason behind insufficient appraisal of the
employees. It helped them in acquiring the trustworthiness of the employees and encouraging
them to gain their morale for the organisation to ensure more appraisals on the next time.
In addition to the problem agreement, the management of Iceland Ltd has also conducted the
process of finding possible solutions. This procedure had been proved effective in ensuring the
employee relations by convincing them about the prevention of such issues in further cases.
The process of solution negotiation had engaged the management of Iceland Ltd in discussing
the possible compensation for this issue, which had been agreed with a higher amount of
appraisal benefits for the employees on the next session by the management.
Task 3:
AC 3.1 Explaining negotiation roles in collective bargaining
Collective bargaining refers to an organisational mechanism or tool that helps the managements
of the organisations in ensuring employee relations. However, it is also recognised as an aspect
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organisational negotiation, on the basis of which the employees and employers are connected to
each other for organisational objectives. As commented by Grimshaw et al. (2014), the
principles related to organisational negotiations and collective bargaining are usually based on
the same components or same interests. In most of the cases, the role of negotiation is aligned
with the salary or wages between the employers and employees. In many cases, the issues related
to the working hours of the workers are also considered under this negotiation objective. The
collective bargaining, in this regard, refers to the overall interests of a group of workers
regarding any common issue. On the basis of this collective bargaining, the issues are negotiated
with the managements of the organisations.
Collective bargain uses to help the managements of the organisations in gaining employee
satisfaction, on the basis of which the better employee relation goals are achieved. The role of
negotiation in collective bargaining is ensuring the most effective outcomes to be achieved from
the management in the form wages, salary or reduced working hours. As opined by Jackson et al.
(2016), negotiation role in collective bargaining is also aligned with decision-making process,
which points at the improvement of communication strategies as well. In addition to it,
legislations and Government regulations are also acknowledged during the process of negotiation
to play effective roles for the entire group or community instead of an individual only.
AC 3.2 Assessing impacts of negotiation strategy
Negotiation strategy within an organisation refers to the process, where both the parties of
employees and employers adopt a common platform keeping the collective interests in mind. In
most of the cases, the negotiation strategy helps both the parties of employers and employees to
achieve the common interests through the collective bargaining. Thus, it helps the managements
of the organisations in ensuring the continuous process organisational growth by enabling
advantages for all. In the words of Jimeno and Thomas (2013), preventing conflicts and
removing any sort of obstacle are the major benefits of the negotiation strategy. The management
of Iceland Ltd has also acknowledged certain benefits by implementing negotiations strategies
within their organisation. The procedure of preventing conflict situation regarding the appraisal
issue has been bound potentially helpful for both their employers and employees in the long run.
In many situations, negotiation strategy helps the conflicting parties to overcome the ‘loss-loss’
situations, where they are found struggling from the both end. For such instances, no benefits are
supposed to be gained by either party until the negotiation strategy is implemented. In the case of
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Iceland Ltd, both the employers and employees had been found losing their benefits by
continuing the conflict situation. A prior implementation of process-based negotiation strategy
played the most effective role there in terms of ensuring collective bargaining for both the
parties. As stated by Conley (2014), negotiation strategy has always been found resolving or
intending to resolve organisational issues considering the legislations or government regulations,
which is another credible factor for it.
Task 4:
AC 4.1 Assessing European Union influences on industrial democracy of UK
Industrial democracy refers to the features of democratic actions that include the interests of both
the employees and employers within an entire industry. Industrial democracy in the UK has
always been aligned with the approaches towards ensuring the benefits of the employees and
employers under the prior intervention of legislations of UK. However, these approaches are
usually influenced by the laws of European Union. In the opinion of Bamber (2013), the recent
legislative of European Union has clearly instructed that the management of an organisation
within any industry is liable to inform all these changes to the employees. Unlike the previous
legislation regarding the industrial democracy in the UK, this legislation has been reached at the
statute. This legislation from the European Union also suggests that the decision-making process
from the end of the managements is also meant to acknowledge the opinion of the employee
representatives as well. This legislation has been recognised as a benchmark in the industrial
democratic situation of the UK that ensured the right of the employees of domestic industry.
Talking about the influences of European Union in the industrial democracy of the UK, the
evolution of employee consultation legislation is meant to be addressed, which had been
incorporated under the ICE regulations. The statute of European Union has also extensively
influenced the industrial democracy of the UK in terms of their employee relation design and
practical implementations of the employment laws within the organisations. In the argumentative
words of Marchington and Kynighou (2013), the consideration of Employee Regulations 2004 in
the UK had been ensured after the prior information sharing and consultation regarding the
industrial situations in the UK. However, they had been implemented extensively across the
industries in the UK for the purpose of preventing diverse conflict issues regarding employees
and employers.
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AC 4.2 Comparing methods of enhancing employee involvement and participation
in organisational decision-making process
Employee participation and involvement are considered to be the process, where the
contributions of the employees are incorporated in the organisational decision-making process.
With the intervention of the European Union influences in the industrial democracy of UK, the
management of the organisations are liable to ensure employee involvement in the decision-
making processes. It also has enhanced the participation of the employees in the organisational
objectives and considerations of organisational objectives in the long run. In most of the cases,
the managements of the organisations from any industry of UK are found liable to acknowledge
the benefits of their employees during the organisational objectives planning or even during the
implementation of strategies. In the words of Marchington and Suter (2013), the involvement
and participation of the employees in the organisational decision-making process are mostly
targeted towards empowering the rights of the employees in a greater scale. However, it is also
liable to protect the interests of the employees in terms of their wages and working hour benefits.
The methods of enhancing employee involvement and participation are also aligned with raising
the demands of the employees for the purpose of collective bargaining. In this way, it is also
supposed to ensure the negotiation process for the common benefits of both employees and
employers. According to Timming (2012), with the imposition of employee participation and
involvements, the industries in UK have also become capable of sharing authority and
responsibility with both the parties of employees and employers. On the other hand, this
objective has also allowed the employees to raise e their voices against any sort exploitations or
violations of legislations from the ends of the organisations. Besides, a large-scale participation
of the employees is subjected to produce varieties of contributions in the decision-making
process, which can be considered as another major advantage of industrial democracy. With the
enhancements of employee relations, the increased involvement and participation of the
employees in organisational decision-making process are supposed to acknowledge benefits
regarding board decision, ownership decision, collective bargaining decision and workplace
enrichment decisions.
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