Unitarist and Pluralist Perspectives in Management. Overview and Key Difference Malden, Mass: Blackwell Business. If these diverse cultures are brought together, they might help an organisation to come up with quality managerial practices, which can be achieved if an organisation accepts to accommodate a wide range of employee relations policies (Gennard & Judge 2002). From the research, it was deduced that the administration of Germany gives preference to the pluralist form of human resource management. It has been argued that the reason as to why this is not the case in Germany is that it is costly to apply this perspective within the context of Germany. For the organisation to curb conflicts, it has to ensure that all stakeholders take part in the decision-making process. LinkedIn and 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and (except on the iOS app) to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. Those companies that use this approach are fully dependent on the workplace with strong cooperation between individual employees and employers to focus on primary goals. According to the unitarist perspective, the conflict is dysfunctional since it decreases loyalty and may pose threats to the relationships within the organisation. Each of these perspectives has specific workplace relations perceptions. According to pluralism, conflicts must exist in organisations because competing interests are present. Towards the end of the 20th century, a shift in the management of worker relations has been experienced. Therefore, the way they are managed determines how the organisation performs. This perspective is also best suited for collective industrial relation systems. Unitarism comprise of the executives and staff individuals sharing . Numerous well-known firms have been brought out as having applied the unitarist perspective in human resource management. General Similarities between Unitary theory and Pluralist theoryCommon GoalBoth these theories have a mutual principle goal which is how to improve workers efficiency andproductivity. Nonetheless, it should not be assumed that a pluralist form of management can only be applied by organisations when pressured to do so. "Unitarist Perspective vs. Pluralist Perspective Case Study." This has not been fully proved. There is a relationship between two parties, that is underpinned by communication- consultation That each party has an interest at the enterprise level process There is the non organization of workers under the unitary model. Therefore, many organisations are shifting from this kind of management and lean towards adopting the pluralistic form of managing employee relations in organisations (Wilkinson, 2008). Retrieved from https://studycorgi.com/unitarist-and-pluralist-perspectives-in-management/, StudyCorgi. In the unitarism framework, the firm is perceived as being an integrated and harmonious whole. You can use them for inspiration, an insight into a particular topic, a handy source of reference, or even just as a template of a certain type of paper. As evidenced by Kramar et al., (2021, p. 567), Unitarian addressed individual employees' interests in the workplace. Under this management strategy, companies can adopt non-union policies, especially when there are employee organisations in existence. London: Routledge. Abbott, K 2006, A review of employment relations theories and their application, Problems and Perspectives in Management, vol. Therefore, unions are disliked. They believe that for an organisation to succeed there has to be numerous leaders or lines of command to make sure that one leader does not pursue personal interests at the expense of others. The unitary and pluralist perspectives of employee relations Since the 1980s, there has been a significant paradigm shift in managing employee relations (ER) to one focused on more strategic and integrated frameworks that are based on employee commitment and shared workplace interests, instead of the traditional managerial control and conflicts On the other hand, pluralism refers to the perspective perceived as created by diverse subgroups with individual legitimate interests. According to pluralists, organisations are more susceptible to conflicts than harmony. All instructions ought to come from the management team (Ross & Bamber 2009). It has been identified that stakeholders are rational. They believe that the conflicts help the management to unravel the underlying tensions, therefore, helping them to come up with measures to mitigate them. However, the strategies it gives appear more intimidating to employees. must. This perspective sees conflict as something unavoidable and a legitimate impact of the varying interests at the workplace (Lewin, Mitchell, Sherer and Industrial Relations Research Association, 1992). Side by Side Comparison Unitarism vs Pluralism in Tabular Form, Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms, Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza, Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19, Difference Between Gene Amplification and Gene Cloning, Difference Between Transport Chair and Wheelchair, Difference Between Investment Management and Wealth Management, What is the Difference Between Body Wash and Shower Gel, What is the Difference Between Ice Pick and Thunderclap Headache, What is the Difference Between Macular Degeneration and Macular Edema, What is the Difference Between Preganglionic and Postganglionic Brachial Plexus Injury, What is the Difference Between Polyhydramnios and Oligohydramnios, What is the Difference Between Laceration and Abrasion. August 1, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. This can work well for individualistic systems of industrial relations (Martin and Fellenz, 2010). One of the aspects of managerial relations is the collective bargaining (Bacon & Blyton 2007). 187-198. You can update your choices at any time in your settings. In such an instance, employees only work because they need money and they leave the organisation upon getting the first chance. The perspective sees unions as being competitors who compete for the loyalty of employees as well as their commitment. Some conflicts are said to be of value to firms and, therefore, are necessary for organisations (Wilton and Wilton, 2011). Andover: Cengage Learning. Instead of employees participating in the decision-making process, the employers force them to embrace the decisions made by the management even if they affect their rights and interests. Barry, M, 2011, Research handbook in comparative employment relations. 2 : the quality or state of being plural. London: SAGE. Pluralism does not believe in the power exercised by the management. The other point that forms the basis of unitarism is that the activities of trade unions are not legitimate. The management has the duty to conduct a free and fair promotion and recruitment exercise, come up with quality communication systems that are capable of showing the employees where their interests fall, and deal with people susceptible to personality disorders (Bacon & Blyton 2007). 3. (Grady et al., 2019, p. 490). Mabey, C, Salaman, G, and Storey, J, 1998, Human resource management: A strategic introduction. These include the unitarism, pluralism and radicalism. 2023. 27 febrero, 2023 . The experts of unitarism call it as 'a unitary outlook'. On the other hand, pluralist managerial perspective holds that workplace conflicts are inevitable. Unitarism noun. Starbucks Corporation's Global Marketing in Italy. Similarly, it has defined management and workforce as working for company welfare. This leads to new innovations in firms. Actually, conflict is endemic within the workplaces. Integrating the sentiments of every employee into the organisational goals would go a long way to curb workplace conflicts. 38 no. The. The management uses consultative approaches in reacting and providing solutions to conflicts. London: SAGE. StudyCorgi, 20 Feb. 2023, studycorgi.com/unitarist-and-pluralist-perspectives-in-management/. Conflict is inevitable. Employee relations refer to the patterns of relations in organisations between employers and their employees. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/, IvyPanda. Along with that, it has helped mitigate any issues by maintaining effective employment relationships (Gumbrell et al., 2019, p. 99). It is argued that pluralist form of management may become common and most preferred in European firms that follow a market strategy based on high quality to substitute the unitarist form of management common in the United States (Michael, 1999). It compares these two perspectives in a broader sense, and from the analysis, the most useful view of employee management shall be singled out. In a way, there appears to be a second source of authority within an organisation. StudyCorgi. Unitarist managerial perspective holds that workplace conflicts are avoidable. Nevertheless, this scenario is not the reality in many organisations. This means that pluralist approaches of management which form a big part of contemporary human resource management are being embraced in management today (Wilton and Wilton, 2011). Grady, RC, 1993, Restoring real representation. London: Institute of Personnel and Development. The leaders of organisations rarely considered the needs of employees as people were managed unitarily (Mabey, Salaman and Storey, 1998). Employee relations emerged from industrial relations in Europe in the early 1900s. The firm works closely whereby the management and employees share common objectives or purpose. 33 no. In this approach, the conflict has been used to understand employees' identities and address practical aspects (Kramar et al., 2021, p. 567). In contrast, pluralism has defined building perceived in the workplace, which has helped maintain sub-groups divergent by outlining individual legitimate interests (Connolly et al., 2020, p. 207). The unitarist approach holds that workplace conflicts are avoidable. Unitarists claim that trade unions are the main cause of conflict in organisations and that to avoid conflicts; organisations need to eliminate trade unions. According to this perspective, unions are viewed as legitimate representatives that represent the interests of employees. It is worth noting that this framework utilises conflict management strategies in engaging conflicting groups in the organisation to find solutions which are then implemented (Hills, 1995). Along with that, maintaining work efficiency is required to maintain loyalty in the workplace. Employment is not enough (Singh & Loncar 2010). Surfacing unitarist-versus-pluralist assumptions is relevant when planning, implementing and evaluating change initiatives. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. However, it is difficult for any employer to follow each employment law. Disclaimer: Services provided by StudyCorgi are to be used for research purposes only. Since the different employees have different interests, the management ought not to run away from conflicts. 63 no. Therefore, managers are made to go out of their way and show their management and leadership prowess. Besides, they are supposed to help in aligning the employee interests with the organisational goals. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. During this time, industry was the term used to mean the manufacturing firm (Ferner and Hyman, 1998). Incidentally, workplace conflict does not only help the management to come up with strategies for institutionalising employment regulations but to also promote a level ground for all parties since employees are able to stand their ground when negotiating on contract terms (Bacon & Storey 2000). They can and should make sure that an organization is managed from a single source of power. The personnel model majorly focused on the management of people as tools that were aimed at propelling the organisation towards the achievement of the stipulated goals of organisations which are geared towards profit-making. These scholars have suggested that the pluralist framework of management is better and should be used instead of the unitarist framework. However, this approach values employees' unions and roles to avoid issues between employees and employers. Pluralist and Marxists theories open the door to collective bargaining - London [u.a. The managers ought to go by the saying if you cannot beat them, join them. Gennard, J & Judge, G 2002, Employee Relations, 3rd edn, Institute of Personnel and Development, Wimbledon. Unitarian has clearly defined individual employees who share common interests and goals. Malden, Mass. This itself has a significant effect on managers and employees who carry out their work under human resource management practices in their pluralistic organisations. One of the theories is the theory of scientific management devised by Taylor (Ross & Bamber 2009). Unitarism is essentially individualistic in the way it approaches employee relations. This frame of reference is the dominant one of contemporary employers. Storey, J 2000, The Realities of Human Resource Management: Managing The Employment Relationship, Open University Press, Buckingham. Besides, the writer will decide on the best approach based on the findings. August 1, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. (2023, February 20). On the other hand, pluralism does not believe in the power exercised by the management. However, for bigger organisations, it is hard for the management team to use a single source of power, which underlines why organisations are working to remove the hierarchy that exists in their administration structure. 5, pp. A single leader cannot manage to address all the employee demands and might end up enforcing his or her ideas, therefore, amplifying the conflict (Abbott 2006). If you are the original creator of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal. The unitarist approach consists of all members sharing the same interest and being homogenous. It acknowledges the use of collective bargaining in the negotiation process to resolve conflicts. 4. Farnham, D, and Institute of Personnel and Development, 2000, Employee relations in context. The philosophy underlying this framework is that enterprises or organisations have people with unique interests, objectives and aspirations. Similarities and differences between unitary theory and pluralist theory: Unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interest of all employees of the organization. Lewin, D, Mitchell, OS, Sherer, PD, and Industrial Relations Research Association., 1992, Research frontiers in industrial relations and human resources. The shift from personnel management to human resource management has a conceptual backing in the pluralist model of labour management. Meanwhile, pluralists hold that workplace conflicts are inevitable. Author James Madison wrote several of the Federalist Papers to support the new United States Constitution and explain how it accounted for the most ideal system of government. This paper analyses the relationship between unitarist perspective and the pluralist perspective as applied in management. In this case, the view disregards the processes which contribute to the resolution of conflicts. The perspective of not having similar approaches is another vital difference between unitarist and pluralism(Dawkins et al., 2021, p. 30). They champion for the employees interests and makes sure that leaders address the interests. Dzimbiri, L 2008, Industrial relations in a developing society: The case of colonial, independent one-party and multiparty Malawi, Cuvillier Verlag, Germany. Pluralists assert that learning that trade unions and shop stewards are likely to cause trouble in an organisation leaves the management at a better position to address the issues of employee relations in a holistic manner. This is different from firms in the United Kingdom and the United States. Unitarianism has defined conflict as dysfunctional aspects, while pluralism has acknowledged conflict as the most desirable. Hence, the conflict that emerges between the parties is a result of personality muddle, poor communication, poor promotion practices, or inappropriate recruitment. However, it has clearly defined reciprocal rights and obligations created between employees and employers. In this case, human resource management, which has been adopted by many organisations these days, addresses the needs of employees in a significant way. Web. Unitarists hold that to avoid such conflicts, the management team ought to identify the actions that might lead to conflicts and avoid implementing them. Each approach offers a different practice to resolve conflict in the workplace. Unitarists base their arguments on postulations that workplace conflict is an avoidable feature of relationships between employees and their managers. 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