Therefore, the way they are managed determines how the organisation performs. Storey (2000) posits, Unitarism does not provide any guidelines for human resource, so that it can pursue unitarism effectively (p.12). Besides, the writer will decide on the best approach based on the findings. (Grady et al., 2019, p. 490). Each approach offers a different practice to resolve conflict in the workplace. On the other hand, the pluralist perspective employs conflict management strategies to address the challenges a conflict poses. The results were that a number of entrepreneurs and employers have begun to make attempts to de-unionise their firms. According to this perspective, conflict is an indicator of faulty communication in the organisation (Collins, 1998). Besides, the social classes lead to regular conflicts due to contradicting interests (Bacon & Blyton 2007). (2022, August 1). This includes the three United States companies that have been mentioned above. The unitarists advocate for employers to have absolute powers in running the organisation. Unitarists maintain that for an organisation to succeed, it has to have a management system that discourages establishment of social classes, establishes open communication, and champions for the interests of all parties to the organisation. * Hyperlink the URL after pasting it to your document, Business Core Competencies and Competitive Strategies, Service Quality Factors in the Airline Industry, Using One Thousand Dollars to Develop the Handball Team, Ethical Leadership Model in Organizations, Proctor and Gamble and Unilever Companies Marketing, Effective Procurement Activities Added Value, Our site uses cookies. The perspective fails to give human resource guidelines that would make it more effective. Various organisations and their respective management choose a specific view in the management of employee relations. They champion for the employees interests and makes sure that leaders address the interests. This example has demonstrated that a unitarist type of human resource management that is prevalent in the United States can be adopted in Germany. It acts as the conduit through which employees present their problems. Managers have great power, and they exert influence on employees in determining the environment under which the employees work. For the management to bring the employees together, it requires to go through the heavy task of convincing them on the need for coming together. Unitarism is a more of a straightforward concept, which says that all the employees and those working in an organized management should always work for the welfare of the organization not just for their personal benefits or growth. Unitarist Perspective vs. Pluralist Perspective Case Study. Numerous well-known firms have been brought out as having applied the unitarist perspective in human resource management. Unitarism has been applied in various models of human resource management in several states that are found in the South East Asia region. Different models and perspectives have been adopted by various organisations to manage employees. In the other context, pluralism has suggested employees do not have similar interests and goals. It is worth to note that the Hewlett Packard Company has not been known to embrace collective bargaining. 297-312. 24-41. An emphasis on values rather than interests raises some new problems both for unitarists and pluralists. According to the pluralist managerial perspective, the management can and should play a central role in coming up with minimum standards and designing other policies to rectify the imbalance in the bargaining power and foster equity. Apart from the scientific management and the human relations theories, the Unitarists draw their inspirations from the human resource management theory. In contrast, pluralism is a perspective that perceives an organization as being made up of divergent sub-groups having their own legitimate interests. Along with that, it has helped mitigate any issues by maintaining effective employment relationships (Gumbrell et al., 2019, p. 99). However, very few companies operating in Germany apply the unitarist perspective of management (Michael, 1999). Therefore, these approaches can set the rules and regulations based on industrial relationships. Employees relationship is referred to as the legal link between employers and employees. Unitarists teach that organisations need to have a common interest and a single focus of loyalty. Last but not least, unitarism holds that the state is an autonomous entity and plays a significant role in shaping industrial relations (Giri, 2008). 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 In contrast, pluralism maintain sub-groups divergent by outlining individual legitimate interests and also captures the needs of both employees and managers. This paper analyses the relationship between unitarist perspective and the pluralist perspective as applied in management. This is because it values labour unions and their roles in managing conflicts between employers and employees (Balnave, 2007). Unitarism and pluralism are two terms often used in the sphere of human resources development. Retrieved from https://studycorgi.com/unitarist-and-pluralist-perspectives-in-management/, StudyCorgi. 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. Unitarianism has defined conflict as dysfunctional aspects, while pluralism has acknowledged conflict as the most desirable. Wilton, N, and Wilton, N, 2011, An introduction to human resource management. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Unitarists position on employee management draws from a number of theories. London: SAGE. If you use an assignment from StudyCorgi website, it should be referenced accordingly. This has not been fully proved. The database is updated daily, so anyone can easily find a relevant essay example. This perspective explores the behaviour of the capitalistic society, which has a division of interests that exists between capital and labour (Bendix, 2000). Similarities and differences between unitary theory and pluralist theory: Unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interest of all employees of the organization. 1, pp. The management has the duty to design workplace relations in ways that promote self-satisfaction within the employees. Since pluralism realises that conflicts are one of the essential tenets of organisations, it puts in place conflict resolution mechanisms that can be used in the management of conflicts. Summary. The management theory holds that, for an organisation to surmount tension it has to foster a psychological contract rooted on cooperation. Since it is hard for organisational leaders to do away with competition within the organisation, they need to look for ways of exploiting the competition in a profitable way. The leaders of organisations rarely considered the needs of employees as people were managed unitarily (Mabey, Salaman and Storey, 1998). It is also participatory in nature and acknowledges the prevalence of conflict in firms. Unitarist managerial perspective holds that workplace conflicts are avoidable. 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. of Illinois Press. "Unitarist Perspective vs. Pluralist Perspective Case Study." However, it has clearly defined reciprocal rights and obligations created between employees and employers. Unitarism view conflicts as dysfunctional whereas pluralism acknowledges conflicts and view them as desirable. Different groups have different interests and pursue them in many ways It is necessary for individual employees to feel comfortable and work together to achieve organizational objectives. 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. Unitarists emphasize a single (unitary) interest of all the members of an organisation, which if properly managed, will result in the harmonious functioning of the organization. Abbott, K 2006, A review of employment relations theories and their application, Problems and Perspectives in Management, vol. must. However, it has had constraining factors that undermine it. 38 no. Employment is one of the elements that influence peoples life. The pluralistic approach does not view the role of managers as to implement organisational policies. Workplace conflict, if managed effectively, would promote innovativeness in an organisation, which underlines the reason why pluralists advocate for the management to manage the conflict but not rebuke and criticise it. Pluralism is an inclusive form of management. StudyCorgi. Unitarianism has a perspective that shares individual members' interests in the organization (Fabiano et al., 2019, p. 297). Along with that, maintaining work efficiency is required to maintain loyalty in the workplace. of South Carolina Press. "Unitarist and Pluralist Perspectives in Management." You can update your choices at any time in your settings. Unitarism noun. Views. Towards the end of the 20th century, a shift in the management of worker relations has been experienced. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. Unitarism further is not a participative style of management and ignores the idea of employees which could be used to alter the course of events in organisations positively. In a bid to ensure that all employees commit themselves to organisational goal, pluralists claim that management and employees need to compromise on some of their interests to reach a common ground where they would be able to work on the interests that are feasible and within the organisations budget. Nonetheless, the validity of human resource management does exist, putting in mind that human resource management theories are formed basing on unitarism as the core assumption (Radcliffe, 2005). During this time, industry was the term used to mean the manufacturing firm (Ferner and Hyman, 1998). Organisations need to handle their employees with great care since they are the most critical resource in production. The firm works closely whereby the management and employees share common objectives or purpose. 3. Nevertheless, the perspective does not advice on how managers can come up with mutual interests or how to share mutual interests across the business institution. Ackers, P 2002, Reframing Employment Relations: The case for neo-pluralism, Industrial Relations Journal, vol. Overview and Key Difference Pluralism has helped maintain appropriate diversity in the organization by maintaining nations' cultures. Pluralism recognises the existence of conflicts in organisations. 3, pp. Oxford: Blackwell. This mostly works for blue-collar jobs. This frame of reference is the dominant one of contemporary employers. Therefore, it is easier to find similar interests. This is one of the main End of preview Pluralism 1. it is the major difference between the Unitarian and Pluralism approaches. This belief also acknowledges conflicts and consider them as desirable. One of the theories is the theory of scientific management devised by Taylor (Ross & Bamber 2009). Moreover, this stance has a paternalistic approach and expects the loyalty of the employees. A central assumption in the application and practice of soft human resource management is that the firm is unitarist. London: SAGE. It is also claimed that unitarism has been used in management in western countries. "Unitarist Perspective vs. Pluralist Perspective Case Study." Singh, P & Loncar, N 2010, Pay satisfaction, job satisfaction, and turnover intent, Industrial Relations, vol. Kessler, I & Purcell, J 2003, Industrial Relations: Theory And Practice, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. Unitarists believe that using a single source of power might help to curb conflict, which may apply for small institutions (Abbott 2006). This has the potential of creating conflict in the labour market as well as in the workplace (Farnham and Institute of Personnel and Development, 2000). (poliics) A unified and centralized system of government. Abhyudaya Pragati: Nirali Prakashan. According to pluralism, conflicts must exist in organisations because competing interests are present. Therefore, this approach has expected employees' loyalty. A majority of small organisations which operate in Germany prefer to use the market-type personnel management instead of the pluralist approach of human resource management. Also, firms are seen as composing teams which work together to reach mutual goals. Unitarism is essentially individualistic in the way it approaches employee relations. 1.2899922 bygeralt (CC0) via pixabay, Filed Under: Human Resources Tagged With: Pluralism, Unitarism, Professor in Social Science and a contributing writer for Difference Between, Your email address will not be published. 3a : a theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality. Therefore, trade unions are not seen as essential elements in managing employees and conflicts in the organisation. The implication is that the ideas of unitarism and pluralism in industrial relations need to be reconsidered. 65 no. In the other context, pluralism has suggested employees do not have similar interests and goals. Ithaca: ILR Press/Cornell University Press. If you keep using the site, you accept our. Your privacy is extremely important to us. This is the key difference between unitarism and pluralism. professional specifically for you? The theory holds that for managers to come up with productive employee management strategies, they have to start by assuming that the employees are likely to avoid work whenever they get a chance, they have limited knowledge about the work, and are prone to pursuing personal interests. According to Bacon and Fox, workforce and management have a unity of interests, and any conflict in practice occurs due to poor employment practices. However, it is also important to note that some companies in the United States Companies, such as the United States Branch Bank, the United States Consumer Oil, and the United States Chemical, follow a pluralist strategy of human resource management. Employment laws have been set based on different subjects with common goals for protecting workers' rights. Even the Hewlett Packard Company, which is broadly acknowledged for pursuing human resource management in an excellent manner, has never been described in the sense of being a model for unitarist management. Teamwork promotes cooperation between employees, therefore, avoiding chances of conflict of interest. Thus, it is important to handle employees' concerns by ensuring the organization's successful aspects. Pluralism suggests that employment relationships in organisations are open-ended and in a way, indeterminate, which creates structural antagonism. The unitarist perspective is broadly defined as an approach to emphasizing the importance of sharing the organization's goals and team working. Moreover, unitarists believe that employees do not need having trade unions, as the unions add to workplace conflicts. Storey, J 2000, The Realities of Human Resource Management: Managing The Employment Relationship, Open University Press, Buckingham. In other words, it believes that management and workforce are all working for the welfare of the company. 293 The Kingsway. Generally, people have two different perspectives of interpreting managerial practices that take place at workplaces. long sleeve lace maxi dress; arsenal tula vs rubin kazan sportsmole; 50 facts about minecraft Verge-2 Condos. 3a : a theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality. Overlooking some interests and addressing others might lead to the demoralisation of employees whose interests are overlooked. 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). The primary malady in this approach is that appropriate employees may be left out, which can, in turn, negatively impact on the productivity and the general performance of organisations (Radcliffe, 2005). Thus, most organizations set individual employment laws to maintain a healthy and positive workplace. New York: McGraw-Hill. Though it is argued that most of human resource management theory has a foundation in unitarism, most of the big and mainstream firms have put minimal emphasis on changing the management style that they use-the pluralistic manner. Besides, they are supposed to help in aligning the employee interests with the organisational goals. The pluralist managerial perspective advocates for collective bargaining, which is a valuable approach in organisation management. Pluralists maintain that the management has the duty to promote pluralism and give all parties in the organisation an opportunity to participate in making decisions on matters affecting the organisation (Ackers 2002). In this perspective, trade unions are seen as unnecessary because the loyalty between workers and managements are regarded mutually exclusive where there cannot be two sides of organization. IvyPanda. "Unitarist and Pluralist Perspectives in Management." There is an assumption by this perspective that all stakeholders in the organisation are rational and thus confides in finding common interests. Third parties are viewed as irrelevant as employees The. This has been done through different means. Workers have to be loyal to the firm that they work for and the firms management. 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