The purpose of this report is to provide brief information about the employment relation concern and issue caused with organization given in the case. The report evaluates the important of employee relations at workplace, a strategic approach that can help the management of the company to manage the employee relations and increase their satisfaction level as well. Further, the report also explains about the education that the management should in order to satisfy the employees. The latter part of the report evaluates skill development, mediation and negotiations for the management to initiate employee relations.
The fact should be understood that strong employee relations are key to the success of organization. Manpower is the most important human resource that make use of all the available resources in a direction to achieve success for the organization. If the employees of the company are not satisfied with the activities of the organization then ultimately they will start losing interest in the company, which will negatively affect its growth (Chidi, and Okpala 2012). Strong employee relationships successfully increase the productivity of the company and enhance employee’s loyalty towards work and organization as well. Further, employment relationship management refers to the system creates and supports relationship between the company and its employees. This process focus on enabling the employees to collaborate with the managers for the completion of certain tasks. The purpose of employment relationship process is to build an authoritative employer employee relationship for the better functioning and fulfilment of the organizational objectives (Abbott 2006). Employee relations are one of the biggest factor that acts as a motivation for the employees to work in the organization. It is important for the company to look after the employee relationship management process just like customer relationship management because both the activities help in fulfilling the organizational objectives. Further, more details about the process of employee relationship in response to the given case of the organization is discussed below:
Before evaluating the best suitable theory for the development of employee relations in the given organization, it is important to understand the issue attracted with the company. The company is a large firm placed in the market of Leicester, working with around 800 employees collectively. More than half of the employees are working in 24 hour three shift system. While other employees are working in warehouse, deliveries, sales and administration. The structure of the organization is very simple and flat and the company has only 6 middle managers and 30 first lie managers (Appendices 2). The HR department of the company is also small considering the number of employees present in the organization. In recent meetings of the company the fact was found that the satisfaction level of the employees has started to shift downwards that is acting as a serious concern for the organization. The staff turnover rate of the company has increased stating an alarming situation for the management. Grievance and discipline cases have also doubled due to incompetency of the line and middle manager to satisfy to employees at workplace. It is important for the organization to understand all the complexities of the case and then implement an approach that can fill all the gaps present in the system (Rose 2008).
Relating the given case to the employee relations concept it should be noted that there are some theories that can apply in the case. More than just theories the below mentioned are the perspectives of the management on the basis of which they act.
Unitary Theory: This process of employee relations talks about the perspective of pointing towards a single or unified source. Under this model, it is believed that the conflicts at workplace are inevitable characteristics that happen between the relation of employee and employer. Both the parties involved in the conflict should co-operate with each other so as to maintain peace in the organization. It is believed that all the people present in an organization have similar interest in the company, however despite of the fact conflicts still arise due to difference in nature of people. This theory ensures that management make use of fair practices in order to resolve conflicts. Also, it is believed that organization works with harmony in the environment and all the conflicts are unnecessary (Kaufman 2010).
Pluralistic Theory: According to this perspective, an organization is made of various sectional groups under which each group has its own legalities, goals and leadership. The management and other groups (informal) of the company are the sections that are looked in pluralistic perspective. This perspective oppose to the unitary perspective as conflicts are inevitable according to this case but it can be solved through collective bargaining. Conflicts in an organization are developed due to bad behaviour of one person or other so it can be initiated by using a positive approach and evolution at workplace (Kaufman, Beaumont, and Helfgott 2016).
Marxist Theory: This theory is a radical perspective that talks about revealing the nature of the capitalist society. This theory believes that workplace relations are against the history. This theory identifies the inequalities in power in the employment relationship in a wider context. The management according to this theory believes that joint regulation of groups can improve the position of the company in the society (Shields, et. al., 2015).
Further, there are various theories that relate to above mentioned three perspectives. The best approach that can help the company to manage their employment relations is the human relation theory. The human relation theory states that the workers of the company are the most important asset of the company, they are different resources than the other resources that are used in the process of production. This theory also states that it is the duty of the management to positively manipulate the interest of the employees in such a way that they gain personal satisfaction from the activities of the company in the target market (Tansel, and Gazîo?lu 2014). Relating it to the given case, it should be noted that it is the utmost duty of the management to maintain adequate and fixed relationship with the employees to increase their satisfaction level. It is important for the management to analyse and evaluate the needs and requirements of the employees in such a way that they do not face grievance or dissatisfaction from the activities (Appendices 5). Along with the human relations theory of employee management, the human resource department of the company should make use of the democratic management style so as to successfully initiate the employee relations in the company (Guest 2017). The human relations theory is very simple and clear that will help the company to resolve their problems as the organizational structure of the company is flat and the problems of the company are at its initial stage only. So, if the organization will aim to satisfy the employees using human relations theory they will successfully eliminate the problems from their business process (Bratton, and Gold 2017).
Before implementing the above mentioned human relations theory in the business, it is very important for the leaders to understand the problem with the business and show their willingness to solve the problems associated with the business. Further, the human relations theory as discussed above is a simple theory that is presented to the business just to solve their basic problems. Just like the structure of the organization, the theory is also straight and simple (Griffin, Bryant, and Koerber 2015). The major problem associated with the activities of the company is that the management is unable to satisfy the employees of the company and another reason of dissatisfaction can be less number of managers over a large team. Further, the training that the leaders of the company should get in order to initiate the process of human relations in the company are discussed below:
First things first, the organization should identify the employees whom they need to educate with the process and how. The human resource management team of the company should successfully identify the problems related to each leader of the company how they can resolve the same. Further, before educating the leaders with the human relations theory, it is important for the management to understand the actual meaning of employee relation. The process of employee relations refers to the phase under which the employees do not feel any boundations while working in an organization and are free to share their opinion and issues with the middle and top level management of the company (Brewster 2017).
After understanding about the meaning of employee relations, the human resource department should now ask the leaders about the problems that they are facing in the environment. This will help the management to understand both the perspectives of a problem situation. Afterwards, the management should explain the problems associated with the employees of the company. It is very important for the management to understand the problems of employees in order to successfully initiate the human relations theory in the company (Appendices 1). After understanding of the issues, the management should now seek for the suggestion from the leaders because the line and middle managers is the people who are going to work with the employees of the company on a daily basis (Albrecht, et. al., 2015).
Now coming up to the theory of human relations, the human resource department of the company should now train the employees to use their leadership capabilities wisely. It is good to initiate and make use of the employer employee relationship but the leaders should not supress the employees in the name of that relationship. The leadership capabilities of the employees should match to the employment relation strategy decided by the HR department so that the employees attain satisfaction from the activities of the company (Conway, et. al., 2016). The human relation strategy initiated by the company will increase the workplace quality and subsequently reduce the workplace tension as well. According to the human relations theory, the conflicts present in the organization are inevitable because when a group of people work together, problem definitely arise due to difference in interest (Appendices 3). However, the leaders of the company can solve the problem simply by maintaining a good relationship with the employees of the company. The theory also explains the importance of people over machines in causing productivity for the organization (Lai 2016).
Furthermore relating the problem faced by the company with the democratic management style used by the leaders, it should be noted that the main aim of the employee relation concept is to satisfy the employees that the leaders can do with the use of democratic style of management. With the use of this management style, the leaders can easily value the employees in the activities of the company that will certainly eliminate the problem and the concern of HR director as well (Akgunduz, and Sanli 2017). The human resource management team of the company plays a major role in initiating the employee relationship management process along with use of adequate style of management in the business. The HR team is responsible for the good and bad of the employees as they are responsible for the satisfaction level of the employees. So, it is the role of the HR team to help the leaders to understand the importance of employee relationship for the growth of the company (Frank 2015).
Talking about the organizational approach that the management should use, it should be noted that this approach should match to the employee relation theory for the better performance of the employees. So, with the use of both the approaches the line and middle manager should develop an understanding about the importance of maintenance of relationship at workplace for better functioning (Appendices 6). In response to which the HR manager should initially employ more managers at workplace so, they can easily take care of all the employees working under them. Further, the HR management should instruct the line managers to behave softly and develop a positive approach while working with subordinates (Vlachos, et. al., 2017). They line managers should involve the subordinates in the activities and they should train them for a better understanding of work. The management should not look at the trade union as the barriers of communication; instead, they should work with them in such a way that communication at workplace is enhanced. The management should co-operate with the issues of trade union, also they should make sure that they do not come in the way of union nor ask union to interfere in the action of the management. Thus, in this way the human resource department of the company should train the management to resolve the issues associated with the employees of the company (Tokarev, et. al., 2017).
Advocacy refers to the process of promotion strategy of the company under which the people promote the activities of the company who works for it. The employees talks and praises their employers at different platforms is a sign of employee advocacy only. Further mediation at workplace is an effective approach to resolve the problems and prevent litigations for the organization. The process of mediation brings all the employees together at workplace with an aim to resolve disputes (Bavik, et. al., 2018). It is a complete voluntary and confidential form of resolving the issues under which an independent, impartial person helps two or more individuals/ groups to reach to a solution that is acceptable by all. Just like mediation, negotiation is also an alternative dispute resolution designed to solve conflicts at workplace. Under the process of negotiation, individual or groups that are into a conflict together solve their problems without the intermission of third party. Under this process, the parties together look at all the possible consequences and solve the matter (Husain, Dayan, and Di Benedetto 2016). Further, below mentioned are the ways with which the human resource department can help the management develop their skills.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Thus, in the limelight of above mentioned events, the fact should be noted that it is important for the management to understand the importance of employee relationship management at workplace. The above mentioned report successfully explained the issue of employee relationship management caused with the given case, it also explained the implementation of a strategic approach that can help the business to resolve the problem. Further, with respect to maintain an authoritative relationship, it is important for the human resource department of the company to educate the line and middle management with the issue. Advocacy, mediation and negotiation plays a major role in resolving the conflicts and initiating unity and integrity at workplace. Further, below mentioned are some of the recommendations given to the company with the help of which they can properly sustain their image in the market by resolving the internal conflicts:
References
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