In the end, the employees end up resisting the decisions leading to conflicts. Each of these perspectives has specific workplace relations perceptions. Grady, RC, 1993, Restoring real representation. This assertion underlines the reason why pluralists advocate for trade unions to act on behalf of the employees when bargaining for stable working conditions. The pluralist form of management emphasises the fact that conflict in organisations can be resolved by way of using effective industrial relations. These features are the managerial relations and the market relations. The philosophy underlying this framework is that enterprises or organisations have people with unique interests, objectives and aspirations. Overlooking some interests and addressing others might lead to the demoralisation of employees whose interests are overlooked. The key difference between unitarism and pluralism is that the unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interests of all members of an organization whereas the pluralism is a perspective where an organization is perceived as being made up of divergent sub-groups having their own legitimate interests. August 1, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. The following sample essay on Difference Between Unitarism and Pluralism The unitarist approach comprises of all individuals having a similar intrigue and being homogenous. 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. 2. According to this perspective, unions are viewed as legitimate representatives that represent the interests of employees. This includes the three United States companies that have been mentioned above. 857 Words 4 Pages. The unitary perspective embraces a unitarist view if the employment relationship. Unitarism has been applied in various models of human resource management in several states that are found in the South East Asia region. it is the major difference between the Unitarian and Pluralism approaches. However, it has had constraining factors that undermine it. Each organization has a shared relationship 150th fellow employee. However, in modern times characterised by management dynamics, organisations may choose to use more than one style of management though in an integrative way. No one perspective gives a perfect view but each illuminates our understanding of the subject. (ecclesiastical) The state of a pluralist; the holding of more than one ecclesiastical living at a time. In contrast, pluralism does not have a paternalistic approach and does not expect the loyalty of the employees. Unitarists are possessed with the view that within any organization for that matter both the management and the employees share the same agenda. If you keep using the site, you accept our. They believe that workplace conflicts come because of different employee interests. This perspective emphasises the management role, which entails attaining a win-win situation for both workers and the firm in general. Bendix, S, 2000, The basics of labour relations. 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. In the other context, pluralism has suggested employees do not have similar interests and goals. Meanwhile, pluralists hold that workplace conflicts are inevitable. 3, pp. Rather than trying to curb workplace conflict, which is hard to do away with, organisational leaders ought to bring back sanity by sharing the control of the organisation. These are known as unitarism and pluralism. This perspective also considers alternative processes that can be used in decision making (Edwards, 2007). A central assumption in the application and practice of soft human resource management is that the firm is unitarist. Moreover, unitarists believe that employees do not need having trade unions, as the unions add to workplace conflicts. 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. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/, IvyPanda. Various organisations and their respective management choose a specific view in the management of employee relations. February 20, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/unitarist-and-pluralist-perspectives-in-management/. On the other hand, pluralist managerial perspective holds that workplace conflicts are inevitable. The definition of industrial and employee relations covers all forms and kinds of employment (Barry, 2011). Similarly, it has defined management and workforce as working for company welfare. Unitarian consists of organizational management and defined staff members sharing common goals with maintaining loyalty in the organization. 20 February. StudyCorgi, 20 Feb. 2023, studycorgi.com/unitarist-and-pluralist-perspectives-in-management/. Martin, J, and Fellenz, M, 2010, Organizational behaviour and management. "Unitarist and Pluralist Perspectives in Management." During this time, industry was the term used to mean the manufacturing firm (Ferner and Hyman, 1998). Organisations also have different kinds of attachments. Wilton, N, and Wilton, N, 2011, An introduction to human resource management. Unitarian and pluralism are two terms that have mostly been used during Human resources development. professional specifically for you? Nahid Broadview. Consequently, it is hard for any organisation to circumvent workplace conflicts. Collective bargaining offers a platform where all parties participate in a democratic decision-making process. Groups are becoming essential in organisations when it comes to product development and improvement of quality or productivity of firms. Summary. Managers follow different reference points when executing their management exercises. On the other hand, Pluralism gives due importance to every employee and management. According to them, trade unions are illegal interruptions to management objectives. This has not been fully proved. Different employees and organisational leaders hold different opinions and have competing interests (Gennard & Judge 2002). StudyCorgi. Edwards, P, 2007, Industrial relations: Theory and practice. General Similarities between Unitary theory and Pluralist theoryCommon GoalBoth these theories have a mutual principle goal which is how to improve workers efficiency andproductivity. The pluralist theory holds that the workplaces are made up of different sets of attitudes, values, behaviours, and beliefs. 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. These perspectives are different in their explanation, understanding and analysis of relations at places of work. On the other hand, the unitarist theories base on the assumption that all stakeholders in organisations, especially workers and managers, have unified interests in meeting the firms goals and objectives. Learn more in our Cookie Policy. Andover: Cengage Learning. Pluralism recognises the existence of conflicts in 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). Therefore, trade unions are not seen as essential elements in managing employees and conflicts in the organisation. Collins, D, 1998, Organizational Change: Sociological Perspective. Unitarists position on employee management draws from a number of theories. The approach acknowledges the potential benefits of workplace conflicts. Unitarists believe that this second source of authority, which is the trade union, is to blame for tension that arises between employees and managers. What is Unitarist and pluralist? For instance, Ford Motor Company was well-known in the 1920s for adopting the unitarist philosophy, which held that management and labor had similar interests and were working together to further the company's success. Pluralism is the belief that the way to achieve good industrial relations is to acknowledge that various groups of employees have different requirements, and make different demands. This is because it allows for a participatory aspect of management. This has been backed by findings of research that was conducted in the year 2003. Workers are qualitatively different from all other elements of production (Ross & Bamber 2009). StudyCorgi. 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. It compares these two perspectives in a broader sense, and from the analysis, the most useful view of employee management shall be singled out. Therefore, it is crucial to handle the concerns of workers with a lot of care to ensure the organisations success. United States, 2011, Occupational outlook handbook 2011-2012. This paper analyses the relationship between unitarist perspective and the pluralist perspective as applied in management. As observed by Baccaro et al., (2019, p. 19), Pluralism has defined achieving good industrial and employee relationships as acknowledging various groups of employees who have followed up on different requirements and demands. Radcliffe, D, 2005, Critique of Human Resources Theory. 33 no. "Unitarist and Pluralist Perspectives in Management." According to the unitarists, organisations ought to have a single source of authority. The "unitarist"-versus-"pluralist" distinction refers to whether important organizational goals are shared among stakeholders and stakeholder groups. Unitarism and Pluralism are two terms or concepts that differ from each other in their definitions and approach. @media (max-width: 1171px) { .sidead300 { margin-left: -20px; } } Required fields are marked *. The shift from personnel management to human resource management has a conceptual backing in the pluralist model of labour management. Unitarists believe that the forces that bring together the managers and the employees are much stronger than the forces that draw them apart (Ross & Bamber 2009). The firm works closely whereby the management and employees share common objectives or purpose. This perspective embraces a wide range of policies related to employee relations. student. Unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interests of all members of an organization while pluralism is a perspective that perceives an organization as being made up of divergent sub-groups having their own legitimate interests. In a bid to achieve organisational growth, the management has to have knowledge on how to motivate the diverse workforce. Along with that, it has helped mitigate any issues by maintaining effective employment relationships (Gumbrell et al., 2019, p. 99). Cheltenham [u.a. Pluralists perceive business organisations as intricate social constructions that comprise of groups of people with conflicting interests. According to the unitarist perspective, the conflict is dysfunctional since it decreases loyalty and may pose threats to the relationships within the organisation. Modern organisations continue to adopt and use modern forms of management and administration. Therefore, to address these problems, the managers ought to come up with rigid and direct mechanisms that would help to control all the activities the employees undertake. Pluralists emphasise on the need for striking an even-handed balance between the different interests in a business organisation to circumvent negative results. Unitarian has referred to individual members interested in the organization. Balnave, N, 2007, Employment relations in Australia. Storey (2000) posits, Unitarism does not provide any guidelines for human resource, so that it can pursue unitarism effectively (p.12). August 1, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. 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. Unitarism also lacks a descriptive framework of how the firms common interests can be identified and how they can be shared in different organisations. In the unitarism framework, the firm is perceived as being an integrated and harmonious whole. Organizations have used this approach by considering alternative processes which can be beneficial during the decision-making process. 57). Individuals supporting unitarism perspective assume that employees are mature enough to reach conclusive decisions on how to integrate organisational and personal interests. The level of employee relations in pluralism makes it appropriate for diverse organisations and national cultures. Unitarism comprise of the executives and staff individuals sharing . 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). Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. If you use an assignment from StudyCorgi website, it should be referenced accordingly. Just as authority is seen differently in each theory, the similarity between them in relations to authority is that in all the three theory the management holds the power and the trade union or the state or any other interested groups holds the power but not over the management. August 1, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. Employment laws have been set based on different subjects with common goals for protecting workers' rights. The management has the duty to portray rational leadership during the recruitment process and when instructing employees. IvyPanda. Organization of workers is promoted under the Pluralist and Marxists theories. The firm works closely whereby the management and employees share common objectives or purpose. Michael, M, 1999, Unitarism, Pluralism, and Human Resource Management in Germany. 293 The Kingsway. Modern human resource management has come to realise that employees are the most critical assets of the organisation. In an environment where employees have to wait for commands from their leaders (like the one unitarists advocate for), they get demoralised and fail to commit themselves (Schmidt 2009). According to unitarists, both managers and employees share a common interest of making sure that their organisation grows steadily, and thus when a crisis occurs within the organisation, it would not lead to insolvency of the organisation (Ross & Bamber 2009). In the modern organisations, the workforce comprises of people with different cultural backgrounds. 297-312. On the other hand, the recent strikes and labor problems at the Boeing Company could be seen as an example of a pluralist approach. From the research, it was deduced that the administration of Germany gives preference to the pluralist form of human resource management. 5. It is a paternalistic approach with a more positive attitude towards employees and rejects the pluralist notion of conflict and trade union (Gennard & Judge, 2005, p.44). IvyPanda, 1 Aug. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. Colling, T, and Terry, M, 2010, Industrial relations: Theory and practice. If the managers become convincing and influential, the need for trade unions can quickly be done away with (Giri, 2008). hard and soft pluralism employee relations. Another theory from which unitarists draw their position regarding employee management is the human relations theory. The pluralist managerial perspective advocates for collective bargaining, which is a valuable approach in organisation management. 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). Moreover, they posit that whenever the management senses that conflict might erupt in an organisation, they work towards coming up with innovative methods that would turn the conflict into a productive initiative. Web. Teamwork promotes cooperation between employees, therefore, avoiding chances of conflict of interest. Ithaca: ILR Press/Cornell University Press. Striking an even-handed balance between the unitarian and Pluralism approaches a bid to achieve organisational growth, the for! 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