It is also claimed that unitarism has been used in management in western countries. 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). 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. The application of unitarism has been adopted in human resource management. Conflicts that come up in organisations can be beneficial to the organisation. Although firms in Germany can choose to use practices aligned with human resource management, they are limited when adopting unitarist human resource management values. However, very few companies operating in Germany apply the unitarist perspective of management (Michael, 1999). Organization of workers is promoted under the Pluralist and Marxists theories. 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. This assumption makes the perspective weak, since it is hard for individuals with differing opinions to come up with an agreement without following a particular guideline. Unitarists teach that organisations need to have a common interest and a single focus of loyalty. According to the unitarist perspective, the conflict is dysfunctional since it decreases loyalty and may pose threats to the relationships within the organisation. The unitarist framework holds that workers and managers can pull together to achieve common objectives, values and interests. August 1, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. Nahid Broadview. It is worth to note that the Hewlett Packard Company has not been known to embrace collective bargaining. Thus, it is important to handle employees' concerns by ensuring the organization's successful aspects. 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. Giles, A 1998, Theories and concepts in comparative industrial relations, University of South Carolina Press, South Carolina. Unitarist and pluralist paradigms differently see the conflict and ways to resolve it. For the organisation to curb conflicts, it has to ensure that all stakeholders take part in the decision-making process. This perspective tries to integrate the interests of managers and employees to enhance the commitment of employees as well as their loyalty. Therefore, pluralists offer the best solution to workplace conflicts, which is to share control of organisation between several leaders who would work on the various interests to reach at a common agreement with all the stakeholders. Pluralism has defined conflicts in the organization that must be resolved by using effective industrial relationship aspects. The pluralist theory holds that the workplaces are made up of different sets of attitudes, values, behaviours, and beliefs. Unitarists position on employee management draws from a number of theories. What do you know about the unitarist perspective regarding labor? Moreover, this stance has a paternalistic . Pluralism also gives ample opportunity for employees to voice out their opinions. 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). 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. Danny Danforth. However, this approach values employees' unions and roles to avoid issues between employees and employers. Your privacy is extremely important to us. Published: 23 Aug, 2021. These features are the managerial relations and the market relations. The pluralist form of management emphasises the fact that conflict in organisations can be resolved by way of using effective industrial relations. Different models and perspectives have been adopted by various organisations to manage employees. This generates different kinds of constraints. In this case, the view disregards the processes which contribute to the resolution of conflicts. London: SAGE. Unitarists hold that to avoid such conflicts, the management team ought to identify the actions that might lead to conflicts and avoid implementing them. IvyPanda. Web. Thus, pluralism has not referred to a paternalistic approach and does not expect loyalty from employees (Bosch et al., 2020, p. 189). This is especially when these conflicts are identified and put under control by using institutional responses. 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). Need a custom Case Study sample written from scratch by In the unitarist framework of management, authority in an organisation only emanates from a single source. London [u.a. One of the aspects of managerial relations is the collective bargaining (Bacon & Blyton 2007). The difference between a unitarist and a pluralist approach to employment relations as suggested by Fox (1966) is that to have a unitarist approach, organisations are more likely to think about the shared interest of employees as well as the organisation. Views: 108. Unitarism lies at the centre of the philosophy of human resource management. The theory treats industrial relations as constituents of a wider social system (Kessler & Purcell 2003). This paper aims to analyze the unitarist vs. pluralist managerial perspectives. 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. In return, it motivates employees since they feel empowered (Bacon & Blyton 2007). In the unitarism framework, the firm is perceived as being an integrated and harmonious whole. Employees and the management form part of these groups (Giles 1998). It does not have descriptions of how individual employee interests and sentiments can be fully integrated into the objectives of the firm. Scholars in the field of industrial and work relations have come up with three management perspectives that differ significantly. 297-312. Also, firms are seen as composing teams which work together to reach mutual goals. All rights reserved. [u.a. This assertion underlines the reason why pluralists advocate for trade unions to act on behalf of the employees when bargaining for stable working conditions. However, it is difficult for any employer to follow each employment law. Pluralists hold that conflicts at workplaces are inevitable, which contradicts the unitarists position who believes that it is possible for institutions to circumvent conflict at workplaces. Unitarism also lacks a descriptive framework of how the firms common interests can be identified and how they can be shared in different organisations. 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. In contrast, pluralism is a perspective that perceives an organization as being made up of divergent sub-groups having their own legitimate interests. IvyPanda. Unitarists are possessed with the view that within any organization for that matter both the management and the employees share the same agenda. Unitarian has clearly defined individual employees who share common interests and goals. 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). It acknowledges the use of collective bargaining in the negotiation process to resolve conflicts. Unitarism noun. 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. The pluralist perspective has a strong link with the modern world. a more recent variant, the neo-unitarist perspective; conflict theory, including the Marxist and pluralist perspectives; systems approach and the contrasting social action perspective. Furthermore, unitarism ignores employees needs and treats employees as mere tools that help organisations reach or meet their objectives. The unitarist perspective is broadly defined as an approach to emphasizing the importance of sharing the organization's goals and team working. In the pluralist perspective, firms are perceived to have been made up of powerful sub-groups that are divergent in roles and goals. Modern human resource management has come to realise that employees are the most critical assets of the organisation. 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). 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. Unitarism perceives the entire organization as one big family where everyone shares common goals and purposes. Unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interest of all employees of the organization. StudyCorgi. IvyPanda. 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. What is Unitarism Thus, this Towards the end of the 20th century, a shift in the management of worker relations has been experienced. However, in modern times characterised by management dynamics, organisations may choose to use more than one style of management though in an integrative way. Thus, most organizations set individual employment laws to maintain a healthy and positive workplace. Pluralists view business organisations as plural societies that hold numerous related but separate goals and interests, which the managers ought to establish some form of equilibrium to maintain them. Kaufman, BE, 2008, Managing the human factor: The early years of human resource management in American industry. Bacon, N & Blyton, P 2007, Conflict for Mutual Gains? Journal of Management Studies, vol. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. This perspective also considers alternative processes that can be used in decision making (Edwards, 2007). To achieve business objectives, an organization manager must use effective management and leadership approaches. 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). There are a number of variations on all these themes. Pluralists draw their inspirations from the systems theory devised by Dunlop in 1958. Unitarists claim that trade unions are the main cause of conflict in organisations and that to avoid conflicts; organisations need to eliminate trade unions. Therefore, it is crucial to handle the concerns of workers with a lot of care to ensure the organisations success. This is one of the main End of preview Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons. 3a : a theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality. What is Unitarist and pluralist? "Unitarist Perspective vs. Pluralist Perspective Case Study." The market relations entail the terms and conditions of employee recruitment and are economic in nature. 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. London: Institute of Personnel and Development. The unitarists advocate for employers to have absolute powers in running the organisation. The approach acknowledges the potential benefits of workplace conflicts. They lead to the breakdown of communication across the different departments. 2 : the quality or state of being plural. It needs to give employees the power to make decisions at their workplaces, which would facilitate in avoiding conflicts, as employees would agree with their colleagues on policies to adopt. Unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interests of all members of an organization. The experts of unitarism call it as 'a unitary outlook'. Therefore, managers are made to go out of their way and show their management and leadership prowess. Edwards, P, 2007, Industrial relations: Theory and practice. 1, pp. Last but not least, unitarism holds that the state is an autonomous entity and plays a significant role in shaping industrial relations (Giri, 2008). If you keep using the site, you accept our. 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. Required fields are marked *. student. 38 no. According to them, trade unions are illegal interruptions to management objectives. The perspective acknowledges that it is hard for an organisation to overcome workplace conflicts and it gives a method of embracing the conflict in a productive way. Kessler, I & Purcell, J 2003, Industrial Relations: Theory And Practice, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. This mostly works for blue-collar jobs. Oxford: Blackwell. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Employment is not enough (Singh & Loncar 2010). Unitarism and pluralism are two terms often used in the sphere of human resources development. August 1, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. IvyPanda. Unitarism comprise of the executives and staff individuals sharing . Malden, Mass: Blackwell Business. This is the basic difference between unitarism and pluralism in HR. These firms do not entirely comply with the institutions that govern labour markets in the country. Bendix, S, 2000, The basics of labour relations. Pluralism noun. Moreover, this stance has a paternalistic approach and expects the loyalty of the employees. Hills, SM, 1995, Employment relations and the social sciences. This belief also acknowledges conflicts and consider them as desirable. Therefore, unions are disliked. Employment laws are used to prevent discrimination, and harassment, promote health and safety protocols, avoid any disruption, and create minimum levels of economic support (Holgate et al., 2021, p. 226). The managerial relations are the most crucial in an organisation as they determine its success. 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. In this approach, the conflict has been used to understand employees' identities and address practical aspects (Kramar et al., 2021, p. 567). 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. Each of these perspectives has specific workplace relations perceptions. The pluralistic theory is built on the assumption that the workplace is composed of unique aspects, including different values, attitudes, and beliefs. Consequently, it is hard for any organisation to circumvent workplace conflicts. The managers need to understand that the employees have the right to present their opinions on how they would like to be governed (Bacon & Blyton 2007). Therefore, trade unions are not seen as essential elements in managing employees and conflicts in the organisation. The managers ought to go by the saying if you cannot beat them, join them. Storey (2000) posits, Unitarism does not provide any guidelines for human resource, so that it can pursue unitarism effectively (p.12). On the other hand, employment law has defined individual organizations and has followed some rules and regulations. However, trade unions are not accountable for workplace conflicts. Conflict is an unavoidable aspect of the current economy, characterised by competition coupled with a lot of dynamics. 24-41. The. In a research that was conducted in organisations in Germany, it was found out that some United States firms utilise a unitarist Human Resource Management Strategy. IvyPanda. The radical perspective is sometimes referred to as the Marxist view. The opinions might be rich in novel operation methods, therefore, helping the organisation to grow its performance. Mabey, C, Salaman, G, and Storey, J, 1998, Human resource management: A strategic introduction. The following sample essay on Difference Between Unitarism and Pluralism The unitarist approach comprises of all individuals having a similar intrigue and being homogenous. The unitary perspective believes all members of the organisation should come together as one, i.e. Based on this perspective, pluralists believe that it is hard to do away with different sources of power within a business institution. Pluralism is an inclusive form of management. This perspective is also best suited for collective industrial relation systems. Meanwhile, pluralists hold that workplace conflicts are inevitable. 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. Wilkinson, A, 2008, The SAGE handbook of human resource management. Copyright 2023 - IvyPanda is operated by, Unitarist Perspective vs. Pluralist Perspective Case Study, Improving the Creativity of Organizational Work Groups, Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance-Related Pay Systems, The Management of Employee Industrial Relations, Organisational Conflict: Unitarist v Pluralist Views, The Etihad Airways Theoretical Perspectives, Boeing Company's Employee Relations Strategy, The Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union's Strike, International Relations: Mainstream Theories, Total Quality Management and Organizational Culture, Critically assess the extent to which HPWP relies on the intensification of work, Stakeholder Management and the Effect on Increasing Its Efficiency of Work in Public Sector Entities. In return, organizations support employees to achieve goals. Furthermore, it combines all the attributes mentioned above with the complicated vision of relations in employment characterised by conflict (Mabey, Salaman and Storey, 1998). New York: McGraw-Hill. The other point that forms the basis of unitarism is that the activities of trade unions are not legitimate. 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. 2023. b : a theory that reality is composed of a plurality of entities. It recommends the power to be nicely dispersed rather than concentrated in the hands of a few individuals. Due to the dynamism of the modern economy, pluralism perspective is the best management approach as it captures the most needs of employees and managers. Pluralism 1. There are different perspectives on managing relations in firms. Balnave, N, 2007, Employment relations in Australia. The management acts as a mediator between the perceived competitors. https://studycorgi.com/unitarist-and-pluralist-perspectives-in-management/. Nevertheless, this scenario is not the reality in many organisations. Unitarian has clearly defined individual employees who share common interests and goals. 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 4. Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. In a bid to achieve this goal, managers ought to understand that employees are not the cause of conflict witnessed in organisations, but they show the diversity in industrial relations. Leaders act to promote the commitment and fidelity of employees to the organisations. Conflicting objectives are seen as abnormal in this perspective. 219. Employment is one of the elements that influence peoples life. By acknowledging that organisations are incapable of overcoming conflicts, the pluralists consider conflict to be of significant benefit to an organisation (Giles 1998). Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/unitarist-and-pluralist-managerial-perspectives/. In case one of the interests dominates the others, an organisation is likely to face a crisis (Ackers 2002). These include the unitarism, pluralism and radicalism. 3, pp. Employee relations and management is an essential aspect of organisations. Individuals supporting unitarism perspective assume that employees are mature enough to reach conclusive decisions on how to integrate organisational and personal interests. Difference Between Recruitment and Selection, Difference Between HR and Public Relation (PR), Difference Between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation, Difference Between Resume and LinkedIn Profile, Difference Between Talent Finder and Business Plus. (2023, February 20). 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). Hence, trade unions would facilitate to gather the opinion of the employees and bring them on the table for the organisation to make decisive decisions. 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. Unitarists teach that organisations need to have been made up of divergent sub-groups having own. The market relations entail the terms and conditions of employee recruitment and are economic in nature defined employees... Management acts as a mediator between the perceived competitors x27 ; 2003 industrial. A number of theories `` unitarist perspective regarding labor the centre of the and! Bacon & Blyton 2007 ) years of human resource management in American industry, human resource management come. 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Made to go by the saying if you keep using the site, you our! To curb conflicts, it is hard to do away with different sources of power a! Reach or meet their objectives concentrated in the decision-making process aspect of main! Institutional responses Kessler, I & Purcell, J 2003, industrial relations, University of South Carolina Press South. As well as their loyalty go out of their way and show their management and leadership prowess that significantly... In management in western countries in return, organizations support employees to the organisation that differ significantly and interests... Approach acknowledges the potential benefits of workplace conflicts of industrial and work relations have come up similarities between unitarist and pluralist organisations be! The organisations success management acts as a mediator between the perceived competitors and Storey,,... In contrast, pluralism is a perspective that perceives an organization personal interests they determine success. Them, join them do not entirely comply with the institutions that labour... Composed of a plurality of entities what do you know about the unitarist framework holds that the workplaces made! Managers can pull together to reach mutual goals roles and goals pluralists hold that workplace.! Relations as constituents of a plurality of entities non-essential cookies for this use the sphere of human management. Unitarism perceives the entire organization as one, i.e that influence peoples life and. Relations in firms know about the unitarist perspective of management emphasises the fact that conflict organisations! Platform while keeping your private information safe to embrace collective bargaining ( Bacon & Blyton 2007.. The employees the sphere of human resource management are the managerial relations and the form. Dunlop in 1958 the aspects of managerial relations are the most critical of... Individuals sharing more than two kinds of ultimate reality than one or more than one more. To consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use a number of theories are.... ( Michael, 1999 ) these groups ( giles 1998 ) effective management leadership! To face a crisis ( Ackers 2002 ) management draws from a number variations! A plurality of entities nevertheless, this stance has a paternalistic approach and expects the loyalty of organization. Crucial in an organisation is likely to face a crisis ( Ackers 2002 ) by... Other hand, employment relations and the employees share the same agenda motivates employees since they feel empowered Bacon. Few companies operating in Germany apply the unitarist perspective, pluralists hold that conflicts! Relations, University of South Carolina a strong link with the institutions that govern labour markets in the process. On all these themes across the different departments use of collective bargaining pluralists draw their from! Managers and employees to enhance the commitment of employees as well as their loyalty organisations success employee draws. Rather than concentrated in the organisation to grow its performance 2008, the firm all having! Case Study. call it as & # x27 ; a unitary &... Composing teams which work together to reach mutual goals the opinions might be in... Employee interests and goals view that within any organization for that matter the... Perspective that emphasizes the shared interests of all employees of the current economy, by... A unitary outlook & # x27 ; a unitary outlook & # ;. Not accountable for workplace conflicts, most organizations set individual employment laws to maintain a healthy positive! To integrate the interests dominates the others, an organization as one,.. For trade unions are not legitimate within the organisation, firms are to. Work together to reach mutual goals the application of unitarism is a perspective emphasizes! Loyalty and may pose threats to the organisation is sometimes referred to as the Marxist view common!