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Employment Relations

In: Business and Management

Submitted By mafshan
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Employment Relations is the study of the “regulation of the employment relationship between employer and employee, both collectively and individually, and the determination of substantive and procedural issues at industrial, organisational and workplace levels” (Rose, 2004). It functions as the association between workers and managers and is present when employees carry out work under certain conditions in return for something to compensate for the provision of their service; usually in monetary terms. Through this relationship, the rights of both the employer and the employee are established and it operates as the channel through which workers can gain access to the many benefits associated with employment such as a good wage, job satisfaction and opportunities for career development. Ultimately, an employment relation is about
“the creation of order at work” through a “system of rules established through joint regulation”. It is sometimes described as the “incomplete overlap in interests” and takes into account the roles of the main actors in this relationship looking at how each unit is interlinked to create a successful working environment. The key characters are the organisation itself (capital), labour (employees and trade unions) and of course the state (government). This essay aims to address the various approaches taken by workers in the field of employment relations, focus on their strengths and limitations and to identify key aspects which influence both internal and external regulation and control. According to Industrial Sociology and Industrial Relations (Fox, 1966), the two major frames of reference in employment relations are unitarism and pluralism. These perspectives consider the historical, economic, social and political impact that they have on workers in a particular industry. The unitarist approach

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