...Economics Available online at www.managementjournal.info RESEARCH ARTICLE Industrial Relations System as a Factor of Tripartite Consultation Influencing the Performance of State Corporations in Kenya Nzioki S*, Mukulu E Department of Human Resource Management, School of Human Resource Development, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya. *Corresponding Author: Email: sknzioki@yahoo.com Abstract The study sought to establish the effect of Industrial relations system in Kenya on the performance of state corporations. Methodology: Data was obtained through a descriptive design involving 279 employees both unionized and non-unionized of state corporations in Nairobi County. A structured questionnaire with likert scale questions was used to collect data from the selected subjects of the study. Interviews were also conducted with human resource managers/ employee relations officers, shop floor union officials, officers of the Ministry of Labour, officers of Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), officers of Central Organizations of Trade Unions, Kenya. The study used the Dunlop’s systems model credited with the application of the systems approach to Industrial Relations (IR). The model explains the input acquisition, input transformation, output and feedback to explain the process of Kenyan Industrial Relations System. Finding: The study found that there existed a prescribed Industrial Relations System in Kenya, but its adherence had been faced with a lot of challenges...
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...Industrial Relations in China :A Case Study of Foxconn Suicides Abstract As globalization affected the whole world, the contradiction between leaders and labors has become a world-wide problem. In China, a series of employees’ suicides attracted the public and media’s concentration to consider this problem. A Taiwanese electronics corporation, is acting as the protagonist in this issue and now earning an internationally notorious reputation of running sweatshops. This paper analyze the cause of ongoing trend of exploitation of workers in China with the example of Foxconn, and examine the reasons behind those suicides from the perspective of management, workers and related laws. Based on the fundamental information of China, to illustrate my own analysis about this case from ethical and legal point, and to criticize Foxconn’s management strategy, industrial relations and the gaps of Chinese laws. Keywords: workers’ exploitation, China, Foxconn, suicides, inustrial relations 1. Introduction 1.1 Background and significance of the topic With the rapid development of Chinese economy and the increasing globalization of business competition, the various types of enterprises in China have been booming development, rapid increases in the number and size of foreign investment in China to hire to do business, and further reform of state-owned enterprises increase, the private sector, the number and the number of employees of private enterprises in recent years, is also...
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...Human Resource Management Vol.2, No.1 2008 Sharing the Pie: Trade Unionism and Industrial Relations in Multinationals in Bangladesh Monowar Hossain Mahmood East West University Bangladesh Abstract Using the ‘convergence-divergence’ thesis as the baseline for the study of industrial relations and trade union activities in multinational subsidiaries, the present study tried to investigate extent of the trade union activities and IR practices of MNCs in a developing country context, i.e. Bangladesh, as well as influence of the MNCs on trade unions and IR activities within the existing social and economic contexts. The study revealed that comparative power dominance of multinationals over the host country industrial relations actors emerge as the vital factor in employer-union bargaining process, as well as their capacity to manipulate the existing bargaining process also helped them to implement their desired practices in Bangladesh. However, multinationals were not in confronting mode at all the circumstances, but their potential lobbying power created difficulties for the employees and the trade unions to develop countervailing power in the collective bargaining process and IR activities. Keywords: Convergence-Divergence, Bangladesh, Multinationals, Trade Unions Introduction Empirical studies of international human resource management (IHRM) often reveal that industrial relations practices of multinational subsidiaries face a ‘challenge from established home country...
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...Situation Analysis of Trade Unions and Industrial Relations in Bangladesh: A Country Profile • Balasundaram Nimalathasan (Department of Accounting, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka) • Abu Taher (Department of Management Studies, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh) Abstract Industrial Relations (IR) is an inter-disciplinary field that encompasses the study of all aspects of people at work. IR is a fascinating subject for the study understanding discussion and practice, as it covers the whole range of human relations within industry. IR is a combination of various social sciences, the cumulative effect of which is to grease the wheels of industry and society. Sound IR can only be based on human relations and good human relations dictate that human beings should be treated humanely, which includes respect for human dignity, fair sealing and concern for the human beings physical and social needs. The research is based on desk study. Moreover, the recommendation would be helpful to the practitioners, researchers, planners, policy makers and academicians, who are involved in the concerned area. Keywords: Situational Analysis; Trade Unions and Industrial Relations 1. Introduction Trade unionism is the core of industrial relations. Primarily it is also referred to as phenomenon of the capitalist society, where in trade unions seek to remove the power imbalance between the buyer (i.e., employer) and individual seller (i.e....
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...1. INTRODUCTION Industrial relations has become one of the most delicate and complex problems of modern industrial society. Industrial progress is impossible without cooperation of labours and harmonious relationships. Therefore, it is in the interest of all to create and maintain good relations between employees (labour) and employers (management). Concept of Industrial Relations: The term ‘Industrial Relations’ comprises of two terms: ‘Industry’ and ‘Relations’. “Industry” refers to “any productive activity in which an individual (or a group of individuals) is (are) engaged”. By “relations” we mean “the relationships that exist within the industry between the employer and his workmen.” The term industrial relations explain the relationship between employees and management which stem directly or indirectly from union-employer relationship. Industrial relations are the relationships between employees and employers within the organizational settings. The field of industrial relations looks at the relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union. Industrial relations are basically the interactions between employers, employees and the government, and the institutions and associations through which such interactions are mediated. The term industrial relations have a broad as well as a narrow outlook. Originally, industrial relations were broadly defined to include the relationships...
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...Case Study Method in Management Management education is mainly aimed at developing managerial skills in students. Amongst the various methods adopted in teaching management and management functions, the case study method developed in 1910 in U.S.A. and is now being propagated during the last decade or so, providing opportunities to both the teacher and the taught to promote managerial I understanding and competence, since it helps in contemplation and discussion of an actual situation. It is a wrong notion that the case studies are confined to management students. Cases may pertain lo any discipline, where skills for solving complex unstructured problems or preparing plans are required. The origin of case study methods itself can be traced to Harward Lawyers. Cases may describe problems facing individuals, groups, institutions or even Nations. Through a case study one learns a broad range of skills and has many alternatives. Case studies encourage the practice and attainment of analytical and communicative skills. Case studies allow a different kind of learning. It is close to the learn by doing' approach. Cases are intended to stimulate the reality of the manager's job. The material in the case provides data for analysis and decision-making. Cases require the student to make decisions about the situations presented and to defend those decisions. In real decision-making the student will have lo persuade superiors that his analysis and solutions are the best and hence the...
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...up on Case Study of Air India Airlines Group Members: Anukriti Dave Nitu Thomas Vishwa Patel Air Indian Airlines into trouble 1. Introduction Success of the Airline Industry depends on cordial relationship between the employers and the employees. Inflexibilities in deployment of the workforce, supported by rigidity in labor legislation, have all added to the woes and have now begun to affect employment generation as well. All these changes are believed to have impacted employment and employee relations and therefore, resulted in catastrophic breakdowns in industrial relations across the country. Being held at a time when the business scenario is proving to be a challenge for both employees and employers as businesses come under increasing pressure to keep stakeholders satisfied. These changes have implications both for the organization and the employees. As a consequence the nature of relationship between the employees and the employer is impacted. Industrial disputes are a menace to industry and society. Managing an Airline is unique and challenging, the quality of services of Airline heavily depends on the quality of human resource it deploys. Airline companies must have potential human resource policies that help the organization to attain its goals, enable it to employ the skills and abilities of the workforce efficiently, assist to bring about employees job satisfaction and self-actualization and establishing and maintaining harmonious Employer-Employee Relations. In this...
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...Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal Equality and diversity in employment relations: do we practise what we preach? Jane Holgate Sue Abbott Nicolina Kamenou Josie Kinge Jane Parker Susan Sayce Jacqueline Sinclair Laura Williams Article information: To cite this document: Jane Holgate Sue Abbott Nicolina Kamenou Josie Kinge Jane Parker Susan Sayce Jacqueline Sinclair Laura Williams, (2012),"Equality and diversity in employment relations: do we practise what we preach?", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, Vol. 31 Iss 4 pp. 323 - 339 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02610151211223021 Downloaded on: 01 December 2014, At: 02:26 (PT) References: this document contains references to 46 other documents. To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 3118 times since 2012* Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER At 02:26 01 December 2014 (PT) Users who downloaded this article also downloaded: C.W. Von Bergen, Barlow Soper, John A. Parnell, (2005),"Workforce diversity and organisational performance", Equal Opportunities International, Vol. 24 Iss 3/4 pp. 1-16 http:// dx.doi.org/10.1108/02610150510788033 Vidhi Agrawal, Vidhi Agrawal, (2012),"Managing the diversified team: challenges and strategies for improving performance", Team Performance Management: An International Journal, Vol. 18 Iss 7/8 pp. 384-400 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13527591211281129...
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...workplace: Why it is important and why a new public policy initiative is needed Provocation Series Volume 2 Number 3 Professor Paul Edwards FBA, Industrial Relations Research Unit, Warwick Business School and Senior Fellow, Advanced Institute of Management Research Justice in the workplace Contents Executive summary 3 Introduction 6 Job quality and limited success in dealing with it 8 The proposals: building workplace justice 13 Workplace justice 19 Limits to legally based solutions 24 Labour market and employer-led changes 27 Constraints and possibilities 31 Concluding remarks 39 References 42 Notes 45 Acknowledgements The help and encouragement of Keith Sisson have been crucial to the production of this paper, which is a completely revised version of the 2005 Annual Employment Relations Lecture, Keele University. I am grateful to colleagues at Keele and to the audience there, and also to David Coats and Paul Marginson, for comments and suggestions. I take sole responsibility for the views expressed. 2 Justice in the workplace Executive summary The goal of improving fairness in the workplace has been central to UK public policy since 1997. For rather longer, companies have spoken of employee empowerment through such things as teamwork. Much has been done in both areas, but major concerns remain. In relation to fairness, employee rights give entitlements, but these rights also need to be meaningful and effective. In the workplace, the take-up of empowerment...
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...INTRODUCTION The term "Industrial Relations" has developed both a broad and a narrow meaning. Originally, industrial relations was broadly defined to include the totality of relationships and interactions between employers and employees. From this perspective, industrial relations covers all aspects of the employment relationship, including human resource (or personnel) management, employee relations, and union-management (or labor) relations. Since the mid-twentieth century, however, the term has increasingly taken on a narrower, more restricted interpretation that largely equates it with unionized employment relationships. In this view, industrial relations pertains to the study and practice of collective bargaining, trade unionism, and labor-management relations, while human resource management is a separate, largely distinct field that deals with nonunion employment relationships and the personnel practices and policies of employers. Both meanings of the term coexist in the twenty-first century, although the latter is the more common. ORIGINS The term "industrial relations" came into common usage in the 1910s, particularly in 1912 upon the appointment by President William Taft of an investigative committee titled the Commission on Industrial Relations. The commission's charge was to investigate the causes of widespread, often violent labor conflict and make recommendations regarding methods to promote greater cooperation and harmony among employers and employees. Shortly...
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...New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies 11, 1 (June 2009): 304-317. EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS IN MALAYSIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE MAIMUNAH AMINUDDIN1 Independent Scholar Introduction This paper offers an overview of the employment relations framework in Malaysia, focusing on the current status of three key areas central to the employment relations system, namely, the strength of the trade union movement, security of employment for employees, and the state’s position on measures to deal with sexual harassment. It will only examine these subsystems of the employment relations system as they apply in the private sector where the majority of employees work, this sector is considered the main driver of Malaysia’s economy. The Trade Union Movement The relationship between employers and employees in Malaysia is regulated by a number of laws which were introduced prior to independence (1957) and in the first decade immediately thereafter. The colonial economy prior to World War II (1939-45) was based on tin mining and rubber plantations. The need for labour in these two industries changed the human landscape of Malaysia (Malaya as it then was) for ever. The colonial government either allowed or actively encouraged the importation of labour from China and India, thus creating the multi-racial society which is Malaysia today. The wages of this growing group of employees were low and working conditions were mostly abysmal. Jomo and Todd explained the lack of governmental ...
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...soon after returned to the USA to further their education, he entered Marin Community College in California in 1931 because prestigious four-year universities were reluctant to take a student from such a little known high school.1 He transferred to the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a degree with highest honors in 1935 in northern California. He later transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, the same University which turned down his application for enrolment and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1935 with highest honors. It was during his studies at Berkeley, that he met his fiancé’ Dorothy Emily Webb. The two got married on 6th July 1937. Dunlop continued studies at the University where he earned his PhD in Economics in 1939, delivering the dissertation “Movements of wage-rates in the business cycle”.2 In 1937, he went to Cambridge University, England, to study under the British economist John Maynard Keynes whose ideas were so influential and revolutionary; that a school of thought was developed called Keynesian economics which serves as a sort of benchmark that defined virtually all economists who came after him. During their stay there, Dunlop and his wife shared a...
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...[pic] MSc Industrial Environmental Management MSc Urban Water & Environmental Management WW1104 Case Study Monday 12th – Friday 16th February 2007 (University week 22) Module Tutors: Mr Jim Duncan & Professor Chris Jefferies. [pic] Welcome to Module WW1104A - Industrial Case Study The aim of this module is to assist participants to build on their understanding of the basic principles of environmental management as developed in previous modules. The emphasis throughout will be to complement theoretical knowledge gained in classroom activities with practical application. Students will work in groups to present their work, and most of the module assessment is associated group activity and interaction. Module Format The intensive five-day course is conducted at the University of Abertay Dundee, with visits to industrial and utility sites. The programme consists of seminars and group activities. Emphasis is given to developing teamwork skills and all group sessions will be interactive and will involve group working / discussion. Accommodation Rooms have being reserved at Dudhope Castle and details are given in the Case Study Week programme(see page 4). Module Assessment The module is assessed is by coursework only, which comprises the following THREE elements :- an individual report based on one of the industrial visits. a group report on the evaluation of the...
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...1. Labour or Industrial Relations. The term labour relations, also known as industrial relations, refers to the system in which employers, workers and their representatives and, directly or indirectly, the government interact to set the ground rules for the governance of work relationships. It also describes a field of study dedicated to examining such relationships. The field is an outgrowth of the industrial revolution, whose excesses led to the emergence of trade unions to represent workers and to the development of collective labour relations. A labour or industrial relations system reflects the interaction between the main actors in it: the state, the employer (or employers or an employers’ association), trade unions and employees (who may participate or not in unions and other bodies affording workers’ representation). The phrases “labour relations” and “industrial relations” are also used in connection with various forms of workers’ participation; they can also encompass individual employment relationships between an employer and a worker under a written or implied contract of employment, although these are usually referred to as “employment relations”. There is considerable variation in the use of the terms, partly reflecting the evolving nature of the field over time and place. There is general agreement, however, that the field embraces collective bargaining, various forms of workers’ participation (such as works councils and joint health and safety committees) and mechanisms...
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...EMPLOYEE RELATIONS PROJECT Table of contents 1. Historical Perspective of IR in Pakistan…………………………………………….. 5 1.1 Employer’s organization History………………………………………………………7 2. System of IR in Pakistan………………………………………………………………8 2.2 Membership of trade unions……………………………………………………………11 3. Upcoming trends and changing characteristics of workforce in Pakistan………….12 4. Challenges of IR in Pakistan………………………………………………………….16 5. Historical development and phases of growth of trade unions in Pakistan………..18 6. Structure; Political affiliation and problems of trade unions in Pakistan…………..20 7. Structure of Unions in Pakistan………………………………………………………22 8. Table…………………………………………………………………………………….24 9. References……………………………………………………………………………….25 1. Historical Perceptive of Industrial Relation in Pakistan. Current population of Pakistan is 182.1-million approximately; it’s ranked sixth as most populated country of the world (Population Census Organization). Total labor force is 59.21 million in Pakistan ( Index Mundi Pakistan) out of total labor force 49.09 million is employed and rest is unemployed, women has got 20% rate in employed strength , in agriculture sector employs are 44%, in service sector 35%, in industry and manufacturing employs are only 20% Industrial relations are the efforts made for the resolution of the differences between employer and employees, on objectives and values, profitability sharing and social justice. Discipline and authority, freedom and...
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