...Industrial relations are: Industrial-based definitions, social psychology-based definitions, class-based definitions, human resource management definitions and employment relations. Industrial relations are an ever growing topic and will be continually studied by scholars to further gain in-depth knowledge to natural behaviours of the modern workplace, as advantages of a harmonious working environment is considered the holy grail of globalisation. Although there is a vast array of conceptual approaches to industrial relations, in this essay I will analyse the differences with the frames of reference most commonly known as unitarism, pluralism, and marxism. Before which I will carefully discuss in depth the pluralist approach, to offer further insight into the different concepts and how pluralism can be used within the business environment. Pluralism describes the reality of people having different worldviews that govern the way they live and regard the world. Many things influence worldviews: to name a few, geography, culture, religion, and politics. Some of us look at the world from...
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...Final Project Kathleen Culbreth ETH/125 August 11, 2013 Kathryn Grant * * When you are able to see how other cultures live and interact, you learn that everyone is different. This knowledge has helped me to realize that the differences between cultures can be a significant factor in our lives. What I have learned in this course has helped me learn how diversity can promote more tolerance which in turn helps us to accept other cultures and their specific way of life. The point I am trying to make is that everyone is different because of the culture that they were raised in and that the differences can be helpful in strengthening the society in which we all live. It allows us to learn a new way of life which helps us grow closer to becoming a united society. If we accept and embrace the differences, we can no longer be blind to the reality of life and what is going on around us. I believe that if we use what we learn, it can increase a deeper tolerance which in turn should help decrease racism, prejudice and discrimination. The most important thing we need to do is to stop grouping people. When we place people into a certain group, this causes us to be divided. As long as we remain a nation divided, we will continue to see attacks by one group on another group instead of the solidarity that a united nation can bring. * * Although my race is Caucasian, my ethnicity is Irish/German/Polish. I could not find any information as to my ethnicity so I suppose...
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...Diversity Thomas "Drew" McIntyre ETH/125 May Nineteenth, 2013 Jeanette Carney Diversity There is an abundance of information available on the topic of diversity in the United States. Some of it slanted in either one direction or another. However, I have found interesting reading material presented by National Geographic on this topic. In it, there is an enlightened view point of the state of diversity in our country presented in a way that is easily understood and easy to relate to. In addition to National Geographic, I have found useful information on diversity in our text book. It is a comprehensive and well written piece of academic material that covers a wide base of topics. The drawback to this source material is there have been a few statistics presented in which I did not find to be as accurate as portrayed. This also served as an upside as it caused me to think beyond what was written and investigate the material. By looking at and understanding other cultures and how we should embrace them. There was a bit of eye opening on my part in the ways that my particular racial group has approached it in the past and the strides that still need be taken in order to bridge the gap. I have learned about my own racial history that we too were also slaves. In fact, it was a common aspect of early European warfare to conquer and enslave their foes. At one poi t of time all of our ancestors have been enslaved for one reason or another. It is not simply the plight of Afro-Americans...
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...Introduction This paper will talk about the employment relations from two perspectives, a unitatist perspective and a pluralist perspective, and then make an analysis of the Australian Waterfront Dispute 1997-1998 from these two perspectives. In order to make clear the changes of the stevedoring industry in Australia, one has to understand the disputes occurred between 1997 and 1998. These disputes were not simple because they demonstrated the employment relations in the industry or even the whole economy (Trinca and Davies, 2000). Thus, what is the Australian Waterfront Dispute 1997-1998? And how it happens and changes? About these two questions, the paper will give a clear outline on the changes and related issues of the Dispute in its third part. And to be in accordance with the question requirements, the paper will also tackle what are unitarist and pluralist perspectives in the second part. The detailed information about these two perspectives are based on the PPTs in class and related theories, as well as some philosophical ideas. After clarifying the two perspectives, making an analysis of the Australian Waterfront Dispute 1997-1998 is essential to answer the question. As mentioned, this section will be included in the third part. Now it comes to the last part, the conclusion part. In this part, the paper will give an overall evaluation on the two perspectives in the process of dispute changes, and show the author’s standpoint on this issue. Analysis of Australian...
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...Final Project Brianna Bradshaw ETH/125 Katria Haynes-Jenkins University of Phoenix September 1, 2013 Diversity is a challenging topic for me to argue, because there is so much to it. It can be both beneficial and challenging; it varies in characteristics, understanding, effectiveness to others, and acceptability from place to place as well as being an extremely debatable subject due to the variety of challenges and benefits involved. Most of the information about diversity in the United States that has helped me to better understand or relate to others in ways that I did not in the past was all mostly learned through this class’s material, however a great deal of personal experiences has been a huge contributor. Some of what I have learned is how to be more sensitive and less offensive toward others. Diversity can come in many forms: variations of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, customs, style, and age; almost anything that sets people apart and creates difference amongst a population or area. Whether people recognize it or not, diversity is everywhere. Nobody is exactly alike; everyone is different in some way or another. So many people are against the idea of diversity because they believe that one specific “group” is dominant over others, but what they don’t consider is how even the people within their own group are all different, too, in other ways. That is what I have learned about diversity: it comes in many forms and tends to be very controversial...
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...What information about diversity in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to others in ways that you may not have in the past? * * When looking at the information that we covered in this class what has helped me the most has been learning about the history of the problems, learning about the history of immigration and how this has molded our country into its current state and learning that we are moving always towards “one race”. This makes us closer to just being “Americans”. Have you learned something new about your own racial, ethnic, or cultural history? * I had the opportunity to not only research to find out my own heritage, but I was able to learn about the history involving my ancestors. While I knew what my heritage was prior to this I was unaware of the trials and tribulations that my people went through to not only come to America in the beginning, but also what they experienced when they arrived. Life in America was not easy for anyone, but with hard work and determination each group has made their own place in America. What will the U.S. population look like in the year 2050? Why do you think so? * * The United States in the year 2050 will be more of the melting pot, often referred to in our society. If current trends continue, the population of the United States will rise to 438 million in 2050, from 296 million in 2005, and 82% of the increase will be due to immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their U.S...
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...2004). There can be identified two sources that are conductive to the existence of cultural diversity in organizations. The first is derived from global change sin transportation, technology and trade that lead to increased human mobility. People relocate around the world for many different reasons as immigrants, temporary workers, retirees, visitors etc. Another factor that contributes to this inflow of new members to communities is the increase of free trade agreements, bilateral treaties and opened borders. Full‐time education abroad, exchange programs, international seminars are increasingly popular among students and their worldwide experience is often highly valued by future employers. This multinational environment creates cultural pluralism within societies (Schmidt, Conaway, Easton andWardrope 2007). Multicultural teams as showed above have become a part of organizations as a...
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...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 between employers and employees (Cully et al. 1999: 57; Kaufman 2008: 317). These ER initiatives can be traced back to the 1950s in the United States, where three human resource (HR) models became prominent, namely Fombrun, Tichy, and Devanna’s (1984) ‘matching model,’ Beer et al.’s (1984) ‘Harvard model,’ and Walton’s (1985) ‘control to commitment’ model (Farnham 1993: 34). Similar ER changes occurred in the United Kingdom (UK), although mainly in larger organisations. Authors argued that the manager’s frame of reference impacts how these perspectives are interpreted and used or not used (Farnham 1993: 36, Ackers and Payne 1998: 533,and Gennard and Judge 2002: 52). The three common kinds of ER perspectives are: unitarist, pluralist, and neo-unitary (Farnham 1993: 37). This essay critically evaluates only two approaches to ER namely, the unitary and pluralist perspectives and demonstrates the implications for managing successful ER in organisations adopting the unitarist perspectives. Unitarist perspectives Fox (1996) stated that there are two major frames of reference for ER, the unitarist and pluralist frameworks (cited...
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...What information about diversity in the United States has helped me better understand or relate to others in ways that I may not have in the past? I feel like I had a pretty good grasp on what diversity in the United States looked like until I took this class, I have learned so much about the issues that everyone faces on a daily basis. This has also taught me that it is not just those of different races, beliefs, or even cultures who struggle with this it happens to everyone. I think that we have all been subject to some kind of separation or even forms of racism, this can include anything from being bullied at work or school to being treated differently by your community because you dress or look a certain way. Diversity is a great thing to introduce when you are young to show our children that we are all equal no matter where we come from. I also feel that this is something that needs to be reminded to us as adults, as I think that I feel we forget as we grow. On the job training I think is something that is very beneficial for us all to learn how to interact with those who may be slightly different then us. The information that I’ve learned about diversity in the United States has helped me better to understand and to relate to other people than I used to in the past. I understand that diversity is all around us. If it was not for diversity we would all be the same. There would never be any challenges in our lives to make us better. When we go through diversity we learn new...
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...Sexual Harassment Scenario December 7, 2012 Annise York Sexual Harassment Scenario Questions Is this incident simply a schoolboy prank, or is this sexual harassment? I believe that this is sexual harassment. I think this was sexual harassment because the boys were putting their hands on the girls, which is not allowed especially when the boys were pulling on the girl’s bra straps. Should the boys involved be punished? If so, what should the punishment be? Because they were putting their hands on the girls, they should be punished. Overall the boys should be suspended for a few days, and if it happens again further action should be used. No one should be touching someone else, and if it continues and is not stopped who is to say that these boys don’t grow up to rape someone, or be placed in jail because they could not keep their hands to themselves. Should this incident be limited to the class, or should the principal and parents be notified? This is a situation where parents, other teachers, and the principle should all be notified. It is not a matter to laugh or joke about. If the situation gets worse the people that were not informed would be annoyed especially if it is the parents of the kids it is happening to. As a principle it is their job to make sure that the school is safe for everyone, including the teachers and parents, as well as the kids. Should Ms. Reid turn the incident into a learning situation for the entire class? If she does so, how should she...
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...managing diversity in which I am most strong. Diversity can be defined as any attribute relevant to an individual that creates or reinforces a perception that he/she is different from another individual (Williams, 1998). Managing diversity is an on-going process that unleashes the various talents and capabilities which a diverse population bring to an organization, community or society, so as to create a wholesome, inclusive environment, that is “safe for differences,” enables people to “reject rejection,” celebrates diversity, and maximizes the full potential of all, in a cultural context where everyone benefits. Multiculturalism, as the art of managing diversity, is an inclusive process where no one is left out. In an age of cultural pluralism, multiculturalism is needed to manage diversity effectively. In essence, then, multiculturalism is nothing more than the art of managing diversity in a total quality manner. One area regarding managing diversity in which I am most strong is the focus on the individual, concerned with embracing and valuing differences. This area is of tremendous importance, since staff and administration that do not get along, nor understand each other, are not able to maximize their greatest potential for optimal excellence. Here is where workshops on prejudice, cultural awareness, cross-cultural communication and conflict resolution are most helpful. (Lorde, 1993) The purpose of valuing diversity and appreciating differences is not simply to make people...
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...Matthew Sandoval 1 Government 2301 Spring 2012 Interest Groups and Politics The “interest industry” or Interest Groups is often pointed out as one of the unusual features of the American political system. A structurally weak state is seen as being penetrated by wealthy and vigorous lobbying groups, raising the questions of to whom. Elected politicians are in practice accountable, and how real political power is allocated. While these interest groups are sometimes effective in achieving their own aims, the bias towards business groups suggests that, far from improving policymaking, the influence of interest groups actually worsens it. The strong presence of interest groups is certainly not in doubt. The representation of interests is the third-largest source of employment in Washington D.C., providing work for around 40,000 active lobbyists (Twyman, 1). Groups are also organized in state capitals, especially in Sacramento, CA and Austin, TX. This impressive presence, in comparison to other countries, stems at least partly from the structural weakness of other parts of the American political system. The framers of the Constitution fragmented the state into competing institutions, thus providing plenty of leverage points for interest groups; those which do not get satisfaction in the one branch of government can pursue it in another (Debbie, 4). In addition the main political parties are ill-disciplined and weak; legislators who vote against the party line...
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...Final Project Nathan Schmidt ETH/125 December 22, 2013 Howard Snider Final Project There was a great deal of new information about diversity available during this course. There was never had much of a chance to learn about other cultures considering the current environment. Growing up in Salt Lake City Utah, which is almost entirely Caucasian, particularly in the more wealthy areas, diversity in cultural and racial systems was almost non-existent. The area is also not very mixed religiously, being almost entirely dominated by the Mormon Church. People of the catholic faith are in the minority in the area. This can give a point of view on discrimination that is not as common among Caucasian males as it is among females and people of other races in the United States. The interest in history meant that there was a great deal of familiarity with the history of discrimination, but the realization that many of those struggles still persist today was never appreciated. Learning more about the current conditions of the various races, particularly the difference in salary has helped foster the understanding that discrimination is still very present in today’s society. The presence of discrimination has also helped with understanding the current situation. As part of the racial, cultural, and gender benefited groups, there was no real discriminatory experience related to these aspects, but struggles with disability and membership in the religious minority makes this a...
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...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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...The Role of Powerful Interest Groups in the Execution of Policies Dr. Lisa Kincaid April 15, 2012 Research and Strategic Communications 531 Brief Overview of the Research Chapters of your Research Paper The brief overview of the research paper includes understanding that an interest group is an organization of people with similar policy goals that tries to influence the political process to try to achieve those goals will be in chapters 1-3. This paper will provide the readers with information that describes interest groups as groups that try to influence every branch and every level of government. Interest groups are also known to support candidates for office, but the interest groups do not run their own slate of candidates. Interest groups are often policy specialists, whereas parties are policy generalists. Interest groups have always been known as a negative image in America. There are many theories of interest groups and they are pluralist, hyper pluralist, and elite; pluralist theory argues that interest group activity brings representation to all as groups compete and counterbalance one another elite theory argues that a few groups (mostly the wealthy) have most of the power; and hyper pluralist theory asserts that too many groups are getting too much of what they want, resulting in a government policy that is often contradictory and lacking in direction. Pluralists do not deny that some groups are stronger than others or that competing interests do not always...
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