Industrial Relations

Meaning

In the broad sense, industrial relations cover all such relationships that a business
enterprise maintains with various sections of the society such as workers, state,
customers and public who come into its contact.

In the narrow sense, it refers to all types of relationships between employer and
employees, trade union and management, works and union and between workers and
workers. It also includes all sorts of relationships at both formal and informal levels in
the organization.

The term industrial relations has been variously defined. J.T. Dunlop defines industrial
relations as the complex interrelations among managers, workers and agencies of the
governments. According to Dale Yoder industrial relations is the process of
management dealing with one or more unions with a view to negotiate and
subsequently administer collective bargaining agreement or labour contract.

Causes of Poor Industrial Relations

Perhaps the main cause or source of poor industrial relations resulting in inefficiency
and labour unrest is mental laziness on the part of both management and labour.
Management is not sufficiently concerned to ascertain the causes of inefficiency and
unrest following the laissez-faire policy, until it is faced with strikes and more serious
unrest. Even with regard to methods of work, management does not bother to devise
the best method but leaves it mainly to the subordinates to work it out for themselves.
Contempt on the part of the employers towards the workers is another major cause.
However, the following are briefly the causes of poor industrial relations:

1. Mental inertia on the part of management and labour;

2. An intolerant attitude of contempt of contempt towards the workers on the part of
management.

3. Inadequate fixation of wage or wage structure;

4. Unhealthy working conditions;

5. Indiscipline;

6. Lack of human relations skill on the part of supervisors and other managers;

7. Desire on the part of the workers for higher bonus or DA and the corresponding
desire of the employers to give as little as possible;

8. Inappropriate introduction of automation without providing the right climate;

9. Unduly heavy workloads;

10. Inadequate welfare facilities;

11. Dispute on sharing the gains of productivity;

12. Unfair labour practices, like victimization and undue dismissal;

13. Retrenchment, dismissals and lock-outs on the part of management and strikes on
the part of the workers;

14. Inter-union rivalries; and

15. General economic and political environment, such as rising prices, strikes by
others, and general indiscipline having their effect on the employees attitudes.

Principles of Good Industrial Relations

The willingness and ability of management and trade unions to deal with the
problems freely, independently and with responsibility.

Recognition of collective bargaining.

Desirability of associations of workers and managements with the Government while
formulating and implementing policies relating to general economic and social
measures affecting industrial relations.

Fair redressal of employee grievances by the management

Providing satisfactory working conditions and payment of fair wage.

Introducing a suitable system of employees education and training.

Developing proper communication system between management and employees.

To ensure better working conditions, living conditions and reasonable wages.

To develop employees to adapt themselves for technological, social and economic
changes.

To make positive contributions for the economic development of the country.


Features of conflict

Conflict occurs when two or more parties pursue mutually exclusive goals, values or
events.

Conflict arises out of differing perceptions.

Conflict refers to deliberate behaviour.

Conflict can exist either at the latent or overt level

In conflict one side sees on opportunity to interfere with the others opportunity to
acquire resources or perform activities.

Conflict is not an organizational abnormality but a normal aspect of social intercourse.

Level of Conflict
Low level of conflict creates conditions of inertia and boredom in the system and
excessive conflict results in destruction and dysfunctional tendencies. Managers have to
monitor the level of conflict in the system and if there is too little or no conflict at all, the
managers may even have to induce some level of conflict to energize the system. As
the level of conflict tends to go beyond the optimum level the manager must act to
resolve the conflict in a manner that will be beneficial to the organisation.

LEVEL OF CONFLICT

Stages of Conflict

The above model presents conflict as a series of stages namely latent conflict;
perceived conflict; felt conflict; manifest conflict and conflict aftermath.

Latent Conflict
Each episode of conflict starts with a latent conflict but the actual conflict has not
emerged. Factors such as competition for scarce resources, competition for positions in
the organization exist which could become conflicts.

Perceived conflict
This conflicts results in due to the parties misunderstanding of each other true position.
One party perceives the other to be likely to thwart or frustrate his goals.

Felt conflict
When the conflict makes one tense or anxious, the conflict is a felt conflict because the
difference are personalized or internalized.




Manifest conflict
This is the stage for open confrontation. It takes the form of conflictual behavior
including aggression, sabotage, apathy etc. all of which reduce organizations
effectiveness.

Conflict resolution
When conflict is resolved in some form, it is called conflict resolution.

Conflict aftermath
The aftermath of conflict may be either positive or negative for the organization
depending on how the conflict is resolved. If the conflict is genuinely resolved, it can
lead to more enduring relationship between parties; if the conflict is merely suppressed
but not resolved, the latent of conflict may be aggravated and explode in more violent
and serious forms. This is called conflict aftermath,

Types of conflicts
Conflicts may take following forms:

Individual conflict

Inter-individual conflict

Inter-individual or inter-personal conflict involves two or more individuals who hold
polarized points of view. The most common reasons for inter-personal conflicts are
personality differences, perceptions, clashes of values and interests, and competing for
scare resources.

Intra-individual conflict
Intra-individual conflict is internal to the person and probably the most difficult type of
conflict to analyze. Basically, intra-personal conflict can be related to two things; conflict
arising due to divergent goals or conflict arising from out of multiple roles to be played.
Goal conflict occurs when a goal that an individual is attempting to achieve has both
positive and negative features. Generally three separate types of goal conflicts are
indentified.

Approach-approach conflict: A person wants tow positive situations but can have
only one.


Approach-avoidance conflict: In this form of goal conflict the person attempts to
achieve a goal that has both positive and negative aspects but wants to avail of
positive and negative.

Avoidance-avoidance conflict: This type of conflict can be resolved because a
person faced two negative goals and he may not choose either of them and may
simply leave the situation.
Role conflict is the result of divergent role expectations. It exits when the expectations of
a job are mutually different or opposite and the individual cannot meet one expectation
without rejecting the other. An individual confronting with role conflict will experience
psychological stress leading to emotional problems, resulting in poor performance.

Group conflict
Inter-group conflict

Every group is in atleast partial conflict with every other group it interacts with. The
groups differ in goals, work activities, power and prestige. The sources of intergroup
conflict are incompatible goals, task interdependence, resource allocation, competitive
incentive and reward system, differences in values or perception etc.
Intra-group conflict Intra-group conflict is essentially same as the bases of inter-
individual conflict.

Organizational conflict
Inter-organizational conflict

The bases to inter-organizational conflicts are essentially the same as the bases on
inter group conflict. The types of inter-organizational conflict are between management
and government, management and management, union and government etc.

Intra-organizational conflict

Intra-organisational conflict are mainly three kinds:

Horizontal conflict: It refers to conflict between employees of departments a the
same hierarchical level in an organization.

Vertical conflict: If refers to any conflict between different hierarchical levels in an
organisation. It occurs usually in superior-subordinate relations. The reasons for vertical
conflicts are inadequate communication, differences in interest, perception and attitudes
between position holders occupying different levels.

Line and staff conflict: It refers to conflict between line managers and staff specialists.

Conflict Management
Conflict has to be resolved as soon as the optimum level is crossed and before
dysfunctional consequences start occurring. Following are some of the techniques
employed to resolve conflict.

Dominance through position
Quiet often managers use positional authority to fire a lower ranking subordinate they
consider to be a trouble-maker. Individuals, in organisation, with rare exception,
recognize and accept the authority of their superiors as an acceptable way or resolving
conflicts. Although they may not be in agreement with these decisions, the abide by
them.

Appeals procedures

The people in disagreements may appeal to higher authority to help them to arrive at a
solution by resolving the problem satisfactorily.

Liaison groups

To arbit differences between two warring factions, an arbitrator can be appoint who can
use this expertise and persuasion to achieve coordination and get people together.

Reduce interdependence

On way to resolve conflict is to reduce interdependences. Departments may be
provided with resources that are independent of those provided for other departments.

Conflict Resolution Model

Thompson suggested five styles such as competiting, avoiding, accommodating,
collaborating and compromising to resolve conflicts. If two parties experience conflicts,
each one could be more concerned above their own self or could be more concerned
for the other.

When the concern for self is very low they could be very unassertive. If the concern for
he self is very high, they could be very assertive. If their concern for the other is low,
they would tend to the non-cooperative. If the concern for the other it high, they could be
co-operative. In a conflicting situation:

If an individuals concern for self and others is low, he will avoid the conflict;

If he has high concern for himself and low condern for others he will compete;

If he has high concern for himself and for others, he will collaborate;

If he has high concern for other but low concern for himself, he will accommodate;

If he has medium level of concern for both himself and the other, he will go for
compromise. All the five styles have its own advantage and disadvantages and a
suitable style depends upon both the nature of the individual and the situational factors