CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND:

Employees Relations:
The comprehensiveness of the relationship between employees and employers is the focal
point in the study of employment relations. Conflicts at workplace are inevitable, but this can
be managed in an effective manner to contribute in prompting for new ideas/solutions, for the
betterment of the organisation. Employee relations study will contribute in various efficient
aspects, in order to enhance the way conflicts are addressed and encourage a ‘Great Place To
Work’ attitude amongst the employees. The proper employee relations framework is
illustrated in …. The framework demonstrates that an organisation culture which is
supportive to its staffs and motivated in providing positive psychological contract, will
instigate a pragmatic mind-set amongst the workers, leading to a hike in the productivity,
profitability and agility for the organisation.

Unitary Perspective:

The unitary insight in employment relations presumes that managers and employees work as
a team for realisation of organisational objectives. This notion views employers and workers
as a combined unit having mutual understanding. Hence, all parties form one where there are
no union interventions which is perceived as unnecessary and influences employee loyalty.
The unitary perspective contends that conflicts have a significant role in organisation.

 Unitarists claim that employers are the rules setter while workers need to abide with the
rules. Conflict is regarded as disruptive and considered as a shortcoming of employee
management or poor communication (Van Gramberg, 2002). Unitarists stress on team-work
when speculating the employment relationship background (Fox 1974). Whilst unitarists
anticipate an amicable workplace, encompassing of dedicated and faithful employees,
conflict is projected as a menace and should be eradicated (Van Gramberg, 2002). The
ultimate mechanisms of the unitarist perspective comprises mutual aspects between managers
and employees, assent of the political, economic and social culture. It emphases further on
solving divergences than uprooting the rationale of the conflict. This perspective is
reproached for being perceived in rejecting the existing basic antipathy in the employment
relationship, though its principles urge the approaches and conduct of employers to
employees (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2001).
Employee Participation and Involvement:
Employee participation and involvement are the major pillars for an organisation in gearing
towards the enhancement in the employee relations. Employee participation can be defined as
the initiatives that encourages the collective rights of the workers to be represented in
decision making procedures for the organisation. Irrespective of their job position, the
employees can suggest new ideas to deal with new projects or issues. On the other hand,
employee involvement can be defined as the opportunities presented to the employees, to
contribute in decisions at the workplace. Employee involvement can surge autonomy in the
work processes. Thus, the combined effect of employee participation and involvement can
drive a sense of motivation, commitment, productivity and satisfaction amongst employees at
work.

High Power Distance:

The commonly used management leadership style in cultures with high power distance is
autocratic. Managers and the subordinates view themselves as incompatible resulting in the
acceptance of unequal status [Hofstede, 2005]. The cultural framework portrays an important
role in employee relations. In high power distance cultures, the manager is the one who takes
decisions without the consultation of employees and command instructions to subordinates in
executing the decision [Hofstede, 2000]. Therefore, the upper level staffs of the
organisational structure are the decision taker and this is considered as natural by employees
in high power distance cultures [Sagie, Aycan, 2003]. The power distance is also allied with
the internal communication in the organisation. The level of power distance signifies the form
of communication and the level of information conveyed from managers and subordinates. In
the society with high power distance, communication is limited and little information is
disseminated from “top-to-down”. The employees working in high power distance cultures
are unlikely to approach the top manager.