National University of

Science and Technology

GROUP 3
MARXIST APPROACH
TO INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

Hove Kudakwashe N02129664X

Maziwa Nicole N02123736X
C h a r i Ta n a t s w a N02133108N
Gwatidzo Elizabeth Kudzaishe N02132514N
Mbulawa Pardon N02125758J
M o y o Ti n a y e i s h e N02125556X
C h a k a n y u k a Te n d a i N02125294M
M a n d i k i y a n a Ta n a k a K i m b e r l y
N02021503F Department of Industrial and
Manufacturing Engineering
Mpofu Marvellous Thabo N02123199W Faculty of Engineering
 INTRODUCTION TO MARXISM
IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
• The Marxist approach to industrial relations focuses on the
conflict between the working class (proletariat) and the
capitalist class (Bourgeoisie).
• According to Karl Marx, the proletariat is exploited by the
bourgeoisie, and the bourgeoisie uses the state to maintain its
power.
• The Marxist approach emphasizes the need for workers to
organize and overthrow the bourgeoisie system in order to
create a more just society.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 Karl Max’s View

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 KEY TENETS
OF THE MARXIST APPROACH
6 Of Them

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 1. The Concept Of Class Struggle
• Marx believed that the conflict between the working class and
the capitalist class was the main driver of social change.
• Some examples of class conflicts are strikes and worker
protests.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 2. The Concept Of False Consciousness
• Marx believed that workers were kept in a state of false
consciousness, or unawareness of their exploitation, by the
capitalist class.
• Classic examples are how the media, education system, and
other institutions, could possibly be reinforcing the idea that
“Capitalism is fair and just”.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 3. The Concept Of Historical Materialism
• This is the idea that history is driven by material conditions,
such as the development of technology and the means of
production.
• An example is how new technologies, like the Industrial
Revolution, have transformed, and are transforming society.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 4. The Idea Of Surplus Value
• Marx believed that workers were paid less than the value of
their labor and that the difference between the value of their
labor and their wages was the surplus value that was extracted
by the capitalist class.
• Here there is also Marx's "Labor Theory of Value," which
states that the value of a good or service is determined by the
amount of labor required to produce it.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 5. The Idea Of Alienation
• Marx believed that workers were alienated from their labor,
from the products of their labor, from their fellow workers,
and from their own humanity under capitalism.
• Examples are how work under capitalism can be monotonous,
repetitive, and dehumanizing.
• Furthermore, according to Marx, under capitalism, sometimes
work does not allow for creativity or self-expression. This can
lead to workers feeling like they are just cogs in a machine,
rather than individuals with unique skills and talents.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 6. The Idea Of Communism
• Marx believed that communism (Marxism) was the solution to
the problems of capitalism.
• He envisioned a society in which the means of production
would be collectively owned, and workers would control the
conditions of their labor.
• Communism, in Marx's view, would eliminate exploitation,
false consciousness, and alienation, and would lead to a more
just and equal society.
• Communism is meant to be a more democratic and egalitarian
system than capitalism, according to Max’s perspective.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 CRITICISMS OF THE
MARXIST APPROACH

X ISM
R
MA

Workers
Supporting
Marxism

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 1. Overly Simplistic
• One common criticism is that the Marxist approach is based on
an overly simplistic view of history and human nature.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 2. Inaccurate
• It fails to account for the complexity of human motivation and
behavior.
• For example, it ignores the fact that people are often driven by
more than just economic self-interest.
• People may also be motivated by things like love, altruism,
and a sense of purpose.
• This criticism argues that Marx's view of history and human
nature is too simplistic to be accurate.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 3. Crushes Individuality & Freedom
• It doesn't account for the role of individual freedom and choice
in society.
• In a communist system, the economy is centrally planned,
which means that there is less room for individual choice and
expression.
• This can lead to a loss of freedom and creativity.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 4. Inefficient
• A centrally planned economy can be inefficient and slow to
adapt to change.
• Without the incentive of profit, there is less innovation and
less drive to improve efficiency.
• Additionally, without competition, there is no pressure to
provide the best quality products and services.

“Necessity Is The Mother Of All Invention”

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 5. Incompatible With Human Nature
• Human beings are naturally competitive and self-interested,
and a communist system goes against these natural tendencies.
• For example, there is a risk that people will not work as hard
when they are not being compensated for their work.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 6. Cannot Function Without
An Authoritarian Force
• As a natural consequence, the entropy of human systems
naturally tends to disorder, hence to keep people in line,
there'll be a need for an authoritarian force
• This is another criticism of the Marxist approach, as it goes
against the idea of a free and democratic society.

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 7. Tragedy Of The Commons
• The challenge is to find a way to balance individual freedom
with the needs of the group.
• In a way, the tragedy of the commons is a reflection of the
tension between individualism and collectivism.
• It's a classic example of what philosopher Isaiah Berlin called
the "negative and positive freedoms.“

“Is it more important to protect the freedom to use the

commons however you want, or is it more important to
protect the commons itself?”

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 SOLUTIONS TO THE
MARXIST APPROACH’S PROBLEMS
• Some scholars argue that the only way to make a communist
system work is to completely change human nature.
• But if we changed human nature to the extent that we
eliminated the tendency to act in our own self-interest, would
we still be human? Or would we become something else
entirely?

“The Only Viable Solution Is To Let Marxism Alone!!!”

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology
 THE END!!!

Think in Other Terms

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Faculty of Engineering National University of Science And Technology