StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper 'Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference' is a perfect example of a Management Essay. Frames of reference refer to the different perspectives that the HR professionals use in understanding employment relations. According to Rowley & Jackson (2009), managers cannot solve problems at work by just using common sense but rather, they should use a given frame of reference…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.4% of users find it useful

Extract of sample "Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference"

The paper 'Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference' is a perfect example of a Management Essay. Frames of reference refer to the different perspectives that the HR professionals use in understanding employment relations. According to Rowley & Jackson (2009), managers cannot solve problems at work by just using common sense but rather, they should use a given frame of reference. They illustrate the frames of reference to include unitarist, pluralist, and radical frames of reference as developed by Alan Fox in 1966.  This paper describes and distinguishes between unitarist and pluralist frames of reference in relation to HRM and ER.

According to Rowley & Jackson (2009), a guitarist considers an organization consisting of a team that is united by shared values and interests, and the senior management is the sole source of authority. On the other hand, pluralism views an organization as consisting of numerous groups with common and divergent interests, and that the role of management is to balance the competing demands among these groups. In this sense, pluralism rejects the perspective of an organization as a unified order.

In the unitary frame of reference, employees strive as a body towards the achievement of a common goal, and thus, they are assumed to work to their ability and follow their appointed leaders (McCourt & Eldridge, 2003). Therefore, there is no need of having trade unions because everybody is on the same side. In pluralism, the presence of varied interests within the organization leads to the formation of trade unions that reflect them.

Conflict is regarded as an abnormal or pathological misunderstanding that is caused by trouble makers in a unitary frame of reference while in pluralism, it is regarded as legitimate only that it should be managed and channeled through the set rules and procedures (Marchington, Wilkinson, Sargeant & CIPD, 2002). In the unitary frame of reference, conflicts are seen as a product of bad management communications and misunderstanding. They are regarded as not only irrational but also unnecessary. In pluralism, conflicts between groups indicate that there is no single focus of authority or loyalty but instead, they are regarded as rival sources of attachment. They are seen as part of an organizational life that cannot be wished away and thus, they should be carefully managed by institutionalizing them.

Marchington, Wilkinson, Sargeant & CIPD (2002) argue that having a unitarist frame of reference in an organization will make managers view themselves as the only legitimate source of authority. Therefore, the employees should respect them unlike in the pluralist frame of reference where the managers recognize the legitimacy of their employees’ point of view within the organization. An example of a unitarist manager is one who expects his employees to trust his decisions, and since the employees supposedly have the same interests, this manager does not expect any conflict to occur in the organization.

A unitarist manager has the right to enforce his or her authority to the employees through coercion if they fail to do what they are told. The manager will hold that he or she has a right to unilaterally fix the working conditions as well as impose them on the employees. In most cases, the manager will resist the attempts by the employee of advancing their interests in a way that is different from his or hers.  This is in contrast to managers with a pluralistic view who accepts the role of trade unions in an organization and believes that the gain of support of the various unions and employees will enhance the achievement of suitable solutions (McCourt & Eldridge, 2003).

In conclusion, power in a unitarist organization lies in the hands of management by the virtue of the authority they possess as organizational decision-makers while for a pluralist organization, the power is more distributed and the balance of power can shift from one group to another within the organization depending on the circumstances at hand. 

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference Essay, n.d.)
Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference Essay. https://studentshare.org/management/2034734-managing-hr-and-er
(Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference Essay)
Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference Essay. https://studentshare.org/management/2034734-managing-hr-and-er.
“Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference Essay”. https://studentshare.org/management/2034734-managing-hr-and-er.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Unitarist and Pluralist Frames of Reference

Unitary, Pluralist, and Radical Perspective in Employment Relations

It is an employment frame of reference where employers are assumed exploitative of their employees and highlight the many injustices of contemporary employment (Redman & Wilkinson, 2002, p.... … The paper “Unitary, pluralist, and Radical Perspective in Employment Relations” is an intriguing example of the essay on human resources.... The objective of this essay is to discuss the different approaches to the study of employment relations such as unitary, pluralist, and radical....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

Theories of Employment - Unitary, Pluralist and Radical Approaches

… The paper "Theories of Employment - Unitary, pluralist and Radical Approaches" is a great example of a management essay.... The paper "Theories of Employment - Unitary, pluralist and Radical Approaches" is a great example of a management essay.... The different theories of employment like unitary, pluralist and radical 'approaches' have made a demarcating effect on employee relationships.... This essay looks to present the manner in which unitary, pluralist and radical 'approaches' has relevance on employee relations and the manner the business is able to deal with the changing business environment and ensure that the role of both the employer and the employee can be improved for better business handling....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Analyzing the Australian Fair Work Act 2009 from Alan Fox's Pluralist Frame of Reference

Hence the term “frames of reference” a theoretical tool that was first coined by Alan Fox (1966, 1974).... The term 'frames of reference' is a concept identified by Alan Fox (1966, 1974) as a means of classifying the different assumptions people hold towards workplace relations.... … The paper "Analyzing the Australian Fair Work Act 2009 from Alan Fox's Pluralist Frame of reference" is an outstanding example of an essay on human resources....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

Key Differences Between Unitarist, Pluralist, and Radical Views of the Employment Relationship

… The paper "Key Differences Between Unitarist, pluralist, and Radical Views of the Employment Relationship" is a great example of business coursework.... The paper "Key Differences Between Unitarist, pluralist, and Radical Views of the Employment Relationship" is a great example of business coursework.... For this reason, there is a need to analyse different theories and find the key differences between the unitarist, pluralist, and radical view of employment relationships....
6 Pages (1500 words) Coursework

Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice

The importance of frames of reference as a means of understanding the attitudes and behaviors of the executive, managers, and employees at the workplace was highlighted best by Fox (1974).... The importance of frames of reference as a means of understanding the attitudes and behaviors of the executive, managers, and employees at the workplace was highlighted best by Fox (1974).... The unitarist frame of reference is founded upon a presumed harmony of interest between employees and the management and therefore an assumption of shared goals, so denying the legitimacy of conflict and any group or groups which might express it....
10 Pages (2500 words) Assignment

International and Comparative Employment Relations: Globalisation and Change

… The paper "International and Comparative Employment Relations: Globalisation and Change" is a great example of a report on human resources.... Despite the fact that the world in the recent past has experienced serious challenges in terms of food shortage, energy, and financial crisis as well as the economic crisis, still many governments are on the run to work on ways to penetrate global markets....
10 Pages (2500 words)

International Institutions and Employment Relations

… The paper 'International Institutions and Employment Relations ' is a perfect example of a Management Essay.... Employment relationships are all about maintaining good, positive working relationships between employer and employee to ensure employee satisfaction and high morale.... Employment relations are especially important in ensuring that a mutual relationship exists between the two....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Collective Bargaining as a Method of Solving Employees' Concerns

Therefore the collective bargaining will employ the two approaches, unitarist values, and pluralist values in an endeavor to solve Walmart 'Labor unrest' in Shanghai.... … The paper "Collective Bargaining as a Method of Solving Employees' Concerns in Relation to Industrial Relations" is a perfect example of a case study on management....
9 Pages (2250 words) Case Study
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us