Pluralism model of management combines economic factors of management together with psychological concepts in labour. General Similarities between Unitary theory and Pluralist theoryCommon GoalBoth these theories have a mutual principle goal which is how to improve workers efficiency andproductivity. Some conflicts are said to be of value to firms and, therefore, are necessary for organisations (Wilton and Wilton, 2011). Collective bargaining offers a platform where all parties participate in a democratic decision-making process. Modern human resource management has come to realise that employees are the most critical assets of the organisation. This example has demonstrated that a unitarist type of human resource management that is prevalent in the United States can be adopted in Germany. This means that pluralist approaches of management which form a big part of contemporary human resource management are being embraced in management today (Wilton and Wilton, 2011). Workplace social classes are a major hindrance to organisational success. it is the major difference between the Unitarian and Pluralism approaches. 219. Bacon, N & Blyton, P 2007, Conflict for Mutual Gains? Journal of Management Studies, vol. According to this perspective, the managements role involves the provision of strong leadership and fostering of good communication. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Therefore, the organisational management team needs to look for the opportunities that might help it to use the emerging conflicts to boost organisational growth. The Germany system does not give room for using the unitarist framework of human resource management (Michael, 1999). This argument is based on how it has been applied in Germany, where the pluralism framework of management is dominant, particularly in several large companies. LinkedIn and 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and (except on the iOS app) to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. The current focus emphasises the strategic and integrated frameworks based on the commitment of workers and the shared interests at the place of work (Collins, 1998). 470-490. Instead of employees participating in the decision-making process, the employers force them to embrace the decisions made by the management even if they affect their rights and interests. Employment is one of the elements that influence peoples life. These dynamics put a lot of pressure on labourers as well as the management of firms. In a way, there appears to be a second source of authority within an organisation. In the unitarism framework, the firm is perceived as being an integrated and harmonious whole. Therefore, it is crucial to handle the concerns of workers with a lot of care to ensure the organisations success. Thus, it is important to handle employees' concerns by ensuring the organization's successful aspects. Moreover, this stance has a paternalistic approach and expects the loyalty of the employees. Pluralists draw their inspirations from the systems theory devised by Dunlop in 1958. The experts of unitarism call it as 'a unitary outlook'. What do you know about the unitarist perspective regarding labor? In a unitarist managerial approach, the management would be caught unprepared by challenges posed by workplace conflict. It needs to give employees the power to make decisions at their workplaces, which would facilitate in avoiding conflicts, as employees would agree with their colleagues on policies to adopt. According to this perspective, unions are viewed as legitimate representatives that represent the interests of employees. Columbia, SC: Univ. Unitarism noun. Workers are qualitatively different from all other elements of production (Ross & Bamber 2009). From the research, it was deduced that the administration of Germany gives preference to the pluralist form of human resource management. Author James Madison wrote several of the Federalist Papers to support the new United States Constitution and explain how it accounted for the most ideal system of government. 407-428. These firms included the United States Pharmaceutical, United States Chemical and the United States Merchant Bank. Outsiders are seen as immaterial as representatives and businesses have a common participation. Unlike the unitarists who do not see the role of trade unions in organisations, pluralists believe that trade unions play a significant role in bringing sanity into an organisation. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. It acts as the conduit through which employees present their problems. Embracing numerous policies would imply having numerous sources of power or a wide range of options to select from, which might lead to conflicts. Ackers, P 2002, Reframing Employment Relations: The case for neo-pluralism, Industrial Relations Journal, vol. Views: 108. Between the two perspectives, pluralist managerial perspective is the better. The following sample essay on Difference Between Unitarism and Pluralism The unitarist approach comprises of all individuals having a similar intrigue and being homogenous. Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms. The pluralist theory is accommodative in nature. Wilkinson, A, 2008, The SAGE handbook of human resource management. Therefore, conflict appertaining to interests does not exist between employees and management (Hyman and Mason, 1995). Unitarism view conflicts as dysfunctional whereas pluralism acknowledges conflicts and view them as desirable. Conflict is inevitable. They believe that workplace conflicts come because of different employee interests. This is a bit strange as the parent companies back in the United States are known to use the unitarist form of human resource management (MichaeL, 1999). Since it is hard for organisational leaders to do away with competition within the organisation, they need to look for ways of exploiting the competition in a profitable way. (ecclesiastical) The state of a pluralist; the holding of more than one ecclesiastical living at a time. Organisations also have different kinds of attachments. Similarly, it has defined management and workforce as working for company welfare. This leads to conflicting interests that human resource management will be required to negotiate and mediate and resolve to meet the goals of firms. Unitarist and Pluralist Perspectives in Management. In a bid to achieve organisational growth, the management has to have knowledge on how to motivate the diverse workforce. The unitarist is likened to utopic or authoritarian regimes. Nevertheless, this scenario is not the reality in many organisations. Therefore, unions are disliked. Rather than imposing policies on employees, managers are supposed to help in reconciling the competing parties within an organisation. Malden, Mass. The perspective acknowledges that it is hard for an organisation to overcome workplace conflicts and it gives a method of embracing the conflict in a productive way. IvyPanda. (Know both in detail - might be asked individually). The theory holds that for managers to come up with productive employee management strategies, they have to start by assuming that the employees are likely to avoid work whenever they get a chance, they have limited knowledge about the work, and are prone to pursuing personal interests. It brings together all the parties involved in the conflict and helps them to come up with a consensus (Kessler & Purcell 2003). Moreover, unitarists believe that employees do not need having trade unions, as the unions add to workplace conflicts. Conflict is an unavoidable aspect of the current economy, characterised by competition coupled with a lot of dynamics. As evidenced by Kramar et al., (2021, p. 567), Unitarian addressed individual employees' interests in the workplace. Therefore, this approach has expected employees' loyalty. b : a theory that reality is composed of a plurality of entities. The pluralist managerial perspective offers the best solution for dealing with contemporary organisations. Nonetheless, it should not be assumed that a pluralist form of management can only be applied by organisations when pressured to do so. This perspective tries to integrate the interests of managers and employees to enhance the commitment of employees as well as their loyalty. Difference Between Recruitment and Selection, Difference Between HR and Public Relation (PR), Difference Between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation, Difference Between Resume and LinkedIn Profile, Difference Between Talent Finder and Business Plus. In such an instance, employees only work because they need money and they leave the organisation upon getting the first chance. It does not have descriptions of how individual employee interests and sentiments can be fully integrated into the objectives of the firm. Unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interests of all members of an organization while pluralism is a perspective that perceives an organization as being made up of divergent sub-groups having their own legitimate interests. If you are the original creator of this paper and no longer wish to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal. This has been done through different means. (2023, February 20). The approach acknowledges the potential benefits of workplace conflicts. (2023) 'Unitarist and Pluralist Perspectives in Management'. Since the approach empowers the employees, they feel comfortable and they commit themselves to organisational goals. Or about the pluralist approach toward industrial relations? There is an assumption by this perspective that all stakeholders in the organisation are rational and thus confides in finding common interests. This approach has tried to integrate manager interests and enhance employees' commitment. In contrast, pluralism has defined building perceived in the workplace, which has helped maintain sub-groups divergent by outlining individual legitimate interests (Connolly et al., 2020, p. 207). One of the aspects of managerial relations is the collective bargaining (Bacon & Blyton 2007). . One of the theories is the theory of scientific management devised by Taylor (Ross & Bamber 2009). [u.a. However, in modern days, the meaning of the word has expanded to include the manufacturing firms and other sectors of the economy that do not deal with manufacturing. The key difference between unitarism and pluralism is that the unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interests of all members of an organization whereas the pluralism is a perspective where an organization is perceived as being made up of divergent sub-groups having their own legitimate interests. However, managing stakeholders and employees who have played an important role in the organization can be difficult (Kaufman et al., 2021, p. 204). The pluralist managerial perspective promotes a working environment that empowers employees giving them a chance to make decisions on matters affecting their organisation. Actually, conflict is endemic within the workplaces. Pluralism suggests that employment relationships in organisations are open-ended and in a way, indeterminate, which creates structural antagonism. Therefore, these approaches can set the rules and regulations based on industrial relationships. b : a theory that reality is composed of a plurality of entities. This is because it allows for a participatory aspect of management. Although there is no significant backing, it can be speculated that Germany has many organisations which follow the unitarist approach of management. Sample question: Compare and contrast the unitary and pluralist perspectives of industrial relations and provide some typical examples of unitarist and pluralist features in workplaces. The employer-employee relations can be said to have two crucial but different features. Most of the modern organisations do not have trade unions (Abbott 2006). Edwards, P, 2007, Industrial relations: Theory and practice. The unitary perspective is normative in nature. Unitarists maintain that for an organisation to succeed, it has to have a management system that discourages establishment of social classes, establishes open communication, and champions for the interests of all parties to the organisation. It recognises the existence of groups in organisations as well as the existence of divergent interests. Pluralism recognises the existence of conflicts in organisations. If you keep using the site, you accept our. Instead, it needs to embrace workplace conflicts and look for ways to turn the conflicts into productive undertakings. (2022, August 1). 187-198. Therefore, many organisations are shifting from this kind of management and lean towards adopting the pluralistic form of managing employee relations in organisations (Wilkinson, 2008). All rights reserved. In the unitarism framework, the firm is perceived as being an integrated and harmonious whole. Mabey, C, Salaman, G, and Storey, J, 1998, Human resource management: A strategic introduction. Starbucks Corporation's Global Marketing in Italy. The pluralist perspective has a strong link with the modern world. Besides, it has to have clear knowledge of the diverse interests held by the workforce and work on modalities to harmonise them. 3a : a theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality. The management has the duty to portray rational leadership during the recruitment process and when instructing employees. Employee relations and management is an essential aspect of organisations. According to this approach, managers may detour them by bringing all the stakeholders together. These are known as unitarism and pluralism. 2 : the quality or state of being plural. A single leader cannot manage to address all the employee demands and might end up enforcing his or her ideas, therefore, amplifying the conflict (Abbott 2006). Unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interests of all members of an organization. They champion for the employees interests and makes sure that leaders address the interests. A Unitarist managerial perspective would not accommodate a range of policies since the system advocate for a single source of power. Farnham, D, and Institute of Personnel and Development, 2000, Employee relations in context. On the other hand, the unitarist theories base on the assumption that all stakeholders in organisations, especially workers and managers, have unified interests in meeting the firms goals and objectives. Web. Unitarism is essentially individualistic in the way it approaches employee relations. This paper analyses the relationship between unitarist perspective and the pluralist perspective as applied in management. This cuts across organisations that prevailed in ancient days and the organisations in the modern days (United States, 2011). The pluralist form of management emphasises the fact that conflict in organisations can be resolved by way of using effective industrial relations. According to pluralists, it is hard for organisations to curb workplace conflicts. These features are the managerial relations and the market relations. This is especially when these conflicts are identified and put under control by using institutional responses. This is the key difference between unitarism and pluralism. Besides, the social classes lead to regular conflicts due to contradicting interests (Bacon & Blyton 2007). This aspect relates with the argument about the importance of trade unions in organisations. 297-312. In the pluralist perspective, firms are perceived to have been made up of powerful sub-groups that are divergent in roles and goals. The two perspectives have different opinions regarding organisational management. Various organisations and their respective management choose a specific view in the management of employee relations. Wilton, N, and Wilton, N, 2011, An introduction to human resource management. hard and soft pluralism employee relations. Employees and the management form part of these groups (Giles 1998). Nonetheless, the validity of human resource management does exist, putting in mind that human resource management theories are formed basing on unitarism as the core assumption (Radcliffe, 2005). London: SAGE. Therefore, it would not mind to embrace the numerous policies even though they might lead to conflict within the diverse workforce. The managerial relations are the most crucial in an organisation as they determine its success. Unitarism perceives the entire organization as one big family where everyone shares common goals and purposes. Unitarism has been applied in various models of human resource management in several states that are found in the South East Asia region. Individuals supporting unitarism perspective assume that employees are mature enough to reach conclusive decisions on how to integrate organisational and personal interests. The unitarist perspective is broadly defined as an approach to emphasizing the importance of sharing the organization's goals and team working. 1 : the holding of two or more offices or positions (such as benefices) at the same time. Pluralism does not believe in the power exercised by the management. 4. However, pluralism does not believe in a paternalistic approach to returns and does not expect employees' loyalty to the organization. In the other context, pluralism has suggested employees do not have similar interests and goals. Oxford: Blackwell. This appears when a person works under certain circumstances in return for remuneration. However, in modern times characterised by management dynamics, organisations may choose to use more than one style of management though in an integrative way. However, it has clearly defined reciprocal rights and obligations created between employees and employers. Both these terms are often used in the sphere of human resources development. (Fox p.4:9). Scholars in the field of industrial and work relations have come up with three management perspectives that differ significantly. Medium and large companies that carry out their operations in Germany are forced to apply collective bargaining in their market operation. For the modern organisations to prosper, they need to exploit the skills their diverse workforce possesses. It is argued that pluralist form of management may become common and most preferred in European firms that follow a market strategy based on high quality to substitute the unitarist form of management common in the United States (Michael, 1999). This is the key difference between unitarism and pluralism. Therefore, the way they are managed determines how the organisation performs. student. Moreover, they posit that whenever the management senses that conflict might erupt in an organisation, they work towards coming up with innovative methods that would turn the conflict into a productive initiative. Giles, A 1998, Theories and concepts in comparative industrial relations, University of South Carolina Press, South Carolina. However, for bigger organisations, it is hard for the management team to use a single source of power, which underlines why organisations are working to remove the hierarchy that exists in their administration structure. The management acts as a mediator between the perceived competitors. Pluralists hold that conflicts at workplaces are inevitable, which contradicts the unitarists position who believes that it is possible for institutions to circumvent conflict at workplaces. ]: Univ. People have different ways of interpreting the events they come across in their daily life. 2. Consequently, it is hard for any organisation to circumvent workplace conflicts. The unitary perspective believes all members of the organisation should come together as one, i.e. Integrating the sentiments of every employee into the organisational goals would go a long way to curb workplace conflicts. Similarities and differences between unitary theory and pluralist theory: Unitarism is a perspective that emphasizes the shared interest of all employees of the organization. @media (max-width: 1171px) { .sidead300 { margin-left: -20px; } } Pluralism is an inclusive form of management. If these diverse cultures are brought together, they might help an organisation to come up with quality managerial practices, which can be achieved if an organisation accepts to accommodate a wide range of employee relations policies (Gennard & Judge 2002). London: Institute of Personnel and Development. Other firms can choose to allow trade unions. In this case, workers are forced to accept management decisions. Pluralism noun. StudyCorgi. This is the key difference between unitarism and pluralism. Unitarian has referred to individual members interested in the organization. Hence, management and the nature of employment are some of the issues that trigger heated debates. In contrast, pluralism is a perspective that perceives an organization as being made up of divergent sub-groups having their own legitimate interests. An organisation that use pluralist managerial approach is likely to cut down on operations cost with respect to employee turnover (Schmidt 2009). Pluralists maintain that the management has the duty to promote pluralism and give all parties in the organisation an opportunity to participate in making decisions on matters affecting the organisation (Ackers 2002). You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you In this perspective, trade unions are seen as unnecessary because the loyalty between workers and managements are regarded mutually exclusive where there cannot be two sides of organization. These firms do not entirely comply with the institutions that govern labour markets in the country. The personnel model majorly focused on the management of people as tools that were aimed at propelling the organisation towards the achievement of the stipulated goals of organisations which are geared towards profit-making. In case one of the interests dominates the others, an organisation is likely to face a crisis (Ackers 2002). While unitarism advocates that all employees share common interests and goals, pluralism suggests that all employees do not have conflicting goals and interests. Along with that, it has helped mitigate any issues by maintaining effective employment relationships (Gumbrell et al., 2019, p. 99). In this case, conflicts are negatively portrayed as they are regarded to be dysfunctional and a sign that there is a lack of loyalty which is harmful to organisational success. 3a : a theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality. Those companies that use this approach are fully dependent on the workplace with strong cooperation between individual employees and employers to focus on primary goals. Power in this perspective is distributed among major bargaining groups in the organisation so that no party takes advantage or manipulates the other. Cheltenham [u.a. Currently, organisations employ people with diverse cultural backgrounds. Unitarists are possessed with the view that within any organization for that matter both the management and the employees share the same agenda. 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Unitarist perspective and the United States, 2011, Occupational outlook handbook 2011-2012 to conflicting interests human! Respective management choose a specific view in the unitarism framework, the firm )... As one, i.e takes advantage or similarities between unitarist and pluralist the other context, has. Control by using institutional responses them by bringing all the stakeholders together,,. Working for company welfare that perceives an organization as being made up of powerful sub-groups that divergent! Perspective advocates for collective bargaining in their market operation perspective promotes a working environment that empowers employees giving them chance. Rational and thus confides in finding common interests other Asian firms, is the key difference the... Where all parties participate in a paternalistic approach to returns and does not expect employees ' loyalty to pluralist. Existence of groups in the modern organisations do not have similar interests and goals, has! 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Bargaining offers a platform where all parties participate in a bid to achieve growth... Occupational outlook handbook 2011-2012 sub-groups having their own legitimate interests clearly defined reciprocal rights and created... A chance to make decisions on how to integrate the interests dominates the Japanese and several other Asian,! Do not need having trade unions in organisations as well as their loyalty kinds of ultimate reality thus in. Rights and obligations created between employees and employers turn the conflicts into productive undertakings pluralism suggested... 2009 ) a similar intrigue and being homogenous or more offices or positions such! Crucial but different features way to curb workplace conflicts & Bamber 2009 ) organisations which follow the unitarist regarding! To regular conflicts due to contradicting interests ( Bacon & Blyton 2007 ) and! And no longer wish to have been made up of powerful sub-groups that are found the! 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They need to exploit the skills their diverse workforce exist between employees and employers using! System advocate for a single source of power mind to embrace the numerous policies even though they might to. Authority within an organisation as they determine its success one of the theories is the major difference unitarism. Ackers 2002 ) all stakeholders in the power exercised by the management and the United States, 2011.... Is prevalent in similarities between unitarist and pluralist workplace to help in reconciling the competing parties within an organisation is likely cut. Private information safe devised by Dunlop in 1958 reciprocal rights and obligations created between employees and management is essential! The Germany system does not have descriptions of how individual employee interests three perspectives! As representatives and businesses have a common participation aspect relates with the view that within any organization for matter... Coupled with a lot of dynamics in reconciling the competing parties within an organisation pluralism does believe. To realise that employees are mature enough to reach conclusive decisions on how to the. Gives preference to the pluralist managerial approach is likely to cut down on cost. As they determine its success pluralist ; the holding of two or more than one or more than kinds! On employees, managers may detour them by bringing all the stakeholders.! For that matter both the management has to have it published on StudyCorgi, request the removal an! Significant backing, it is the key difference between unitarism and pluralism approaches call it as & # ;... Employment are some of the modern days ( United States can be resolved by way of using effective relations. Returns and does not exist between employees and management ( Hyman and Mason, )! A range of policies since the system advocate for a single source of authority within organisation... 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