1) Differentiate between employee involvement and employee participation and how they build relationships. (AC 1.1)
This paper examines how human participation and engagement contribute to organizational relationships and considerably influence organizational functionality. While these two terms may seem to be similar in some ways, there are differences in terms of depth, coverage and the level of participation of the employees in the decision-making process.
Employee involvement is a higher level of commitment than mere obedience which means that employees are included in the decision-making process. This approach encourages employees to be more involved in the decision making processes of the organization through encouraging ownership. Employees are involved from the problem definition phase to the problem solving phase and their contribution is encouraged (Kraft & Lammers, 2019).
While involvement has been well defined and involves a narrow set of activities, the extent of participation is more extensive and offers a wider range of engagement activities. Representation can be in the form of opinion on some issues or matters, discussion of decisions, through consultations, feedback or other general meetings. Participation is therefore a more flexible way of encouraging the employees to take part in organizational activities than engagement which demands much commitment (Kraft and Lammers, 2019).
It is also worthy to note that this two has structural differences. It is more structured and permanent which involves cross functional teams or committees. Employee involvement on the other hand is normally more unorganized and random and usually only involves a couple of activities such as; questionnaires or discussion meetings where the employees are free to participate as they wish.
From the theoretical point of view, the use of the employee involvement is related to the unitarism, which means that everyone in the organization should have the same goal. On the other hand, the employee participation is in congruity with the pluralist view that asserts there are different opinions and the levels of participation are not the same.
It is associated with motivational and job design theories and socio technical system theory where emphasis is given on how tasks, autonomy and skill development enhance worker satisfaction. On the other hand, the levels of employee participation are in line with theories that support involvement of the employees in organizational decision making to enhance their motivation, which can be supported by job rotation and job enrichment, which enable the employee to learn new things while working and at the same time are fully motivated.
2) Compare forms of union and non-union employee representation. (AC 1.2)
Employers provide different ways of employee representation and these include; trade union and non-trade union organizations which have different ways of handling workers’ concerns.
Union Representation
Trade unions are formal bodies of workers that collectively bargain for the protection of workers’ interests in their workplace. Collective bargaining is a process where the union bargains for its members in order to get higher wages, improved conditions of work or other conditions that may be desirable. People form unions to be in a better negotiating position and they use tools like strikes or go slows to make the point. The recognition procedures describe the legal processes through which employers are supposed to accept a union as the bargaining agent for workers and they are part of the legal frameworks concerning unions.
Non-Union Representation
Other forms of non-union representation include works councils, employee forums and employee representatives. Unlike unions, these bodies normally do not negotiate on behalf of the workers and may not be legal recognized under labor legislation. However, non-union representatives are important stakeholders because they represent the employees and can make suggestions and even be involved in organizational decision-making (Kraft & Lammers, 2019). For example, works councils which are common in many European countries are formal forums through which employees and employers can engage in dialogue on matters concerning working conditions. Non-union representation usually focuses on creating togetherness and not division.
Evaluate the relationship between employee voice and organisational performance. (AC 1.3)
Literature review shows different views about the link between employee voice and organizational performance, with difficulties in the measurement of this link and the recognition of other factors.
Supporting the Link
1. High Performance Work System (HPWS) Literature Review
Several researches on High-Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) have given a lot of support and proof that the involvement of employees will result to better organizational performance. Research has shown that organizations which implement HPWPs and also involve employees experience an enhanced productivity, innovation, and efficiency. Therefore, the level of engagement of the employees in the decision making process is generally proportional to the level of their commitment to the organizational objectives (Kelliher, Richardson & Boiarintseva, 2019).
2. Increased Staff Participation
Organizational cultures that support free and open communication and cooperation make employees be more productive. Engagement also has positive correlation with job performance, customer satisfaction, and organizational results.
3. Innovation and Problem Solving
Employee voice is also recommended to enhance organizational performance in published work, similar to conclusions made in the HPWP research. Research shows that organizations that have provision for employee feedback are likely to record significant improvements in the efficiency, creativity and performance of their employees. Employee participation in decision making processes usually indicate their concern towards the organizational goals.
Challenging the Link
1. Measurement Difficulties
The evaluation of the effects of employee voice on organizational performance is not easy. The impact of the employee contributions may not be easily measurable with the standard industry parameters, which can lead to problems in identifying the changes in the performance as stemming from the employees’ inputs (Nechanska et al., 2020).
2. Some Distinctions of the Voice Mechanisms
Employee voice is not equally effective because it employs both formal and informal communication channels. Such variety in the approaches makes it challenging to establish the precise relationship between employee voice and organizational performance.
1) Explain the concept of better working lives and how this can be designed. (AC 1.4)
Enhancing working lives is about enhancing great places to work and guaranteeing job quality that is more than adequate. This broad approach refers to equal treatment of employees, proper working conditions and health of the employees. Thus our main goal is to create a workplace that is appreciated by employees and that promotes their mental and physical health. To this end, a number of important components are crucial, such as job design, social support, flexibility and individual considerations (Kelliher, Richardson and Boiarinsteva, 2019).
Workplace Excellence
Organizational performance goes beyond the accomplishment of organizational goals; it is the ability to create a workplace that provides meaning, development, and meaning to its employees. Workplace excellence comprises of quality work, fair share, and health of employees. The combination of high levels of task demands and low levels of resources and development opportunities is considered to be optimal (Nash, 2020).
Job Quality Assessment
Working conditions that determine job quality include health, safety, work environment, and wage decent. Promising workplace relationships call for secure employment relations, reasonable wages and secure job conditions. It is equally important for organizational culture to be healthy, respecting the employee’s mental health and encouraging the respect of the work-life balance (Nash, 2020).
Work Characteristics and Job Design
Proper approach to job design is important in making work interesting, meaningful and suitable for the people doing the job. Skills enhancement, variety of tasks, and independence are the most important components of job design. Interesting and effective activities help to achieve a high level of productivity and improve the perception of work.
5) Distinguish between organisational conflict and misbehaviour. (AC 2.1)
Organizational conflict encompasses various forms of employee-driven disputes, including work-to-rule actions, demonstrations, go-slow tactics, restricted working hours, strikes, and deliberate acts of sabotage. These conflicts often arise from issues related to cooperation and may indicate strained relations between employees and management.
Disorderly Conflict
Disorderly conflict involves behaviors such as embezzlement, vandalism, truancy, and go-slow actions. Misbehavior refers to unlawful or inappropriate actions that violate organizational standards and can significantly disrupt the organization’s functioning (Hayne, 2019).
Informal vs. Formal Conflict
Conflict within an organization can manifest unexpectedly through disputes, disagreements, and cultural differences that stem from varying perspectives or problem-solving approaches. Informal conflict typically arises spontaneously during regular interpersonal interactions and lacks a formal structure. In contrast, formal conflict is more organized, often involving leaders who actively participate and encourage others to voice their perspectives (Nash, 2020).
Assess emerging trends in the types of conflict and industrial sanctions. (AC 2.2)
1. Duration and Planning of Strikes
The nature of interruptions has changed from long, frequent interruptions to short and specific interruptions. Employer associations and trade unions are shifting to shorter, carefully coordinated strikes to ensure that the disruption is as effective as possible without consuming resources for both the employers and employees (Chang & Andreoni, 2020).
2. Rising Use of Injunctions
Employers are now more often using legal instruments, including injunctions, to stop or restrain strikes. In this regard, they wish to achieve less effects of strikes and guarantee more consistent business operations. This trend shows that there is increased use of legal instruments in regulating and containing labour relations.
3. Individualisation of Workplace Disputes
Employment relations conflicts are gradually assuming personal features, which are similar to personal complaints. This shift is due to the fact that it is easier to understand particular problems of specific employees and address them individually (Chang & Andreoni, 2020).
4. Nature of Sanctions
In labour relations, sanctions are both internal and external for the purpose of regulating conflicts. Policy and internal principles of organizations are aimed at conflict resolution, and external sanctions guarantee compliance with the law. This approach of compliance with external legal demands and internal organisational rules is a good mix.
7) Distinguish between third-party conciliation, mediation and arbitration. (AC 2.3)
Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration
In conciliation, a third party known as the conciliator helps the parties to the dispute to come to a settlement on their own. The conciliator fosters the flow of information but does not dictate the outcome (Lewis, 2015).
Mediation also includes a third party who is the mediator who assists the parties to communicate and negotiate to arrive at the solution. It should also be noted that a mediator does not make a decision himself; he helps the parties come to a decision that will be reasonable to both.
Arbitration is where the parties present their case before an arbitrator who hears both sides and makes a final decision for the parties; structured with a clear cut end.
Applications in Disputes
Conciliation is applicable to both individual and collective grievances since it leads to dialogue and an agreed solution.
Mediation is a flexible process used in different situations, focusing on the restoration of the relationships which is why it is highly effective in the employment relations and management of employment relations (Lewis, 2015).
Arbitration is important in individual and collective disputes because it offers a final resolution of the dispute, unlike judicial processes.
In Employment Tribunal Claims
Conciliation is most commonly used in employment tribunal claims where it assists in parties’ negotiations before filing a lawsuit.
Employment disputes can be resolved by mediation which is a positive constructive approach that seeks to restore the relationship and reduce the chances of legal proceedings.
The Role of Third Parties
Mediators and negotiators encourage participation and help in the management of the negotiation process and help the parties to search for resolution of their conflict without the intervention of the mediator.
Arbiters on the other hand assume the responsibility of the judge by coming up with a final decision after listening to both parties.
Conflict Management
Third-party intervention promotes positive interaction and fosters understanding among the conflicting parties to avoid escalation of conflicts. They offer a framework through which social issues can be solved hence preventing biases to prevail over society.
1) Explain the principles of legislation relating to unfair dismissal in respect of capability and misconduct issues. (AC 3.1)
Laws against unfair dismissal are important in regulating the way employees are treated when their employer seeks to dismiss them. For example, the Employment Rights Act of 1996 provides for a fair procedure for the disposal of dismissal cases (Hayne, 2019).
It is the work of employees to perform their tasks and duties to the best of their ability, but sometimes, they may be limited by factors like lack of skills, or illnesses that prevent them from working. Misconduct, however, refers to conduct or failure to act that is in breach of organizational or legal requirements.
It is important for employers to fulfill the legal requirements of both lawful and unlawful dismissal. Legal grounds for dismissal include incompetence, misbehavior, redundancy, illegality, and such other reasons as the case maybe. Discrimination may result in unfair dismissals for instance where employees have been dismissed on unlawful grounds, in retaliation or for exercising their rights to family related leave.
A proper termination procedure should take form of meetings for instance dismissal meetings where the employees are given an opportunity to be heard. Employers should also give warning in matters to do with misconduct or capability before dismissing the employee (Hayne, 2019).
Analyse three key causes of employee grievances. (AC 3.2)
Workplace complaints can be classified as individual and group complaints. Organizational complaints are those lodged by an employee against an organization with a view to changing a certain policy or being transferred to a different company. On the other hand, collective complaints refer to complaints made by a group of employees on matters that affect all employees of the organization, for instance, shift changes (Van et al., 2020).
Each of the types of complaints is likely to stem from perceived unfair treatment and lack of communication. In individual grievances, lack of communication from the management especially when decisions or changes are being implemented can lead to dissatisfaction. Moreover, perceived favoritism or bias in the performance evaluation resulted in the increase of personal complaints (Van et al., 2020).
In collective complaints, lack of communication results in poor reporting, and reduced employee participation in issues affecting the group at large. Prejudicial treatment of some persons can amplify the demand for justice. Employers have to follow the employment regulations to avoid and settle complaints, equality in treatment and communication with the employees based on the principles of UK’s case law.
Advise on the importance of handling grievances effectively. (AC 3.3).
Grievance and disciplinary procedures may be difficult, and certain skills need to be applied to make the process as fair, accurate and efficient as possible.
Active Listening
During grievance or disciplinary procedures, one of the best things that a manager should do is listening. This calls for a total focus and comprehension to attend to the plight of the employee in question. When the employer listens to employees, the employees feel that they are being valued and this fosters trust between the two parties.
Asking the Right Questions
The proper formation of questions is crucial in order to obtain enough data and to clear up the doubts in the process of the grievance or discipline. Good questions assist in getting to know all facets of the matter under discussion.
Objective Assessment
However, an impartial and unbiased investigation is a necessity to the whole process. This skill helps to make the right decisions depending on all the facts and circumstances of the cases and in grievance and disciplinary matters (Naagar & Kataria, 2021).
Effective Interviewing
One should interview the employee who lodged the complaint and other witnesses that may be involved. Performing these interviews effectively means that they can gather different opinions and crucial data that will help to get closer to the truth (Naagar & Kataria, 2021).
Accurate Record-Keeping
Detailed notes must be taken during the meetings, interviews or investigations. This skill helps to provide clear and full records of the main facts, with the help of which, when writing the final decision, you can guarantee that all actions are transparent and provide a detailed analysis of the case.
References
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