Employment Relations

Describe how the Unitarist and Pluralist approaches to conflict would explain the industrial action taken by the Construction Forestry and Mining Employees Union in forming the Barangaroo picket line.

Introduction:

This essay will discuss the two different management approaches towards to the recent industrial action taken against Lend Lease and identify what differentiate the two approaches. The second part of the essay will provide an argument of how applying these approaches from the upper management could potentially change the outcome of the industrial action against Lend Lease.

Body:

Pluralist approach:

The characteristic of pluralist approach is to satisfy various interests and aspirations within their employees. The organization power was diffused among the main negotiating groups within the company in such a way that no any party will dominate others.

Pluralism approach is open about employment relationships as it allows the creation of a potential structural opposition to be raised, as well as allows the workplace to generate certain conflicts with the organization. By doing so, it will prevent public interest conflict as well as to suppress the inappropriate use of power from the upper management.

However, the weakness of pluralist approach is that it relies on the negotiation and bargaining process when there are disputes incurred between the management and the workforce, if in the event of the dispute cannot be resolved it will resorts to the use of law.

Management in pluralist approach should not prohibit any ideas or expectations of blind obedience from the employees. Their goal is to reconcile conflicting views and keep the conflict within an acceptable range, so the conflict does not destroy the organization.

Unitarist approach:

The characteristic of unitarist approach are regarded that the whole organization shares a common purpose and are united in the achievement of common goal. The role of management in unitarist