The document discusses different approaches to defining industrial relations, including institutional, social psychology, and class-based definitions. It also discusses definitions related to human resource management and employment relations. The preferred definition provided encompasses the processes, institutions, interactions, and relations between employers, employees, and their representatives in workplaces. Several frames of reference for analyzing industrial relations are described, including unitarism, pluralism, and Marxism. Finally, several theories of industrial relations are outlined, such as human relations theory, systems theory, labour process theory, and strategic choice theory.

1. Chapter 1
Theories and Concepts Used to Analyse Industrial Relations
Approaches Used to Define Industrial Relations (1)
• Institutional-based definitions:
industrial relations are the sum of institutions and institutional
processes that establish and administer the rules regulating
workplace relations
(2) Social Psychology-based definitions:
industrial relations are the sum of social psychological interactions
between individuals
(3) Class-based definitions:
industrial relations are the sum of institutions, interactions and
processes that are a product of wider social and economic
influences, in particular the class divisions of contemporary
capitalism

2. Approaches Used to Define Industrial Relations (2)
Definitions that seek to include all matters contained in the first three
definitions within other terms:
(4) Human Resource Management:
contracts of employment (involving trade unions, worker collectives,
labour courts and government agencies), as well as management of
conflict arising out of the personal interactions of individuals in the
workplace, are part of labour management functions ( i.e. recruitment,
selection, training, development, performance management, and so on)
(5) Employment Relations (or Employee Relations):
contracts of employment (involving trade unions, worker collectives,
labour courts and government agencies), as well as the management of
conflict arising out of the personal interactions of individuals in the
workplace, are equal parts of workplace relations, together with the
normal functions of Human Resource Management.

3. Preferred Definition of Industrial Relations
Industrial relations encompasses ‘the processes of regulation
and control over workplace relations, the organisation of tasks,
and the relations between employers and their representatives,
and employees and their representatives, and is the sum of
economic, social and political interactions in workplaces where
employees provide manual and mental labour in exchange for
rewards allotted by employers, as well as the institutions
established for the purpose of governing workplace relations’
(Gospel & Palmer, 1993, p.2).

4. Frames of Reference (1)
Unitarism
Assumptions about workplace relations
- management and employees share common interest
- one source of legitimate authority (management)
Assumptions about workplace conflict
- inevitable, aberration, destructive, to be avoided
- caused by poor management, dissidents, agitators or
poor communication
Assumptions about trade unions
- a competing and illegitimate source of authority
- an unwarranted intrusion in the workplace
- create conflict where none would otherwise exist
Assumptions about collective bargaining
- creates and institutionalises unnecessary divisions of interest
- serves to generate workplace conflict rather than resolve it

5. Frames of Reference (2)
Pluralist
Assumptions about workplace relations
- managers and employees have different objectives
- multiple sources of legitimate authority
Assumptions about workplace conflict
- inevitable, caused by different opinions and values, benefit to
an organisation
- avoid by accepting trade unions, include in decision-making
Assumptions about the workplace role of trade unions
- not the cause of conflict
- are expression of diverse workplace interests that always exist
- a legitimate part of workplace relations
Assumptions about the role of collective bargaining
- deals with problems on a collective basis
- most efficient means for institutionalising employment rules
- fairer outcomes by balancing employee and management power

6. Frames of Reference (3)
Marxist
Assumptions about workplace relations
- reflects a wider class conflict between capital and labour
- reflects coercion of working class into dominant capitalist values
Assumptions about workplace conflict
- inevitable: capital seeks to reduce costs, workers seek fairer
price for labour
- will only cease by revolutionary change in distribution of
property and wealth
Assumptions about trade unions
- should raise revolutionary consciousness of workers
- should not limit action to improving material lot of workers
- union leaders who accommodate management betray the workers
Assumptions about collective bargaining
- merely offers temporary accommodations
- leaves important managerial powers in tact

7. Theories of Industrial Relations (1)
Human Relations Theory and Neo-Human Relations Theories
Key proponents: Mayo, Maslow, McGregor, Herzberg
Frame of reference: Unitarist
Focus: Workers’ social and psychological needs
Reference to industrial relations: Implicit
Theory: a system of management, maximise output by meeting social and
psychological needs of employees in the workplace.
(i)managers identify and satisfy employees’ social and
psychological needs
(ii) employees seen as different to other production resources
(iii) employees organised into teams
(iv)employees included in work allocation decision-making processes
Result: worker morale maximised, motivated employees productive.
Neo-Human Relations theories add individual satisfaction and
motivation is through worker ‘self actualisation’ by ‘hierarchy of needs’

8. Theories of Industrial Relations (2)
Systems Theory
Key proponent: Dunlop
Frame of reference: Pluralist
Focus: a general theory of industrial relations
Reference to industrial relations: Explicit
Theory: industrial relations is a sub-system of wider society with four
elements:
(i) actors: employers, employees, their representatives, government
agencies
(ii) environmental contexts: technology, market, budgets, distribution
of power
(iii) procedural and substantive rules governing the actors
(iv)binding ideology, common beliefs encouraging actors to
compromise

9. Theories of Industrial Relations (3)
Labour Process Theory
Key proponent: Braverman
Frame of reference: Marxist
Focus: Labour’s relationship with industrial processes
Reference to industrial relations: Implicit
Theory: improved technology and scientific management techniques are
(i) de-skilling work
(ii) fragmenting tasks
(iii) centralising knowledge in management
(iv) diminishing workers control of pace and conduct of work
Result: labour is increasingly alienated and exploited, leading to
resistance by organised and unorganised industrial conflict.

10. Theories of Industrial Relations (4)
Strategic Choice Theory
Key proponents: Kochan, Katz and McKersie
Frame of reference: Pluralist
Focus: a general theory of industrial relations
Reference to industrial relations: Explicit
Theory: emphasises the strategic choice of actors in deciding industrial
relations outcomes, as influenced by:
(i) declining union membership
(ii) breakdown of collective bargaining frameworks
(iii) retreating government intervention
(iv) pro-active human resource management techniques
(v) spread of organisational authority for industrial relations

11. Theories of Industrial Relations (5)
Scientific Management
Key proponent: Taylor
Frame of reference: Unitarist
Focus: Use and control of labour
Reference to industrial relations: Implicit
Theory: system of management maximising output by greatest technical
efficiency of work methods, achieved by:
(i) unchallenged management powers to allocate work tasks
(ii) managers relationship with employees is rational and objective
(iii) managers treat workers impersonally and collectively
(iv) work tasks reduced to basics for low-skilled, low-paid
employees in assembly line production
(v) employees are chosen to suits the tasks to be performed
(vi) employees given training in best work methods
(vii) employees motivated by incentive payment schemes

12. Theories of Industrial Relations (6)
Regulation Theory
Key proponents: Stigler and Friedland,
Joskow
Frame of reference: Pluralist
Focus: State intervention in industrial
relations
Reference to industrial relations: Explicit
Theory: (i) ‘capture theory’ (ii) ‘bargaining
theory’

13. Theories of Industrial Relations (8)
Labour Market Theory
Key proponent: Friedman and Friedman
Frame of reference: Unitarist
Focus: The settlement of wages, employment
and the allocation of work.
Reference to industrial relations: Explicit
Theory: people are ‘rational economic
maximisers’, ‘perfectly competitive’ labour
and product markets yield most efficient
economic outcomes.