Question 1
1.1 Introduction
The South African Board of People Practices defines employment relations as “ the management of individual and collective relationships in an organisation through implementing good practices that enable the achievement of organisational objectives compliant with th...
The South African Board of People Practices defines employment relations as “
the management of individual and collective relationships in an organisation through
implementing good practices that enable the achievement of organisational objectives
compliant with the legislative framework and appropriate to socioeconomic conditions”
(SA Board for People Practices, 2016).
The objective of employment relations is characterised by creating a climate of
trust, stability within the organisation as well as the cooperation of employees. It needs
to ensure that there are appropriate and effective conditions of employment as well as
balancing fairness in the relationship between the employer and the employee across
the board as well as the types of employees and all the sites of the organisation.
Employment relations needs to achieve a pleasant and productive working
environment which will allow for the organisation to compete effectively in the
marketplace. It needs to provide a guideline or framework for successful conflict
resolution, as well as a framework for collective bargaining where possible and
relevant. Lastly, it needs to ensure capacity building and compliance with applicable
labour legislation, codes of good practice and international standards (SA Board for
People Practices, 2016).
However, there is more to employment relations than the relationship between the
employer and the employee defined above, as more often than not, there are more
parties involved in this relationship. Nel et al. (2016) defines the concept of
employment relations as a dynamic and complex open system of informal, formal and
collective relationships as well as interactions between a variety of role players and
stakeholders. It includes two of the most direct and actively involved parties namely,
that of the employer and their representatives and that of the workers and their
representatives, but also with the state and all its legislatures and applicable
institutions (Nel, Kirsten, Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016).These three parties,
including their representatives interact with one another concerning various aspects
that relate primarily to work as well as the people doing the work in and for
organisations through various forms of employment relationship measures (Nel,
Kirsten, Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016).
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, Informal aspects underpinning employment relations are characterised by key
behavioural dynamics which will be explained in more detail below.
Justice perceptions:
Justice perception is concerned with the distribution of resources, for example,
goods and conditions, to different individuals and groups. The notion of organisational
justice or workplace justice are frequently used to describe activities carried out by the
organisation which relates to the distribution of the resources and rewards available
to the organisation (Nel, Kirsten, Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016). These
include goods such as salaries and wages, jobs and the promotions that go with those
jobs, bonuses and incentives while on the other hand, conditions can include both
unfavourable or favourable treatment, status as well as training opportunities. The way
that justice is perceived plays a vital role in shaping the interaction between the various
parties in employment relations (Nel, Kirsten, Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016).
Justice perceptions can be better understood when one looks at the ways in which
people evaluate fairness. Research carried in justice has been divided up into three
aspects namely, distributive justice, procedural justice and lastly interpersonal or
interactional justice (Nel, Kirsten, Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016).
In the organisational and employment relational context, distributive justice
refers to the individual employee’s preference for a situation of perceived fairness to
the extent that it relates to that individual employee’s input and output ratio when
compared to the input and output ratio of other employees. When an employee notices
that his or her contribution and reward ratio is equal to those of others in a similar
position, one can confidently deduce that distributive justice is seen as upheld (Nel,
Kirsten, Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016).
Procedural justice in the context of employment relations refers to the perceived
fairness of the processes by which outcomes are allocated by the employees. It was
found that it is an important factor when trying to understand different individuals
attitudes and that it is independent of outcome or distributive fairness (Nel, Kirsten,
Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016). Focus has been put on the influence that
procedures have in relation to an employee’s perception on distribution. It has been
put forth that there are six vital criteria to be met which are central to a fair procedure
which Nel et al. (2016) notes as:
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, Consistency – the equal application of procedures and rules to all concerned
over a period of time.
Bias suppression – preventing self-interest in the decision-making process
Accuracy – making decisions based on accurate information
Correctability – correcting or modifying a decision made if need be
Representativeness – ensuring that all parties involved are represented
Ethicality - reflecting on current ethical and moral principles in the process
Interpersonal or Interactional justice is amongst other things, the manner in
which outcomes are communicated to employees on an interpersonal level. In
employment relations terms, it is the employee’s perceived justice of the interpersonal
treatment they receive from authority figures, for example, management (Nel, Kirsten,
Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016). It is concerned with the emblematic and
imperceptible outcomes of status, respect and trust. Interpersonal or interactional
justice comprises of two aspects. These are interpersonal treatment and adequate
casual accounts (Nel, Kirsten, Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016). Interpersonal
treatment is the treatment received from decision makers, for example, courtesy,
friendliness and respect whereas, adequate casual accounts is the use of an adequate
explanation for the decision or outcome reached (Nel, Kirsten, Swanepoel, Erasmus,
& Jordaan, 2016).
Conflict
The interpretation of the term conflict is based on the behaviour of an employee,
and is therefore, associated as being negative, undesirable and destructive, yet
conflict can be healthy and, in some cases, beneficial. Essentially what this means, is
that, conflict involves some form of competition, tension or differences (Nel, Kirsten,
Swanepoel, Erasmus, & Jordaan, 2016). In terms of employment relations, conflict
will always be relational in nature thus, one can assume that it is also a form of social
conflict. It has been noted that social conflict exists in a relationship where parties
believe that their ambitions cannot be achieved at the same time , or perceive a
deviation in their values, interests or needs (latent conflict) and purposely use their
power to eradicate or change one another to protect and/ or further their interests in
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