Critically appraise the employment relations in non-union firms Assignment

Critically appraise the employment relations in non-union firms - Assignment Example Hence, there has been a decrease in unionization (Willman 2004). However, this too has its positives and negatives. Both aspects will be discussed in the following sections so that an understanding of the employment relations within non-union forms can be sought and an in-depth study shall provide the basis of comprehension of a number of different facets – all of which come under the aegis of employment relations. When considering employment relations there are certain implications for managers that they must consider when coming up with the policy for dealing with employee issues. The three most important factors that need to be considered are the public, the employer and employee. The functioning of the company is largely dependent upon the maintenance of fair, friendly, and mutually satisfactory employment relations and the availability of suitable machinery for the peaceful adjustment of whatever controversies may arise. The term non-union is defined as the employees or w orkers of an organization â€Å"not belonging or relating to a labor union†1. This type of company reduces the impact of collective bargaining where the company is more inclined to deal with the issues of the employees on a one to one basis (Boeri 2001). The advantages of this sort of system are more individual attention to grieved employees, which will increase their levels of motivation. It also means more company ownership by all levels of the workers who take pride in solving problems for the betterment of the company. Lastly, the monetary benefits for the company, who do not have to pay the dues of the unions and are more economically strong and can, improve their bottom line (Gannon 1987). There are also many other smaller advantages and disadvantages however they are beyond the scope of this paper. Most managers are of the opinion that the most important aspect of good employment relations are affective negotiations.Communication is the glue that makes policies real an d without which they are ineffective. The fact that communication is necessarily a two-way process, involving dialogue rather than simply instruction, is well established (Morley 2006). Yet many organizations perform badly in this area, failing to give communication the priority it deserves. â€Å"Getting communication right involves both professionalism and persistence. The qualities required include focusing on positive behaviors and outcomes, taking a positive, problem-solving approach, anticipating problems, recommending solutions and being able to offer sound advice to senior managers about implementation. Negotiating skills are still useful but needed less often. A much wider area of knowledge is now required, along with the skills to apply it, including surveying and interpreting employee attitudes, communications and conflict management. Most important is the ability to ‘fit’ policies and practices to suit the organization’s goals and the character of it s workforce.†2 Affective negotiations are synonymous to successful negotiations which mean the activities â€Å"that results in a win-win agreement in which all parties gain overall, even though they may have to make concessions in the process†.3Additionally some managers’ say that both parties should not drift away too much from their desired outcomes as this only hampers the result while wasting valuable resources of the company. The main reason why managers avoid having unions, it can be a pain to work with unions when you have a poor performer, but it also is a