Firstly, that societies in the UK are class based but now post capitalist, political and industrial conflicts are institutionally separated and manifestations of industrial conflict are socially accepted because they have become less violent.

Secondly, work organisations are microcosms of society consisting of individuals and social groups with their own interests and objectives.  Those managing have to accommodate those conflicting interests and values and employee relations are an expression of the conflict and power relations between groups in society generally.  Therefore industrial conflict has to be recognised as an endemic feature of work relationships and has to be managed accordingly.

A major tenet is that conflict is substantially changed from that suggested by Marx. Marx’s theory of class conflict suggested that it was synonymous with industrial and political conflict.  Within Marx’s theory, capitalists and those owning the means of production were synonymous with the political and ruling classes.  On the other hand, we have the wage earners who only own their labour and are relatively powerless both in employee relations and in politics.

Post-capitalist analysis suggests that society now more open and socially mobile, there are wider educational opportunities and the democratisation of politics allows broader opportunities and a wider role in society

The welfare state had mitigated against the worst effects of social depravation, economic inequality and abject poverty.

The distribution of authority, property and social status is far more widely diffused than in the past, therefore the position an individual holds within the hierarchy of an organisation or the authority structure within an organisation does not necessarily correlate with their position in the political structure or their social standing in the community, for example, councillors who are low in an organisation, Justices of the Peace who are trade unionists.

Institutionalisation of Conflict has changed the form and intensity of conflict.

Changes include organisation of conflicting interest groups, establishment of negotiating bodies (eg staff associations), the State has provided institutions of mediation and arbitration and formal representation of labour within organisations.

Trade Unions have a regulatory role within conflict at work and even when conflict seems irresolvable we have third party intervention by state agencies.

Main points of Conflict Theory

1. Industrial conflict is endemic
2. Industrial conflict has been institutionalised and therefore become less violent.

Pluralist Theory follows on from Conflict Theory. It suggests that a plural society is relatively stable but not a static one, allows accommodation of divergent pressure groups with own differing values and aims so that social and political change can take place constitutionally, eg ongoing debate over hunting with dogs.  This leads to negotiation and concessions. This would then occur within organisations and unlike unitary theory where trade unions have a representative and regulatory function. Collective bargaining is therefore seen as the mechanisation for resolving conflict.

In the 1960s and 1970s, they agreed with conflict and pluralist theories expanding employee relations, however since the 1980s, shifting power to the right has seen Neo-Unitary Theory emerging.  Other critics suggest that pluralism seeks to integrate labour into the existing structure of economic and social relations within both industry and society rather than introduce changes to the structure.  Managers need to be aware that while collective bargaining fits into Pluralist Theory, arguably it is essential to it, the same is not necessarily true of consultation or joint problem solving.

Some of the theories relating to Conflict are as follows:

• Conflict Theory – regards conflict as a rare phenomenon that can be removed through appropriate managerial action, when it arises it is usually attributed to activities of deviants and troublemakers.
• Pluralist Theory – regards conflict as an inherent characteristic of organisational affairs and stresses the potentially positive or functional aspects.
• Radical Theory – regards organisational conflict as inevitable and part of a wider class conflict that will eventually change the whole structure of society.  It is recognised that conflict may be suppressed and thus often exists as a latent rather than manifest characteristic of both organisations and society.

Both the latter two theories accepts that conflict exists and that organisations have to be able to manage it in order to function effectively, in present times the view of Conflict resolution is something like the following:

‘Conflict resolution is defined as a positive process whereby individuals resolve issues in an informal or formal atmosphere, or where issues are resolved as part of the ongoing interaction between individuals.’

‘Conflict is a normal part of doing business because organisational members have different, and often opposing goals.  However, these differing goals keep the organisation vital by stimulating creativity, promoting innovations and bringing about change.  Organisations totally devoid of conflict would become apathetic, stagnant and unresponsive to change.  Conflict should not, therefore be evaluated as good or bad, but instead should be evaluated from a broader perspective, which takes into consideration the individual and the organisation.  Resolutions that reflect the mutual interests of the disputants, or interests-based methods, are likely to result in fewer formal grievances, improved morale, and more effective use of human resources.’

‘Conflicts are inevitable, however anger, grudges, hurt and blame do not have to be.  While unmanaged, conflicts, disagreements and out-of-control emotions can harm important work and professional relationships, effectively managed conflict can actually promote co-operation and build stronger relationships.  Most conflict can be resolved fairly and in a way that actually benefits all concerned.’

‘An effective conflict resolution process leads to unity by addressing concerns or issues rather than suppressing them, can get people talking to each other (instead of about each other) and enable people to be part of a team that cares.  This process promotes compromise or collaboration as people learn how to work harmoniously, develop creative solutions to problems and reach outcomes that mutually benefit those involved.’

Conclusion

Conflict is inevitable, so in managing social relations, employee relations has to incorporate conflict resolution in to its policies and procedures and remain focused on avoiding too much industrial conflict (which could be detrimental) when Employment Relations legislation is developed.  Employment Relations legislations has introduced standard methods, procedures and bodies to deal with and manage conflict, for example, the various trade disputes acts and the introduction of trade unions, which is a very central part of Employee Relations.

Conflict can be seen as vital to an organisation to stimulate creativity, innovation and change and therefore it exists as a fundamental part of employee relations and conflict resolution is incorporated into the operations of many Employee Relations Sectors within HR Departments in organisations.  Employee Relations is therefore needed to:

-         stop costly confrontation between parties

-         establish institutional arrangements to reconcile conflicts of interest

-         build on common interests