ASA UNIVERSITY Bangladesh

Group-Six (6)

Presentation on Unitary Theory

Presented By:

Md. Sajedul Kabir Suhag ID: 16-2-14-0090

Nurjahan Khan ID: 16-1-14-0097

Md. Torikul Islam Khan ID: 16-1-14-0047

Md. Ekramul Islam ID: 15-3-14-0075

Presented To:

Professor Iqbal Ahmad

Dean, Faculty of Business Administration

 ASA University Bangladesh

Unitary Theory:

Unitary Perspective of Industrial Relations views the industrial organization as an entity unified
by one aim, and that is success. In unitarism, the organization is perceived as an integrated and
harmonious system, viewed as one happy family. A core assumption of unitary approach is that
management and staff, and all members of the organization share the same objectives, interests
and purposes; thus working together, hand-in-hand, towards the shared mutual goals.
Furthermore, Unitarianism has a paternalistic approach where it demands loyalty of all
employees. Trade unions are deemed as unnecessary and conflict is perceived as disruptive.

Features of the Unitary Perspective

A group that united

Having same objectives

common value, interest and objectives

The organization is perceived as an integrated and harmonious whole with the ideal of
"one happy family", where management and other members of the staff all share a
common purpose, emphasizing mutual cooperation
At core of the unitary perspective is the achieving or attainment of consensus of opinion.
Management driven organization.
Membership or association with trade union is not encourage as they are perceived as
disruptive, in as much that they promotes division in the loyalty between organization
and union.

Bangladesh Context:

As with the world trend, Unitarialism emerge in Bangladesh around1990s.The wave privatization
that we have seen in the country during the 70s and 80s has finally reached its pick at that period.
With the opening sectors of the country we see a radical change in the way amongst the
relationship that dominates industry. This theory become dominant throughout the 90s and took
dominant position during with the turn og millennium. But in recent years we can see that a
tendency to return back to older years conflict viewpoint with the hassle relating to minimum
wage and workers right issues.

Conflicts-Pluralistic Theory

In pluralism the organization is perceived as being made up of powerful and divergent sub-
groups, each with its own legitimate loyalties and with their own set of objectives and leaders. In
particular, the two predominant sub groups of in the pluralistic perspective are the management
and trade union.

Features of the Pluralistic Theory:

Industrial democracy plays a limited role within the pluralist system.
It recognizes a relationship between the employer/ management and trade unions. Both of the
groups have their individual expressed loyalties.
Trade unions are recognized and accepted as the legitimate representatives of employees
It is based on limited industrial democracy
It is perceived that the role of management is less enforcing and controlling, as it more leans
towards persuasion and co-ordination.
Collective bargaining is promoted as the mechanism to be used in addressing inherent
conflict between the two groups.
The system recognized that the functions and relations of the actors is based on the
observance of established rules and regulations.

Bangladesh Context:
This theory became dominant after the Second World War. Everywhere around the world we see
its effect, Bangladesh has no exception. After the independence this viewpoint regains its
popularity and played a dominant role in governing the relationship of this industry. The
industrial policies of those time prove the fact. The paternalistic view of the state with the wave
of nationalization is two incidents that enabled the view to flourish.
Social Action Theory:

Key contribution of Social Action Theory in Industrial Relation is the importance attached to
individual Managers and actions in work relationship. The relations covered here are inter-
managerial relationship, relationships between Managers and union representatives, amongst
union representatives and between union representatives and their members. The industrial
workers own definitions of their work situations are taken as the basis for explaining their
behavior and relationship. It emphasizes the relevance of individual actors in perceiving the
nature of their work, in making personal choices, in interacting with others, and in taking
industrial relation decisions. The action of Industrial Relation participants are not viewed as
being determined solely by their structural constraints within which they operate, but by the
expectations ad values of the individual actors and the meaning they assign to particular
Industrial Relations situations.

System Theory:

System Theory emphasizes on the diverse form of Industrial Relations rules in existence, the
different rule-making methods, and the easy in which rules are applied. Its key contribution
comes in the form of identification of the variety of Industrial Relations variables and the
complex easy in which they interact. By focusing in the outputs or rules of Industrial Relations
systems, on their processes such as the collective bargaining and other types of rulemaking and
on their inputs actors involved in rule in making, System Theory provides a useful framework
for classifying and describing the elements within any industrial structure. The major drawback
here is it is a static theory form which it is difficult to explain Industrial Relations changes. Key
criticism of the theory is by concentrating on the existing social order when it is used as a tool to
analyze and describe an Industrial Relations structure.
Features of System Theory:
Promoting good employee relations
Establishing of systems of communication between the principal actor of labour and capital
The observance of procedures and rules and guidelines
The effective use of collective bargaining and negotiations

Marxist Theory:

This view of Industrial Relation looks the nature of the capitalist society, where there is a
fundamental division of interest between capital and labor, and sees workplace relations against
this background. This perspective sees inequalities of power and economic wealth as having their
roots in the nature of the capitalist economic system. Conflict is therefore seen as inevitable and
trade unions are a natural response of workers to their exploitation by capital.

Features of Marxist:
Inherent conflict is perceived based on the fact that there is the exploitation of labour by
capital.
The system recognizes a fundamental division of interest between capital and labour.
As conflict is seen as inevitable, a role is seen for trade unions, who become the
representative voice of labour against exploitation by capital.