SUMMARY

The underlying assumption of much of the public discussion about industrial relations rests on a dualistic notion of either conflict or cooperation, when in reality both are present in workplaces and society. Conflict is a part of everyday life and can have positive as well as negative influences and outcomes. The same is true of workplace conflict. The increasing trend towards leaner, more globally competitive organisations can lead to higher levels of conflict, particularly over issues such as workloads, the provision of resources, remuneration and reward packages. It is important for managers to realise that conflict can never be completely eliminated, but that it can be effectively harnessed and managed.

Conflicts between employees and employers are often described as being either industrial or workplace disputes. Industrial disputes are where unresolved workplace conflicts have escalated, whereas workplace disputes are often the result of differences of opinion, usually during bargaining or periods of significant change. For HR practitioners, the resolution of workplace conflict is a central HR function, and it is vital that HR staff work with line managers to ensure they possess the necessary skills to facilitate successful conflict resolution.

The use of alternative dispute resolution processes, involving third parties, is increasingly popular as a way in which to resolve organisational and interpersonal conflict. The third party is seen as an independent voice in the dispute who can provide the stability that may be required to deal with issues, particularly when emotions are high. The key to successful ADR is to first recognise the dispute and then to determine the type of process to use. Mediation is increasingly popular in ADR due to the control the parties to the dispute have over the outcome, making them more committed to the process. It can also be used internationally, but it is important that mediators are trained and possess the necessary skills. Negotiation remains an integral part of industrial relations and HRM and is an essential process in resolving conflicts between employers and employees that revolve around terms, conditions and organisation of work.

The conflict management style adopted in conflict resolution is based upon the dual concerns model, where a balance between concerns for meeting one’s own needs is measured against meeting the needs of others. The model identifies five main styles: contending; yielding; inaction; compromising; and problem solving. A critical skill for managers and employees alike is to understand which one of these styles is most appropriate and effective to use in any given situation.

Cross-cultural awareness is an essential skill to possess in today’s global environment. The different value and belief systems that exist between cultures need to be acknowledged, as do the way in which different cultures approach conflict resolution and problem solving.

This chapter has outlined a range of conflict management styles as well as describing new forms of alternative dispute resolution methods that better suit these new working arrangements. Only time will tell if they achieve workplace harmony.

  • THE NATURE OF CONFLICT
  • POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF WORKPLACE CONFLICT
  • Two different types of conflict
  • -Industrial disputes/conflict
  • – Workplace conflict
  • COMMON ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESSES
  • ADR in workplace conflict
  • – Mediation
  • International mediation
  • Mediation skills
  • Other alternative dispute resolution services
  • -Process consultation
  • Negotiation
  • – Definitions and types of negotiation
  • – Negotiation skills
  • -Emotional intelligence
  • The future of ADR: online systems
  • CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
  • The five main styles
  • -Contending
  • -Yielding
  • -Inaction
  • -Compromising
  • -Problem solving
  • Which style to use?
  • CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS IN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Chapter-3

KEY TERMS

  • • Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) 94
  • • bullying 113
  • • collective bargaining 83
  • • enterprise bargaining 98
  • • FairWorkAct2009 79
  • • Fair Work Commission 86
  • • Fair Work Ombudsman 86
  • • good faith bargaining 98
  • • industrial relations framework 84.
  • • modern awards 86
  • • mutual gains bargaining 108
  • • National Employment Standards (NES) 86
  • • right to request 110
  • • strikes 99
  • • union 79
  • • wage theft 111
  • • workplace relations 79 116

ETHICAL ISSUES

1 Should employers at the top of a supply chain be responsible for their contractors’ compliance with workplace laws?

2 How difficult is it for employers to monitor their contractors’ compliance?

3 Has anyone you know not been paid the correct wages, not received a payslip or been paid in cash?

Chapter-4

KEY TERMS

• ‘big data’ 146

• employee self-service kiosks 147

• environmental scanning 131

• HR benchmarks 151

• human resource information management systems (HRIMS) 122

• human resource planning (HRP) 122

• scenario planning 137

• skills (or competency) inventories 141

Chapter-5

  • JOB ANALYSIS
  • Linking job analysis to HR functions
  • -Recruitment
  • -Selection
  • -Learning and Development
  • -Performance management
  • -Remuneration management
  • – workplace Relations
  • The job analysis process
  • -Responsibility for the job analysis process
  • -Data collection methods
  • -Competencies, profiling
  • -Job Descriptions
  • Key performance indicators
  • Challenges for the future
  • – Competency requirements
  • JOB DESIGN STRATEGIES
  • Industrial engineering
  • Job adaptation to employees’ needs
  • Applications of job design
  • – Self-managed work teams
  • – Alternative workplaces
  • – Home-based work
  • -Virtual work teams
  • – Flexible Work
  • – Job Crafting
  • CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
  • DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

Chapter-6

KEY TERMS

• artificial intelligence 240

• Baby Boomers 204

• background investigation 221

• behavioural questions 232

• best fit 204

• closed questions 238

• downshifting 223

• e-cruitment 213

• employee referrals 216

• employer of choice 203

• employment interview 229

• employment testing 240

• executive leasing 217

• executive search 214

• expatriate 205

• Gen X 204

• Gen Y 204

• Gen Z 219

• home country nationals 205

• host country nationals 205

• interview questions 232

• labour market 212

• medical examination 221

• open questions 231

• psychological tests 241

• psychometric tests 241

• recruitment 200

• recruitment agencies 214

• reliability 222

• résumé 218

• selection 200

• selection criteria 225

• social networking sites (SNS) 201

• third country nationals 205

• validity 222

Chapter-7

KEY TERMS

• career plateau 282

• coaching 273

• dual-career couples 284

• e-learning (electronic learning) 278

• graduate programs 263

• KSAs 262

• learning organisations 253

• lifelong (or continuous) learning 252

• mentoring 273

• return on (organisational) investment (ROI) 267

• reverse mentoring 276

• simulation 269

• talent retention 255

• training needs analysis (TNA) 266

Chapter-8

  • • 360-degree feedback 306
  • • action plan 332
  • • attribution error 315
  • • balanced scorecard 309
  • • behavioural coaching 329
  • • behaviourally anchored rating scale (BARS) 308
  • • central tendency error 315
  • • disciplinary action 337
  • • distributive justice 303
  • • employee assistance programs (EAPs) 333
  • • employee counselling 332
  • • employee performance 295
  • • feedforward interview 329
  • • forced distribution 315
  • • goal-setting 308
  • • goal-setting theory 308
  • • graphic rating scale 306
  • • halo error 314
  • • harshness error 315
  • • leniency error 315
  • • negative feedback 297
  • • peer review 304
  • • performance management 295
  • • performance management cycle 300
  • • performance management system (PMS) 295
  • • performance measurement 297
  • • performance rating 297
  • • performance review 297
  • • procedural justice 303
  • • rating scales 304
  • • recency error 314
  • • self-review 305
  • • similarity error 314
  • • upward review 305

Chapter-9

  • TOTAL REWARD MANAGEMENT
  • Intrinsic rewards
  • Extrinsic rewards
  • Strategic reward management
  • Aligning rewards with organisational strategy
  • Reward philosophy and strategy
  • Reward system design
  • Determining total reward mix and pay levels
  • Ensuring strategic fit
  • Reward secrecy, transparency and communication
  • MANAGING BASE PAY
  • Base pay: nature and importance
  • Position-based base pay
  • -Position-based base pay structures
  • -Valuing the job or position
  • Person-based pay systems
  • Pay Bands
  • – Competency zones and bands
  • Aligning base pay practices with organisational strategy
  • EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
  • Mandatory benefits
  • – Superannuation
  • Voluntary benefits
  • Fixed versus flexible benefits plans
  • Aligning benefits practices with organisational strategy
  • PERFORMANCE-BASED REWARDS
  • Incentives: for and against
  • The case for performance incentives
  • The case against performance incentives
  • Types of performance pay
  • Individual performance-related reward plans
  • -Merit pay
  • Individual recognition award
  • Individual results-based incentives
  • Collective short-term incentive plans
  • -Profit-sharing
  • -Gain-Sharing
  • Goal-sharing
  • Team-incentives
  • Employee share plans
  • Share bonus plans
  • Share purchase plans
  • Share option plans
  • Aligning performance pay practices with organisational strategy
  • REWARDING EXECUTIVES
  • Executive short-term incentives
  • Executive long-term incentives
  • Key issues in executive pay: effectiveness and governance, inequality and inequity
  • Effectiveness and governance
  • The CEO pay gap, organisational equity and the role of HR professionals
  • MANAGING EXPATRIATE PAY
  • Expatriate pay: objectives
  • Expatriate pay: elements
  • -base Pay
  • -Foreign service premiums
  • -Allowances
  • – Benefits
  • – Performance incentives
  • Approaches to expatriate reward management
  • – Balance sheet approach
  • – Going rate approach

Chapter-10

  • THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM
  • – WHS and strategic HRM
  • PERSPECTIVES OF WHS IN AUSTRALIA
  • WHS and the medical model
  • Occupational epidemiology
  • Industrial psychology
  • Industrial sociology
  • Egonomics
  • Occupational hygiene
  • The legal profession and WHS
  • Union approaches
  • Work health and safety, and HRM
  • THE HARMONISATION OF WHS LAW IN AUSTRALIA
  • Historical developments
  • Preventive OHS legislation
  • The national WHS legislation
  • Workers’ compensation and rehabilitation legislation
  • – Flaws in workers’ compensation systems
  • – Revised legislation
  • Ethics and codes of practice
  • Strategic approaches
  • CREATING A SAFE, HEALTHY AND ETHICAL WORK ENVIRONMENT
  • Issue 1: Workplace accidents
  • Issue 2: Work stress
  • – Employer responses
  • Issue 3: The risks of international travel
  • Issue 4: Workplace bullying
  • Issue 5: Shift work
  • Issue 6: Employee personal problems
  • Issue 7: Manual tasks and body stressing
  • – Preventing musculoskeletal injuries
  • Issue 8: Drug and alcohol management
  • MANAGING WHS PROGRAMS
  • WHS information systems

Chapter-11

  • THE NATURE OF CONFLICT
  • POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF WORKPLACE CONFLICT
  • Two different types of conflict
  • -Industrial disputes/conflict
  • – Workplace conflict
  • COMMON ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESSES
  • ADR in workplace conflict
  • – Mediation
  • International mediation
  • Mediation skills
  • Other alternative dispute resolution services
  • -Process consultation
  • Negotiation
  • – Definitions and types of negotiation
  • – Negotiation skills
  • -Emotional intelligence
  • The future of ADR: online systems
  • CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
  • The five main styles
  • -Contending
  • -Yielding
  • -Inaction
  • -Compromising
  • -Problem solving
  • Which style to use?
  • CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS IN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Chapter-12