Importance of Strategies in Campaigns
The relationship between the unions and the employers has formed a topic of much debate in the present times. Since the traditional times the relationship between the two have not been an ideal one and it is generally seen that the two entities represent two different kinds of interest (Kearney & Mareschal, 2014). For example, the primary interest of the employers is on getting the maximum amount of productivity from the employees associated with them whereas the major focus of the unions is on creating the conditions where the safety and the other personal needs of the employees are fulfilled (Kearney & Mareschal, 2014). Furthermore, the labor unions also play a significant role in ensuring that the workers get adequate wages depending on the kind of work which they are required to do (Dibben & Williams, 2012). Therefore, it would be apt to say that the interests of these entities although focused on the same employees are completely different. However, it is generally seen that at various points of time these two conflicting entities need to work together for the furtherance of the interests of the employees (Dibben & Williams, 2012). This essay will discuss about the strategies which the unions as well as the employers need to take into consideration for the process of the organization of various campaigns which can contribute in a significant manner towards the success of the concerned campaign.
Strategies can be seen as the tactics or the techniques which the various individuals as well as the employers use for the achievement of the objectives or the target set out by them (Kersley et al., 2103). However, it is generally seen that the effectiveness of these strategies depends on the scenarios in which they are use (Kersley et al., 2103). Therefore, it is generally seen that a particular strategy which has proved to be useful in one particular context might not prove to be equally resourceful in other context as well (Kruppe, Rogowski & Schömann, 2013). Thus, the various employers as well as the unions need to formulate strategies depending on the current situation and the needs of the employees. Taking into consideration these factors is likely to help these entities formulate strategies which are likely to help them in a significant manner. One of the most common scenarios in which the various employers as well as the unions need to work together is during the various campaign programs which both of these entities need to organize together on a regular basis for the improvement of the condition of the employees and also for various other significant reasons (Kruppe, Rogowski & Schömann, 2013). Thus, it becomes very important both the employers as well as the unions associated with a particular business enterprise to take the help of various kinds of effective strategies which are likely to help them to get better results.
Transparency Strategy
The primary strategy which the employers as well as the unions need to take into consideration is the strategy of being transparent with each other (Bain & Taylor, 2017). The relationship between the employers and the unions associated with a particular business enterprise has never been a smooth one because of the conflicting interests which they represent (Bain & Taylor, 2017). Therefore, it becomes very important for both the entities to adopt a policy of transparency amongst themselves whereby both the entities will have adequate amount of information about the thing which the other entity is trying to achieve through the particular campaign (Pernicka & Glassner, 2014). Many experts are of the viewpoint that this is likely to significant help the two entities to develop only effective trust on each other which is likely to help both of them work in a much coordinated manner with each other and at the same time it will help both the entities to work towards the achievement of their common target (Corbière et al., 2015). Furthermore, it is generally seen that if the two parties involved in a particular work process have effective trust on each other then it is likely that they will be not only able to work in an effective manner but at the same time in a synchronized manner for the achievement of their common goal (Corbière et al., 2015). The effective implementation of this particular strategy is likely to take effective coordination on the part of both of the parties involved in the process. In addition to this, the concept of cooperation is also likely to play a significant role in the process of the organization of the campaign on the part of both of the parties (Corbière et al., 2015).
The creation of bargaining units or more commonly called by the name of macro-units is also likely to help the two parties involved in the process of the organization of the campaign in a significant manner (West, 2012). The primary purpose of these bargaining units is that they help the two parties through the process of bargaining to determine the key issues which will be discussed in the campaign or the key objectives or the target which the campaign will try to achieve (West, 2012). As already mentioned that the interests of the employers and the unions associated with a particular business enterprise are widely different from each other and therefore it is generally seen that the during the organization of these campaigns the two parties try to achieve different ends and the net result of this particular fact that conflict ensues among the two which threatens the success of the campaign which is being organization (Kearney & Mareschal, 2014). Therefore, it is seen that during the process of organization of campaigns the employers as well as the unions try to create certain bargaining groups which would help them in the process of agreeing on the particular objectives which the campaign will focus upon and at the same time try to achieve (Kearney & Mareschal, 2014). The major challenge towards the implementation of this particular strategy is that the bargaining units consist of members from both the ends of the unions and the employers. However, it is generally seen that the members from both the groups do not get equal representation in the bargaining units (Kearney & Mareschal, 2014). Furthermore, it is also seen that even with the help of these bargaining units the employers as well as the unions cannot agree on common goals which the campaign will focus on and at the same time try to achieve.
Bargaining Unit Strategy
The concept of teamwork is another important concept which the employers as well as the union can take the help of for the process of the organization of the campaign (Kim & Bae, 2017). The concept of teamwork has gained a considerable amount of significance in the contemporary business and it is a reflection of this particular fact that the various business enterprises try to foster an environment of teamwork within the framework of their enterprise (Kim & Bae, 2017). Therefore, both the parties involved in the organization of the campaign, namely, the employers and the union can take the help of the concept of teamwork for the purpose of effectively working and thereby try to achieve the objectives outlined by them. The collaborative work between the two entities is not only likely to reduce the work burden of each of the party involved in the process but would also lead to a more better organization of the campaign (Kruppe, Rogowski & Schömann, 2013). It is significant to note that following the model of teamwork members from both sides of the party can come together and devise the plan for the organization of the campaign which is likely to further enhance the prospects of the employees (Kruppe, Rogowski & Schömann, 2013). The members from the both the sides of the party can take the help of “Tuchman’s Model of Teamwork” for the process of formation of the team consisting of members from both the side of the employers as well as the union members (Kruppe, Rogowski & Schömann, 2013). This collaborative team work is not only likely to enhance the success rate of the campaign which is being organization but at the same time would lead to a better understanding between the employers as well as the union members (Kruppe, Rogowski & Schömann, 2013). Therefore, it would be apt to say that the process of collaboration as well as teamwork on the part of the employers as well as the union is not only likely to help in the process of the organization of the campaign but at the same time would also lead to a better understanding between the employers and the union (Pernicka & Glassner, 2014). However, the implementation of this particular strategy is likely to face various kinds of challenges from the end of both the union and the employers. This can be explained on the basis of the fact that the interests of both the parties are widely different from each other and both of them focus on the achievement of different goals (Pernicka & Glassner, 2014). Thus, it is likely that during the process of teamwork and collaboration various kinds of issues as well as conflicts are likely to emerge and this particular fact can hurt the prospects of the campaign, the organization of which has brought the two entities together in a significant manner (Pernicka & Glassner, 2014).
Teamwork Strategy
Social media is a communication tool which has gained a considerable amount of significance in the recent times and thus the various business enterprises take the help of this particular tool for the process of not only not only effective communication with the various entities associated with the enterprise but at the same time for various other purposes like marketing, promotion and others (Galegher, Kraut & Egido, 2014). Thus, the employers as well as the union can take the help of this particular tool for the process of the organization of the campaign. The tool of social media is not only likely to help the employers as well as the union in the process of communication but also for the process of organization of the campaign as well (Galegher, Kraut & Egido, 2014). For example, the employers as well as the union using the help of the tool of social media can design the various details of the campaign in a much more effective manner but at the same time would help the two entities to do promotion for the campaign which is being organized (Corbière et al., 2015). Moreover, as already mentioned the relation between the employers and the union is not always a smooth one and therefore the use of social media will ensure that the two entities do not have to come into direct contact with each since the process of communication can be effectively managed through this particular medium (Corbière et al., 2015). Therefore, it could be said that the use of this particular tool is likely to provide a significant amount of advantage to both the parties concerned. However, there are various implementation issues which both the parties need to take into consideration for the process of the implementation of this particular strategy (West, 2012). The lack of the technological advancements of the various enterprises, the hesitancy of the people to take the help of the recent technology, the implementation costs and others are likely to act as significant impediments towards the implementation of this particular strategy (West, 2012).
To conclude, the interests of both the employers as well as the union associated with a particular business enterprise are widely different from each other although both of them focus on the employees. The employers focus on earning the maximum amount of profit whereas the union focuses on the interests of the employees. Thus, it is generally seen that the relation between the employers and the union has mostly been a rocky one. Therefore, it becomes important for both the union as well as the employers to take the help of various kinds of strategies for the process of working together during the time of the organization of various campaigns which form an essential part of their business activity.
References
Bain, P., & Taylor, P. (2017). Consolidation,“Cowboys” and the developing employment relationship in British, Dutch and US call centres. Re-Organising Service Work, 42-62.
Cascio, W. (2018). Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill Education.
Corbière, M., Renard, M., St-Arnaud, L., Coutu, M. F., Negrini, A., Sauvé, G., & Lecomte, T. (2015). Union perceptions of factors related to the return to work of employees with depression. Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 25(2), 335-347.
Dibben, P., & Williams, C. C. (2012). Varieties of capitalism and employment relations: informally dominated market economies. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, 51(s1), 563-582.
Galegher, J., Kraut, R. E., & Egido, C. (2014). Technology for intellectual teamwork: Perspectives on research and design. In Intellectual Teamwork (pp. 15-34). Psychology Press.
Galegher, J., Kraut, R. E., & Egido, C. (2014). Intellectual teamwork: Social and technological foundations of cooperative work. Psychology Press.
Kearney, R. C., & Mareschal, P. M. (2014). Labor relations in the public sector. crc Press.
Kelly, J. (2012). Rethinking industrial relations: Mobilisation, collectivism and long waves. Routledge.
Kersley, B., Alpin, C., Forth, J., Bryson, A., Bewley, H., Dix, G., & Oxenbridge, S. (2013). Inside the workplace: findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey. Routledge.
Kim, D. O., & Bae, J. (2017). Employment relations and HRM in South Korea. Taylor & Francis.
Kruppe, T., Rogowski, R., & Schömann, K. (2013). Labour market efficiency in the European Union: Employment protection and fixed term contracts. Routledge.
Pernicka, S., & Glassner, V. (2014). Transnational trade union strategies towards European wage policy: A neo-institutional framework. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 20(4), 317-334.
West, M. A. (2012). Effective teamwork: Practical lessons from organizational research. John Wiley & Sons.
Williams, C. C. (2013). Evaluating cross?national variations in the extent and nature of informal employment in the European Union. Industrial Relations Journal, 44(5-6), 479-494.