INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Definitions
1) Flanders (1965)- The study of the institutions of job regulations.
2) Geager Bain and H. Clegg (1974)- The study of all aspects of job regulations- the
making and administering of rules which regulate employment relationship
regardless of whether these are seen as being formal or informal, structured or
unstructured.
3) Hyman (1975)- The study of processes of control over work relationship( issue of
power)
4) Clegg (1979)- They are job regulations.
5) Edward P- The subject of IR is …..about the ways in which employment
relationship is regulated.
6) Bendix S (1996)-Industrial relations emphasizes on the instituonalisation of
conflict by the way of collective representation ,collective bargaining, job
regulations and legislative constraints
7) Johnson (1981)- Defines IR in terms of various disciplines ie. As a science .
Sociology, politics psychology, law etc.
-In the definition of job regulation (they are just formal institutions) thus personal or
unstructured relationship as per the definition lie outside the scope of a system of
industrial relations though they have their importance for management and workers)
There is also the consideration of the relationship only as relations built and established
from the work situation, however we cannot talk of IR without –political influences,
Economic influences, and social influence, hence IR should also encompass these, which
might be out of job regulations per ser.
Industrial Relations encompasses:
1) Relationships
2) The work situation and the workingman.
3) The problems and issues of modern industrial and industrializing society and of
certain process, structures, institutions, regulations, which therefore covers social,
political, economic, and historical context.
-Power can be derived from the economic, the social and the political set up, which
has nothing to do with job regulations.
Job regulations (formality)- a system of web of rules regulating employment and the
ways in which people behave at work. It aims to provide a framework of minimum
rights and rules in order to achieve set of goals.
The issue of group behaviour, culture, beliefs and religion also affect how people
relate in the work situation. AND AS SUCH….
Bendix .S (1996) went on to define IR as “societal structures shaped by society” Thus
not only to be applied in formal organizations.
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The issue of globalization, flexibility, societal issues such as (societal dialogue)
should also be considered in understanding IR.
Questions
1) What are Industrial Relations?
2) Does the definition of IR as Job regulations suggest a narrow framework?
3) Industrial Relations as a field of study is too broad to be define