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Dunlops Theory

The document discusses Dunlop's pluralist theory and systems model of industrial relations. It outlines the key aspects of the pluralist perspective such as recognizing multiple interest groups in society and organizations. It also explains the components of Dunlop's industrial relations systems model, which views industrial relations as interactions between actors, contexts, and ideologies that produce rules to govern employment relationships.

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59 views

Dunlops Theory

The document discusses Dunlop's pluralist theory and systems model of industrial relations. It outlines the key aspects of the pluralist perspective such as recognizing multiple interest groups in society and organizations. It also explains the components of Dunlop's industrial relations systems model, which views industrial relations as interactions between actors, contexts, and ideologies that produce rules to govern employment relationships.

Uploaded by

eligamergirl101
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PT – Dunlop’s

Theory
Jone F. Lako
MG315
MPAD, SBM, USP
Laucala Campus
Main Features of
Pluralist Theory
ASPECT PLURALIST PERSPECTIVE
• Every workplace contains individuals with variety of different interests,
General aims and aspirations.
philosophy • Power is evenly defused (no party dominates) amongst the main
bargaining groups

Role of the • Regarded as the impartial garden of the public interest


state • Protect the weak and restrain the power of the strong

• Not to expect blind obedience or suppress any idea or aims that


Role of conflict their own.
management • Reconcile conflicting opinions & keep within bounds not to destroy
the organization

• Legitimate representatives of employees interest


Trade Union • Right to challenge the right to manage
(Source: Bray et al, 2006)
Industrial • Inevitable and legitimate consequences of variety of interest or loyalty
conflict of workers
Main features of PT showed the shift of approach
on similar aspects compared to the UT.
• 1st, the emergence of employee’s realization
• employee interests no longer the same with employers,
• contrary to the feature of UT.

• 2nd, the emergence of TU as workers collective


body
• to fight for workers collective interests
• The right to unionization and representation,
• contrary to direct involvement as a feature of UT
By J. Lako 5/19/2022 3
• Born on 5th July 1914
• Demised on 2nd Oct 2003
(89 yrs)
• American Economist but
focus on
Industrial/employment
relations (IR)
• 1958, developed the
Systems model
• I/ER is a sub-system of
By J. Lako 5/19/2022 4
• Dunlop (1958) defined ERS “as an analytical
subsystem of industrial societies…”
• IRS framework composed of two specific merits;
• 1st, put the rules and norms of industrial/employment
relations to the center stage of analysis.
• 2nd, it identified the elementary components of IRS ;
• three actors:
• managers, workers and their trade unions and government institutions;
• 3 environmental contexts (technologies, market and power
distribution), &
• ideology that bind the system together
By J. Lako 5/19/2022 5
• There are multiple interest groups in society &
organization

• It recognizes the existence of sectional groups


& interest within the society

• The sectional groups will compete each other


to achieve their own goal
• There are multiple interest groups in society &
organization

• It recognizes the existence of sectional groups


& interest within the society

• The sectional groups will compete each other


to achieve their own goal
• ERS as a pattern in a stream of decisions
regarding the policies & practices that govern
the employment relationship (Mintzberg 1979)

• ERS framework was developed to inquire into


the changing power relations depending on
the convergence of the actor’s strategies
(Akan 2006)
By J. Lako 5/19/2022 8
Contributions of Dunlop’s
ERS to the pluralist theory
• The inevitability of conflict of interest amongst the
main actors (Khan & Ackers, 2003).
– Emerged from diverse & opposing interests & objectives
• Created the need for TU on the part of the workers
whose power was not recognized as individuals.
• Forced the parties to communicate and make
decision through collective bargaining.
• State, 3rd party, intervene when the parties were not
able to resolve their impasses as the last resort as it
remained impartial.
By J. Lako 5/19/2022 9
Features of ERS
• When workers realized that their interests and
objectives differs that with employers.
• The active involvement of the State institutions in
employment relations as a third party,
– contrary to unitary theory being a silent actor.
• Workers and employers may be represented in
collective bargaining forum,
– contrary to unitary theoretical feature of direct involvement.

By J. Lako 5/19/2022 10
▪ Theories developed over a period of time and not
overnight.
▪ At the center of the PT, Dunlop’s system that
consists of;
▪ input,
▪ the three main actors, ideology and the contexts
▪ process &
▪ the required steps and procedures that would transform and ensure
to convert the inputs to outputs
▪ output.
▪ body of rules that may be used as an input when the need arise
By J. Lako through the feedback loop. 5/19/2022 11
• There are multiple interest groups in society &
organization

• It recognizes the existence of sectional groups


& interest within the society

• The sectional groups will compete each other


to achieve their own goal
• The ERS operates in such a way that
the input factors;
– such as actors with their different ideas
interacts with each other within the
context in an environment (Lewin, 1987).
– It’s the environment that provided the
platform for interaction amongst the
actors in a conversion process.
By J. Lako 5/19/2022 13
• The process was guided by rules &
procedures produced as an output
such as rules.
• There are two types of rules,
–Procedural &
–Substantive

By J. Lako 5/19/2022 14
• Substantive rules relates to issues that are
substantive in nature, e.g. working hours
• Procedural rules are basically rules that provide
processes, e.g. disciplinary process
• Formal rules deal with rules that need to be
written down,
• Informal rules relate to organizational norms.
• System operates in an ongoing phenomenon &
cyclic
By J. Lako
in nature. 5/19/2022 15
Contributors of the Pluralist
Theory of Industrial Relations
Founder(s) Approaches Contribution
Industrial The system consist of three components;
John Relations Input (actors, ideology & context), process
Dunlop Systems (conversion) and output (body of rules i.e.
model procedural & substantive & formal or
informal)
Emile The state’s more active role in directing the
Durkheim Corporatist activities of predominantly privately owned
industries in partnership with the
representatives of capital & labor.
Commons Institutionalist Formal and informal rules are a prime
& the determinate of social relations at work
Webbs
Paul Neo- The broad (complex) approach to rules and
Edwards institutionalist regulation

By J. Lako 5/19/2022 16
“No surprises”

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=dunlop+systems+model&&view=detail&mid=0A6
D444D8C62686EEA330A6D444D8C62686EEA33&&FORM=VRDGAR

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