Models of Industrial Relations

Topic Covered:
1.

2.

Dunlopian model of industrial relations Marxist Model

Dunlopian Model of Industrial Relations

According to the Dunlopian Model, the industrial relations system is a sub-system of the wider society or the total social system. An industrial relations system at any particular time is regarded as comprised of certain actors. Certain context and ideology which binds the industrial relations system together and a body of rules created to govern the actors at the place of work and work community.
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Contd.
Dunlop identifies three groups of actors
Workers, Management & The Government

Thus , R= f (a, i, b) Here,

R = Industrial relations system, F = Function, a = actors, i = ideology, b = body of rules.
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Contd.

Actors:

In every country, workers, management and the Government all interact to build up the countrys industrial relations system.

Ideology:

In any economy there is an ideology which is shared in common by the government, businessmen and workers, Such as democratic capitalism, democratic socialism, Free economy, Mixed economy.

Rules:

Rules and regulation making by the Government which influence the pattern of industrial relations.
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Contd.

Management Role:
1. Exploitative Authoritarian system
a) Labor was exploited ruthlessly. b) No job security c) No welfare system

2. Benevolent authoritarian system:

in labor welfare

It believes

3. Consultative style 4. Participative style:

commodity but friend

Under this system labor is not

Contd.

All the important variables of the industrial scene are integrated into the system. so the Dunlopian approach can explain the dynamics of industrial relations. It is also helpful in analyzing industrial conflict

Marxist Model

Marxist model gives structural explanation of industrial relations.

Industrial relations occur within a dynamic conflict situation which is permanent and unalterable so long as the structure of society remains unchanged
Conflict arises because of labor market

1.

2.

Contd.
Labor Market

Workers who sell labor power in order to subsist

Buyers of labor who own the means of production

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Contd.
3.

Interest of buyers and interest of sellers engages themselves in a perpetual conflict over the distribution of revenue. Both have a common interest in increasing total revenue. But conflict is not reduced because actual distribution of additional increments of revenue is determined by the power situation. There is no automatic distribution based on a sense of equity.

Contd.
4.

The concept of alienation is important in this model. Alienation arises from the capitalist system. In the capitalist system labor is sold and the capitalist to satisfy his/her needs rather than workers buys it. Worker is estranged from the things he creates &
becomes dissatisfied.

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Causes

of dissatisfaction:

Two aspects are important as they represented the most developed form of treating workers as a commodity.
i. Division of labor as a means of promoting wealth for the capitalist but restricting the freedom of the worker. Factory system of promotion as the most complete method of domination of the worker by the capitalist.
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ii.

Contd.(Causes of Dissatisfaction)

Alienation will not be overcome by increasing wages, it will simply make the worker a better paid slave. Alienation will only be overcome with the overthrow of the capitalist system when labor not treated as a commodity.

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Contd.

Conflict is endemic in the industrial situation for the Marxist- it is an inevitable part of the wage system. Labor is alienated in the capitalist system because it is treated as a commodity. Abolition of private property is crucial in or order to overcome alienation from the Marxian viewpoint.

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