CHAPTER FIVE

THE ROLE OF EMPLOYEES IN EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS

Objectives of this chapter

• Explain the role of the employee in the employment relationship, both as an individual and as part of a group

• Evaluate the impact of the different personalities of employees

• Explore the different factors that impact on the motivation of employees

• Explore the impact of the search for a work–life balance• Explain how groups develop• Consider why employees conform within a group

• Outline how prejudice develops.

Subordinate styles

• Receptive

• Self-reliant

• Collaborative

• Informative

• Reciprocating

Personality

• Extroversion–introversion dimension

• Neuroticism–stability dimension

Motivation theories

• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

• Herzberg’s two-factor model

• Adam’s equity theory

• Vroom’s expectancy theory

• Latham and Locke’s goal theory

Work–life balance

Changing workforce

• Remain in education to a later age

• Retiring at an earlier age

• Mothers with young children increasingly returning to work

• Growth of immigration

• Generation Y

Work–life balance

Clutterbuck (2003)

• Being aware of different demands on time and energy

• Having the ability to make choices in the allocation of time and energy

• Knowing what values to apply to choices

• Making choices

Flexible working

• Part-time

• Variable hours

• Job sharing

• Working from home

• Term-time only working

• Annualised hours

• Nine-day fortnight

Flexibility

• Career breaks for carers

• Sabbaticals

• Study leave

• Secondments

Benefits of a good work–life balance

• Increased productivity

• Improved recruitment and retention

• Lower rates of absenteeism

• Reduced overheads

• An improved customer experience

• More motivated, satisfied and equitable workforce

Group development

• Forming

• Storming

• Norming

• Performing

• Adjourning

Team roles

• Plant• Co-ordinator• Monitor/evaluator• Implementer• Completer/finisher• Resource investigator• Shaper• Teamworker• Specialist

Conformity

• Studies of Asch (1955)

• Study of Zimbardo et al (1973)

• Groupthink

Prejudice

• Loyalty to a group (Sherif 1956)

• Categorisation as a group (Tajfel 1970)

• Lack of understanding of other group

• Contact with other group

• Institutionalised racism

How does institutionalised racism occur?

• Instrumental conditioning

• Classical conditioning

• Observational conditioning

Diversity within groups

• Negative and positive effects

• Can lead to reduced group cohesion and greater levels of conflict

• Can also lead to enhanced creativity

• Lack psychological safety