LU BBA Notes

1. Concept and Definitions of Industrial Relations (IR)

Industrial Relations deals with the multi-dimensional relationships between labor (employees), management (employers), and the state (government) within a modern industrial society.

• Core Components: Industry (Productive activity) + Relations (Employer-employee interactions).

• Transgressional Nature: Projects beyond the workplace into quality control, marketing, price fixation, and profit distribution.

Key Definitions (High MCQ Importance)

ILO (International Labour Organization): “Industrial Relations deal with either the relationship between the state and employers and workers organizations or the relation between the occupational organizations themselves.”

Dale Yoder: “Industrial Relation is a relationship between management and employees or among employees and their organization that characterizes and grows out of employment.”

2. Objectives and Scope of IR

Core Objectives

• Economic Betterment: Improving the economic condition of workers.

• State Control: Regulating production and employment conditions through state machinery.

• Socialization: Nationalization of industries where the state acts as the employer.

• Worker Proprietorship: Vesting ownership of industries in the workers.

Three Key Pillars of IR Examination

1. Individual Employee Relations: Management policies affecting individual productivity and well-being.

2. Collective Trade Union Relations: Regulated by law; covers collective agreements, dispute settlements, and union recognition.

3. Industrial Peace: Maintaining workplace harmony $\rightarrow$ Increasing national productivity.

Scope of IR

• Personnel Relations: Relations between individual workers and managers.

• Labor Relations: Collective relations between trade unions and management, shaped by state intervention.

3. Historical Evolution of IR in India

India’s IR journey spans three distinct phases:

A. Pre-Independence Phase

• State Role: Passive Regulator (provided minimal protective framework).

• Labor Status: Absence of major protective laws ——–> Free “hire and fire” by employers ——–>Extreme exploitation (poor wages, long hours, no job security).

• Key Legislations & Milestones:

  • Employers and Workmen (Disputes) Act, 1880: The only initial act; settled wage-related disputes only.

  • Post-WWI Unrest: Led to violent protests and retaliatory lockouts.

  • Trade Disputes Act, 1929: Enacted for speedy dispute settlement (frequently ignored by governments).

  • Bombay Industrial Relations Act, 1938: Established a Permanent Industrial Court for dispute settlement.

B. Post-Independence Phase

• State Role: Active restructuring, enactment of comprehensive labor laws, and promotion of a welfare state model.

C. Post-Globalization Era (1991 Onwards)

• Driven by the New Economic Policy of 1991 (LPG).

• Focus shifted to global competitiveness and survival.

• External Influences: IR heavily influenced by international bodies: ILO, IMF, World Bank, and WTO.

4. Models of Industrial Relations

I. Dunlop’s System Model (1958)

• Premise: IR is a distinct subsystem of the wider society meant to resolve economic conflict. Focuses on the institutionalization of conflict.(

  Basically, it means turning disagreements into a regular part of the system.

  Instead of fighting in the streets, there are formal rules and procedures in place to handle the conflict peacefully, like contract negotiations or legal hearings. This keeps things stable while still allowing people to voice their concerns.)

• 4 Core Elements:

1. Actors (The Players)

The people involved: Managers (bosses), Workers (and their unions), and Government agencies (the regulators).

2. Contexts (The Environment)

The outside factors that affect everyone: the technology being used, the money/market constraints, and the political power in society.

3. Rules (The System)

This is where institutionalization happens. Instead of constant fighting, the players agree on a peaceful system of rules:

• Substantive Rules: The actual terms (pay, hours, holidays).

• Procedural Rules: How we settle arguments and make new rules (dispute hearings, union votes). This is the institutionalization of conflict.

4. Ideology (The Shared Beliefs)

The common understanding that holds it all together. Every player agrees to respect the rules and the system, even when they disagree on the details.

• Limitations: Ignores consumers/community; ignores behavioral/human motivations; designed for national frameworks (fails to address borderless MNCs).

II. IILS Model (International Institute of Labor Studies)

Developed closely with the ILO. Focuses on four elements:

1. Environment: Conditions (Social, Cultural, Political, Economic) under which industries operate.

2. Parties: State, Workers’ Organizations/Unions, and Managerial Hierarchies.

3. Process: Rule-making mechanisms:

   • Negotiation: Joint rule-making by unions and employers.

   • Collaboration: Joint determination to prevent disputes.

   • Resolution of Conflict: Recording terms via awards or settlements.

4. Rules & Authorities:

   • Monopolistic: Rules laid down unilaterally by the employer.

   • Dualistic: Power shared jointly by two parties (e.g., Employer + Union, or Employer + State).

   • Pluralistic: Tripartite consensus between Employer, Union, and State.

III. Craig’s Model The Flow

Premise: A dynamic open system with feedback loops

1. The Environment (The Outside World)

Five forces that shape everything:

• Legal: Laws and court rules.

• Economic: The job market and inflation.

• Ecological: Climate, location, and raw materials.

• Political: Who is in power.

• Socio-cultural: Society’s attitudes and culture.

2. Actors & Inputs (The People)

The goals and power of the Managers, Workers, and Government.

3. Conversion Mechanisms (The Processing)

How they handle disagreements (where institutionalization happens):

• Collective bargaining (negotiating contracts).

• Grievance steps (formal complaint processes).

• Strikes or lockouts.

• Third-party help (mediators/arbitrators).

4. Outputs (The Results)

The final balance sheet:

• Management: Rights and profits.

• Labor: Fair treatment and pay.

• Workers: Morale and job satisfaction.

• Conflict: Residual tension or harmony.

The Loop: These outputs go right back into the environment as feedback, restarting the whole cycle.

5. Approaches to Industrial Relations

1. Psychological Approach (Mason Haire)

• The Experiment

  Mason Haire showed a photograph of an ordinary, middle-aged man to two different groups: Union Leaders and Company Executives (Bosses).

  The twist? It was the exact same picture. But look at what they saw:

  • The Union Leaders looked at the picture and said: “That’s a company manager.”

  • The Executives looked at the exact same picture and said: “That’s a union leader.”

  The Conclusion

  Because they already disliked each other, they projected their negative feelings onto a random photo.

  Haire concluded that both sides naturally view the other as:

  • Less dependable (untrustworthy).

  • Emotionally deficient (cold or unreasonable).

  The Bottom Line: Even when one side tries to do something nice or honest, the other side automatically views it with suspicion. They are blinded by their own bad attitudes about each other.

2. Sociological Approach

• The Sociological Approach says that a factory or an office is basically a mini-version of the outside world.

  Instead of just looking at money or laws, this approach looks at how people’s backgrounds clash when they are forced to work together under one roof.

  Why Do Fights Happen?

  According to this view, workplace fights happen because managers and workers come from completely different worlds:

  • Different Education: Bosses usually have degrees and corporate training; workers might have practical, hands-on skills but less formal education. They speak different “languages.”

  • Different Value Systems: Management might value pure efficiency and profit, while workers value job security, respect, and free time.

  • Different Lifestyles and Customs: They live in different neighborhoods, have different hobbies, and spend their money differently.

  The Bottom Line

  When you put people with totally opposite backgrounds, values, and social circles into the same building, friction is natural.

  The workplace isn’t just an economic machine; it is a complex social melting pot where different cultures and classes are constantly rubbing against each other.

4. Socio-Ethical Approach

• The Socio-Ethical Approach says that a good workplace isn’t built on strict laws or slick contracts—it is built on morals and teamwork.

  Instead of treating each other like enemies or just numbers on a spreadsheet, both bosses and workers need to act like responsible human beings.

  The Two Main Rules:

  1. Mutual Cooperation: Both sides must realize they actually need each other to succeed. Bosses can’t make money without workers, and workers don’t have jobs without bosses. They are partners, not rivals.

  2. Moral Responsibilities: * The Bosses have a moral duty to give workers fair pay, safe conditions, and human dignity (not just treat them like machines).

     • The Workers have a moral duty to do their jobs honestly, put in real effort, and respect the business.

  The Bottom Line

  Peace happens when both sides stop asking, “What can I legally get away with?” and start asking, “What is the right and fair thing to do?” It’s about building a workplace on trust and ethics.

5. Gandhian Approach (Mahatma Gandhi)

• The Gandhian Approach views a business not as a battlefield for profit, but as a family working together for the good of society. Mahatma Gandhi believed that love, truth, and fairness should guide the workplace.

  Here are the 4 main pillars of his idea:

  1. The Co-Partner Idea

  A company is a joint venture. Workers are not just “servants” or numbers; they are equal partners with the shareholders. Both sides are equally important to run the business.

  2. Trusteeship Principles

  Gandhi believed that wealth and factories do not truly belong to the owners. Instead, the owners are just “trustees” (guardians) looking after the property on behalf of society.

  3. Strict Rules for Strikes

  Gandhi did not ban strikes, but he believed they should be the absolute last resort. A strike is only fair if it follows this strict chain:

  {Clear, Just Grievance}———> {100% Complete Non-Violence}———> {Zero Harassment of Non-Strikers}

  Workers should never use violence or bully those who choose to keep working.

  4. Peaceful Conflict Resolution

  He strongly disliked courts and government interference. Instead, he preferred:

  • Bilateral Negotiations: Sitting down face-to-face to talk it out.

  • Voluntary Arbitration: Mutually choosing a trusted, neutral third person to help settle the fight peacefully.

  The Bottom Line

  Under the Gandhian approach, industrial peace comes from cooperation and self-sacrifice, not from fighting for power or money.

6. Historical Stages of IR Development

This timeline shows how the relationship between workers and bosses changed over history, moving from absolute slavery to the modern factory setup.

Here are the 4 stages broken down simply:

1. Agrarian Economy Stage (Middle Ages)

• The Setup: Land was owned entirely by wealthy landlords.

• The Relationship: It was a Master-Servant or Owner-Slave relationship.

• The Pay: There were no cash wages. Slaves were simply given basic food, rough clothes, and a roof over their heads. The master had 100% total control over their lives.

2. Handicrafts Stage

• The Setup: Cities and trade started growing, and landlords lost power. Workers became independent craftsmen making things by hand.

• The Relationship: Workers owned their own tools and worked from home with their families. They sold goods directly to customers with no middlemen.

• The Authority: Craft Guilds (the earliest versions of unions) ran the show. They set fair prices, checked product quality, and helped members who got sick or injured.

3. Cottage or “Putting-Out” Stage

• The Setup: As steam power and trade expanded, a new player entered: The Capitalist / Financier.

• The Relationship: The capitalist bought the raw materials and gave them to craftsmen to work on at home.

• The Pay: Workers no longer sold directly to customers. Instead, the capitalist collected the finished goods and paid the workers piece-wage (money per item made).

4. Factory Stage (Industrial Revolution)

• The Setup: Big machines were invented. Capitalists put all these machines under one huge roof, creating the factory system.

• The Relationship: The personal connection disappeared. Bosses didn’t know their workers. To save money, factories hired women and children for cheap, making them work brutal hours.

• The Pay & Focus: Wages were kept as low as possible, based purely on how many desperate people needed jobs. The only goal was maximum profit and strict discipline. Human feelings were completely ignored.

The Bottom Line

Over time, workers went from being owned by a master (Stage 1), to being independent bosses (Stage 2), to working for a middleman (Stage 3), and finally becoming minor cogs in a massive corporate machine (Stage 4).

7.The Three Major Actors & What They Want

An IR system is like a three-way tug-of-war where every player has a different goal:

• Employees / Trade Unions: Want good pay, job safety, a voice at work, and fair treatment through union negotiations.

• Management (The Bosses): Want maximum efficiency, hard-working employees, and high motivation to hit business goals.

• Government (The Referee): Wants to pass laws that keep the peace so factories don’t shut down and the economy keeps growing.

8. The Four Management Styles in IR

Management styles have evolved over time from treating workers like machines to treating them like partners.

• Exploitative Authoritarian (Labor = Tool): This is the old 19th-century colonial style. Workers are treated like cheap commodities, worked to the bone, and can be fired at any moment.

• Benevolent Authoritarianism (The Strict Parent): The company takes care of worker welfare (medical, housing), but gives workers zero say in decisions. This is very common in traditional Indian family business houses.

• Consultative Style (The Listener): Management asks for opinions and feedback before making rules, though they still hold all the final power. This is the standard style in modern Public Limited Companies and PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings).

• Participative Style (Labor = Partner): Workers and bosses sit at the same table and make decisions together as equals. It views workers as allies and friends. (This style is still developing and growing in India).

9. The Five Government Roles in IR

The government’s attitude toward workplaces has changed drastically over the years:

• Laissez-faire (“Hands-Off” Mode): The old 19th-century way where the government did not interfere at all. Because there were no protective laws, greedy bosses easily exploited weak workers. (This is now outdated).

• Paternalism (“Protector” Mode): The government steps in like a protective parent to pass strict laws about minimum wages, safety, and working hours so workers aren’t cheated.

• Tripartism (“Meeting” Mode): Before making any big labor policy, the government sits down with both union leaders and management to get everyone’s agreement first.

• Voluntarism (“Honor Code” Mode): Instead of forcing laws, the government encourages bosses and unions to voluntarily sign codes of conduct and behave professionally.

• Interventionism (“Active Referee” Mode): If a big fight breaks out that could hurt the country’s economy, the government steps in directly using legal mediators and courts to force a settlement and stop strikes.

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