Employee relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Employee relations - Essay Example The model they suggest is a partnership between labour and management that would result in a â€Å"high performance workplace with mutual gains for both the organisation and workers.† (Betcherman et al., 1994; Guest, 1995 and Verma, 1995 cited in Bratton et al. 1999: 334). Any changes that sweep society in the economic, social and political fields, not to speak of technological advancements will have inevitable consequences in the employer-employee relationship. Consequently, in Britain, mass unemployment of the 1980s and various legislations that curtailed union activities have had a marked effect on the bargaining power of labour because of the reduction in trade union membership and institutional protection. These developments corroborate Dunlop’s theory of industrial relations systems described below. However the trend is not unique to the United Kingdom and is attributable to increased competition at the local, regional and global levels and heightened consumer expectations. A trade union is defined as â€Å"a continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining and improving the conditions of their employment.† (Webb, Sydney & Webb, Beatrice cited in Trade Union). Does this mean that by definition, there is a conflict of interest between a trade union that represents its members and the organisation that employs those members as workers, more so if the organisation is in the public sector? The objective of this paper is to analyse the conundrum by taking recourse to theoretical bases and wherever possible their practical applications. 1.2. John Dunlop’s theory of industrial relations systems: In his 1958 classic, Industrial Relations Systems, John T. Dunlop, described the role of three principle actors in all industrial relations systems. They are, management organisations, workers (whether

Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder - Thesis Example The genre of this book is unclear. Some analysts claim it is a fable, novel, fairy story, theoretical and more. Jostein Gaarder is well known for his other work in the book Sophie’s World. Generally, Gaarder is only interested in the ideology that people should think and notice that they are alive. In addition, the people should appreciate the environment they live in citing that the world is a fascinating place. The book â€Å"The Solitaire Mystery† requires thought, as the ideas in it require a good consideration and concentration. As such, several analysts would claim that reading this book is not easy however, for students and researchers it serves as a very good reference. The book is controversial and one could think that it is written for the younger generation only. However, after thorough reading and understanding this book, one finds that there are hidden meanings and concepts that are very useful. For the interested parties in reading this book, one of the re quirements is close attention since complications may rise especially when a reader discovers that there are stories within a story. Due to the cleverness of the text, intelligence is required for any interested reader. The solitaire mystery consists of two seemingly separate stories which include Hans Thomas and the sticky bun book.Twelve year old Hans Thomas goes on a search for his mother. Accompanying him is his father from their home town in Norway to Greece. Han is unaware that his life would be changed forever. Hans Thomas will discover a whole new world filled with mystery. The protagonist takes the readers on a journey as he uncovers the truth about existence and living as he makes the journey with his father. However, Hans Thomas ‘s father had some unethical behavior like smoking which he taught his son and there were instances that they both made stops to smoke together as they journeyed. While stile on their journey, a strange bearded man gives Hans Thomas a magnif ying glass and tells him that he will need it. After a short while Hans Thomas and his father stop in a roadside cafe where Hans Thomas gets a giant sticky bun to eat on his journey. Hans Thomas gets surprised when he finds a tiny book that has small writings that cannot be read with naked eye. Hans starts reading the small book with the aid of the magnifying glass. The Books writing was too small to be read with the naked eye so he begins to read the tiny book using his new magnificent glass. As Hans Thomas continues to read the little book, he discovers that there is a huge connection between him and the sailor described in the book. For example, there is a scene where the sailor finds himself on an island whereby a deck of cards mysteriously come to life. With the help of the magnifying glass, the sticky bun book becomes more interesting as he continues to read it in secret. Generally, the story focuses on a mysterious tale in a strange island, A man by the name Frode owns a pack of cards as well as a drink and in his strange manner, he thinks he can drink anything. As Hans reads, there is the realization that the book has similar implications in his own life and that in a strange manner, he is also a part of the tale it unfolds. A string of strange events occurs on the journey. The sticky bun book In the book sticky bun, there is a storyline of an old baker who is given an amazing drink by the grandfather. The drink came from an island that the grandfather was shipwrecked on as a young man. In this island there is also an old sailor by the name Frode and 50-three other people. Despite not having names the 50 three other people referred to themselves as the numbers of cards (52 cards plus a joker). The red suits are all the women apart from the kings and jacks, whereas all the black suits are all the men except for the queens and aces. Frode then developed a crush on the ace of hearts because she was enchanting even though she was forever losing herself. Th e cards equal to the 50 three