Abstract
Employment Relations (ER) remains a dynamic and elusive phenomenon for many organisations to grasp. Its evolution has been perceived and interpreted differently in various studies of people management. Globally, a shift has occurred from the traditional school of thought that focused more on traditional systems of collective bargaining and control, to emerging trends focusing on relationships, cooperation, partnership, attitudes and harmony in the workplace. The concept of ER has gradually ascended as a suitable description that is palatable enough to replace industrial relations as a field. Yet, most organisations do not invest enough tangible and intangible resources to realign themselves with these new global developments. Strangely, countries from the global south largely continue to align their labour approach to traditional western-based practices and standards amid the transition, squandering in the process an opportunity for meaningful reforms.
This study is concerned with understanding how harmonious employment relations can be used to create strategic value in the workplace. A qualitative research approach was adopted for this study, using Grounded Theory (GT) as the research strategy. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data, and Thematic Analysis (TA) was used to analyse the research data. The findings indicated Employment Relations is not strategically positioned and indigenous wisdom is not integrated into organisational systems, practices and culture which makes it difficult to transform employment relationships in the sector and to create value for organisations.
An ER model is proposed to integrate and embed harmonious ER in Human Capital systems in the workplace. The study also proposes 20 key recommendations, grouped into five key logical categories, to address identified gaps. The first category relates to ER content which is shared in organisations; the second category provides guidelines on ER documentations required for implementation purposes; and the third category addresses the question of ER platforms or structures needed to advance modern ER solutions. The last two categories deal with the issue of ER governance and ER interventions.