Employment relations is defined as the relationship between an individual and his superiors or other employees (Tan, 2002). This relationship exists in all organisations and can be examined at an individual or organisational level. However, it is difficult to maintain good employment relations, as conflicts can be expressed in many other forms (Chew & Chew, 1996).
Conflict is defined as a perceived difference between two or more parties resulting in mutual opposition (Bartol et. al., 2001). Conflicts are also inevitable and it is by nature neither good nor bad. Positive conflict can stimulate higher productivity, better decision making and generate creativity. However, a failure to check for conflicts can incur barriers to both individual and organisational effectiveness (Stone, 1999).
A common norm in the society is the tendency to hide the differences rather than to confront them. Hence, this leads to hidden conflicts where it can result in negative outcomes. The probability of disclosing errors and taking risks is lower when perspectives and information are not shared. Lost of work interest may also occur and the consequences can be in forms of increased stress, lack of motivation, absenteeism, high job turnover or even sabotage (Perlow, 2003).
The Singapore system of analysing employment relations is based on Dunlop’s extended model. It shows how the three main participants, mainly the government, union and management, react to environmental factors to achieve the desired outcomes for the benefit of the economy. The tripartite is a reliable system which sets out to achieve common ideologies such as industrial peace, investment growth, social justice and resolving national issues through mechanisms like collective bargaining, team work and dispu ...