TyroCity

Discussion on: Dimensions of Employment Relationship and how can trust develop

Collapse
 
shantamilan profile image
ShantaMilan

The employer hires the employee to undertake certain tasks in his organization for which they are reimbursed. The relationship developed between the two for the objective at hand can be termed as employment relationship.

“The starting point of employment relationship is an undertaking by an employee to provide skill and effort to the employer in return for which the employer provides the employee with a salary or a wage (the pay work bargain). (Armstrong, 2012, p. 402)”

Keslar and Undy, 1996 (extracted from Armstrong 2012) proposed the dimensions of the employee relationship as follows

  1. Parties: Employment relationship is formed between the managers, the employees and the employee representative or the trade unions. This relation can be both formal and informal. Although managers mange the employee, the employees have certain rights given by the labour law which the trade unions are ready to exercise if not followed. So the relationship between the parties are more of a balancing act.

  2. Substance: The employee relationship is based on the substance such as job, reward, career, communication, culture, joint agreement and joint machinery. The relationship between the employee and employer is formed around these substance. For example the employee have a set performance job standard whose evaluation is what the reward is based. Similarly the relationship is strengthened by the organization culture and communication.

  3. Structure: The relationship must have a certain level of boundaries for both the parties. The relationship may have written structures or structures that are implied. Thus formal rules, procedures, informal understanding, expectation and assumptions fall under the structure.

  4. Operation: The last dimension of the employee relationship is the operation. The level of employee, process and style of work defines the relationship between the employees. The manager and the employees are at different level and so their working process and style are also differently catered.

Trust is not an easy thing to gain especial between an employee and the employer and yet it is the one thing that defines the teamwork and relationship without which there is higher chances of business failure. Trust can is a two way street and so both the employee and the employer must contribute. It can also be said that it is a psychological contract. “In its most direct instrumental form, trust is viewed as the expectation that specific others will reciprocate trusting behaviour. (Kramer & Tyler, 1996)” Some ways in which trust could be developed are

Model the way: As a leader the employer must not only sharing his views and giving decision and commands while not doing anything. To build trust the leader must work along with the employee showing the way. For example in the army the commander sleeps, eats and fights with his juniors. A strong trust is built so much so that they are willing to give their life for the other.

Leadership strategy: A servant leadership strategy can do wonders for trust building between an employer and the employee. When the employer has a service oriented leadership good trust is built between the two.

Shared Vision: When the leader has a vision that is shared by the employees a mutual trust is developed. The employee follow the employer based on the vision that they believe in.

Challenging the process: Employers should be someone they look up to. Leaders set examples by challenging the status quo. This enables the employees to follow in the footsteps of the leader fostering trust among them.

These are some ways in which trust can be developed between an employee and employer.

References

Armstrong, M. (2012). ARMSTRONG’S HANDBOOK OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE (12 Ed ed.). Kogan Page.

Kramer, R. M., & Tyler, T. R. (1996). Trust in Organizations. New Delhi: Sage Publication Inc.