Of what relevance is an understanding of the Unitarism/Pluralism debate to our understanding of organisational life?
Introduction
Organisational life in modern times has changed significantly over the years. Whereas once upon a time it was a place in which senior managers’ and owners’ sole purpose was to rule in order to fulfil their objectives through the organisation made up of its subjects, the employees, today it is now made up largely of a complex partnership of employees and employers all glued strongly or loosely to fulfil their individual objectives and to a greater or lesser extent, the objectives of the organisation. Thus, the organisation, made up of its staffing structure, leadership style and culture can be considered as a living breathing eco system, which provides an output of service or produce of value to its consumers. The big question however, is how should employers and employees be galvanised to produce that output. Is it possible to bring people together with different needs, values, aims and objectives and forge a common aim and objective with the spirit of cooperation and strong teamwork for the good of the organisation? Is it better to accept that there will always be differences between individuals and groups and only by a compromise between the groups and individuals can common objectives be realised?
This essay focuses on a dichotomy of two approaches within organisations, namely the unitary and pluralist approach. The essay gives clear distinction between the two and how over several decades these two approaches have played a role in the evolution of organisational life.
Therefore, because of the groups that exist with competing influences in organisations, this requires managers with differ ...