Industrial Relations in Public Sector and Their Determinant

As in a civilized society relations among human beings determine the quality of society, industrial relations in an industrial organization vitally spell out the success or unsuccess of that organization. In fact, Industrial Relations generally imply the relationship between the management and the organized labor in an  industrial organization or within an industry. In this fast developing world industrial progress is a synonym for material well being of a country. For this industrial relations are of utmost importance. It has been pointed out by few management experts like that Bethel, Atwater, Smith& Stackman  state that industrial relation is that part of management which is concerned with the manpower of the enterprises(1). “Industrial Relations is an art, the art of living together for the purposes of productions”(2).  The relationship can either be cordial or otherwise, depending upon the attitudes and approaches of the people concerned. Attitudes and approaches of the management and those of workers, possibly represented by trade unions, can be complex and diverse. Dunlop attests that the industrial societies necessarily create industrial relations defined as the complex of inter-relations among workers, managers and the government.(3)Thus , Industrial Relation is the composite result of the attitudes and approaches of the employers and employees towards each other with regard to planning, supervision, direction and coordination of the activities of an organization with a minimum of human efforts and frictions with an animating spirit of cooperation and with proper regard for the genuine well being of all members of the organization.(4)

Hence, Industrial Relation is the relation in the industry created by the diverse and complex attitudes and approaches of both the management and the workers or employers and employees in the connection with the management of the industry. The attitudes of both workers and management influence each other and determine natural relationship. However, it should be noted that industrial relation is not a simple mutual relationship. It is a set of functional inter dependence which is influenced by various factors, say, economic, social, psychological, technological, political occupational etc.