CENTRAL QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY

A Report on Employment Relations

Report, Assignment item 2

Hai Truong Van Thanh

Student number: 12022145

Prepaid for: CQUniversity
Course name: HRMT20024-Managing Human Resources
Campus: Sydney
Word count: 1,786
 A Report on Human Resource

Executive summary
In the competitive business environment recently, Human Resource Management plays a
crucial role to determine the successful of an organization as well as to achieve its business
goals.

When analyse the case study of the Wollongong yard of Top Truckings company, the report
aim to enhance skills which use to apply in employment relations, management styles as well
as management of communication and performance.

First, the report discuss about the practices in the new workplace of the company yard that
developed by its new manager. With the different in management style to the old yard
manager, the new manager had a lot of contributions in the successful of the yard. On the
next step, the report will clarify some of the risks that may occur when sustaining the changes
in the yards workplace in case the yard manger and the union delegate move on. Finally,
while evaluated the effects on workplace changes in two different types of worker unions, the
report found that blue collar unions have more involved in these changes than the public or
service sector unions.
 A Report on Human Resource

Table of contents

Executive summary............................................................................................... 2
1. Introduction....................................................................................................... 4
1.2 The aims....................................................................................................... 4
1.3 Methodology and Structure..........................................................................4
2. Discussions........................................................................................................ 5
2.1. The new workplace practices announced by the new yard manager..........5
2.2. Risks that sustain the changes if the union delegate or the new manager
moves on............................................................................................................ 6
2.3. The engagement in workplace changes between blue collar unions and the
public or services ones....................................................................................... 7
3. Conclusion......................................................................................................... 8
References............................................................................................................. 9
 A Report on Human Resource

1. Introduction
1.1 Background information

Wollongong yard of Top Trucking Company has had a reputation in its organization and
region. Although it has a high standard of the workplace and holds a strong position in the
local market, the yard was getting a hard place to work. It is because the yards manager is
autocratic and lack of investment of its current owner. As a result, there are a lot of conflicts,
accidents, and strikes which happen among the companys drivers. However, after the
company was bought by the new owner, who has capital to invest in, the yard was changed
significantly. Especially, the new yard manager who is considered democratic had contributed
a lot to the changes and successes within the yard.

1.2 The aims

Through analysis the current situation of employment relations at Wollongong yard, the
report aims to help the readers develop their skills in using the theories of human resources
management as well as their skills in research, analysis and critical thinking in the area of
argument.

1.3 Methodology and Structure

The methodology of the report is based on the analysis the case study of the Wollongong
yard, then researching and developing of critical thinking about the current situation of the
yard will take into account.

The structure of report will follow to discuss three questions existed in the yard that involves
to the relations of employment, the styles of managements as well as communication and
performance management. These questions include:

1. Discuss the new workplace practices announced by the new manager.

2. The risks may arise in the yard if there is a moving on of the union delegate or the yard
manager

3. Discuss the engagement in workplace changes between blue collar unions and public or
services unions.
 A Report on Human Resource

After all, the conclusion will be drawn to summarize the main points and the significant
findings of the report.

2. Discussions

2.1. The new workplace practices announced by the new yard manager
Top Trucking Wollongong yard has had significantly reputation in its organization as well as
in the region. The company yard had held a high value in the local market for a long time.
However, its workplace had become a tremendous pressure for the drivers to work due to the
weakness of human resource management of the old yard manager.

As the yard was bought by the new owner, who put more effort to spend on the yard to
improve its operation, things have been changed significantly. Especially, by appointing the
new yard manager, who is considered to bring fresh air in human resource management, the
yard had gotten impressive achievements over a couple of years. These achievements the firm
gains not only in its performance, but also in the human capital management.

To achieve these remarkable results, there are many practices that the owner and the new
manager introduced into their workplace.

Investment in infrastructure

Unlike the old management, the new owner had spent a lot of money to build the new yard,
buy new trucks and uniforms for the drivers. This approach was considered to meet the
demand of the company as well as improve the firms image and its working environment,
that make the drivers feel good and their backs straight.

Furthermore, to invest into Human resource information system by installing the new
computer system, which use to manage the firms human resource better than it was.
According to Chugh (2014), to be able to provide the better services and enhance operations,
it is necessary that the organization should use the information systems to support its human
resource function.

Management style

The new manager is considered to have the democratic managerial style rather than
autocratic. His contribution was a breath of fresh air in the firm. Practically, there are many
 A Report on Human Resource

pieces of evidence that democratic managers usual contribute much higher performance as
well as superior management skills than those autocrats (Luthar, 1996). He always talks to
drivers and the representatives of the union when the matters happen. Moreover, he always
explores these matters with the rational approach, rather than just blames immediately the
drivers and things.

Occupational health and safety matters

The new manager consciously works on improving drivers health and safety and integrating
them in the firm management systems. This approach, somewhat, could bring benefits to the
company and improve the image of the firm itself (Antero, 2010).

Training and development

In term of Human Resource Development, the new manager proposes the drivers more
training on technical and in customer service as well. This training helps drivers in their
career progress and future employment (Shafiq, et al., 2013). He also gets the drivers help by
his supervisory support and accompanies with them in job-relate matters, as well as share
information about the performance of the firm with its challenges and achievements. This
could help the drivers overcome the internal fear and therefore, have positive contribute on
the firm in term of return on investment.

2.2. Risks that sustain the changes if the union delegate or the new manager moves on
In the perspective of Human resource management, the moving on another level in the same
organization with new challenges is considered as a new stage of development of career. In
this case study, the reassignment of George and yard manager within their company can have
negative effects on the yards performance and its employment relations.

Conflict between new management and the workers

The new manager had contributed the best to grow a sense of achievement in the company,
while the union delegate had played the crucial part in the employment relations. Thus, the
movement of either one or both could create the conflict between among the new
management and drivers, who became adaptable with the current management system and
perceived benefits from it. These conflicts can conduct as a form of strikes, accidents and so
on.
 A Report on Human Resource

Decrease of Employee Engagement

According to Smith (2015), the talent management is one of the factors that supply to the
engagement of the employees in an organization. Therefore, the moving on of the yard
manager could reduce the engagement of the drivers, which include lack of trust and
integrity, a decrease of the connection between individuals and the firms performance,
unclear career growth opportunities (Julia & Evelina, 2008).

Lack of communication and supporting

The yard manager always shares information about the current performance of the company,
this could make the driver felt respect and communicative. Whereas, the union delegate
always gives the workers well support within their union. Hence, their movement can form
the issues unresolved and not communicated to appropriate objects on time (Posner, 2000).

2.3. The engagement in workplace changes between blue collar unions and the public or
services ones
According to Knoke & Ishio (1994), the blue collar workers are more likely getting involved
into the support of its unions rather than the public or service workers do in their unions.
Therefore, the blue collar unions often have more engaged than public or service unions in
term of workplace changes.

The blue collar workers are considered to those who work in physical jobs such as drivers,
mining workers, and firefighters and so on; whereas, the unions present for those blue collar
workers are known as blue collar unions. There are often not required a high level academic
education for blue collar workers. In addition, depend on every work structure, they are not
often work on regular basic and get paid by hourly wage (Michel et al., 2016). With these
characteristics above, the blue collar workers tend to get closer and have more concerned
about their unions rather than the management system of their organization (Fenwick &
Olson, 1986). Moreover, in many companies, the blue collar workers are mostly hired to
work in the manufacturing parts which have a low management interaction. Therefore, they
tend to find the support from their union when they need to negotiate and interact with the
higher administration of the organization (Andreas, 2009).
 A Report on Human Resource

In contrast, the employee working in public or service industries are those who perform
professional, administrative, or managerial work, as well as job-related to customer
interaction, sales or entertainment (George & Robert, 1972) .They are categorised among the
skilled-employees with higher academic and experience to support their job role in the
organization. Thus, they less likely enjoy the support of the union and their attendance as the
union membership is limited (Fenwick & Olson, 1986). According to some researchers,
because the white-collar workers have been successful through their hard-working
contribution, they have been less likely the need to join a collective group to get a fair treat,
rewarded equally and respectfully. And basically, their relationship with the employers mostly
base on trustworthiness and common good will (White-Collar Workers, 2010). As a result,
their bond with the union is less when compare with blue collar workers.

3. Conclusion
The report found that there is a lot of improving in practices of workplace announced by the
yard manager; include the change in management style, occupational health and safety
matters, as well as training and development and so on. Additionally, the report shows that to
sustain the changes in the yard, there are some risks should take into account. Those are the
conflicts between new management and drivers which can conduct as a form of strikes, the
decrease the level of engagement of the workers to the organization, or the lack of
communication and supporting between the workers and its management. Moreover, in term
of engagement of changes in the workplace, there are many evidences to say that the blue
collar worker union has more effect than the public or service union.
 A Report on Human Resource

References
Antero, H. (2010). Occupational health and safety and environmental management systems.
Environmental Science & Policy, 3(1), 3945

Andreas, P. (2009). Why Become A Shop Steward? Evidence From Australian Unions.
Labour & Industry: a journal of the social and economic relations of work. 19 (3), 157-188.

Chugh, R . (2014). Role of Human Resource Information Systems in an Educational

Organisation. Journal of Advanced Management Science, 2 (2), 149-153. doi:
10.12720/joams.2.2.149-153

Fenwick, R., & Olson, J. (1986). Support for Worker Participation: Attitudes Among Union
and Non-Union Workers. American Sociological Review, 51(4), 505-522.

George, B., & Robert, B. (1972). Who is a white-collar employee?. BJIR: An International
Journal of Employment Relations, 10(3), 325-339.

Julia, H., Evelina, R. (2008). Talent management: A strategy for improving employee
recruitment, retention and engagement within hospitality organizations. International Journal
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10.1108/09596110810899086

Knoke, D., & Ishio, Y. (1994). Occupational Training, Unions, and Internal Labor Markets.
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Luthar, H.K., (1996). Sex Roles. 35 (337). doi:10.1007/BF01664773

Michel, A., Turgut, S., Hoppe, A., & Sonntag, K. (2016). Challenge and threat emotions as
antecedents of recovery experiences: Findings from a diary study with blue-collar workers.
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Morton, L. (2005). Talent Management Value Imperatives: Strategies for Successful

Execution. Research Report R-1360-05-RR, Conference Board

Posner, B.Z. (2010). Another Look at the Impact of Personal and Organizational Values
Congruency. Journal of Business Ethics, 97 (535). doi:10.1007/s10551-010-0530-1
 A Report on Human Resource

Shafiq, M., Zia-ur-Rehman, D., & Rashid, M. (2013). Impact of Compensation, Training and
Development and Supervisory Support on Organizational Commitment. Compensation &
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Smith, R. (2015). Talent management. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles,
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Why White-Collar Workers May Grow More Interested in Unions. (2010). Management
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