ASSIGNMENT 2 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 23 MAY 2025
, HRIOP87
Assignment 2 2025
Unique Number:
Due Date: 23 May 2025
Research Report in Employee and Consumer Behaviour
QUESTION 1 – Employment Relations and Employee Involvement (20 Marks)
1.1 Introduction: Shifting Boundaries in Employment Relations
Traditionally, employment relations (ER) have been viewed through a tripartite lens:
employees (and their representatives), employers, and the state. However, this view is
increasingly outdated. The dynamics of modern employment relations are shaped by a
multipartite perspective, incorporating not only the traditional actors but also broader
societal influences such as community-based organisations, international labour
institutions, NGOs, and even global corporate networks. In the South African context,
where economic inequality, political pressures, and social justice issues are deeply
entrenched, this multipartite framework is essential. It recognizes the broader socio-
economic forces influencing the workplace and acknowledges that ER outcomes are
shaped by both internal organisational strategies and external macro-level realities.
1.2 Overview of Role-Players and Stakeholders
In South Africa, ER is deeply shaped by historical inequality and a strong legal
framework aimed at transformation and justice.
Key stakeholders.
Employer Parties: These include individual employers, employer organisations
(like BUSA), and multinational corporations. Employers influence workplace
policy, structure, and negotiate terms of employment.