The Concept of Power: A Lacuna in Industrial Relations Theory?

Abstract

Power is a word that often occurs in both academic and practitioner discussions of industrial relations. It is argued in this paper that, despite the concept's assumed and taken-for-granted relevance, power is so neglected in the academic literature that it constitutes a major omission in the discipline. To demonstrate this neglect, the treat ment of power in the literature is critically analysed by reviewing the systems, action, and Marxist approaches to industrial relations. Similarly, the unitarist, pluralist, and radical ideological perspectives on industrial relations are also reviewed and their conceptions of power critically examined. The paper concludes that power is of central importance to the discipline and yet, simultaneously, is theoretically neglected. This neglect prevents us from obtaining a greater understanding of industrial relations processes. Finally, suggestions are offered as to a new direction in the development of the concept of power in industrial relations.