Reference no: EM133330294
In our textbook, author John W. Budd strives to keep our attention on the fact that the field of labor relations is really about balancing the use of power in the organization. Organizations are made up of human beings, and in any relationship between human beings, a question of the use of power exists. The question is, will we use power in life-giving (ethical) or in destructive (unethical) ways?
The misuse of power has been with us since the beginning of time. In the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation to be like God by knowing good and evil. The sin of the Garden was the sin of power. Not content with being mere created human beings, they wanted to be like God, who is all powerful. They wanted to have more power and to be more powerful.
Twice in the Book of Luke we see the disciples arguing about who is, or will be, the greatest. Read Luke 9:46-48, and Luke 22:24-30 (it is worth noting that this second argument occurs directly in the middle of the Last Supper, when Jesus is attempting to teach his disciples how to remember Him- perhaps indicating that our human drive for power knows no bounds).
Given this very human reality, respond to the following:
- How does achieving a balance of power in the organization between labor and management help ensure that those in the organization wield power in ethical ways?
- Do you believe that the establishment of an independent review board consisting of distinguished outsiders could curb the abuse of power to improve the ethical practices of a union? Explain your
- Would such a board of distinguished outsiders be appropriate to oversee the ethical behavior of a corporation? Explain.