MODULE 4 - YESS

MODULE 4PRINCIPLES OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

AND MATERIALS ON SELECTED SOFT SKILLS ASSOCIATED WITH ES

Youth Enterprise Shadowing Schemes – Training Module 4: Principles of industrial relations and materials on selected soft skills associated with ES

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Project number: 2017-3-PL01-KA205-047160 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

“Principles of industrial relations and materials on selected soft skills associated with ES”

TRAINING MATERIALS

MODULE: 4



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Preface

Within the context of the project YESS - Youth Enterprise Shadowing Scheme (Erasmus + - Key Action 2: Strategic Partnership|Youth), a set of training modules composed by training materials, guides and tools had been jointly prepared by YESS partners. The main objective of these materials is to support young people’s employability by providing them supportive tools and structuring a methodology to help them to participate in the best way to a “shadowing week” hosted by an enterprise. During this experience, they can learn the basics of an enterprise functioning and develop better their employability potential and business-related competences. Materials had been prepared based on the results of the Mapping and Assessment activities (IO1) – a need research which involved more than 200 young people from Italy, Poland, Greece and Cyprus - and on the views expressed also by more than 40 entrepreneurs from the 4 countries on the basic requirements useful to deal with such a shadowing experience. The training materials will impact on young persons’ entrepreneurial mindsets, allowing them to be prepared after this period of shadowing for their next step of their new career. The topics selected for the training are the following:

1. An Enterprise’ s basic structure and functions: basic insights into a typical Business Enterprise’s Structure and its Functions, thus allowing to understand how an enterprise work in all its part.

2. The importance of the Value chain: basic knowledge about the value chain idea and how to use it in own business.

3. The Development of Funding Programmes: How to apply to EU Grants? How does a funding program work? How to take a chance for my business ideas to get funded?

4. Principles of industrial relations and the importance of soft skills at workplace: relations in the workplace are important. How are they defined? What skill is important and contribute to a business success?

5. Setting Up an Enterprise: Identification of business opportunity and call for funding (bank, private foundations etc.) Moreover, an introduction to the main steps to set up an enterprise

6. Launching of product: an introduction of basic terms of marketing (service, product, audience etc.), how to analysis the possible market and launch your product.

Developed materials, guidelines and methodology are available in English, Italian, Polish and Greek, both downloadable and online in the E-learning Platform (IO3) on the project website.

https://yessproject.eu/



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Table of contains Preface ................................................................................................................................................. 2

Short Summary .................................................................................................................................... 4

Aims ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

Learning Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 4

1. Introduction of industrial relations .............................................................................................. 5

1.1. Introduction of main actors involve the industrial relations system ................................ 6

1.2. Industrial Relations in Europe............................................................................................ 8

2. Required skills in the workplace ................................................................................................... 8

2.1 Differences between soft skills and hard skills ....................................................................... 8

2.2 What kind of skills are important to improve the relations in an enterprise? ..................... 10

ANNEX A ............................................................................................................................................. 12

Non-Formal Interactive Team Activity – Role Playing ................................................................ 12

ANNEX B ............................................................................................................................................. 14

Self – Assessment Questions ...................................................................................................... 14

ANNEX B.1: Self – Assessment Questions / The correct answers .............................................. 15

AUTHOR’S DECLARATION

The present module has been prepared solely for training purposes. Its text does not necessarily claim originality, as, besides the authors’ own contribution, it is also based on material from various other sources considered to be relevant, useful for training purposes and transferable. This is dully acknowledged in the text in various ways. The

authors however accept responsibility for any failure to fully record all such instances in the text.



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YESS - Training Material

Title of the module Principles of industrial relations and materials on selected soft skills associated with ES.

Responsible Partner Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci (CSC)

Short Summary

This module comprises introduction of industrial relations and what skills are required to improve the relations among colleagues in an enterprise. The module will also introduce information about how industrial relations in EU and national level work as well as an overview on common rules at EU and National level. It will also provide an overview of the increasing importance of soft skills in the labour market. The documents will also present videos and exercises related to the topic as well as non-formal activities which will help users to gain soft skills.

Aims

Aims of this module is to provide general knowledge regarding industrial relations and specific soft skills as well as to motivate young people to participate in “Enterprise Shadowing” programme. Finally, the module will provide general knowledge to potential young entrepreneurs on how typical industrial relations (peers’ relation; employee/employer; employee/third parties) work.

Learning Objectives

This module has following key objectives: to provide information about how industrial relation in EU and national level work to provide an overview on common rules at EU and National level. to provide suggestions and hints on how to solve conflict in an enterprise to provide an overview of the skills useful in the relations among all the different members

in the working context to provide an overview of the increasing importance of soft skills in the labor market

Key Terms

Enterprise Shadowing, Youth empowerment entrepreneurship, Non-formal education, Soft skills, Industrial relations, youth opportunities



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1. Introduction of industrial relations

Industrial Relation refers to the relationship between employer and employee within the organization1., The divisions need to be working together as efficiently as possible to keep the good relationship within the company. Which helps to maximize economic gain and the potential for industrial growth. In other words – without cooperation between these two divisions (employer and employee) – industrial progress and economic gain would grind to a halt. To keep good relations within the company it’s important to have the quality of working life (QWL), which helps to establish the direct channels of communication between workers and their supervisors2. QWL refers that workers needed to be motivated by other aspects like flexible working hours, job security, open communication system within the company. These aspects not only help workers on their personal growth but it helps also to increase the labour efficiency.

As we all know, the industrial relations in all economic sectors are important, which is closely linked to employee’s productivity and company’s sustainability, especially the labor-intensive ones, such as the manufacturing and services sectors, which showed the highest manpower consumption. There are several current industrial relation issues, particularly with wages dominating industrial relation issue, security of employment, unionize, and labour legislation3.

Moreover, the industrial relations relate also to several issues regarding the company managers and employees at workplace such as work environment, positions of the employees, management strategy, relation with Unions, co-operation with other company, use of technology, skills development etc. The evolution of industrial relation issues is aligned with the economy, socio economy, and even influenced by international labor movement.

Human resource management plays an important role to maintain good relations within the company’s workers. According to Ruth Mayhew, industrial relations are related to so-called labour management relations or labour relations. As a human resources (HR) discipline it is often associated with matters that involve union workers inside the company. Employee relations are another complimenting discipline that HR experts use in order to define HR responsibilities for a non-union employee base. Policy development for industrial relations is typically formed by the employer's HR department leader. However, if an HR leader is not on staff, industrial relations policies become the responsibility of the employer's highest-ranking manager, such as the company president.4

1 https://www.danshaw.co.za/role-government-in-industrial-relations/ 2 Harry C. Katz, Thomas A. Kochan, And Kenneth R. Gobeille- industrial relations performance, economic performance, and qwl programs: an interplant analysis- 3 Selvarajah Krishnan et al.: The Effect of Soft Skills on Gen Y’s Industrial Relations in Malaysian SME’s 4 Ruth Mayhew, Industrial Relations Policies, https://smallbusiness.chron.com/industrial-relations-policies-60753.html



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1.1. Introduction of main actors involve the industrial relations system

Employers: Employer represent an organization or company which puts to work, who employs or hires employee for the services. Employer could be an individual person, an enterprise, big company, an institution or a non-profit association5. Employer has control over the activities of the employee as agreed on the contract.

Employee: Employee refer an individual who works part-time or full-time under a contract of employment, whether oral or written, express or implied, and has recognized rights and duties. Also called worker6. A person who is hired for a specific job or just to provide labor and does his/her work in the service of another entity, is consider as an employee.

Trade unions: Trade unions, also known as labor unions, they are organizations of workers in a common trade who have organized into groups dedicated to improving the workers' work life. A trade union generally negotiates with employers on behalf of its members, advocating for improvements such as better working conditions, compensation and job security. These unions play an important role in industrial relations -- the relationship between employees and employers.7

The International Labour Organization (ILO): The International Labour Organization has maintained and developed a system of international labour standards aimed at promoting opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity.8 The Italian Republic (Repubblica italiana) came into being in 1946, after the fall of the fascist regime in 1943.

International Employers’ Organizations (IEO): The IOE’s main activity, however, is to organize employers whenever they have to deal with social and labour matters at the global level. In practice, most of this takes place in the ILO, which has responsibility for these questions in the United Nations system.9

5 http://www.differencebetween.net/business/difference-between-an-employee-and-an-employer/ 6 http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/employee.html 7 https://bizfluent.com/ 8 https://www.ilo.org/global/standards/introduction-to-international-labour-standards/lang--en/index.htm 9 http://www.ilocis.org/documents/chpt21e.htm

https://bizfluent.com/

https://www.ilo.org/global/standards/introduction-to-international-labour-standards/lang--en/index.htm

http://www.ilocis.org/documents/chpt21e.htm



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This figure helps to understand the related components within the Industrial Relations10

This type of relationship is built on mutual interest and is rooted in good faith. Of course, it is not perfect but – in order to works – it needs to be sustainable and – most of all – based on mutually beneficial interest. The employer has his/her objectives as well as the employee: if their mutual relation doesn’t work, no one will get what they both wish in their work relation. A “double success” – both of the employee and the employer – needs to be achieved and the context in which both of them cooperate and inter-relate has to make it happen. So, the relationship inside the company has to be based on mutually beneficial interest, it doesn’t have to be about workers versus the management, because when the employees are happy at work the organization achieve their goals.

We recommend to watch following videos to have better understanding about industrial relation:

The Industrial Relations comprises of two terms: 'Industry' and 'Relations'. This video gives you

more idea about what is industrial relations and role of management and employees, unions and the government or its agencies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py2YHxrvX74.

This video helps you to understand what are the challenges regarding industrial relation and how European social dialogue helps to discussions, consultations, negotiations and joint actions involving organisations representing the two sides of industry (employers and workers): https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=329&langId=en.

The employee relations discipline concerns the relationship of employees with the organization

and with each other. It includes the processes of developing, implementing, administering and analyzing the employer-employee relationship; performing ongoing evaluation of it; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_btNIdvEfo

10 https://extranet.kengen.co.ke/what-is-your-role-in-industrial-relations/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py2YHxrvX74

https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=329&langId=en



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1.2. Industrial Relations in Europe

A system of industrial relations at European level is relate to current economic, political and social developments in the European countries, including European social dialogue, the European strategy until 2020, the European Semester process (is to provide a framework for the coordination of economic policies across the European Union), the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, transnational coordination of collective bargaining, the macroeconomic dialogue and European works councils11. These processes will help for an EU system of collective industrial relations within the European countries.

After the global economic crisis, many countries in Europe with weak economic growth and large increases in unemployment had faced debt and fiscal emergency, implementing far-reaching reforms including to industrial relations systems. To address these problems many projects had been implemented by EU at national level. International Labor organization and European Commission Joint a project called promoting a balanced and inclusive recovery from the crisis in Europe through sound industrial relations and social dialogue12. Main aim of the project was to investigate the impact of fiscal alliance policies on labour market institutions and industrial relations in the Eurozone periphery. The project specially focused on the countries (Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and later on Cyprus, Spain) which were mainly affected by the economic crises.

2. Required skills in the workplace

Before starting the new business it’s significant to understand what skills are required in the workplace first and of course as a company manager. These skills are usually related to an individual’s emotional intelligence quotient. These skills can be seen in their personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, interpersonal skills, managing people and leadership. These kinds of skills are divided in hard skills and soft skills. 2.1 Differences between soft skills and hard skills

Soft skills are transferable skills that everyone has and that everyone uses, like the ability to work in a team, leadership, creativity, self-motivation, the ability to make decisions, time management and problem-solving”13. On the contrary, hard skills are teachable abilities which are easy to quantify that the person with technical skills set and their ‘functioning’ ability or expertise in their jobs. They may be crucial to get job interviews, but soft skills prove who the person really is,

11 https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/eu-system-of-industrial-relations 12 Youcef Ghellab (International Labour Office, Geneva), Aidan Regan (University College Dublin) and Sarah Doyle (International Labour Office, Geneva). 13 https://ec.europa.eu/esf/transnationality/content/how-boost-soft-skills-recognition

https://ec.europa.eu/esf/transnationality/content/how-boost-soft-skills-recognition



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especially from the emotional point of view and the way people deal with their actual – and future – jobs. However, soft skills are prudently and closely tied to individuals’ personalities rather than practiced in forms of continuous training – such as hard skills - and therefore, is considered to be harder – but not impossible - to develop compared to hard skills. Moreover, they are related to the way a person behaves and interact with other people. Watch the following video to have an overview on the difference between soft and hard skills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiy2LONr050 The following image shows you shortly the difference between soft and hard skills:

Image by Melissa Ling. The Balance 2018.

Communication: Communication skills are crucial in the workplace and – together with the

other skills listed in the image above – it is important how we communicate in our job, since this really affects the result of our expected working outcome. We suggest you to watch this video about 10 ways to improve your communication skills.

Flexibility: Fundamentally, employees who are flexible within their work. When they take the new assignment never say "It’s not my job" or "Do I have to?"14. Employers usually prefer

14 https://www.thebalancecareers.com/workplace-flexibility-definition-with-examples-2059699

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiy2LONr050

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/workplace-flexibility-definition-with-examples-2059699



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candidates who can show flexibility regarding the working hours and taking responsibility of tasks.

Leadership: leadership is one of the soft skills that you can show even if you are not the director of the company. Leadership is important in every steps of work. It could be the connection with other soft skills like positive attitude, outlook, communication skills, decision making, motivate others at work etc.

Teamwork: This soft skill is also similar as leadership skills, to be able to work in the team you need to have above mentioned soft skills. Apart from your daily task, it’s important that you are able to work with others as well.

Time management: it’s important to know to divide your available time for different tasks, which enables you to work smarter, you will manage to do many tasks at same time. It is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities15.

The following video can give also some hint to how to have conversation, which can be seen also in the perspective of the communicative relations at workplace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr1q-uBtIH4 2.2 What kind of skills are important to improve the relations in an enterprise?

Working with different people could be challenging for some. Not everyone feels easy to work in a different environment with different profiles. A research carried out by students from Faculty of management in Slovakia tried to identify necessary abilities, roles and skills managers should possessed (Papula, 1995): Creativity – ability to search and find new solution Intuition – be able to predict future development from own experience without analysis Goal-oriented – be able to set real goals and respect the goal’s hierarchy Responsibility – sense for achieving set goals and objectives Self-confidence – belief in own strength and ability to achieve goals Initiative – an effort to look for new possibilities and solutions for reaching set goals Independence – the courage to make decision based on own judgment Cautiousness – be able to make decision under stress and unsure conditions Scrupulosity - support social values and norms Discipline – self-control and regulation of own behavior Persistence – tenacity needed to overcome barrier when achieving goals Optimism – orientation towards positive goals and things in connection with faith in

success Fantasy – creation of visions and imaginations about future

15 https://www.thebalancecareers.com/time-management-skills-2063776

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr1q-uBtIH4

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/time-management-skills-2063776



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It is really interesting to see this list of the identified qualities and related skills, since it gives a suggestion to think about ourselves, identify the ones we have and recognize the ones we need to develop furthermore.



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ANNEX A

Non-Formal Interactive Team Activity – Role Playing

Title Communication beyond barriers

Minimum n° of people to be

involved

7-15

Activity Objective(s) To guide participants how they can use communication in their

team

how they can solve a problem through effective communication

To foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Stress the importance of active listening and roles in a team

Material to be used Flipcharts, markers, 1 copy of the handout with the story, chairs for all

participants, large room, pens and papers for testimonials.

Time requested (in minutes) 60-90 minutes

Implementation: please,

describe the phases of how the

activity has to be carried out

We suggest to start with an Energizer – time 10 minutes

Remind participants of the game “Broken telephone” also known

as Chinese Whispers and ask if they ever played it before. Explain

how the game goes and make sure they understood. Ask for the

first 2 volunteers (Reader and listener) to stay in the room and 2-3

volunteers to be the testimonials (their role is to listen, observe and

take notes during the exercise). Time 5 minutes

Ask the Reader and Listener to sit in chairs in front of each other,

and Testimonials sit somewhere where they can listen to the

exercise well. Give to the reader a handout with a short story

and/or definition of enterprise shadowing, and ask him to read it

to the Listener, whose task is to remember and tell it to the next

person. Then have someone support you by calling inside

participants one by one, where they listen to the story and then tell

https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/chinese-whispers.668/



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it to the next one. It’s important that while they sit in the plenary

room, they have to be quiet and not interfere with the Listener and

teller. Time 30 minutes

Lead a debriefing and open group discussion on the exercise, by

including the feedback and notes collected by testimonials. Time 20

minutes

Close the workshop with theoretical input on effective

communication approach and its importance in social

entrepreneurship field. 25 minutes

Follow up activity: please,

describe the potential activity

to reflect on the implemented

activity

The activity may implement during the implementation of IO2 face to

face training session.

Further resources to be used

(link, videos, tools).

A handout with a short story/definition of social enterprise, Input on

effective communication, communication styles and communication

strategies.

https://www.salto-youth.net/downloads/toolbox_tool_download-file-

1646/Training%20Module%20on%20Entrepreneurship%20-

%20RAISE%20Project.pdf

https://www.salto-youth.net/downloads/toolbox_tool_download-file-1646/Training%20Module%20on%20Entrepreneurship%20-%20RAISE%20Project.pdf





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ANNEX B

Self – Assessment Questions

The purpose of the following statements/questions is to allow those that have attended this Module’s training to check that they have indeed comprehended the material presented. All Questions are of the “true / false” type. It is strongly suggested that you try to answer them in the best possible way, using the information and knowledge gained. The correct Answers, accompanied by short explanations, may be found on a following page of this Module.

1. Industrial Relation refers only to the relationship between employer and employee within the organization? TRUE O FALSE O

2. The actors involve in industrial relation system are employer and employee within the organization? TRUE O FALSE O

3. The government doesn’t take any role in industrial management? TRUE O FALSE O

4. Human resource management plays an important role to maintain good relations within the company’s workers? TRUE O FALSE O

5. Italy has been the member of IOL since its establishment (1919) TRUE O FALSE O

6. Three are no any different between soft skills and hard skills TRUE O FALSE O

7. Soft skills are subjective skills that are much harder to quantify. Soft skills relate to the way you relate to and interact with other people. TRUE O FALSE O

8. Leadership is one of the soft skills important only for the employers? TRUE O FALSE O



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ANNEX B.1: Self – Assessment Questions / The correct answers

1. Industrial Relation refers only to the relationship between employer and employee within the organization?

The correct answer is: FALSE The industrial relations are closely linked to employee’s productivity and company’s sustainability; especially the labor-intensive ones, such as the manufacturing and services sectors, which showed the highest manpower consumption.

2. The actors involve in industrial relation system are employer and employee who is working in the same organization?

The correct answer is: FALSE

Classically, three actors have been identified as parties to the labour relations system: the state, employers and workers’ representatives.

3. The government doesn’t take any role in industrial management? The correct answer is: FALSE

The legal framework within which Industrial Relations must function is determined by the government and/or its agencies, possibly in consultation with other role-players in the industrial relations processes.

4. Human resource management plays an important role to maintain good relations within the company’s workers?

The correct answer is: TRUE

5. Italy has been the member of IOL since its establishment (ILO was Established on 1919)? The correct answer is: FALSE

The Italian Republic (Repubblica italiana) came into being in 1946, after the fall of the fascist regime in 1943.



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6. Three are no any different between soft skills and hard skills? The correct answer is: FALSE Soft skills are known as people skills and usually blend with hard skills in polishing a person’s relationships, job performance and career prospects. Hard skills may act as a ‘magnet’ in getting job interviews, but soft skills appear to prove who the person really are; in terms of emotional aspects and how well they deal with their future jobs.

7. Soft skills are subjective skills that are much harder to quantify. Soft skills relate to the way you relate to and interact with other people.

The correct answer is: TRUE

8. Leadership is one of the soft skills which is important only if you are the employers? The correct answer is: FALSE

leadership is one of the soft skills that you can show even if you are not the director of the company. Leadership skills are skills you use when you are working with other people to reach a shared goal.

CENTRO SVILUPPOCREATIVODANILO DOLCI

partners

Stowarzyszenie Integracja i Rozwoj (SIR) Kielce, Polandwww.sir.com.pl

APOPSI Information Technology, Consulting & Training Services S.A.Peiraias, Greecewww.apopsi.gr

Enoros Consulting LimitedNicosia, Cypruswww.enoros.com.cy

Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci (CSC)Palermo, Italywww.danilodolci.org

Project number: 2017-3-PL01-KA205-047160

Documents

MODULE 4 - YESS