WORK PLACE RELATIONS AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT: BETWEEN THE MICRO AND MACRO? EPISTEMOLOGICAL PROVOCATIONS

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to promote discussion about our epistemological choices in view of the debate over macro or micro analysis in the  fields of study of Workplace Relations (WR) and PersonnelManagement (PM). The WR field is commonly identified with a macro analysis, while the PM is identified with the micro analysis. WR focuses on contexts as determinants, while PM focuses on contexts as conditioners. The article has exercises with themes of WR and PM to discuss micro or macro associating these two fields respectively to the polarization between subjectivism  versus objectivism; irrationalismversus rationalism; individual action  versus structure; individual volition  versus non volition and conditioning context (methodological individualism) versus determinant context (methodologicalcollectivism). The contributions of Marxism, Positivism and the Frankfurt School are discussed and their contributions may be relevant to the macro and the micro approaches, if an epistemological conversation is possible with a minimum of prejudice.