bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contemporary Spanish trade unions
Authors: Lawlor Teresa , Rigby Michael
Published: July 2007

This article traces the development of the Spanish Trade Union Movement in the decade since the death of Franco. It reviews the immediate historical context of the contemporary Spanish unions, places them in a legal/institutional context and discusses their organisational strength and their role in the new Spanish democracy.
Personnel management in the public and private sectors
Authors: Mackay Lesley
Published: July 2007

Little comparative work on personnel management in the public and private sectors in the UK has been attempted. From evidence obtained in a recent survey personnel management practice, the author identifies some differences and similarities between the two sectors.
Research Note: Employee involvement and the law: Section 1 of the 1982 Employment Act
Authors: Mitchell F. , Sams K.I. , White P.J.
Published: July 2007

Section 1 of the Employment Act 1982 requires the directors of certain companies to make annual statements on “employee involvement”[1]. This article begins with a description of the Section and proceeds to a discussion of its origins; a report then follows of an investigation into the initial effects of this new law in a small number of companies that were complying with it for the first time; and there are some concluding observations on the nature and impact of this legislation.
The future for producers’ co‐operatives
Authors: Bate Paul , Carter Neil
Published: July 2007

Drawing on a wider historical perspective and an in‐depth case study, the authors seek to establish the status of the recent revival in worker co‐operatives and the form that these organisations may take in the future.
The causes of coal mine accidents
Authors: Hopkins Andrew , Palser Joanne
Published: July 2007

In attempting to account for the variation in accident rates in underground coal mines in New South Wales this article examines potential explanatory variables and concludes that the most important cause is mine size. The author explains this as a consequence of the greater bureaucratisation and decreased worker autonomy which characterise large mines.
The reporting of industrial relations on breakfast‐time television
Authors: Hutt Clive
Published: July 2007

Breakfast‐time television offers a different approach from more established television output; but how significant are the differences? This article analyses the scope and presentation of industrial relations issues on breakfast‐time television and evaluates the qualitative implications they are given.
Modern dilemmas in health care—the Israeli doctors' strike
Authors: Ellencweig A Y
Published: July 2007

Between March and June of 1983, for 118 days, Israel experienced one of the most prolonged doctors' strikes ever recorded. This article provides a conceptual framework for analysing the strike. It presents an outline of the role of different health agencies in Israel prior to and during the crisis and considers the status dilemma of modern doctors.
Does PBR cause strikes?
Authors: Edwards Paul
Published: July 2007

Payment by results systems have long been thought to encourage strikes but surveys have produced conflicting results. Using new statistical techniques the article concludes that there is little evidence of a direct link between PBR and strikes.
Industrial and occupational change and trade unions
Authors: Towers Brian , Morgan John
Published: July 2007

Report of an international trade union seminar for delegates from the UK, USA and USSR held at Nottingham University and Northern College, Barnsley, 4–15 April 1987
The Japanese at work: illusions of the ideal
Authors: Briggs Pamela
Published: July 2007

Five aspects of Japanese organisational practice are commonly cited as factors in the Japanese ‘economic miracle’. While these are often used to illustrate the human‐centred philosophy of Japanese management, closer scrutiny reveals that these ‘ideal’ working practices are rooted in various culturally‐dependent, coercive techniques which may be unsuitable for Britain.
The Japanisation of British industry? Instances from a high growth area
Authors: Dickens Peter , Savage Mike
Published: July 2007

Here the authors make two arguments, Japanese industry is characterised by distinctive practices, but these predominate in only certain ‘leading edge’ sectors and were introduced mainly to ensure labour supply. Second, Britain's managers are increasingly outside the internal labour markets of large corporations. In this respect British firms are not becoming ‘Japanese’.
Trends and developments in industrial relations law Industrial tribunals‐what next?
Authors: Mackie Karl J.
Published: July 2007

Here the author outlines recent proposals for reform of the industrial tribunal system and analyses the dilemmas and differences amongst proponents of reform.
NHS ancillary services and competitive tendering
Authors: Sheaff Mike
Published: July 2007

Competitive tendering for NHS ancillary services has significantly increased the role of market factors in influencing locally‐determined employment conditions. It has also provided an opportunity for increased managerial control. The employment and industrial relations consequences of these changes are considered in the context of two case studies.
Employment flexibility, unions and companies in France
Authors: Amadieu Jean‐François
Published: July 2007

Employment flexibility–eg in relation to easier dismissal and the removal of most restrictions on temporary work–has grown in France during the eighties. This article traces and discusses its consequences for labour relations, collective bargaining and the labour movement.
Comment: ‘The causes of coal‐mine accidents’, worker autonomy, and the myth of the small firm
Authors: Tombs Steve
Published: July 2007

Here Steve Tombs discusses an article pulished in this Journal (Vol 18 No 1 Spring 1987)–his comments are followed by the author's response
Moving the status quo: the growth of trade union political funds[1]
Authors: Leopold John W
Published: July 2007

In the compulsory review ballots on trade union political funds all 38 unions voted overwhelmingly for their retention. Since then 17 unions have adopted a political fund for the first time. This article analyses the reasons for this and examines the position of trade unions which have decided against balloting.
Labour utilisation and industrial relations at Scott‐Lithgow 1967–87
Authors: Kelly James
Published: July 2007

This article, a case study of a Scottish shipbuilding and offshore construction company, examines the impact of management style and organisational structure on labour utilisation and industrial relations
Workplace democracy in Bulgaria: from subordination to partnership in industrial relations
Authors: Wallimann Isidor , Stojanov Christo
Published: July 2007

Bulgaria has for many years been an innovator in industrial relations. Its new labour code, as a model of industrial democracy, has few parallels in market or even other central planned economies. Here the authors trace the ideological, social and political background to the new code which has been seen as an instrument of radical social change.
Sabotage at General Motors’ Van Nuys Assembly Plant, 1975–83
Authors: Zabala Craig A.
Published: July 2007

Sabotage is an aspect of industrial behaviour which is both important and under‐researched. This case study in a UAW‐organised plant is drawn from the author's experience. He suggests that the scope and incidence of sabotage may be much higher than some labour process studies suggest.
British trade union membership, density and decline in the 1980s: a research note
Authors: Kelly John , Bailey Rachel
Published: July 2007

This article is concerned with British trade union membership statistics. It provides three different estimates of trade union density and considers their meaning and significance. It also assesses the reliability of union membership figures, and finally it provides fresh data on the unemployed membership of trade unions.
Beyond Fordism? strategic choice and labour relations in Ford UK
Authors: Starkey Ken , McKinlay Alan
Published: July 2007

New industrial competition has led major automobile manufacturers to re‐analyse their approaches to business strategy and industrial relations. This article examines attempts at Ford Motor Co. to adopt its traditional approach to work organisation to its changing business environment.
Human resource strategies: some ecological cracks?
Authors: Staber Udo , Aldrich Howard
Published: July 2007

This article examines conventional models of human resource management from an ecological perspective, emphasizing the dynamic interrelationship between generalist and specialist organizational forms at the level of business populations.
Institutional investors and industrial relations data: an empirical survey
Authors: Mitchell F. , Sams K. I. , White P. J.
Published: July 2007

Financial institutions play a major role in investing funds in the shares of individual companies. To what extent do investment managers and analysts take account of industrial relations information when making their decisions?
‘A cracking job for a woman’– a profile of women trade union officers
Authors: Heery Edmund , Kelly John
Published: July 2007

This article focuses on the women who constitute less than 10% of the total number of full‐time trade union officers–it examines the distribution of women FTOs across the trade union movement, their experiences of working in a male‐dominated occupation and the ways in which they adapt to the pressures and demands of their situation.
Women's occupational status in Britain, France and the USA: explaining the difference
Authors: Dex Shirley , Walters Patricia
Published: July 2007

Using directly comparable data this article explores the lower occupational status overall of British employed women indicating the importance of social and employment policies to the amount of part‐time working by women and the occupational status of women's part‐time jobs in the three societies.
ACAS and the lawyers: some survey evidence
Authors: White P. J.
Published: July 2007

Lawyers have come to play an increasingly prominent role in unfair dismissal cases. In the course of their work, lawyers have dealings with the conciliation function of ACAS. This article reports an interview survey which asked lawyers to recount their experiences, and assessments, of ACAS.
Industrial relations in Canada: a search for accommodation
Authors: Smith Anthony E.
Published: July 2007

Here the author reviews recent trends and the emerging issues in Canadian industrial relations. The focus is on union organization, the changing economic, labour market and public policy environment, and the key issues facing unions and management. He argues that both unions and management must continue to seek accommodation to survive in the competitive world of the 1990s.
Dockers, Devlin and industrial disputes
Authors: Sapsford David , Turnbull Peter
Published: July 2007

Industrial conflict on the docks was for many years attributed to casual forms of employment. Consequently, the instigation of a more permanent employment relationship in 1967 was expected to bring industrial peace on the waterfront. However, empirical investigation reveals that ‘permanent’ employment has had little, if any, effect on strike activity.
Employment in tourism: a review
Authors: Johnson Peter , Thomas Barry
Published: July 2007

Employment in tourism has grown substantially in recent years and has been the subject of considerable policy interest. This article reviews some of the key issues in estimating tourism employment and provides clarification of the relationship between various estimates which have been presented in different studies.
Decentralisation of collective bargaining: a case study
Authors: Leopold John , Jackson Michael
Published: July 2007

While a number of surveys have identified a trend towards decentralised bargaining, this article is one of the first to examine the process of decentralisation. The decision of Coats Viyella PLC to decentralise bargaining in its apparel division is examined in detail and the outcomes of the first round of decentralised negotiations are analysed.
Flexibility and comparability in pay determination for professional civil servants
Authors: Kessler Ian
Published: July 2007

This article traces the pursuit of competing union and central Government objectives to produce a new system of pay determination for professional civil servants. It suggests that the incorporation of these objectives into this new system had a profound effect on its structure and on the way in which it has operated.
Use of equal opportunities legislation and earnings differentials: a comparative study
Authors: Sloane Peter J. , Jain Harish C.
Published: July 2007

This article traces the number of legal cases concerning gender, race and other forms of discrimination in the US, Canada and Britain where there is now up to a quarter of a century's experience. Substantial differences in the extent to which the legislation is used across countries and by different groups within each country are revealed.
The legal professions and trade unionism: the ‘Dicey’ dilemma
Authors: Milner Simon
Published: July 2007

Are the legal professions simply glorified trade unions? In 1867 Dicey's consideration of the question proved inconclusive. Recent evidence, culminating in the trade union like defence of their practices by the professions following the Government's 1989 Green Paper, seems to have resolved his dilemma.
The case for labour courts
Authors: McCarthy W. E. J.
Published: July 2007

While there is widespread agreement that tripartite industrial tribunals are the most appropriate way of handling individual rights at work, the case for extending the system to embrace collective labour law is much more controversial and complex. Nevertheless, despite the problems and risks involved, the author favours moves in this direction.
French trade unions: crisis in the 1980s
Authors: Bridgford Jeff
Published: July 2007

France has had a Socialist President since 1981, and yet support for French trade unions has declined markedly. This article assesses the nature of this decline and examines the role of government, changes in the labour market, employer policies and trade union strategies, in order to explain this apparent paradox.
Trade union recruitment strategies: facing the 1990s
Authors: Mason Bob , Bain Peter
Published: July 2007

Despite a high level of initiatives few unions have developed systematic recruitment strategies, in particular when measured against three key criteria‐the employment of a ‘dedicated’ national official; a specific budget; and a comprehensive monitoring system. This reflects an organisational ‘culture’ restricting recruitment potential.
Workplace industrial relations in British Rail: change and continuity in the 1980s
Authors: Pendleton Andrew
Published: July 2007

This article compares the findings of a recent survey of workplace industrial relations in British Rail with those from one conducted in 1980. It is suggested that the changes observed may be unintended consequences of management policies rather than the planned outcome of explicit industrial relations strategies.
The proletarianisation of academic labour
Authors: Wilson Tom
Published: July 2007

This article looks at industrial relations changes, conflict and control in higher education, particularly among university academics. It suggests a tendency towards proletarianisation, and a focus on the academic labour process is useful in explaining growing conflict. An apparent HRM agenda and (reluctantly) increasing managerialism are forms, not causes, of change which is driven by funding pressures similar to those affecting other HE systems.
Customers, competitors and choice: employee relations in food retailing
Authors: Marchington Mick , Harrison Eric
Published: July 2007

This article examines the nature of employee relations in three of the leading food retailers in the UK. It compares and contrasts policies and practices by analysing the links between product markets, management choice, and employee relations. Special reference is made to features of work relations, employment relations, and industrial relations
Industrial relations and the European Community*
Authors: Roberts Ivor
Published: July 2007

The affairs of the European Community reached a major crossroads at the December 1991 summit in Maastricht. This article reviews the attempts of the Community to match the development of the internal market with a social dimension.
Cross‐national differences in trade union membership in OECD countries
Authors: Bean Ron , Holden Ken
Published: July 2007

This article examines how trade union membership varies across 16 OECD countries in the 1980s. Higher density of membership is found to be associated with a higher degree of centralisation of wage bargaining, higher percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining, a larger public sector and a more leftist party of government.
Membership patterns in USDAW 1980–1990: survival as success?
Authors: Upchurch Martin , Donnelly Eddy
Published: July 2007

This research note examines the pattern of union membership growth in USDAW during 1980 to 1990. The union's recruitment strategies, campaigns at local and national level, and the effect of changes in the labour market such as recent equal value judgements are examined with respect to changes in membership levels.
Repercussions of reunification: patterns and trends in the socio‐economic transformation of East Germany
Authors: Buechtemann Christoph F. , Schupp Juergen
Published: July 2007

This article presents empirical evidence about the first stage of the social and economic transformation process of East Germany after political reunification. It shows that, while political and institutional unification may have been achieved in 1990, the social and economic gaps have been widening since then. The authors identify groups which have become clear winners in this transition as well as the losers.
Legislation to combat child labour: an international perspective
Authors: Suvarchala G.
Published: July 2007

Child labour persists in alarming proportions in third world countries inspite of the adoption of elaborate legislative measures to combat it. here the author attempts to delineate the reasons for the poor performance of these measures and suggests ways in which the process of combating child labour might be hastened.
Maastricht: a fundamental change in European labour law
Authors: Bercusson Brian
Published: July 2007

The Maastricht Treaty's Protocol on Social Policy provides a new framework for participation of labour and management in the formulation and application of labour law at national and Community levels. Following the Charter of Fundamental Social Rights of Workers, it marks a fundamental change of direction in European labour law
Flexible working practices in engine plants: evidence from the European automobile industry
Authors: Mueller Frank
Published: July 2007

A convergent development between European countries can be observed in terms of the extension of functional flexibility, enlarging production workers’ jobs, introducing teamwork arrangements. In the literature, the emphasis has traditionally been on divergence between countries, which was explained in terms of different management strategies and industrial relations systems.
Flexibility and employment patterns in the contemporary paper industry: a comparative analysis of mills in Britain and Finland
Authors: Penn Roger , Lilja Kari , Scattergood Hilda
Published: July 2007

This article examines the model of the flexible firm in eight British and Finnish paper mills. In spite of increasing competition and considerable technological change, there was little evidence of flexibility. The authors conclude that peripheralisation of employment would be disastrous in such a capitally‐intensive environment where employers rely on highly‐skilled, experienced, full‐time workers to operate advanced machinery continuously.
Measuring mergers and concentration in UK unions 1910–88
Authors: Buchanan R. T.
Published: July 2007

Trade union mergers are currently attracting much attention. This is in the context of the continuing decline of trade unions and the role of mergers in maintaining their viability. However, a still neglected and important aspect of their development is how to measure with accuracy, the concentration which results from mergers.
Union recognition and non‐unionism: shifting fortunes in the electronics industry in Scotland
Authors: Findlay Patricia
Published: July 2007

Here the author analyses trade union prospects in Scottish electronics firms, and suggests that despite having a positive reputation amongst managers in existing unionised firms, the dynamics of new firm startup and employment change in the industry have augured badly for trade unionism, as have the rise of individualist approaches amongst managers.
Britain's low skill equilibrium: a problem of demand?
Authors: Glynn Sean , Gospel Howard
Published: July 2007

Britain has experienced a dramatic relative deterioration in workforce quality and productivity. This is seen as a central element in national economic decline. Current analysis assumes that this is essentially a supply‐side problem. Here it is argued that deficiencies in demand have been more important in preventing the emergence of a better‐trained and more productive workforce. The re‐emphasis on demand‐side failure has implications for analysis and policy at macro and micro levels.
The impact of employee involvement on organisational commitment and ‘them and us’ attitudes
Authors: Guest David , Peccei Riccardo , Thomas Andrea
Published: July 2007

This article presents a measure of ‘them and us' as a basis for evaluating an employee involvement programme in British Rail. The results of a longitudinal study with control groups and various forms of post‐training intervention show no change in organisational commitment but some evidence of a shift towards a more local pattern of identity which excludes union representatives from ‘us'.
Employment legislation: Thatcher and after
Authors: Miller Kenneth , Steele Mairi
Published: July 2007

Here the authors review changes in employment law in Britain since 1979 within an international perspective and with reference to underlying philosophical debates. They comment on current legislative developments and the extent to which these constitute a continuation of the Thatcherite approach and conclude that the 1993 Act may be even more damaging for trade unions, particularly their finances.
Japan in Wales: a new IR
Authors: Wilkinson Barry , Morris Jonathan , Munday Max
Published: July 2007

Following a brief consideration of the historical pattern of Japanese company start‐up, and trades union recognition, this article goes on to analyse the contents of their single union agreements under the following headings: membership and representation; flexibility; communications; consultation; and continuity of production. The wider implications of the ‘new industrial relations' among Japanese companies in Wales are then examined.
Union exclusion—next steps
Authors: Smith Paul , Morton Gary
Published: July 2007

The Conservative Government has intensified its commitment to union exclusion policies: new legislation has been implemented and the state is being restructured. Parallel policies have been implemented by private employers. In consequence, collective bargaining has been devolved to subordinate unit level, and union recognition and membership has further declined.
Does trade unionism have a future in Russia?
Authors: Borisov Vadim , Clarke Simon , Fairbrother Peter
Published: July 2007

Official Russian trade unions seek to maintain their traditional privileges and resources, while alternative unions have remained marginal and relatively ineffectual. The result is that workers are not effectively represented by either type of union. This argument is supported by extensive original research, examining the recent history of Russian unionism.
Japan in Britain: the dynamics of joint consultation
Authors: Broad Geoffrey
Published: July 2007

Despite the centrality of Company Councils for Japanese firms in the UK, empirical data on their evolution is rare. In this article consultation methods used by a Japanese manufacturing transplant are analysed using a longitudinal approach. The findings suggest that the development of a ‘consensus culture’ proved to be highly problematic for employees, shop stewards, local managers and Japanese staff, especially at the consultation‐bargaining interface.
Privatisation in transition: the Czech experience
Authors: Pollert Anna , Hradecka Irena
Published: July 2007

This article explores a stage in the capitalist transformation of the Czech Republic in early 1993. Three levels of change are examined: institutional developments in industrial relations; perceptions of change among union policy makers; and attitudes and experiences of managers and workers at workplace level.
A technical note on Buchanan's application of the Herfindahl index
Authors: Waddington Jeremy
Published: July 2007

Buchanan used the Herfindahl index to measure trade union membership concentration in a recent article for this journal. This note argues that the Herfindahl index is an appropriate measure of trade union membership concentration. However, the manner in which Buchanan applied it is questioned and data are presented to demonstrate the limitations of his approach.
Convergence in Europe ‐ a matter of perspective?
Authors: Baldry Christopher
Published: July 2007

Although the debate over convergence has been fuelled by two observed trends ‐ the harmonisation of labour market conditions and the adoption of new models of employment and production ‐ these developments seem to be going in different directions. The article distinguishes between the context of employment relations and generic changes in production paradigms and examines how the interactions between them are being played out in Europe.
New management practices in a multinational corporation: the restructuring of worker representation and rights?
Authors: Lucio Miguel Martinez , Weston Syd
Published: July 2007

This article addresses the strategy of a multinational corporation's approach to implement new management practices within its European operating units. It explores how certain elements of an industrial relations system can facilitate the development of these practices. It argues that a foundation for labour may be being constructed which can condition eventual outcomes.
Conflict, militancy and crisis in Italian industrial relations: a response to Terry
Authors: Gall Gregor
Published: July 2007

Terry's explanation of the role of the law in the flexibility of Italian industrial relations is disputed. Instead the political and social nature of the labour movement is used to explain what amounts to a ‘crisis’ for Italian unions
Representing Italian workers in their workplaces: a comment on Gall
Authors: Terry Michael
Published: July 2007

Gregor Gall's note of response contains much that is of interest, and much that is controversial. However, it ranges far more widely in its subject matter than did my original article and in that sense is not really a response, more a set of observations perhaps sparked by my analysis.
Statutory European Works Councils: the final countdown?
Authors: Gold Michael , Hall Mark
Published: July 2007

EC legislation on employee participation in multinational companies, previously blocked by the UK, may now be adopted by the other eleven member states under the Maastricht agreement on social policy. This would represent a major political breakthrough, but its industrial relations implications remain uncertain, particularly for UK companies and employees.
Is Germany following the British path? a comparative analysis of stability and change
Authors: Lane Christel
Published: July 2007

This article reviews recent developments in industrial relations in Britain and Germany and examines the different adjustments to external influences of an economic, political and social structural kind. It concludes that the higher degree of stability and legitimacy of the German system is partly due to the lesser severity of external challenges and partly to structural characteristics of the two systems.
Introducing team working ‐ a motor industry case study
Authors: Carr Frank
Published: July 2007

Team working is seen as a key component of an HRM strategy, and is often viewed as an attack on union influence in the workplace. This case study, based on its introduction in one motor plant, looks at the problems it can pose for both managers and unions.
Reversing the decline? the TGWU's Link Up campaign
Authors: Snape Ed
Published: July 2007

Here the author presents a case study of the TGWU's Link Up campaign, examining its implementation and providing an evaluation of its effectiveness. The article concludes that whilst the initial organising gains were limited, the campaign must be seen as part of the longer‐term development of the union.
Privatisation and industrial relations in British shipbuilding
Authors: McKinlay Alan , Taylor Philip
Published: July 2007

The causes of the 1993 strike by 1300 workers at Yarrow Shipbuilders are examined. A managerial offensive, which included a restructuring of the labour process, was instigated by the Thatcher government's privatisation of the shipbuilding industry. Drawing on shop stewards' committee minute books, particular emphasis is given to the trade union response to management's confrontationalist approach.
From collective bargaining to ‘personal’ contracts: case studies in port transport and electricity supply
Authors: Evans Stephen , Hudson Maria
Published: July 2007

‘Personal’ employment contracts have been presented as a conduit for individualisation, facilitating a more equal, open and flexible employment relationship. This article explores the reality of their introduction in two industries. It argues that the contracts have been used symbolically and contributed to a growth in employer power rather than transparency.
Of hats and cattle: or the limits of macro‐survey research in industrial relations
Authors: McCarthy William
Published: July 2007

Attempts to use WIRS 3 data to assess the impact of HRM and specialist personnel management have produced implausible, inconclusive and contradictory results–demonstrating the severe limitations of the new macro‐survey approach to industrial relations research. Yet macro‐surveys threaten to become the dominant methodology. Imaginative insights, with practical implications, will not be achieved in this way. A major reorientation of research effort is needed before it is too late. Given its long tradition, of attempting to be both original and useful, British IR research deserves something better.
The decline of apprenticeship training in Britain
Authors: Gospel Howard
Published: July 2007

This article examines the development of apprenticeship training and its decline over the last quarter century. This decline is explained in terms of the interaction between the removal of institutional supports and a failure by employers to sustain the system. The advantages and disadvantages of apprenticeship training are considered.
Privatisation and the restructuring of enterprise social and welfare assets in the Czech Republic
Authors: Soulsby Anna , Clark Ed
Published: July 2007

This article examines the impact of privatisation upon the restructuring of social and welfare assets in large, former state enterprises in the Czech Republic. It considers the actual operation of welfare provision before 1989, the motives behind asset restructuring, and its implications for managers and employees in the post‐communist industrial enterprise.
Restructuring the labour process in Sweden: the offensive of the SAF and the LO response
Authors: Whyman Philip , Burkitt Brian
Published: July 2007

Compromise between organised labour and capital facilitated decades of economic growth and industrial cooperation in Sweden. However, management's monopoly over the ‘right to manage’ increasingly conflicted with the labour movement's desire for industrial and economic democracy. This article analyses organised capital's ability to resist labour's reform initiative and pursue a neo‐liberal agenda which has greatly shifted Sweden in this direction.
Renewal or rigor mortis? Union responses to contracting in local government
Authors: Colling Trevor
Published: July 2007

Contracting, or competitive tendering, is now common throughout local government and may provide the basis for a ‘renewal’ of workplace trade unionism. Without significant investment and support, however, local structures may be too fragile to withstand the managerial and competitive pressures that contracting brings in its wake.
Russia's official trade unions: renewal or redundancy?
Authors: Ashwin Sarah
Published: July 2007

Russia's official trade unions claim to have reformed themselves into independent organisations representing workers' interests. This article takes one branch union, the official miners' union, and, on the basis of research in the South Kuzbass mines, considers how far enterprise level unions have changed, and the potential for reform.
Desperately seeking capitalism: Solidarity and Polish industrial relations in the 1990s
Authors: Rainnie Al , Hardy Jane
Published: July 2007

This article examines the contradictory and complex role played by Solidarity in the transformation of Poland since 1989. The organisational and ideological development of Solidarity is traced from 1980 through to 1994 in an attempt to explain an approach best described as ‘desperately seeking Polish capitalism’.
The dog that didn't bark in the night?: competitive tendering and industrial relations in the NHS
Authors: Kelliher Clare
Published: July 2007

This article examines how competitive pressure impacts upon managerial approaches to industrial relations in the public sector. From a study of competitive tendering in the NHS, it is suggested that competitive pressure does not precipitate a particular direction of change, but rather prompts a review of managerial approach.
Prosperity without industrial democracy? Developments in industrial relations in Hong Kong since 1968
Authors: Chiu Stephen , Levin David A.
Published: July 2007

Hong Kong is often viewed as having achieved an advanced level of economic development without substantial movement towards industrial democracy. We argue that some progress towards democratisation of employment relations has been taking place although unevenly and attempt to explain why this is the case.
Trade union democracy and individualisation: the cases of Denmark and Sweden
Authors: Madsen Morten
Published: July 2007

Combining central concepts of individualisation and trade union democracy with empirical results from Swedish and mainly Danish surveys, this article analyses how the tendencies towards individualisation in the membership affects union democracy. The analysis indicates that the individualisation affects union democracy negatively. However individualisation is a relative concept.
Reviving resistance: the Japanese factory floor in Britain
Authors: Palmer Gerry
Published: July 2007

Studies of British‐based Japanese manufacturing companies often assume an absence of worker resistance stemming either from high levels of employee commitment or from extensive control systems. This article, based on three case studies of Japanese manufacturing transplants, disputes this assumption, arguing that the control of labour continues to pose a challenge to management
Empowerment: the power to do what?
Authors: Cunningham Ian , Hyman Jeff , Baldry Chris
Published: July 2007

Given the widespread introduction of empowerment within the UK, this article examines meanings of the concept and the implementation of specific initiatives. From a study of thirteen organisations it is suggested empowerment has limitations and tensions including little power dissemination, close control over employees, poor prospects of extra remuneration and job insecurity.
Commentary on the Disability Discrimination Act 1995
Authors: Singh Ramsumair
Published: July 2007

This article examines the provision of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, special attention being given to the employment and industrial relations aspects of the Act. Emphasis is placed on the issues raised for practitioners and for those with disabilities claiming protection under the Act.
Reconsidering union membership in Spain, 1977‐1994: halting decline in a context of democratic consolidation
Authors: Jordana Jacint
Published: July 2007

Examining newly available figures, this article argues that in spite of Spanish high unemployment and economic re‐structuring, union membership in Spain increased significantly from 1986 to 1993. The effect of democratic consolidation, as well as complex union dynamics in the labour market, generate this recovery that challenges, to some extent, the pessimistic union decline thesis.
The importance of gender for participation in and attitudes to trade unionism
Authors: Sinclair Diane M.
Published: July 2007

This article attempts to establish the main determinants of an employee's involvement in trade unionism, and to explain the male/female differential in union participation. Women, especially parttime workers, are less likely to participate in union meetings than men, which seems largely attributable to women's lower favourability to trade unions, although women are as likely as men to believe in the principles of trade unionism.
The industrial relations of training: a reconsideration of training arrangements
Authors: Stuart Mark
Published: July 2007

The training debate has suffered from a tendency to over‐state the consensual nature of skill formation. This position is challenged through an extended literature review and case study evidence from the printing industry. The article highlights the need for a broader conceptual framework for understanding training provision and bargaining arrangements
Psychological Conflict and Human Nature: The Case of Behaviourism and Cognition*
Authors: LACEY HUGH M.
Published: July 2007

A reasonable choice between Skinner's and Chomsky's theories requires reference to a conception of human nature. It is explained in detail why this is so, in the context of an analysis of what it is to ‘choose’ a theory. This account helps to explain the unity and coherence of the science, methodology, conception of science, object of scientific inquiry and views towards control of each of Skinner and Chomsky, and thereby explains the chasm which separates the parties to their respective programs. The analysis given implies that, in a precise sense, the theory‐choice is implicated in value‐judgments.
Historical Self‐understanding in the Social Sciences: The Use of Thomas Kuhn in Psychology
Authors: PETERSON GERALD L.
Published: July 2007

Thomas Kuhn's (1962, 1970c) thesis concerning the structure of scientific change was critically examined in relation to the historical problems of social science. The use and interpretation of Kuhn's ideas by psychologists was reviewed and found to center around the proliferation of theoretical views as paradigms, the viewing of theoretical differences as paradigm clashes, and efforts to affirm particular conceptions of psychology's past or future. Such use was seen as curbing discussion of fundamental issues, and to reflect a continuing neglect of the foundational problems peculiar to social science. The relevance of Kuhn's work was seen to rest on a more critical view of his idea of “mature” science, better understanding of the type of social psychology upon which his thesis rests, and greater appreciation of his hermeneutic approach to social‐historical analysis.
Ethnomethodology and the Position of Relativist Discourse
Authors: MCHOUL A. W.
Published: July 2007

The paper works through the topic of ‘theorising’ as it has been treated in ethnomethodology. It is concerned to show (a) that the topic has a somewhat equivocal status within that discourse; (b) that some recent self‐critical moves in ethnomethodology which have been touched off by considering these problems constitute no more than further uncritical repetitions of that discourse; (c) that ethnomethodology's critics have been concentrating unnecessarily upon its supposed ‘idealism’ and have missed a central trouble: that ethnomethodology is an overly realist form of social scientific work.
Conceptual Representation of Belief Systems*
Authors: WEGMAN CORNELIS
Published: July 2007

This paper describes a belief understanding system (BUS) which, taking an interview‐text as its input, builds a conceptual representation of a respondent's belief system concerning a given object. Central to the understanding process is the identification of the connections between the object and the believer's goals. A general scheme governing the inference‐processes with respect to these object‐goal relationships is presented. It is suggested that the implementation of BUS could proceed from Schank's et al Integrated Partial Parsing program. The system's behavior is illustrated by examining the processing of a fragment of an interview‐text. Some implications for the study of belief systems are discussed.
From‘Normal Appearances’to 'Simulation’in Interaction
Authors: TRAVERS ANDREW , Travers Andrew
Published: July 2007

Since they are modern characters, living in an age of transition more urgently hysterical at any rate than the age which preceded it, I have drawn my people as split and vacillating, a mixture of the old and the new. and I think it not improbable that modern ideas may, through the media of newspapers and conversation, have seeped down into the social stratum which exists below stairs. My souls (or characters) are agglomerations of past and present cultures, scraps from books and newspapers, fragments of humanity, torn shreds of once‐fine clothing that has become rags, in just the way that a human soul is patched together. (Strindberg [1888] 1964: 102‐3)
Social Causation and cognitive neuroscience
Authors: GILLETT GRANT R.
Published: July 2007

all mental life by which we surpass the animals is evoked in us as we assimilate the articulate framework of a culture. Michael Polanyi (1959)
Decision Making in Three Modes
Authors: LIPSHITZ RAANAN
Published: July 2007

This paper presents an integrative framework for analyzing decisions. Three generic modes of decision making are identified: consequential choice (comparing alternatives in terms of expected consequences), matching (evaluating single options in terms of a certain criterion) and reassessment (re‐evaluating an action to which one is already committed). The three generic modes are compared on a common set of attributes, and the conditions for their proper use are outlined. Two case analyses illustrate how the framework can be used to analyze specific decisions from multiple perspectives.
“African American” as a new Social Representation
Authors: PHILOGENE GINA
Published: July 2007

The use of African American as a new denomination for a group previously referred to as Black has rapidly become standard practice in American society. This paper analyzes how the introduction of African American in our ordinary language marks the elaboration of a new social reality. As the concept becomes part of our social life, it is transformed into a real “phenomenon” of social representation that formalizes behaviour and orients communication. Such a transformation requires that the new term infiltrates people's everyday lives sufficiently to concretize it into a common reality. The analysis presented here outlines three key processes in the emergence and formation of the social representation of African American. The first one is anchoring which familiarizes the new object by linking it with preexisting categories in our minds. The second process is objectification which assures the crystallization of the object. A figurative core is created to allow the projection of images. At this point people can talk about the object, and through communication the object takes on meaning. This naturalization is the third process to conclude the transformation of the object into a social reality. These steps have allowed African American to become the carrier for a modification of cognitions and broadening of attitudes concerning the group.
Praise: More Than Just Social Reinforcement
Authors: DELIN CATHERINE R. , BAUMEISTER ROY F.
Published: July 2007

Praise is a common feature of interpersonal interaction. It is used to encourage, socialize, ingratiate, seduce, reward, and influence other people. These assorted usages reflect a widespread belief in the efficacy of praise for altering the behaviour and affective state of the recipient. Despite this assumed power of praise, and despite its salience and frequency in human social interaction, research interest in praise has been sporadic and intermittent, and not united within an all‐embracing theoretical model.

In this article we will present an analysis of the effects of praise. We will begin by considering how to define praise. Next, we will examine the view of praise as social reinforcement, a conception which roots praise firmly within an empiricist framework; this appears to have been the predominant theoretical view guiding previous research on praise. We will conclude, however, that this view is conceptually inadequate to account for the empirical evidence. Because of that conclusion, our next step will be to provide a novel examination of the likely processes and consequences involved in praise. The remainder of the article will then be devoted to examining, where it is available, empirical evidence relevant to our analysis.
The Fallacy of Misplaced Intentionality in Social Representation Research
Authors: WAGNER WOLFGANG
Published: July 2007

This paper argues that social representations cannot be used as independent variables in causal explanations of social behaviour. It is shown that the structure of investigations often follows a causally explanatory design despite explicit statements to the contrary by the researchers. This fact is analyzed with three investigations. It is argued that verbal data used to assess the contents of a representation as independent variable are logically equivalent to data obtained from the “dependent” overt behaviour. Therefore these two kinds of data must be seen as two illustrations of the same representational contents. The researchers’preference for using verbal data to assess the independent variable and the tendency to introduce a causal relationship between representation and behaviour is shown to result from misplacing folk‐beliefs. Folk‐beliefs about intentional causality, it is shown, pertain to the same level as other beliefs about the world on the part of the subjects. Hence they are part of the folk‐representation itself and must be treated as such; their use in scientific accounts of the belief‐action relationship is not implied by data on rational belief systems. It is suggested to conceptualize social representations as integral units of beliefs and action which may be used to explain causally subsequent contingent social events. The function of folk‐beliefs in intentional causality for the self‐concept of rational people and for social accountability is discussed.