bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study of Small Subcontract and Make‐to‐Order Firms in Relation to Quotation for Orders
Authors: Tobin Norman R. , Mercer Alan , Kingsman Brian
Published: March 2008

In 1986 a study was carried out in a number of small companies in the UK that manufacture to customer requirements. The primary objective was to assess the relevance and importance to industry of ideas developed in earlier research at Lancaster University, relating the order quotation process to production and sales. However, in the course of the study a great deal was learnt about the industrial sectors examined.
A Heuristic Approach to General Assembly Line Balancing
Authors: Bhattacharjee T.K. , Sahu S.
Published: March 2008

A method for balancing a single‐model assembly line is described which incorporates various constraining features such as fixed position, positive and negative zoning, multiple parallel stations, etc. It can easily be extended for multiple manning of stations. First a priority list of the elements is formed. For each element, its elemental time is added to those of its total number of successors. The list is then rearranged in non‐increasing order. The method has been tested by solving a large number of randomly generated problems. A computer program has been developed for the generalised method.
The R&D/Production Interface: A Four‐country Comparison
Authors: Bergen S.A. , McLaughlin C.P.
Published: March 2008

Much is being said about the comparative productivity of the industrialised countries. This study looks at the development and introduction of new products in a single manufacturing industry in four countries — the United Kingdom, West Germany, the United States and Japan. Data were collected from 54 companies in the scientific instrument industry concerning 65 new product design projects. These data show that there are significant differences in investment in R&D, in firm productivity, in R&D rewards and motivation, in project manager openness to new ideas, in project team ability, and in the communication of problem definitions and design data among the companies in the industry in the four countries. The factors important to project and company success in this industry vary from country to country and from stage to stage of the development process. Communications at the production/R&D interface and lack of CEO involvement are the particular problems of the US companies.
Employee Participation in Sweden
Authors: Lind Olof
Published: March 2008

Sweden is a large country with a rather small population. It has about 8 million inhabitants. The country is a constitutional monarchy with a Parliament consisting of 349 members, all directly elected by the people for three‐year terms.
The Lessons of the Lucas Campaign: the Role of the State
Authors: George Mike
Published: March 2008

The significant development of tripartite arrangements between business, the State and the trade unions is a well‐documented feature of modern industrial relations and economic planning. The “Social Contract” is probably the most overtly political form of collaboration to arise for a number of years. The tripartite arrangements over industrial strategy (Neddies) have been welcomed by many for they provide a forum for theoretically non‐confrontational politics. The instruments available to the State in relation to industrial and economic and employment policies and practices are now legion, but the operation of those instruments seems increasingly to diverge from the original hopes and objectives. The campaign by Lucas Aerospace workers provides an interesting case study in this field.
Unionising the white collar workers
Authors: Marsh Ray , Pedler Mike
Published: March 2008

This research identifies factors which affect the unionisation of white collar workers and provides an analytical model for the use of practitioners in employee relations. The article is based on a study carried out at Sheffield City Polytechnic from 1974–1977. The research took a company or organisation‐level perspective rather than the national or industrial ones favoured by previous researchers. In an organisational context the union recognition process is one which creates a profound change in relationship between white collar staff and their employer; a change from what may be described as an “individualistic” to a more “collective” relationship.
Creating and Sharing Wealth —
Authors: Wilson Brian
Published: March 2008

Part 1 of this article concerned itself with the importance of added value as a concept for use in National planning, and made some suggestions for Government on ways to increase Gross Domestic Product and also on ways of redistributing it. This second, and final, part of the article concentrates on the company level and aims to provide ideas for the use of added value in employee relations.
Disclosure of Financial Information to Employees
Authors: Hancock P.J.
Published: March 2008

It has long been recognised that one of the rights of owning shares in a company is to receive a written annual report on the current state of health of the company and its performance over the preceding 12 months. Should this same right extend to employees? Many would argue that it should because the employee unlike the shareholder is normally dependent entirely on one company's ability to survive and pay, amongst other items, wages and salaries. Also, in many cases, an employee has invested many years of his working life with one company and therefore has a substantial vested interest in the performance and future survival of the company.
Ruskin College and Industrial Society
Authors: Haffner Denis
Published: March 2008

In this article I am going to be presumptuous and argue that a small college has and will continue to play a crucial role in employee relations. Any response to this article could be the basis of a continuing dialogue within this journal. Just as Employee Relations seeks to “examine the changing content and meaning of work and the ways in which rewards and conditions are negotiated and settled”, so does a large part of the work done at Ruskin College.
The Closed Shop—Conflict or Consensus?
Authors: McIlroy John
Published: March 2008

Introduction In the intense debates concerning industrial relations reform in the last decade and a half, few issues have attracted more heated controversy than the question of the closed shop. The industrial events of the winter of 1978–9 have led to a renewed debate. This culminated in the TUC producing a Code of Practice for trade unions on the operation of the closed shop; and the Conservative Party in their election manifesto committing themselves to a reform of the present legislation in this area.
The Hospital Porter
Authors: Saunders Ken
Published: March 2008

It is popularly held that some less‐skilled occupations cannot be intrinsically satisfying and meaningful to employees and that extrinsic rewards (that is, mainly monetary) assume an importance that transcends all else. This belief is certainly not substantiated by our researches of the work of hospital porters in two of the largest and most modern teaching hospitals in this country. These workers have recently been very much in the news on account of the impact their protests for better recognition have made. It is highly significant that instead of finding their work activities alienating, the reverse appears to be so and that the emphasis of their work orientation is on public service and “care”.
Four Years of Wage and Salary Administration under Incomes Policies
Authors: Bowey Angela M. , Thorpe Richard
Published: March 2008

What effects did the last Government's wage restraint policy have on wage and salary administration at company and local levels? A research team at Strathclyde Business School has been studying newly introduced incentive payment schemes and holding seminars with management and trade union negotiators over the past 12 months. This paper reports some of their findings, and shows how the jobs of wage and salary administrators have been affected by the experiences of the past five years.
Work in America
Authors: Herrick Neal
Published: March 2008

This is a study of factory workers in a large midwestern industrial city and municipal workers in a town of less than 70 thousand inhabitants.
Secret Ballots:
Authors: Kynaston Reeves Tom
Published: March 2008

The shortcoming of secret ballots, as with any other kind of opinion poll, is that people may choose not to believe them. Indeed, where important industrial relations issues are at stake, parties to a dispute may go to great lengths to try and prove the invalidity of an unpalatable result.
The Factory Inspectorate: Its Changing Role
Authors: Warburton R.M.
Published: March 2008

In the century and a half since the Inspectorate was established the role has changed as industry has changed and as the expectations of those who work in industry have changed. We have also been subjected to organisational changes which reflect our interpretation of the changed circumstances and changed expectations of those we serve. These changes in very recent times have been:
Industrial Relations in the Small Firm
Authors: Nash Mike
Published: March 2008

This article examines the impact of industrial relations and employee relations on the small firm. The argument is that “industrial relations” is seen by small organisations as being synonymous with the threat, both collective and individual, of externally imposed regulations.
Pension Fund Power: Employee Control in the 1980s?
Authors: Cuthbert Norman , Dobbins Richard
Published: March 2008

By contrast with industrial democracy, which relates to control of the enterprise, economic democracy is concerned with ownership of the organisation. Participation by employees in ownership of the enterprise involves a change in the system or in the pattern of ownership. In the most extreme form, employees themselves, through their trade unions or through employees' share holdings or otherwise, would come to own the enterprise and thence to run it. Thus ownership and control would become inextricably fused. It can be seen that like some systems of industrial democracy through worker directors, economic democracy is power‐centred and policy‐based.
Employee Relations Training for Managers:
Authors: Wooldridge Ewart
Published: March 2008

The Engineering Industry Training Board recently, completed an intensive study on employee relations training for managers. Whilst the main emphasis was on the needs of line managers in the day‐to‐day management of relationships at work, a frequently occurring element in the analysis was the impact of the increased role of the ER specialist. This article summarises the main conclusions of the EITB study, and highlights the implications for ER specialists.
Part‐time Employment among Women Factory Workers
Authors: Liff Sonia
Published: March 2008

While there is a general awareness that the proportion of women in the workforce is gradually rising, some of the features of this increase in female employment are less well understood. For example, between 1951 and 1971 the proportion of women workers in the labour force rose from 34.7 to 43.0 per cent. However, this increase masks an important change in the composition of the female workforce. In the same period the percentage of married women in the female workforce rose from 38.2 to 63.1 per cent. This growth of married women within the workforce has been paralleled by a growth in part‐time work. In fact, since the early 1960s most of the increase in the number of women entering employment has been due to a growth in part‐time rather than full‐time employees.
White Collar: Historical Perspectives and the Engineer
Authors: Schnetker Ted
Published: March 2008

This article is the result of my personal interest as an engineer and manager in the attitudes of engineers working in industry toward engineering unions. The article is divided into three parts:
A Systematic Approach to Diagnosing Employee Absenteeism
Authors: Rhodes Susan , Steers Richard
Published: March 2008

In any given year, it has been estimated that over 300 million work days are lost in Britain due to employee absenteeism. This figure amounts to about 13.5 days lost per employee. Daily absenteeism among blue‐collar workers in many industries runs as high as 17 per cent of the work force with rates often much higher on Mondays and Fridays. These estimates include absenteeism due to illness, as well as other reasons. High rates of absenteeism have been cited as contributing to industrial slumps in some areas of Britain. Productivity losses, loss of good will, extra labour costs to replace the absent employee, overtime costs, and sick pay are all costs associated with absenteeism. Clearly, employee absenteeism is a major area of concern for personnel managers.
How Real is Worker Involvement in Health and Safety?
Authors: Barrett Brenda , James Philip
Published: March 2008

The Robens committee on Safety and Health at Work recognised the cardinal importance of worker co‐operation with management if workplaces were to be made safer places and believed that worker involvement would help overcome the apathy which it felt was the primary cause of accidents at the workplace. The Health and Safety at Work Act apparently accepted the views of the Committee and created a statutory framework for individual and collective involvement in health and safety issues at the workplace. The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations subsequently made under the Act provided for the appointment of safety representatives by recognised trade unions possessing a variety of rights and functions. In doing so, however, they may arguably have owed more to the philosophy which conceived the Employment Protection Act's provisions for promoting the improvement of industrial relations and extension of collective bargaining than the Select Committee's desire for total workplace involvement.
Management Information Disclosure to Employees
Authors: Jenkins Glenville
Published: March 2008

Previous research aimed at assessing disclosure practice has made extensive use of postal questionnaire surveys which have been far from successful, achieving relatively low response rates and paying only scant attention to the complex network of information control which is prevalent both within and outside of modern organisations. However, this research has pointed out that the weighting given to information disclosed voluntarily by management for reasons of their own against information which is only provided on request, is of central importance, for it provides a measurement of management's commitment to communicate with employees and can be viewed as an acknowledgement of the rights of employees to corporate information and their representatives' function in defending those rights.
Internal Relationships in Industrial Co‐operatives
Authors: Modiano Philip , Dimoldenbery Sharon
Published: March 2008

In this article it is intended to describe aspects of internal working relationships in small co‐operative businesses which distinguish such firms from conventional companies. Subsequently we go on to assess the effect of such relationships on the work of an outside consultant brought in to advise the co‐operative. The article is based on the work that the authors did with four small co‐operatives in the London Borough of Lambeth during the first half of 1980.
Subjectivity and Bias in Job Evaluations
Authors: Johnson Rita , Cooke Peter
Published: March 2008

Job evaluation is not an exact science. Yet notions of “comparability” and “differentials” seem to imply that a set of objective criteria exists which can provide the necessary and sufficient causes for ranking one job higher or lower than another. At the same time, it is commonly accepted that subjective and non‐rational factors enter into the evaluation of jobs. One example of such factors (of particular interest in the light of recent legislation) is that of sex bias.
The Problem of Alcoholism in Industry
Authors: Beaumont P.B.
Published: March 2008

The provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 are, at least in general terms, likely to raise the status of health and safety as a subject area for joint discussion and decision making in the years to come. In the immediate short term the emphasis is likely to be on trying to bring about a reduction in industrial accidents, but beyond this stage attention is likely to be increasingly given to trying to cope with the effects of heretofore undetected or unknown exposure to toxic substancies at the workplace. Indeed there are already some signs of union‐management activity along these lines; the agreement to ban toluene diisocyanate (TDI) at Metal Box in printing industry being a notable example in this regard.
Participation: The Manager's Viewpoint
Authors: Poole Michael , Mansfield Roger , Blyton Paul , Frost Paul
Published: March 2008

In general from the early 1960s onwards there was a marked acceleration of interest in employee participation and industrial democracy. Although this was by no means novel in conception, it was occasioned in this particular period not just by changing balances of power but also by a major adaptation in the climate of values in British industry and society. This quickening of attention culminated in the establishment of a Committee of Inquiry on Industrial Democracy, and although since that point there has been a period of retrenchment and a decline in overt enthusiasm for schemes of this type, this in no way invalidates the importance of the wide range of experiments which were instigated in the 1960s and 1970s nor suggests that political enthusiasm in this direction will not re‐emerge with renewed vigour in the later part of this century.
Skill and Society
Authors: Macbeath Innis
Published: March 2008

One of the oddest things about the current recession is the “skill shortage” which makes so many managers irascible and baffles so many commentators and politicians; it baffles especially the ones who are accustomed to talk about the traditional talent and ingenuity of the people. Besides, if every person trained in a skill were exercising it for, say, 30 hours a week there would be super abundance. Some are promoted, some walk away, some hang about. Looking for work (whether you are “in work” or not) is far more time‐consuming than doing a good job. The nature of the problem lies deeper than statistics by category. Our society seems to set a high value on skill of one kind or another, but a low value on people who acquire it and define themselves by it. It is much easier to moralise than to peel away the layers of complication to uncover more appropriate simplifications that have some practical value.
Macho Managers and the New Industrial Relations
Authors: Purcell John
Published: March 2008

A new breed of tough managers, almost contemptuous of unions and negotiating procedures, seems to have emerged. “Macho Management” one British Leyland shop steward called it at the time of the strike, referring to plant management's rediscovery of the management prerogative. The spirit is almost of the divine right of managers to manage, to broach no argument and get on with the job of directing, controlling and enforcing order over a demoralised workforce.
How do Shop Stewards Learn their Job?
Authors: Robertson Don , Schuller Tom
Published: March 2008

Learning to represent people, as shop stewards do, is a complex affair. It is especially so for stewards, as their functions vary widely, both according to rule books and in practice. As Goodman and Whittingham observed: “Few training officers operate without detailed job descriptions, yet that of a steward is particularly difficult to define. They are important communicators but also decision‐makers”. Stewards develop and apply to the job attitudes and skills derived formally or informally from a variety of sources, and one such source is the training provision laid on by the TUC and by individual unions.
Employee Representation in Building Societies
Authors: Winterton Ruth , Winterton Jonathan
Published: March 2008

White‐collar trade unionism has aroused considerable interest among students of industrial relations, but relatively little attention has been paid to staff associations, which Crompton noted perform similar functions to trade unions and to which white‐collar workers are partial. At present, white‐collar and partly white‐collar unions account for roughly half of the unions in Britain and some 35 per cent of the membership. The density of white‐collar membership has increased to 40 per cent (over 50 per cent if staff and professional associations are included), compared with 53 per cent for manual workers. White‐collar workers are traditionally thought to be less disposed to join trade unions and, as Bain et al note, “when white collar workers do unionize, they are believed to carry with them certain aspects of the status ideology which affects the behaviour of their unions”. Blackburn and Prandy offer a theoretical framework which may be used to compare the “unionateness” of white‐collar and manual forms of employee representation. Most white‐collar unions satisfy the criteria of unionateness, but a large proportion of staff associations fail on the question of independence from employers for the purposes of negotiation. In the first four years of his appointment, the Certification Officer refused certificates of independence to fifty‐one organisations, all of them staff associations.
Strikes and the Public Sector: The Position in Britain
Authors: Beaumont P.B.
Published: March 2008

A recent OECD report on labour disputes noted that there has been a considerable increase in strike activity in the public sector of a number of member countries in recent times. Moreover, it was noted that strikes have started to occur in the traditionally “quiet” parts of the public sector in various countries. There is little need to stress this point in the last few years as the strikes that are attracting attention throughout the world are virtually all in the public sector; witness, for example, the air traffic controllers' dispute in the United States, the campaign of selective industrial action by civil servants in Britain and the postal and telecommunications disputes in Australia in mid‐1981.
39 Hours — Engineering the Birth of the Shorter Working Week?
Authors: Bastin Garry , Fahey Walter
Published: March 2008

The birth of the 39 hour week in the engineering industry in 1981 was conceived in the heat of the strike‐torn summer of 1979. And the prolonged period of gestation proved to be something of a watershed far beyond the confines of the industry in which it was conceived. As the date of the event drew closer, and the negotiations between the parents of the 1979 Agreement got ever more local and domestic, the message coming back from the industry was one of varied, confused, and at times discordant, response.
Employee Assistance Programmes in the United States
Authors: Hollmann Robert W.
Published: March 2008

A recent article by P.B. Beaumont focused attention on the problem of alcoholism in British industry. Beaumont discussed the need for organisations to have policies for dealing with employee alcoholism and he identified a number of factors likely to be associated with successful policies. The article was quite stimulating and, accordingly, I thought it would be instructive to describe what American organisations are doing with respect not only to employee alcoholism but also the problems of drug and other emotional difficulties affecting job performance. Specifically, this article is devoted to a more thorough description of american employee assistance programmes and a discussion of some of the factors that have been found important to their successful implementation. Hopefully this information could be helpful to British as well as other American firms that continue to grapple with these kinds of problems.
Industrial Relations in the Next Two Decades:
Authors: Tebbit Norman
Published: March 2008

First presented at a conference earlier in 1983, this article raises a number of points concerning government objectives in industrial relations.
Managerial Career Change following Redundancy:
Authors: Swinburne Penny
Published: March 2008

As the current period of recession extends, our understanding of the impact of the associated redundancies and unemployment on individuals should become progressively refined. Only in this way can attitudes to re‐employment and assistance with career redirection become more relevant to the present situation and hence more constructive. This article gives an assessment of career insecurity and job change following redundancy, but which did not involve unemployment.
Recession, Innovation and Industrial Relations:
Authors: Jefferys Steve
Published: March 2008

The 1979–82 recession in the US car industry has been accompanied by both technological change and the rebirth of the human relations approach to industrial relations. This article considers the state of play in the technological and industrial relations “revolutions” of US car manufacturers in the early 1980s.
Industrial Relations Training for Managers
Authors: Mulholland J.H.
Published: March 2008

The quality of management is the greatest single determinant of industrial performance. Its impact is felt as much in the social as in the economic sphere, in terms of the quality of life in an organisation as in profitability. Given the much publicised shortcomings of industrial relations which are damaging to industry and to the economy, the case for ensuring that managers are adequately trained is not merely compelling, but almost self‐evident.
Concession Bargaining: The British Experience
Authors: Beaumont P.B.
Published: March 2008

In the United States, the phenomenon of “concession bargaining”, whereby management seeks to obtain wage freezes or actual cuts in wages, is being widely discussed by both researchers and practitioners. In contrast, in Britain, it has been little discussed, although considerable media attention has been given to the case of the Hyster forklift truck factory in Scotland where management were seeking to cut the pay bill by some 9.8 per cent and eliminate attendance and time‐keeping bonuses.
Involving Employees — Practical Action on Section One
Authors: Wates John
Published: March 2008

We are now in the first months of the provisions of Section One of the 1982 Employment Act coming into force. The Industrial Society has been working on practical involvement policies since the 1950s and I would like to sketch in very briefly the background to the current proposals on employee involvement as it may help us to come to grips with the present reality.
Legislation and the Election of Union Moderates
Authors: Undy Roger , Martin Roderick
Published: March 2008

In 1976, the Conservative Party expressed the view that trade unions were “… imperfectly democratic”. Subsequently they returned to this theme in a Green Paper on Union Democracy in 1983 which expressed strong reservations about the electoral practices of trade unions. The Conservatives were concerned that unrepresentative union leaders “misuse(d) the wealth and power” of their unions for their own political ambitions. They noted the growing proportion of trade unionists voting Conservative and contrasted this with the continued dominance of the trade union movement by leaders sympathetic to, if not actually members of, the Labour Party. From this the Conservatives concluded that the voting system used in union elections was defective.
Trade Union Education and Training in Britain:
Authors: Salmon John
Published: March 2008

The Labour Movement in Britain has long had a commitment to the education of its membership. It is, however, relatively recently that education and training, specifically in areas of industrial relations, has become generally available to the lay officials of unions. The considerable growth in educational provision for workplace representatives has undoubtedly been one of the most significant developments to emerge in British industrial relations during the last ten years. But such a growth has not developed purely out of the interests of trade unions, nor has it just been a response to a need for educational provision and resources to meet the rapid increases in numbers of shop stewards, which began to occur from the middle of the 1960's.
Relations between British Steel and its Employees
Authors: Bamber Greg
Published: March 2008

Iron and steel is an old industry. As a cyclical and a strategically important industry, it has long been subject to extensive government intervention in most countries, including Britain. When Labour won the general election in 1945, it was already pledged to nationalise several industries, including coal and steel. But steel had a lower priority than coal; the labour movement had not agreed a plan for steel nationalisation, which became the most complex and bitterly contested of the post‐war nationalisations.
Industrial Relations in Building Societies
Authors: Purcell John
Published: March 2008

Industrial relations in the finance sector has always exhibited rather special features; a virtually exclusive white collar work force dispersed in numerous branch offices; relatively high unionisation with membership split between TUC‐affiliated unions and in‐house staff associations; higher than average pay settlements in recent years and early experience of computerisation. Building societies share many of these features, but three aspects make industrial relations particularly fascinating in this sector. Unionisation has only become extensive in the top 30 societies in the last five years and, in many respects, has yet to mature. More importantly, there are no TUC‐affiliated unions represented in the largest societies. Thus this is an industry uniquely dominated by staff associations, many of which have only recently been formed and awarded Certificates of Independence. Thirdly, there are good grounds for predicting that market and growth conditions in the next decade will be markedly different from the conditions of rapid growth experienced in the 1970s when the staff association movement began.
Paternalism Under Attack:
Authors: Simpson D.H.
Published: March 2008

A few years ago, at an SSRC‐sponsored conference on the management function in industrial relations, a contributor analysing the industrial relations of six separate establishments, one of which was a merchant bank, was asked, “Do Merchant Banks have industrial relations?” The same question could be asked of universities, and the answer given today would be fundamentally different than if the question had been posed 20 or even ten years ago. Following the extrapolation of the Robbins principle, universities in the late 1960s and 1970s went through an un‐paralleled explosion with jobs, promotions and salaries (the latter subject to moral pressure) all in the ascendancy. The renunciation of Robbins has reversed these trends and, as all students of German industrial relations know, growth equates with good and recession with bad industrial relations (taking for the moment the superficial media definitions). In the case of universities it has been not so much the change to bad industrial relations as the emergence of industrial relations itself.
Industrial Relations in Local Government
Authors: Harkin Guy
Published: March 2008

The popular image of industrial relations in local government is one in which negotiations consist of genteel tête‐à‐têtes over coffee and (if the meetings spill over into the afternoon) tea. Though there is little in the activities of 1984 to justify this conception the traditions which give rise to it were real enough. The main white collar union, NALGO, had its origins in a nineteenth century campaign by senior officers, led inevitably by a Town Clerk, to press for a local authority pension scheme. The union was officially launched in July 1905 and saw itself as an association of professionals rather than a union of employees. Indeed it was not until 65 years after its launch that NALGO sanctioned its first‐ever strike when 18 of its 400,000 members took industrial action in Leeds.
Joint Consultation in Britain:
Authors: Joyce Paul , Woods Adrian
Published: March 2008

Following on from the first part of the article the authors present the results of a survey which shows the continuing popularity of joint consultation during the recession.
Time Up for Clocking?
Authors: Arthurs Alan , Kinnie Nick
Published: March 2008

Whilst clocking in and out has been a feature of factory life for nearly 100 years it is now being abolished by an increasing number of employers. The authors discuss the pros and cons of the system and argue that it is likely to disappear altogether for several reasons.
The Insider‐Outsider Dichotomy in Personnel Management:
Authors: Leopold John W. , Beaumont P.B.
Published: March 2008

The authors discuss the typology of personnel officers in the National Health Service. On the basis of a survey of Scottish Health Boards they conclude that NHS personnel officers are “insiders” rather than “outsiders” bringing their specialist skills from elsewhere.
Multinational Corporations and Industrial Relations in the UK
Authors: Hamill J.
Published: March 2008

The growth in the number of multinational companies in the UK (in 1980 employing 16 per cent of all people in manufacturing industry) raises a number of industrial relations issues such as: where are the decisions regarding labour issues made? The author discusses the implications with regard to trade unions and industrial relations.
The Management of Industrial Relations in the Small Firm
Authors: Gunnigle Patrick , Brady Therese
Published: March 2008

The common belief is that institutionalised industrial relations has little relevance for the smaller organisation. This belief is consequent on the ideas that problems in industrial relations occur where communications are poor and that “good communications” are an integral feature of the small firm. The authors base their counter‐argument on a study which examined industrial relations practices in small firms.
Predicting Levels of Conflict
Authors: Allen P.T.
Published: March 2008

This article describes the most recent research into the nature and extent of the link between relations, as assessed by the measure of Inter‐Groups Understanding (IGU) and relations as revealed by “industrial action”. The IGU permits comparison of firms through measurement of the characteristic atmosphere independently of specific sets of attitudes on either side. By trying to change the opposition's view of one's own attitudes and vice versa it's possible to see that positive changes in behaviour are likely to be reflected over time.
Personnel and Welfare: The Case of the Problem Drinker at Work
Authors: Hyman J. , Beaumont P.B.
Published: March 2008

Recent developments in alcohol policies provide tangible signs that major strands of personnel policy are beginning to merge (concern for welfare, corporate efficiency and joint determination through collective agreement) as indicated by a survey of alcohol policies carried out in Britain.
Historical Changes in the Conservative Party's Industrial Relations Philosophy
Authors: Hibbert Noel
Published: March 2008

Just what is the Conservative Government's industrial relations policy? There are usually two different sets of answers given by industrial relations commentators to this question, determined by their stance on the Government's general policies. The first line of argument is that the question itself is a contradiction in terms: the Government, by definition of its laissez‐faire economic philosophy, has no specific policy towards industrial relations. The content of national and locally negotiated contracts, in both the private and, increasingly, the public sector, must be the product of what the market can afford, and of a bargaining process that is unfettered by interference from external agencies. The free play of market forces must be the primary determinant of wage and price levels. Thus Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill have at least one thing in common, that is, a view of free collective bargaining in which wages and prices are determined by the daily trial of strength between capital and labour. Indeed, the Government's employment legislation was placed on the statute book, so they tell us, not to strengthen the hand of the employer at the expense of labour, but because the state had been used by previous governments, Labour and Conservative alike, for the benefit of trade union growth, and not in its more traditional role as a guarantor of individual freedom and private property. Hence the Government must stand aloof from disputes like the recent miners' strike.
Women in the Annual Report
Authors: Cooper Cary
Published: March 2008

A United Nations report in 1980 on women's roles in society concludes with the following comments:
The Status of Pre‐employment Enquiry Restrictions on the Employment and Hiring Function
Authors: Munchus George
Published: March 2008

The Impact of EEOC rules pertaining to pre‐employment enquiries in a general sense has been two‐fold:
Flexible Retirement and Inflexible Pension Schemes
Authors: White John , Blyton Paul
Published: March 2008

The potential of flexible retirement will not be realised until the fear of substantial income loss is allayed. At present, for people looking at flexible retirement options, the occupational pension is not the vehicle to use, as the SFO (Superannuation Funds Office) does not look favourably on those planning in advance to wind down their career gradually insisting, as it does, that a fixed retirement age constitutes part of the scheme. Norman Fowler's consultative document on Personal Pensions (1984) aims to encourage more take‐up of occupational schemes through the individual being given freedom to choose the type of benefits suiting individual needs; in effect, this will allow people to contract out of the State earnings‐related scheme. Greater attention needs to be given to training trade union representatives in pension matters — many, at the moment, being expected to discuss very complex issues with little or no training.
White‐collar Trade Unions and New Office Technology
Authors: Haddow Maureen
Published: March 2008

The trade union movement as a whole has given a cautious welcome to the new technology provided that it is introduced in a controlled fashion and safeguards are provided against exploitation of the workforce. An examination of the literature produced by the TUC indicates that there is a tendency for many officials to concentrate on traditional areas of union concern, to the detriment of other areas such as job design and ergonomic, health and safety factors. The standard of new technology agreements have varied but both unions and management now have a clearer idea of what terms to bargain for; there has been a corresponding recognition of the need to develop a spirit of co‐operation in management/union problem solving. The way forward rests on union officials' readiness to monitor the operation of equipment and the need for all those in the workforce being affected by new technology to be trained in both equipment operation and the health and safety factors involved.
Trade Unions, Collective Bargaining and Reduced Working Time: A Critical Assessment
Authors: Rathkey Paul
Published: March 2008

Rising unemployment in the 1970s and particularly over the last six years (1979–85) has focused trade union strategies on the question of job creation. The initial response was largely a restatement of Keynesian macro‐economic policies plus a series of short‐term “special measures”. The deepening of the recession in the early 80s caused a minor re‐think and an examination of notions of work redistribution. The immediate solution was seen as “the shorter working week” and, despite a growing awareness of other options, this remans the cornerstone of TUC thinking and that of its major affiliates.
The Impact of Contracting Out in the NHS
Authors: Mailly R.
Published: March 2008

The provision of services by private contractors in the National Health Service rather than by direct labour is not a recent phenomenon. Certain services, eg. the erection and repair of buildings, have been performed by contractors in the majority of health authorities. In some instances, catering and domestic services have been performed by outside contractors for a number of years (although this has been the case only in a very small minority of hospitals). What is novel is a policy which says health authorities must invite companies to tender competitively against their own in‐house services, and choose the tender which is the least costly.
Patterns of Industrial Relations Management
Authors: Kinnie Nicholas
Published: March 2008

Collective bargaining remains the principal institution used by employers for managing their industrial relations. About three‐quarters of all employees have their pay and conditions settled by agreements negotiated collectively with their employer. However, bargaining arrangements take a wide variety of forms; some agreements are made at industry level, while others are made at group, division or plant level.
Industrial Discipline: A Suitable Case for Treatment
Authors: Fenley Anthony
Published: March 2008

There is no clear evidence that British workplaces are any nearer the achievement of being representative bureaucracies as far as disciplinary rules are concerned as public policy initiatives are to placing the emphasis on a corrective as opposed to a punitive approach to Industrial discipline. The concept of industrial discipline is examined alongside forms of management control. Management aims and objectives and the difficulties management encounters in this sphere are considered. Worker attitudes and sources of complaints are discussed in the context of the type of involvement unions should have in the discipline process. The trend towards formalisation is explored and Its reasons, advantages and disadvantages discussed. Discipline Is still conflict‐prone and the reasons for this and ways to minimise it are examined. The work is based on an extensive review of the literature and an ESRC research project that examined disciplinary practice in eight different workplaces. Findings are based on interviews with personnel, line managers and shop stewards and examination of rule books, procedures and disciplinary records. The project was carried out during 1981–1983.
Nurses: RCN or Union Membership?
Authors: Beaumont P.B. , Elliott J.
Published: March 2008

The reasons which influence any individual to choose one union over another in a situation where both have recruited members and obtained bargaining rights are investigated in a questionnaire‐based study conducted in three Scottish psychiatric establishments. Two views of why an individual nurse joins the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) as opposed to the Confederation of Health Service Employees (COHSE) or the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) or vice versa are given. In the first view the key influences are seen to be the personal values that individuals bring into the workplace. The second view stresses the influence of the historical patterns of organisations in the different parts of the nursing service.
The Legalities of Employee Discharge: A Growing Need for Management Development
Authors: Bohlander George W.
Published: March 2008

During the past few years a movement has begun in the USA towards passing laws that would require the discharge of employees only for just cause. Erosion of the employment‐at‐will doctrine has begun. This will continue, given social and judicial trends. This has significant implications for managers. Managers can influence this trend by adopting formal policies on employee discipline and discharge. They must be familiar with the employment‐at‐will issue and organisational procedures for preventing its growth. A management development programme is discussed that covers employee discipline. It has been implemented and used successfully by many organisations. A key to its success lies in the variety of topics covered, its appropriateness to all managers and the efficiency with which the material can be covered. Its aim is to prevent future employee charges of unjust discipline and discharge, while fostering an organisational environment based on high employee morale and productivity. The concept of employment‐at‐will and its impact on managers is reviewed.
Bargaining Strategy — Myth or Reality?
Authors: Pirani M.
Published: March 2008

An investigation into the skills used by 82 personnel and industrial relations managers, particularly in negotiations, shows that some of the theoretical and prescriptive ideas that exist on negotiating need to be revised. The notion of rational, calculated negotiating strategy on the part of management needs to be challenged. Management have a fairly clear idea of settlement terms derived from an informal network which is likely to ensure fairly similar terms of settlement. It is essential to emphasise that according to respondents the union side usually loses and settles on average 1–2 per cent below the rate management will accept. In connection with this shop stewards are not seen as good negotiators. The theoretical assumptions which underpin the prescriptive literature on negotiations are examined.
4. Researching the New Industrial Relations
Authors: Wood Stephen
Published: March 2008

Regardless of judgements about the novelty, permanence or extent of the “new industrial relations”, key features in the USA are a decline in union membership, the declining role of bargaining and a corresponding decrease in its scope; the increasing importance of human resource management; the increasing importance of “high‐tech” industries; the increasing need for a “responsible, flexible” worker; the conscious attempt to avoid and undermine unions by firms through location policies and sophisticated paternalism; the attempt to link pay more directly to the economic performance of the plant or firm through gain‐saving schemes, profit‐sharing and fragmented bargaining. It should not be assumed that these developments are widespread or actually represent a change in the management of people. A variety of methodological problems exist making it difficult to assess whether these features are in themselves “new”, notably those relating to the danger of generalising from specific and isolated cases, the problem of benchmarks, links between managerial intentions and practice, the measurement of attitudinal change and the notion of management strategy in itself. To demonstrate these problems and to provide documentary evidence current practices in the US car industry are examined, particularly to evaluate recent change. A multitude of research methods (including participant observation) are required in order to capture all the dimensions of shop‐floor industrial relations behaviour.
6. Voluntary Redundancy: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Lewis Paul
Published: March 2008

Voluntary redundancy (VR) has become a widespread phenomenon in British industrial relations. Combined with redundancy payments it has removed obstacles to industrial restructuring. Traditionally it has been classed as compulsory or voluntary. This obscures the complexity of redundancy and provides no guidelines for analysis. A conceptual development is needed which will enable an investigation of the full range of variables attached to the redundancy process. Characteristics of VR are outlined and its advantages and disadvantages to employers, employees, trade unions and the public interest. For society, VR encourages job losses at a time when more, rather than less, employment is needed. It also encourages increased productivity through flexible working and job demanning. A trade‐off between these competing policies is possible. At present VR presents itself as a form of alliance between employees and employers pursuing mutually consistent private interests. This tension between private interests and wider public interest is obvious. A recognition that redundancies ought to be put to a test of the public good is required.