bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technical Change in an Industrial Relations Context
Authors: Scarbrough Harry , Moran Peter
Published: March 2008

Technical change and industrial relations are becoming inextricably linked together. There is a need for a clearsighted understanding of all the effects of technical change at the workplace. This would entail a conceptual framework in which the interaction between social and technical factors could be properly identified. At establishment level the innovation process typically involves a balancing of the social, economic and technological vectors of change. Three short case studies into the innovation process at one of the key manufacturing plants of a major British vehicle producer are presented, examining a Machine Monitoring System, Team Working and Maintenance Function. It is clear that the linked issues of work practices and labour productivity which are to the forefront of workplace industrial relations exert a significant impact on the economic consequences of technical change. Where technological innovation involves significant change in work practices, such change will be facilitated when the forms of co‐operation it demands and the costs and benefits it creates are congruent with the respective power and policies of management and unions.
Technology, Skills and Training in Microelectronics
Authors: Warner Malcolm
Published: March 2008

To cope with changing market requirements firms have had to invest in advanced manufacturing systems. By combining the benefits of flexibility and specialisation, new manufacturing systems have produced a shift in production with important implications for labour and product markets. These systems may lead to flexibility in organisation, management and labour, as well as technology. In order to cope with the relative shortage of skilled workers in the microelectronics industry, there is a need to expand training programmes and make them available on a massive scale. This is justified on economic and social grounds, as this shortage is increasing faster than the growth in technical sophistication.
Contract Caterers and Public Sector Catering
Authors: Kelliher Clare , McKenna Steve
Published: March 2008

The impact of Government moves to put public sector catering out to competitive tender will severely affect some relationships between public sector catering management and staff, a range of employment issues, the skill levels of catering staff and the role of public sector catering management. The employment implications of the contracting‐out exercise in public sector catering in hospitals and schools are assessed.
Industrial Restructuring and Union Density:
Authors: Beaumont P.B.
Published: March 2008

Between 1977–1985, total employment in one United Kingdom corporation, which initially had 20,000 employees with an overall trade union density of 65 per cent, fell by 45 per cent, while the union density fell by 13 per cent. Shop‐floor grades, which were more highly unionised were disproportionately affected by the employment reductions. The changes are charted for the eleven companies in the corporation and some relevant information on the companies offered.
Computerising: Lessons from the DHSS Pensions Strike
Authors: Willcocks Leslie , Mason David
Published: March 2008

Personnel specialists from both employers and unions should be given, or, if necessary, should seize influential roles in the planning and implementing stages of computerisation projects. The seven‐month “Pensions Strike” at the Department of Health and Social Security centre in Newcastle which cost more than £150 million is assessed, revealing that deficiencies in planning the introduction of new technology, limited objectives, and the failure to understand the industrial relations and personnel implications of those plans will crucially show up at the implementation stage.
Pension Funds in the UK — Danger Ahead?
Authors: Foley Bernard
Published: March 2008

Three major sources of danger threaten UK pension rights and/or expectations of scheme members — “pension holidays” or a rebate of contributions by the firm, the winding‐up of a scheme by the sponsoring company and the take‐over of the sponsoring company by a predator. The hazards facing the pension funds which now find themselves with massive actual surpluses are assessed.
New Technology and Job Design — Lessons from the Print Industry?
Authors: Preece David A.
Published: March 2008

Following extensive research at a company in the printing industry, management is concluded to have operated in an unimaginative way towards the introduction of new technology. Conversely, recent publications on the subject have emphasised its flexibility, and the extent to which there is some degree of choice inherent in the redesign of work in such circumstances. Moreover, workers may also resist managerial changes — especially those which attempt to deskill their jobs — at the point of production.
Employee Opinion Surveys in Work Redesign
Authors: Woodward Sally , Williams Allan P.O.
Published: March 2008

Despite numerous exhortations by a variety of professional organisations and trade unions, many companies still fail to involve their employees in any meaningful way. How an employee opinion survey conducted during a period of work redesign not only enables employees to contribute to the process, but also provides useful information for management and trade unions is shown. The survey also facilitates the constructive exploration of differences between the parties.
Managing Co‐operatively
Authors: Stirling John , Mellor Mary , Hannah Janet
Published: March 2008

For many, co‐operatives represent a challenge to existing systems of industrial relations and organisation structure. However, many of the co‐operatives which have been formed in recent years do not approximate to this vision, since they have not been set up from an ideological standpoint. Co‐operatives can be divided into three types: small business; participative; ideological. It is also important to evaluate their development against the reasons for their evolution. Indeed, the new co‐operatives are ideologically diverse, organisationally different, and a considerable way off being the job generators of the future.
Managerial and Professional Employees in Britain
Authors: Snape Edward J. , Bamber Greg J.
Published: March 2008

There is an increasing realisation that managerial and professional staff play a crucial role in determining the success of the organisations which employ them, whether in the private or the public sector. Hence there is a growing concern with the quality and development of such staff. A detailed study of these important occupational groups, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC reference F/00/23/00 98) was recently conducted by the authors. Although focused on Britain, the research is linked with parallel studies being undertaken in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and several other European countries. The broader international study will be published within the next year as Roomkin, M. (Ed.), The Changing Character of Managerial Employment: A Comparative View Oxford, University Press, New York and Oxford. The demographic and educational trends which relate to managerial and professional employees, their careers and other aspects of the management of such human resources are discussed. The remuneration of managerial and professional staff, their unionisation and their role in the wider society are then considered.
New Towns — A Centre of Non‐unionism?
Authors: Beaumont P.B. , Cairns L.
Published: March 2008

During the current decade, trade union membership has dropped by about 25 per cent, primarily due to the decline in manufacturing establishments in major urban centres. At the same time, there has been a growth in the number of new firms starting up in business. Based on research in those Scottish New Towns, it is found that the proportion of firms which recognise unions is much lower than that for the UK as a whole. Trade unions, it is argued, need to adopt much stronger organising initiatives in such locations if they are to tap in to potential members in these firms.
3. Disabled Workers, Employment Vulnerability and Labour Law
Authors: Doyle Brian
Published: March 2008

Contemporary interest in vulnerable employment groups has focused on women, ethnic minorities and the secondary labour market. Social discrimination, marginal employment and low pay are the badges of vulnerability of these groups. As Section 2 shows, labour law's response to employment vulnerability has been piecemeal and tangential with the result that progress towards the enjoyment of basic employment rights by vulnerable workers has been slow and fortuitous. People with disabilities possess many of the traits of vulnerability shared by other disadvantaged groups but receive only a footnote in the pages of labour law. This article records the developing debate on the employment rights of disabled people and places it in the context of the current analysis of employment vulnerability.
5. Vulnerable Workers: A European Community Solution?
Authors: Szyszczak Erika
Published: March 2008

It is perhaps surprising that in recent years the most persuasive and optimistic response to the problems encountered by vulnerable workers has emanated from the European Community (EC). The 1970s saw a growing involvement of the EC in social policy and labour law: in particular, there have been a significant number of proposed measures emerging from the EC Commission. Many of these measures could have a far‐reaching potential, particularly for vulnerable workers in the United Kingdom. However, in recent years, progress at the EC level has been slow and has now reached almost a complete standstill, largely due to the opposition of the governments of the member states led by the British Government. As a consequence, the EC programme has become beset by legal, institutional and political wrangles as to how far the EC can and should intervene in national labour markets.
International Comparisons in the Study of Industrial Relations
Authors: Bean Ron
Published: March 2008

More comparative research in industrial relations is needed. Whilst there maybe valid criticisms of the adequacy of existing work, it is nevertheless useful in enhancing the cumulative development of the discipline. Apart from being of assistance in the development and testing of hypotheses, it can also make us more aware that aspects of our own system require explanation rather than being taken for granted.
Factors Influencing Joint Consultation in a Police Force: A Case‐study
Authors: Maclagan Patrick
Published: March 2008

The results of an attempt to conduct an employee attitude survey in a British police force are reported. The proposal failed to win approval at the joint consultation committee for four reasons: it would destabilise the system; it was unsuitable for the group concerned; it implied a possible threat to the role and status of some managers, and the consultative process itself permitted an expression of these objections. A number of general propositions which extend beyond the case of police management are made.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, THE POLICE AND PUBLIC ORDER — SOME LESSONS OF THE MINERS' STRIKE
Authors: Wallington Peter
Published: March 2008

The miners' strike of 1984–5 does not lend itself easily to general conclusions. It was, and it is hoped will remain, unique. Nevertheless, it laid bare some significant trends and developments in the policing of industrial disputes, which have, in several respects, been reinforced by subsequent events. My purpose in this article is to identify and analyse what happened in the policing of the strike in that context, in an attempt to highlight the implications of contemporary techniques of policing disputes and of the context in which policing takes place. My central thesis is that recent developments in policing disputes are potentially dangerous for civil liberties, for the police themselves and for industrial relations.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: RHETORIC IN NEGOTIATION
Authors: Kirkbride Paul S.
Published: March 2008

In two previous articles, this author drew attention to the importance of the linguistic resources of legitimising principles, and the uses of ideology and rhetoric in bargaining and negotiation. It was argued that if we are fully to understand the processes of power in organisations generally, and in industrial relations in particular, we need to study in more detail the nature and uses of ideology, legitimising principles and rhetoric, and the ways in which these are used continually to reinforce and reproduce structures of power and domination. Illustrative material from an engineering company, Bettavalve Placid, was used to demonstrate the nature of some of these processes.
THE STATE OF THE UNIONS: TRADE UNION FINANCES, 1975–1985
Authors: Willman Paul , Morris Tim
Published: March 2008

Whilst there has been quite a lot of research and speculation about the ability of the unions to adapt to the changed environmental circumstances of the 1980s, there has been no consideration of the impact of such changes on the financial status and performance of trade unions. It is suggested that, contrary to popular opinion, the unions have fared reasonably well during the period of membership decline, in part because they did not benefit very much during the growth phase of the 1970s. Increased membership will not necessarily solve financial problems.
BLOODY STOCK CONTROL: ISSUE DEFINITION AND REHEARSAL
Authors: Kirkbride Paul S.
Published: March 2008

Two principal conclusions can be drawn from this analysis of negotiating practice. Firstly, that negotiations take place at all levels and on a much more regular basis than in formal meetings alone. Secondly, the need for training in negotiating skills is highlighted, illustrating the way in which negotiators are made and not born. This is especially important when it comes to the use of language in order to present cases in the most effective manner.
ANOTHER TWIST FOR EQUAL VALUE
Authors: Fouracre Sandra
Published: March 2008

Following a number of recent decisions in the area of equal pay for work of equal value, it is argued that organisations need to be clearer than ever that their job evaluation systems and pay structures are appropriate. Recent rulings by the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords are described to make the point that in terms of evaluation and pay structure adjustment, the most effective way forward is likely to be a joint management and union approach.
INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE — 21–23 OCTOBER 1987
Authors: Parker Philip
Published: March 2008

The Institute of Personnel Management's annual conference at Harrogate each October is attended by about 2,000 personnel practitioners. Although a wide variety of issues are debated over the course of the three‐day conference, one underlying theme throughout many of the sessions was the shift from “industrial relations” to “human resource management.” This has implications not only for the personnel function, and its professional members, but also for trade unions, who are increasingly being pushed from the centre stage of employee relations.
Management and Professional Employees in Large Scale Organisations: An Australian Study
Authors: Lansbury Russell D. , Quince Annabelle
Published: March 2008

Various aspects of managerial and professional employees in Australia are examined in an attempt to establish if the Australian experience is similar to that reported in other countries where “management” appears to have emerged as a third force between the employers and organised labour. It is argued that the new style manager is a younger, more highly educated “professional” but that the managerial function is also changing. A survey, conducted in Australia during 1985 of senior executives and 14 large scale organisations from both the public and private sector, provides the basis for this report of the changing characteristics of managerial and professional employees in Australia. Areas explored include the proportion of managers and professionals as a percentage of the labour force; particular characteristics which are emerging; education levels and qualifications; the process governing the movement of managers within the labour market; the effect of recent legislation on remuneration systems; and the degree of union membership among managers.
NEW TECHNOLOGY, HUMAN RESOURCES AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS — THE ROLE OF MANAGEMENT
Authors: Willcocks Leslie , Mason David
Published: March 2008

One of the major trip‐wires seen for the introduction of information technology into British industry was originally thought to be industrial relations, and in particular trade unions. However, if the potential of IT has not been realised, it owes more to constraints other than industrial relations. This article suggests that effective management development, the creative use of personnel specialists, and manpower planning are critical components of a successful implementation programme.
THE JAPANISATION OF BRITISH INDUSTRY? A CASE STUDY OF QUALITY CIRCLES IN THE CARPET INDUSTRY
Authors: Black John , Ackers Peter
Published: March 2008

This article reports on a new strategy for labour control in a British carpet factory, brought about under the pressure of the recession. The key characteristics of this approach have a number of similarities with the Japanese model of labour relations. Quality circles are the only overtly Japanese feature at the company, although the new economic and political conditions within Britain may have created the conditions for the absorption of Japanese values and ideas.
TWO STEPS FORWARD BUT GOING NOWHERE? WOMEN AND MANAGEMENT IN AUSTRALIA
Authors: Quince Annabelle , Lansbury Russell D.
Published: March 2008

Despite the enactment of affirmative action programmes by the Government, there has been little change in the position for working women in Australia. In order to achieve genuine and lasting change, there needs to be challenge to issues such as the lack of adequate child care facilities, the career implications of part‐time work, and the male‐dominated structure of the family.
Organisational Change: “Top‐Down” or “Bottom‐Up” Management?
Authors: Lupton Tom
Published: March 2008

Most significant organisational changes originate with higher management, and are “pushed through” in one way or another. Resistance from the “lower levels” is usually expected and plans are made to overcome it. The phrase “selling the change” is commonly used to describe a process in which management attempts either to convince those affected that they are likely to gain as a result, or promises them that they will be compensated for any loss of job, pay, or status. The task of “pushing through,” “selling,” making the promises and handling the administration of the gains or compensations, often falls to the personnel people, especially the administration part.
MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT
Authors: Morris John
Published: March 2008

What is likely to happen to management development in the seventies? I believe that it will become closely linked with a newly evolving branch of management— development management. Development management is concerned with building new forms of organisation that will enable the enterprise to cope effectively with change. This contrasts with operations management, which is concerned with the efficient use of existing resources to make the goods and services currently required, and with the rapid restoration of a steady state whenever a breakdown occurs. In some enterprises, it is possible to relate the two aspects of management very closely in day‐to‐day working. In others, the two need to be sharply separated if they are to be mutually effective. In either case, the co‐ordination of operations and development is a vital function of general management. With the growth of development management, general management will need more careful study, as its tasks will become more complex and demanding.
COMPUTERS IN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Authors: Wishart David
Published: March 2008

The reliability of any personnel management information system depends, first, on the method of data collection and organisation, and secondly on the accuracy of summary statistics which are used for describing manpower resources, forecasting manpower demands, allocation, etc. In larger and more advanced organisations, methods of personnel data collection require the completion of forms which are then coded on to cards or magnetic tape and read into a computer file. During the completion of his form, an employee may well have to refer to exhaustive lists of alternatives in order to code information concerning his experience, job history, qualifications, or worse, complete the form without reference to any standard vocabulary. Misunderstandings inevitably lead to errors, coding lists become unrepresentative, and time and accuracy are lost.
Practical Obstacles to Effective Manpower Planning
Authors: Wellman Glenn
Published: March 2008

The personnel function has not, in general, been involved in the high‐level strategic decision‐taking activities of the firm. This lack of involvement seems largely to be caused by an inability on the part of the personnel manager to present information regarding the enterprise in its labour market and by an inability on the part of general management to appreciate the significance of such information.
Occupational Role Development Part 11
Authors: Gowler Dan , Legge Karen
Published: March 2008

In part 1 of this paper we used the concept of the occupational role to illustrate some of the contributions social scientists make to the better understanding of the problems confronting members of work organisations. The problem we were particularly interested in commenting upon was the difficulties surrounding the inter and intra‐organisational mobility of labour, and we used an analysis of the structure of the occupational role to examine the processes which result in the inability and/or unwillingness of employees to change their job.
The Costing of Labour Turnover
Authors: Orton M.E.
Published: March 2008

Much has been written about the causes and measurement of labour turnover, but less has been written about the costs involved. It is generally assumed that high rates of labour turnover will have harmful financial effects, without any serious attempt being made to quantify these effects. Sometimes it is considered that the costs involved in quantifying the costs will not justify the knowledge gained. Over the years, however, various methods for costing labour turnover have been suggested and used in specific examples. This article summarises the main methods suggested, and attempts to draw some conclusions as to their adequacy. No method yet devised has presented management with a simple but effective guide to labour turnover costs which can be applied in most situations.
Selecting, Training and Rewarding the Expatriate
Authors: Carney John , Wilbraham Arthur
Published: March 2008

In the great trading days of the 16th and 17th century it was often trade which preceded the flag. Today there is still clearly a ‘push‐pull’ relationship between international business and international politics. Interwoven with the warp of international politics is the weft of international business. As the Whitehall Eurocrats polish up their French prior to descending on Brussels a growing number of businessmen are choosing and being chosen to settle temporarily in foreign countries.
Leadership Styles and Leadership Effectiveness
Authors: Dunkerley David
Published: March 2008

Throughout much of the social science literature there is a great deal of evidence relating to the concept of leadership in a number of organizational settings. However, little of this research has been focussed on the relation, if any, between leadership styles and leadership effectiveness.
HOW JOBS MOTIVATE
Authors: Cooper Robert
Published: March 2008

Like all social institutions, work undergoes periodic redefinition. The definitive features of early industrial conceptions of work were
Manufacturing—Not So Much a Technology More a Way of Life
Authors: Edwards Graham , Pierre Schmitt Jean
Published: March 2008

Our objective, when reporting on a series of research projects conducted between our two management centres, UMIST and INSEAD, was firstly to comment upon our European experiences against the background of the changing world. Our second concern was to express, in terms acceptable to us, that production management is at the core of our interest and that, as researchers, we could not accept the great technical predominance that has characterized the teachings of those concerned with production technology. As observers of the changes in the social framework we are aware of the attention given to production problems by sociologists, psychologists and industrial anthropologists and, like interested technicians, we follow and occasionally applaud, their discoveries. Like those with day‐to‐day production problems we try not to be carried away with novelty and, as a result, one of our major tasks has been to remain ‘in touch’ with those in production departments throughout Europe, who have the responsibility of earning the nation's living. It is, after all, these people who are the concern of governments, unions and managers.
Job Restructuring Amongst Blue‐collar Workers
Authors: Birchall Dave , Wild Ray
Published: March 2008

This paper presents a review and classification of reported experiments in job design. The study is confined, in the main, to published experiments directed towards the improvement of the motivational content of blue‐collar jobs, and is intended principally to provide a reference source to those researchers or practitioners engaged in work in this field. Before describing these experiments, we shall briefly review the methods available to the job designers who seek to restructure jobs. Much has been written on the subject and for this reason our discussion will be brief, nor will we discuss the history or development of job design principles which is adequately dealt with elsewhere.
JOB DESIGN
Authors: Mills S.
Published: March 2008

Industrial sociologists and psychologists have often paid little more than scant attention to the actual work of the people they have been studying. The literature is full of brief comments about the work situation which lack both data and an analytical framework. This deficiency is surprising. Work content has been shown to have a significant impact on behaviour, morale, and productivity in the workplace. The purpose of job design research is to seek to understand this relationship more clearly and then to use research‐based insights to create jobs which are more satisfying to perform, and more efficient in performance. As such this body of knowledge should be a subject of particular relevance for personnel specialists since job content considerations should affect recruitment, training, placement and effort‐reward policies. However, although job content has very wide repercussions for the personnel area, job design is frequently left by default to the technical and engineering specialists, who seek to make their work system function effectively in production rather than human terms.
Informatics is a Social Science
Authors: Hawgood John
Published: March 2008

The intention of this paper is to explain the meaning of the word ‘informatics’, which is coming into use more slowly in Britain than elsewhere, and to show that informatics is a logical and structured academic discipline, with practical implications for people, with which social scientists should be concerned and which consequently should be taught to students and practitioners of the social sciences.
The Training Adviser and his Relationships with Industry
Authors: Johnson Paul
Published: March 2008

In a recent report on the role of the Training Adviser commissioned by the Hotel and Catering Industry Training Board there was some detail and discussion of relationships between training advisers and clients in the industry. The job of developing and maintaining relationships with employers in the industry, motivating clients and changing attitudes was considered by field staff to be one of the most important areas of the job. Relational activitiy, that which focuses on the needs of the adviser and the client in establishing the framework within which they can operate, is clearly a prerequisite to any adviser‐client relationship. It clearly emerged from the interviews that this was an important category of advisory activity. Relation‐ships with clients came up as the most sensitive indicator of satisfaction in the job. For the majority of field staff what happened with clients coloured their whole experience of the job. When a relationship went well and the client was responsive to training then the adviser ‘felt good’, when things went badly with clients then the adviser ‘felt he had had a bad day’. This is clearly an aspect of training advisory work which will continue to be important so long as a service based on individual contact with clients is maintained, and one which merits detailed attention.
The Influence Process between Specialists and Executives
Authors: Pettigrew Andrew M.
Published: March 2008

Staff specialists are increasingly concerned about their credibility with executive groups. Events and trends of the past few years have meant more pressures on the staff man. This is partly a consequence of better technical training for line managers. While there has always been plenty of evidence of executive scepticism of staff advice, now more and more managers are able to back up their intuitive doubts with more reasoned consideration of the technical underpinnings of information they receive from experts. Not only can many executives question the conclusions of the staff man but they may also be able to delve into the technical process through which those conclusions evolved.
A Study on Staff Succession
Authors: Bramham John T.
Published: March 2008

The purpose of this study was to provide a simple model designed to investigate a staff structure, showing how this would vary over time under different recruitment and promotion policies and with different assumptions about wastage. The staff structure examined was of those employees covered by the Region's management development scheme. The model developed simulated the movement of staff through the hierarchical structure in terms of groups of staff rather than on an individual basis.
Organizational Development at Pilkington
Authors: Lupton Tom , Clayton Tom , Warmington Allan
Published: March 2008

Pilkington Brothers is by any token a highly successful manufacturing company. From its centre in St Helens, Lancashire, this 150‐year old glass company has in the past few decades expanded very rapidly. It is now a large and complex international business. Pilkington have plants in Canada, Australia, India, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, and Sweden. The company is a technological pace‐setter. Glass manufacturers the world over use Pilkington‐developed processes on licence. Although still essentially glass‐producers, Pilkington have by expansion, acquisition and merger, diversified into optical glass, fibreglass, and toughened vehicle‐glass, for example. What is more, this family firm seems to have managed the process of ‘going public’ with a great deal of skill. It survived the bitter and damaging strike of 1970 emerging two years later with improved profitability. Future prospects are to all appearances excellent. Pilkington always enjoyed, and still enjoys, amongst their own employees at every level and widely amongst the British public, a high reputation as employers who treat their employees with decency and consideration, and as pioneers of modern management techniques. The strike, by common consent, certainly tarnished that image, but it still persists strongly, especially in St Helens. Certainly, senior managers of the company strive honestly and vigorously to restore and to maintain the company's reputation.
Computer Systems and Work Design: Problems of Philosophy and Vision
Authors: Mumford Enid
Published: March 2008

At this moment in time two sets of values present in society are in conflict with each other. On the one hand we have a powerful technical value system which tells us to make maximum possible use of technology so that we may become more wealthy and comfortable. On the other hand we have a humanistic value system which tells us to beware of technology for it is a mirage which will lead us to disaster rather than success. Somewhere in between these two value systems is another which says technology is essentially neutral; whether it produces gains or losses depends entirely on the decisions that are taken on how it shall be used. Supporters of this middle position are a group of researchers from seven European countries who are working together in an attempt to influence one form of technology — computers to move in a direction which produces human as well as technical gains. This paper is a report on one aspect of our research. We argue that computers and information technology represent a powerful resource for improvement at all levels of society; but for this improvement to come about, alternative ways of using the technology must be identified and choices made in terms of human psychological needs.
The Attachment of White‐Collar Workers to Trade Unions
Authors: Bowen Peter , Elsy Valerie E. , Shaw Monica P.
Published: March 2008

The purpose of this paper is to consider how far different unions representing white‐collar workers fulfil the expectations of their memberships. In order to focus upon this problem we intend to concentrate on the area of white‐collar membership of predominantly manual workers' unions: in particular we shall take as examples the cases of the steel and mining industries. At a time when major trade unions representing the white‐collar labour force are competing for membership on an unprecedented scale and when proposals for union amalgamations are currently being voiced, the appropriateness of union policies for this category of employees and their approval by the rank and file are of obvious relevance.
Five Conditions for Successful OD
Authors: Stuart‐Kotze Robin
Published: March 2008

Experience with the process of organizational development in both the public and private sectors appears to indicate that there are certain minimum conditions which must be established if successful planned change is to take place in an organization. The author has drawn this hypothesis from his experience with a number of OD programmes of varying size and emphasis, and believes it to be a general case.
Manpower Planning
Authors: Ashdown P.L. , Cruden S. , Sheldon J.D. , Boyd D.G. , Venner B.G.
Published: March 2008

Introduction This account of an operational manpower planning study is presented to show how the available ingredients were mixed to produce a very successful and useful end product. It highlights, in particular, the cooperation between personnel management (Forestry Commission), manpower planning analyst (Civil Service Department Statistician) and trade union (Civil Service Union) which was such a productive feature of the exercise.
A Further Comment on human resource accounting
Authors: Cannon James A
Published: March 2008

In a critical article in the last issue of Personnel Review the two major approaches to Human Resource Accounting (HRA) were examined and the salient criticisms arrayed. The present short comment seeks to amplify further some of these debates and to enlarge the compass of the concept. Two further approaches will be examined briefly; that of competitive bidding as a means of human valuation, and systems simulation as a means of operationalizing a conceptual framework which involves HRA.
Strategic Aspects of the Management of Specialist Activity
Authors: Pettigrew Andrew M.
Published: March 2008

In an earlier paper in this Journal the present writer outlined some of the interpersonal factors likely to affect staff specialists' credibility with their clients. These included the specialist's diagnostic ability, his skill in forming multiplex relationships with his clients, the ease with which he coped with the stresses in his role and his facility as a diagnostician and actor in the political arena surrounding any changes he may be recommending. This paper seeks to develop aspects of the political context of the specialist's (or internal consultant's) work by focusing on some of the strategic factors which affect the long term viability of specialist units. A framework is provided which described some of the evolutionary phases specialist groups might go through and practical implications are drawn from this phase model about strategic aspects of the management of specialist activity.
‘Best Fit’ in the Design of Organizations
Authors: Lupton Tom
Published: March 2008

It is useful to distinguish, very broadly, three contrasting approaches to organizational design. The first of these argues, straightforwardly and persuasively, that to design for organizational efficiency, one must begin from a knowledge of the properties of the individual person. The assumption that lies behind the approach is that to the extent that the individuals who work in an organization are committed to its goals, so will they find ways to work effectively towards those goals. The problem for the designer is how to remove the obstacles that prevent commitment. Since, so the argument continues, individuals are similar with respect to the factors that blunt or sharpen their commitment, then it should be possible to produce a common design procedure for all organizations. I refer to this approach as the ‘human relations’ approach.
Business Students' Perceptions of Occupational Opportunities in Management
Authors: Burgoyne John , Eccles Tony
Published: March 2008

Introduction This paper presents some empirical evidence about the way in which post‐graduate Business School students perceive their future job and career opportunities. In particular, it describes some of the job features which are valued by the student and, by implication, those which are unappealing.
The Trade Unions ‐ New users of research
Authors: Nygaard Kristen , Terje Bergo Olav
Published: March 2008

The Norwegian National Union of Iron and Metal Workers (in this report abbreviated to MWU), the largest trade union in Norway, has recently completed a research project on ‘Planning Methods for the Trade Unions’. This is the first major research project in Norway conducted by a trade union without the employers participating. Joint projects have been going on for some time and are well publicized.
Organization Development and the Trade Unions
Authors: Gill H.S. , Pedler M.J. , Shipton J.D.
Published: March 2008

As managements increasingly apply behavioural science findings in the development of their organizations, the opportunities grow for organization development techniques to be introduced in the field of industrial relations. In discussing themes for student projects and staff seminars during the Autumn of 1973, we thought that this would be an interesting area to consider. Because there is relatively little written about organization development and industrial relations we felt that there was a need to undertake some research in the area. As a starting point, we chose to look at union attitudes to organization development, and this article describes the investigation we carried out and discusses some implications which seem to arise from our findings.
Classifying Different Types of Managerial Jobs
Authors: Stewart Rosemary
Published: March 2008

The selection and training of managers is hampered by the poverty of our language for describing the differences in managerial jobs. This article gives an account of some of the initial findings of a research project, sponsored by the Social Science Research Council, which aimed to classify the behavioural demands of managers' jobs, and thus to extend the vocabulary that we can use in identifying the demands of a particular job. The term ‘behavioural demands’ is used for the demands of a job, other than those stemming from the requirements for professional, technical and organizational knowledge and experience. The specific area studied are described below.
Manpower Planning Models in use in the Civil Service Department
Authors: Forbes A.F. , Morgan R.W. , Rowntree J.A.
Published: March 2008

This paper describes the mathematical models used by the Civil Service Department for manpower planning supply work, their inter‐relationship, and the problems to which they are suited. Mathematical detail is normally not included, the reader being referred to other publications.
Executive Redundancy
Authors: Page N.
Published: March 2008

A new problem in the world of employment is that of executive redundancy. It was generally believed until a few years ago that once a person had joined the professional and managerial classes, he would be rewarded for the years of study that he had undertaken by a life‐long, well‐paid and steady job. It is now clear that this pattern of working life is changing and that the professional and managerial job must be concerned not only with being dynamic in the specialism practised, but that careers also must be dynamic. The reasons for the changing pattern of life in the top jobs are many and varied and include the relative decline of independent professionals, financial squeeze on smaller organizations and the shorter life‐span of higher technologies. The problem for the individual is not readily solved by the existing structure of the Department of Employment, a fact recognized by the restructuring of the Professional and Executive Register (PER), the remainder of the Department of Employment continuing to be concerned in filling existing vacancies. For executives, the old procedure of fitting approximately shaped pegs into well‐defined holes is not appropriate, as by definition, the executive and professional make jobs fit their personalities. In an attempt to cope with this problem, Professional and Executive Recruitment have been cooperating with the Extra Mural Department of the University of Manchester to try and find ways of resettling those who have been made redundant or are faced with a major change in career. At the outset it must be made clear that the intention of this work is not to find jobs for those participating in the scheme, but to enable them to find suitable employment for themselves which matches their qualifications, ambitions and experience. The participants are sponsored through the Training Opportunities Scheme of the Department of Employment on an eight week course held at the University and in the Manchester Business School.
Management Style and Fair Payment
Authors: Husband Tom
Published: March 2008

This article discusses the relationship between management style within a firm and the procedures used to determine internal wage and salary differentials. At a time when management styles are apparently becoming less authoritarian and paternalistic in favour of greater worker participation there is obviously a danger of firms using payment techniques which are inappropriate to the current management/worker relationship. Some simple models of workers and organization are used to identify four broad styles of management. These styles are then related to the job evaluation and performance rating techniques in common use in British industry today. Some general conclusions are drawn concerning future trends in payment to suit management style.
The Management of Stress
Authors: Cooper Cary L. , Marshall Judi
Published: March 2008

The topicality of ‘stress at work’ is largely due to a recognition of the harmful effects that the mental ill health of both management and workers can have on organizations. Attention in the USA has been focused on an estimated financial cost of $6 billion a year. In the UK the damaging consequences of absenteeism, poor work performance, alcoholism, coronary diseases, psychosomatic illnesses have become a major cause for concern.
A Practical Guide to Company Manpower Planning
Authors: Sawtell Roger A. , Sweeting Philip
Published: March 2008

As employment costs and, regrettably, Government interference increase, companies are beginning to recognize the need for a rational manpower policy or strategy to take account of new circumstances. To do this many policies will need a complete re‐think and to make the new policies rational they will need to be based on reliable assessments of present and future manpower needs. This can only be done through the framework of manpower planning.
System Design and Social Reality: Formal and Informal Aspects of Administrative Control
Authors: Höyer Rolf
Published: March 2008

When computers were first used in work organizations they were seen principally as devices able to perform simple and limited functions. In consequence they were used to automate routine tasks which had previously been done manually — producing bills, payrolls etc — and they appeared in organizations primarily concerned with large‐scale information processing such as banks, insurance, finance institutions and departments concerned with control. They were also to be found in organizations and departments where large‐scale data processing was a means for achieving desired goals, for example, engineering firms and research and development departments.
A Change Strategy to Implement New Norms, New Styles and New Environment in the Work Organization
Authors: Ottaway Richard N.
Published: March 2008

Worker participation is suddenly a household word. It is being written about in the media and used in speeches as if it were a new piece of equipment, like a computer, that can be installed easily in any work organization. The impression gained is that to have worker participation, one need only have workers participate in management meetings. The purpose of this paper is to propose a method of implementing change which can cope with the difficult problems faced when implementing worker participation.
Role Conflict between Supervisor and Subordinate
Authors: van de Vliert Evert
Published: March 2008

One of the most important role conflicts with which organization members are concerned is when a supervisor does not agree with a direct subordinate about what the latter ought to do. It is therefore surprising that this type of role conflict has seldom been systematically studied. In order to gain insight into and be able to control the role conflict situation, it is important to know which Factors cause the role conflict between supervisor and subordinate and which factors are allowed by the subordinate to determine his role behaviour in such conflict. Empirical data have been collected on both issues, which will be presented after a review of the theoretical basis and the research done.
Salesmen's Reactions to a New Compensation Scheme
Authors: Darmon René Y
Published: March 2008

The area of salesman behaviour is characterized by a lack of theoretical and empirical research contrasting with the need for an understanding of salesman behaviour in the area of several sales management problems. For instance, when designing a new compensation scheme, a sales manager needs to know what to change, with what probable effect on sales, on salesmen's earnings and, consequently, on net profits. It has been shown that the compensation plan structure should be largely dependent on salesman behaviour patterns. In the same way, knowledge about salesman behaviour has managerial implications for recruiting salesmen displaying desirable behavioural patterns, whenever possible.
Fakers: A Study of Managers' Responses on a Personality Test
Authors: Elliott A.G.P.
Published: March 2008

One of the perennial problems which faces any human being trying to evaluate another is the fact that behaviour changes according to the situation in which the subject of enquiry finds himself. People who are being observed tend to perform differently from the way in which they behave when they are unaware that their activities are under investigation.