Employee Relations: An International Journal

Edmonstone, John

1982 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb054998

The application of behavioural science insights to the problems of work organisations is often given the generic title of Organisation Development abbreviated to OD. However, most accounts of OD interventions in the UK seem to describe events in the management levels of organisations with the possible exception of job redesign exercises and details of OD interventions in the industrial relations sphere are, at least in Britain, almost nonexistent. American accounts tend to treat managementunion relations purely as intergroup problems and to ignore other aspects of the field. In this article an account is given of work undertaken by an internal OD unit within the UK National Health Servicein the area of joint consultation within a health authorityand some thoughts are offered on the most fruitful relationship between OD practice and the field of IR.

Hyman, J.; Schuller, T.

1982 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb054999

No one today can doubt that pensions are big news. Whereas a few years ago those involved in pension matters were left to conduct their affairs away from the spotlight of public attention, in more recent times their activities have attracted substantial interest attended by official enquiries, increasing scrutiny and suggestions of regulation.

Knights, David; Hitner, Trevor

1982 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb055000

This article reports on some of the research findings of a two year study on equal opportunity commissioned by the Department of Employment. Although initially conceived as an investigation of successfully operating equal opportunity policies in private industry, the research data suggested that effective practice follows a different line of development. For, in practice, effective equal opportunity bore a closer relationship to everyday problemsolving in organisations than to the adoption of formal policies abstracted from workplace issues and concerns. The success of equal opportunity policies and practices would appear to be contingent upon their direct relevance to workplace problems and the degree to which employees are involved in formulating and implementing them.

Sorge, Arndt; Hartmann, Gert; Warner, Malcolm; Nicholas, Ian

1982 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb055001

Those who believe that the effects of microelectronics are due to the working of technical imperatives, or to the mechanisms of the capitalist system, are prone to neglect national differences. Our suggestion is that microelectronics, and specifically CNC, may have different consequences and be used to different ends, according to the prevailing traditions within society. We expressly include, under such traditions, technical, organisational, and labour variables. We then conjecture that the stability of work traditions will not be changed by the incidence of microelectronics it will only be expressed in new ways. We thus see the development and application of supposedly high technology as constrained by an unchanging sociotechnical tradition.