Employee Relations: An International Journal

Beaumont, P.B.; Elliott, J.

1986 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb055073

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 questionnairebased 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.

Bohlander, George W.

1986 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb055074

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 employmentatwill 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 employmentatwill 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 employmentatwill and its impact on managers is reviewed.

Counsell, Doug

1986 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb055075

Retirement is a relatively new phenomenon. An increasing number of employees are being encouraged to retire early due to social and economic factors. The findings of a survey of 52 organisations 17 public sector, 35 private sector with either head office or divisional bases in the northwest of England are discussed. It seems that the number of organisations offering preparation for retirement pfr is increasing. It is most commonly offered in larger organisations. Pfr should consider psychological and philosophical matters as well as mundane issues. There is a need to improve techniques and methods currently employed in the evaluation of pfr.

Eaton, Jack

1986 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb055076

Business format franchising has vast job creation potential. A 1984 survey commissioned by the British Franchise Association predicted that at least 280,000 jobs will be created in the next five years in the UK as a result of franchising. Reasons for its growth include the lack of theoretical work involved, being your own boss, and the potential for large profit margins. In this context, the British government's insistence that real jobs can only come from creating marketable goods and services is somewhat exasperating. However most franchises are fastfood outlets, the market for which is now beginning to look saturated.

Pirani, M.

1986 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb055077

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 12 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.

Kirkbride, Paul S.

1986 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/eb055078

Power cannot be studied simply by observing the outcomes of contested decision making or by focusing on the possession of physical or structural resources, as an outline of some of the power processes at Bettavalve Placid suggests. Power exists and is mobilised even when nothing happens in the normal sense. To fully understand the processes of power in organisations generally and in industrial relations in particular, the use of ideology, legitimising principles and rhetoric and the ways in which these are used continually to reinforce and reproduce structures of power and domination need to be studied. It is demonstrated how the unitarist ideology of the Bettavalve Placid management was continually reinforced by the use of various legitimising principles and articulated via certain rhetorics.