Employee Relations: An International Journal

Beaumont, Phillip B.; Elliott, Jerome

1990 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459010135253

The results are details of a survey into membershipand recruitment of student nurses in trainingschools and hospitals into the main nursing unionsthe RCN, COHSE and NUPE.

Schmidenberg, Olive C.; Cordery, John L.

1990 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/EUM0000000001020

An indepth, qualitative study of managers andaccountants in a large Australian metropolitanbanking organisation investigated the problemsexperienced by those responsible for theimplementation of their organisations EmployeeAssistance Programme EAP guidelines. Twomajor elements were found to work against theEAPs comfortable integration, and hence itsutilisation, in the organisation. These related tothe supervisors role in the diagnosis of alcoholrelatedpoor performance and the earlyintervention objective of the EAP. Findings arediscussed in relation to their implications forsuccessful implementation of EAPs, notably theneed for the tailoring of EAP guidelines to makethem compatible with existing organisationalsystems e.g. formal and informal performanceappraisal procedures as well as with managerialpractices normal to the organisations culture.

Bischoff, Judith

1990 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/EUM0000000001021

Given current demographic changes in the natureof the population, employers are increasinglyattempting to find ways of retaining or attractingwomen into the workforce. A number ofcompanies have now taken steps to provide childcarearrangements which will hopefully encouragewomen with children to remain in or reenteremployment. Developments in a number ofcountries are reported, and four separate optionsavailable to employers for resolving the childcaredilemma are outlined.

Wilkinson, Barry; Oliver, Nick

1990 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459010002359

The issues and dilemmas facing companies, theirunions and their workers as they attempt toemulate Japanesestyle production practices arediscussed. Using the case of Ford UK as anexample, the causes and effects of the 1988 strikeand the withdrawal from the proposed electronicsplant at Dundee are explored. Major obstacles tothe successful introduction of practices such asjustintime production are identified however,once implemented these practices carry significantimplications for unions and workers.

Blackwell, Richard

1990 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459010135479

Political change in the Bakers, Food and AlliedWorkers Union during 196080 is examined andthe role of parties legitimate and permanentgroups and factions nonlegitimate andtransient groups in unions is discussed. Whetherthe presence of specifically party competitionmay be used to distinguish democratic unions fromnondemocratic ones is questioned, demonstratingthat factions may attain legitimacy, supposedly thekey distinguishing attribute of parties. Secondly,it is argued that electoral outcomes and groupfortunes may be crucially affected by autonomousshifts in membership goals rather than determinedby the relative organising ability of elite groupleaders as is usually assumed. The spread ofcompulsory secret ballots may stimulate greaterefforts to influence elections but also engenderless stable groupings. Finally, no necessaryconnection is detected between the citizen asvoter and the trade unionist as voter.