Employee Relations: An International Journal

John Kelly

1997 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459710186296

States that the future of trade unionism depends partly on structural factors such as the level of unemployment and also on workers coming to believe that unionism is essential to protect their interests. Draws from the literature on social movements to analyse the ways in which workers arrive at such a viewpoint. According to theory workers must feel a sense of injustice, they must believe management is responsible and they must hold negative views of management. Data from the British Social Attitudes surveys suggest that a growing number of employees have indeed come to share such views. Posits that this encouraging news for trade unions is somewhat offset by the fact that a growing proportion of employees also believes unions may be too weak to make a difference at the workplace, but if this perception could be overcome then the future for unionism is very encouraging.

Ashly Pinnington; Geraldine Hammersley

1997 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459710186304

Posits that quality circles (QCs) are a form of employee involvement (EI) which failed due to inconsistent support from management and because they were unable to cope with the realities of organizational power. The QC programme in Land‐Rover flourished during most of the 1990s and is atypical of the national trend where programmes have tended to be short‐lived. States, theoretically, that QCs in Land‐Rover are similar to other programmes in so far as they depend on management support and do not fundamentally challenge the managerial prerogative. Most QC programmes in the UK commenced as an EI initiative, but soon raised issues of participative management which contributed to the brevity of their popularity. The comparative longevity of QCs in Land‐Rover suggests a greater capacity in the company for participative management, although this was unexploited over the long‐term because of the prevailing managerial ideology and its overriding emphasis on economic rationality. Investigates the evidence from the employee perspective.

Edmund Heery

1997 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459710186313

Discusses how an earlier article in this journal (Vol. 19 No. 3) examined the extent to which the spread of individual performance‐related pay (IPRP) and was associated with trade union derecognition. Builds on that analysis and uses the same set of data to examine whether this kind of payment system is associated with trade union disorganization, with the detachment of employees from union membership. Concludes that, while there is some evidence of IPRP leading to a reduced identification with trade unionism among employees, there is countervailing evidence of a fresh demand for union protection where IPRP is introduced. Case studies from local government, however, suggest that local union representatives have been ill‐equipped to meet this demand and have failed to exploit a diffuse sense of grievance about the operation of performance pay among local authority workers.

Michel Mestre; Alan Stainer; Lorice Stainer

1997 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459710186322

States that people management is one of the most crucial variables of corporate success. Provides an analysis of the orientation process, comparing Japan with the West. Investigates Japanese recruitment philosophy in relation to its effective and planned orientation management. Examines and illustrates the scheduling of Japanese orientation programmes. Posits that within this scenario, employee development is perceived under three distinct headings: becoming part of a team, becoming a company person and becoming trained in organizational expectations. Emphasis is put on inter‐relationships, requiring a shared understanding of the direction and values needed for effective business and individual performance. Communication, through orientation, is seen as an essential key to the integration and efficacy of new recruits and existing employees facing strategic change.

Ian Winfield; Amanda Hay

1997 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459710186331

Examines the extent to which a major purchaser can affect company behaviour within those firms supplying to it. Eleven major UK suppliers to Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK were compared with other non‐supply chain companies to examine the extent to which new forms of customer‐supplier relationships are spreading within supply chain firms into wider aspects of organizational behaviour, as a direct consequence of close involvement. Toyota appear to affect supply firms’ communication patterns, employee relations, and approaches to problem solving directly.

Patricia Fosh

1997 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459710186340

Discusses how since 1970, the colonial government in Hong Kong has exercised its wide legal powers over trade union organization and activities in a benevolent manner. Whether the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will continue this policy is uncertain: the new government may enforce the trade unions’ legal framework more rigorously. UK trade unions proved themselves reliant and adaptable in the face of a wide raft of legislative “reforms”, brought in by Conservative governments in the 1979 to 1997 period, which laid down strict templates for their internal decision‐making processes. Suggests that the “survival lessons” learned by the UK trade unions during this period of hostile government may be of help to Hong Kong trade unions which face future challenges.