Employee Relations: An International Journal

Norma Heaton; Bob Mason; Joe Morgan

2000 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450010340335

Contributes to the social partnership debate by exploring ways in which inter and intra-union relations influence the development of partnership within a National Health Service Trust, by using observation techniques, focus groups and semi-structured interviews involving ancillary workgroup members, shop stewards and managers (conducted in 1998). Argues, on an empirical basis, that union relationships may both facilitate and constrain management decision making and, ultimately, the implementation of policy. Views, conceptually, the parties' understanding of partnership as changing over time, within a context that is contradictory; with management, trade union representatives and employees developing competing perspectives on "social partnership", in part as a response to, and in turn recreating, a pluralistic workplace environment.

Irene Nikandrou; Nancy Papalexandris; Dimitris Bourantas

2000 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450010340344

Acquisitions often have a negative impact on employee behaviour resulting in counter productive practices, absenteeism, low morale and job dissatisfaction. It appears that an important factor affecting the successful outcome of acquisitions is top management's ability to gain employee trust. Explores a number of variables which bear an impact on managerial trustworthiness. Among them, frequent communication before and after acquisition, and the already existing quality of employee relations seem to play the most important role. Therefore, a carefully planned, employee-centered communication programme, together with a good level of employee relations, seem to form the basis for a successful outcome as far as employee relations in the face of acquisitions is concerned.

John J. Rodwell; Jeremy Lam; Maureen Fastenau

2000 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450010372619

Organisations with low absenteeism and low turnover can be distinguished from organisations with high absenteeism and turnover through the identification and implementation of sophisticated and strategic best practices such as benchmarking relative cost position, developing a corporate ethic, valuing the negotiation of an enterprise agreement, and not having a written OH&S policy. Several of the remaining 16 practices identified in the literature as best practices, including benchmarking customer service, having a policy addressing recruitment, selection and promotion, were shown to be standard industry practice in the AFI. The findings suggest that benchmarking allows organisations to identify and replicate the innovations of competitors, but competitive advantage requires innovation rather than replication.

Jerry Hallier and Stewart Butts

2000 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450010340371

While HRM has stimulated studies assessing the extent of UK training, there has been little sustained research into trainer roles and influence. Using semi-structured interviews with trainers in public and private sector organizations, considers the assumptions and tactics that trainers use to enhance their influence. Shows that, at a rudimentary level of service, attendant approaches to build credibility with line management locks training into a subservient position. Likewise, while shared threats can close some of the status gap between training and line management, alliance tactics are insufficient to improve the general status of trainers. High status training is not achieved by a progressive passage through a common sequence of mobility stages. It develops from a supportive training culture where trainers develop new ways to assess their organizational contribution on conventional performance criteria and from charismatic trainers innovating training knowledge. Continually reinventing their contribution, however, means that high status remains conditional.

Peter J. McGunnigle; Stephanie M. Jameson

2000 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450010340380

Explores human resource management (HRM) and the established relationships between HRM, the management of "commitment cultures", the recruitment and selection procedures, and the training and development practices considered necessary to develop employee commitment. The literature suggests that organizations adopting an HRM approach desire employee commitment, have in place sophisticated, objective recruitment and selection methods in order to achieve this, and have structured training and development systems to encourage commitment to the organization. Shows, however, that while there is a clear desire for commitment, little evidence is found of contemporary recruitment and selection methods commensurate with this aim. In contrast, there is strong evidence of relatively sophisticated training and development systems congruent with an HRM approach. Concludes that currently there is little to suggest a shift towards HRM in UK hotels