Employee Relations: An International Journal

Carol Atkinson

2007 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450710741720

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute empirical data to the under‐researched relationship between trust and the psychological contract. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach is used carrying out 41 interviews in three case study firms, adopting a critical incident technique (CIT). Findings – Trust is present in all psychological contracts and its different bases, cognitive and affective, underpin transactional and relational obligations respectively. Research limitations/implications – A small‐scale study using CIT which identifies especially salient issues but is not necessarily exhaustive. Provides a base for more detailed study of the relationship. Practical implications – Demonstrates the impact of the differing bases of trust on the employment relationship. This information could contribute to better managing the employment relationship. Originality/value – There are few extant empirical data on this relationship and a contribution is made to debates on the role of trust within the psychological contract by providing detailed empirical data.

Simon de Turberville

2007 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450710741739

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the rationale underpinning the national development of UNISON's organising strategy and its implementation at regional and branch levels. Design/methodology/approach – The author used non‐participant observation case studies in three National Health Service (NHS) UNISON branches of 92, 49 and 17 per cent density and 45 interviews with non‐members, members, branch activists (key‐stewards and stewards), full‐time officers and managers. Findings – UNISON aimed to devolve financial resources to branches whilst encouraging participation supported by training and increased in‐fill recruitment. Initial regional support diminished because of managerial opposition. Individual attempts by regional staff to resurrect the strategy met with significant resistance within branches as key‐stewards regarded it as largely inappropriate. Research limitations/implications – Concentration on a single union region, which experienced specific problems, could exaggerate poor articulation of strategy. Small numbers of interviews with full‐time officers may ignore alternative viewpoints within the national and regional levels. Originality/value – Rather than using the union organising model as a yardstick against which to measure the impact of change, this work examines the incremental development of national strategy and explores the problems of implementation throughout the union to branch level.

Brian Abbott

2007 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450710741748

Purpose – There is a paucity of information on the characteristics and reasons for workers contacting the CAB with employment problems. This paper seeks to fill this gap in people's knowledge by providing a detailed profile of the employment and personal characteristics of Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) clients. Design/methodology/approach – A total of eight bureaux, from contrasting localities in Greater London, participated in the research. The data for this paper are derived predominantly from interviews with CAB clients and reinforced by quantitative data, which were also garnered. Findings – It is argued that the use of the CAB, for employment advice, is rooted in a structural rather than an attitudinal explanation. Originality/value – There is a growing recognition within the industrial relations literature of the increasing plurality of sources of representation available to workers. However, very little is known about those employees seeking advice and representation and the types of issues with which they approach bureaux.

Huub J.M. Ruël; Tanya V. Bondarouk; Mandy Van der Velde

2007 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450710741757

Purpose – Both for‐profit and not‐for‐profit organisations have been replacing face‐to‐face HRM activities with web‐based HRM tools, e‐HRM for short, for employees and managers since the 1990s. This paper aims to look at whether this is of benefit to an organisation. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in The Netherlands, where e‐HRM in the form of employee self‐service applications was introduced. Findings – The study shows that individual assessment of e‐HRM applications influences HRM technical and strategic effectiveness. This is especially so in the perceived quality of the content and the structure of e‐HRM applications which have a significant and positive effect on technical and strategic HRM effectiveness. Research limitations/implications – It is difficult to form generalizations from the research into only one company. Practical implications – The basic expectations are that using e‐HRM will decrease costs, will improve the HR service level and will give the HR department space to become a strategic partner. This study investigates whether this is the case. Originality/value – The area on which this study concentrates has not had extensive academic research conducted into it.

David Redfern

2007 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450710741766

Purpose – The paper seeks to identify the nature of the contribution that European works councils (EWCs) have made to six British workplaces and their employees. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative longitudinal study of the workplaces (2001‐2004) is discussed, which analyses the views of those senior managers and representatives directly involved together with those who have no immediate role but are intended to be beneficiaries of a council's activities: managers, representatives and employees. Findings – A range of factors are identified that, in most instances, frustrated the realisation of the intended objective of EWCs. Those findings contrasted with the initial optimism concerning EWCs created by the use of quantitative research methods. Whilst councils are diverse in character, a backdrop is provided to some of the challenging representational issues and it explores the scope for managerial manipulation and control, given the limitations of the legislation and the sometimes fragmented activities of representatives. Research limitations/implications – However, it is acknowledged that in a limited number of instances EWCs have made a significant contribution. Originality/value – The paper reflects the expertise of the author and will be of interest to those in the field.

Carole Parkes; Judy Scully; Michael West; Jeremy Dawson

2007 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450710741775

Purpose – This paper sets out to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, particularly with regard to the processes of implementation and the role of managers engaged in such high commitment strategies and work practices. Design/methodology/approach – This study is part of a research project investigating the extent to which employee involvement predicts job performance (as well as job satisfaction, wellbeing and organisational commitment) in the NHS, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The main focus of this paper is to present evidence from four of the 20 case studies to show the barriers to implementing employee involvement as well as highlighting the techniques and practices that have proven to be most successful. Findings – Employee involvement is used successfully by management and has enabled frontline staff to contribute their knowledge to their work. Research limitations/implications – The ethical issues of confidentiality and anonymity permeated the research process throughout. Practical implications – The link between “high commitment” strategies and organisational performance is of great interest to academics and practitioners alike. One of these “high commitment” strategies, namely employee involvement, has been an important HR strategy for the NHS in the UK. Originality/value – Other organisations can learn from the findings by implementing the successful parts.