Employee Relations: An International Journal

Harry J. Van Buren III; Michelle Greenwood

2011 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425451111091627

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to propose that stakeholder scholarship should take its rightful role in the acknowledgement of stakeholder value production, the enhancement of stakeholder voice and public stakeholder advocacy. Its focus is on low‐wage workers particularly, although the analysis holds for dependent stakeholders generally. Design/methodology/approach – This paper analyses and develops extant stakeholder theory with regard to employer treatment of low‐wage workers. A general point is made about the need for stakeholder research, writing and advocacy to take more explicit normative stances. This is achieved in three stages: by explaining why low‐wage workers are dependent stakeholders; by considering the strengths and weakness of stakeholder theory as an explanatory framework for low‐wage workers; and by identifying how stakeholder theory should be developed in order to provide an explicitly normative account of low‐wage workers that leads to pragmatic action. Findings – Labour and industrial relations scholarship would benefit from the integration of stakeholder language and scholarship, as the stakeholder concept has gained currency and legitimacy among academics in a variety of fields. Stakeholder theory scholarship would benefit from explicit consideration of power, which is common to work in labour and industrial relations scholarship. Originality/value – Stakeholder theory can benefit from labour and industrial relations scholarship and practice. Likewise, industrial relations can benefit from understanding and integration of the increasingly ubiquitous stakeholder concept. It is believed that the integration of stakeholder theory with insights from labour and industrial relations scholarship helps further work in both fields.

Anne‐marie Greene; Gill Kirton

2011 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425451111091636

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore what happens to organisational diversity management (DM) policies when the management focus has turned towards significantly reducing workforce numbers. Design/methodology/approach – Findings from a qualitative case study research in one government department (PSO) is presented, and Dickens' three strategies for equality action as an analytical framework is used. Findings – PSO provides an example of the ways in which the three equality strategies outlined by Dickens interact with and mediate each other, so that together they potentially provide a much stronger foundation for the DM agenda within the context of a downsizing process. Research limitations/implications – The qualitative nature of the data makes generalisability to other organisations limited. In addition, case study fieldwork was not conducted during and after the downsizing exercise, however access to documentary data was available. Practical implications – The importance of involvement of a variety of organisational stakeholders in DM policy is shown, as is the importance for DM sustainability of combining the business case with the legal case within a joint regulation framework. Originality/value – This research offers an analysis of DM within a public sector organisation during the pre‐downsizing phase of a restructuring exercise, and the ability to explore perceptions of a variety of organisational stakeholders, particularly line‐managers, non‐management employees and union representatives.

Raymond Caldwell

2011 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425451111091645

Purpose – A place in the boardroom is often considered a necessary if not sufficient condition for HR directors to exercise strategic influence on business decision‐making. The purpose of the paper is to explore the perceived importance of HR boardroom representation, both in a formal and symbolic sense, and to what extent HR directors can exercise strategic influence without it? Design/methodology/approach – Evidence is explored from a survey of 1,188 UK HR practitioners, including 255 board members, and a series of follow‐up interviews with 16 HR directors. Findings – Analysis of the survey findings suggests that boardroom versus non‐boardroom representation of HR appears to matter in four key areas: board members believe they have greater involvement and influence in business planning processes; they have more positive perceptions of the overall performance of HR; they give higher ratings of CEO perceptions of the HR function; and they believe they achieve greater integration of HR strategy with business strategy. Research limitations/implications – While there are increasingly other formal mechanisms and forums (e.g. executive committees, personal networks) outside the boardroom for HR directors to exercise their influence, it appears that the “symbolic capital” of boardroom recognition and esteem still retains enormous significance and rhetorical appeal for the HR profession. Originality/value – The paper seeks to reframe the debates on the relative importance of HR boardroom versus executive committee representation as forums of strategic influence, by focusing on the continued symbolic significance of boardroom representation. It is concluded that a reworking of Bourdieu's concept of “symbolic capital” (i.e. professional esteem, recognition, status, or respect) as board capital may be useful in reframing future research on HR boardroom representation.

Anne Marie Cullen

2011 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425451111091654

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of the shift to a service‐based economy on the employability of unemployed job seekers, specifically focussing on skill acquisition and utilisation. The article considers the provision of training opportunities for unemployed people who are seeking to re‐enter the workplace, and whether such training is taking into account the skills demanded in interactive service work. The article also considers the views of unemployed people towards interactive service work. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a qualitative approach drawing on interview and focus group data gathered from policymakers, training providers and unemployed job seekers. Findings – The data suggests there is little existing training provision for interactive service work for unemployed job seekers and that where it does exist it is not geared towards the skills demands of employers. It is also apparent from the research that unemployed job seekers hold a negative view of employment in the interactive service sector, due to both objective and subjective factors. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited to one geographical region and research in other regenerating cities could offer potentially different insights. Practical implications – The article enjoins with policy debates which are focussing on skills training to enhance employability, considering the importance of apposite skills training. The article also examines the practical and attitudinal barriers to employment that prevent many unemployed jobseekers from gaining access to service sector employment. Originality/value – The article offers a valuable contribution to ongoing debates surrounding access to employment in the service sector for unemployed job seekers.