What is work? Is it simply a burden to be tolerated or something more meaningful to one's sense of identity and self-worth? And why does it matter? In a uniquely thought-provoking book, John W. Budd presents ten historical and contemporary views of work from across the social sciences and humanities. By uncovering the diverse ways in which we ......
This book offers a critical assessment of employee participation in Europe. It addresses both the internal dynamics of participatory systems in specific countries, and transnational policies and problems at the level of the European Union. Combining historical, sociological and comparative analysis, the author presents an understanding of the role of participation in contemporary industrial relations. Herman Knudsen shows how participation, while widely approved as an ideal, represents divergent interests and rationales for the different actors employees, employers and governments. The ways in which participation has been introduced and the variations in its practice are illustrated by detailed examination of the origins and development of participatory institutions in Germany, Britain, Spain and Denmark. This comparative approach clarifies the ways in which specific models of participation are embedded in national industrial relations systems and cultures. Beyond the national level, the author addresses two major influences on the changing context of participation in contemporary industrial relations: the initiatives of the European Union, and the growing importance of information technology. This broad-ranging review will be useful reading for all scholars of industrial and personnel relations, human resource management, sociology of work and employment, and related disciplines.
This handbook is an indispensable teaching, research and reference guide for anyone interested in issues of labour and employment. The editors have assembled a top-flight group of authors and the end-product is an encompassing state-of-the-art review of the industrial relations field' - Professor Bruce E Kaufman, AYSPS, Georgia State University 'This Handbook will quickly become the standard reference in industrial relations research. It provides the most comprehensive and challenging presentation of the key theoretical debates and topics of research that will shape our field well into the 21st century. All who wish to contribute to this field will need to read this volume and then build on what these authors have to say' - Professor Thomas A. Kochan, MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research 'This authoritative panorama of the field demonstrates the contemporary vitality, breadth and critical depth of industrial relations scholarship and research. Thirty-four stimulating essays, by an international blend of leading academics, expertly review the analytical and empirical state of play across all aspects of industrial relations enquiry. In doing so, a rich agenda for further scholarly endeavour emerges' - Paul Marginson, University of Warwick Over the last two decades, a number of factors have converged to produce a major rethink about the field of Industrial Relations. Globalization, the decline of trade unions, the spread of high performance work systems and the emergence of a more feminized, flexible work-force have opened new avenues of inquiry. The SAGE Handbook of Industrial Relations charts these changes and analyzes them. It provides a systematic, comprehensive survey of the field. The book is organized into four interrelated sections: " Theorizing Industrial Relations " The changing institutions that shape employment practice " The processes used by governments, employers and unions " Income inequality, employee wellbeing, business performance and national comparative advantages The result is a work of unprecedented scope and unparalleled ambition. It offers a compete guide to the central debates, new developments and emerging themes in the field. It will quickly be recognized as the indispensable reference for Teachers, Students and Researchers. It is relevant to economists, lawyers, sociologists, business and management researchers and Industrial Relations specialists.
This text examines the emerging developments in central and Eastern Europe, focusing on: the economic development activities of state agencies in the move from command to market economies and the attempted creation of viable firms; the changing roles of different interest groups and the forms of corporatism which are emerging; the restructuring of work systems, including the building of new forms of labour relations; and the role of foreign capital and multinationals. It aims to provide a broader understanding of international industrial and organizational transformations.
`Provides a wide-ranging and though-provoking analysis of non-union forms of employee-representation. While it will unquestionably be of interest to scholars and students specializing in the burgeoning field of non-union employee relations, there is much useful material that could inform union reponses to membership decline' - British Journal of Industrial Relations `Paul Gollan's book is an important contribution to our understanding of the significance of non-union employee representation in Britain and its implications for the future of employment relations. It is highly recommended' - Russell Lansbury, Professor of Work & Organisational Studies, University of Sydney 'Can employees have effective voice without independent collective organisation? In the UK, unlike most of continental Europe, government and employers typically answer yes. Gollan's detailed study provides sound reasons for scepticism' - Richard Hyman, Department of Industrial Relations, LSE 'We know very little about the non-union sector in Britain despite the fact that it now embraces the clear majority of the workforce. The publication of Paul Gollan's Employee Representation in Non-Union Firms therefore represents a very important addition to the field. Based on extensive and detailed in-depth study of some leading non-union employers, it throws new light on the ways in which employee interests are represented in such firms' - Prof John Kelly, Birkbeck College 'Are non-union systems of representation (NER) an acceptable alternative to union-based systems or do they infact complement more traditional forms of union representation?' - Bruce Kaufman, Georgia State University Robinson College of Business This book is the first of its kind to answer this challenging question. It offers a comprehensive overview of NER in the UK and locates UK practice within an international context. Readers are invited to consider the potential implications and limitations of NER arrangements, and to examine how unions respond to these NER arrangements through bargaining, consultation and representation processes. Throughout issues are addressed on both a macro and micro level. The book reviews the literature and examines current practice using survey data and original case analysis. Engaging readers who are studying industrial relations, human resource management, employee involvement and consultation, unions and management strategy, it will also be appeal to practioners working in these areas. Case Study Material available! Go to the Sample Materials and Chapters link on the left navigation bar to access this excellent additional resource.
The field of employment and industrial relations is undergoing dramatic changes in the developed world; whilst developing economies are also experiencing their own shifts in practice and policy. The chapters in this collection provide detailed and up-to-date analyses of industrial relations developments in four contrasting economies: Australia, the United Kingdom, China and Vietnam. Readers are invited to make a comparative study of these very different regions and regimes. Chapters are contributed by leading authorities in employment and industrial relations and make the complex detail of new industrial relations laws easy to understand. This book is designed for students and scholars of employment and industrial relations, and provides an excellent reference for practitioners and students of labour economics and international and comparative human resource management.
The field of employment and industrial relations is undergoing dramatic changes in the developed world; whilst developing economies are also experiencing their own shifts in practice and policy. The chapters in this collection provide detailed and up-to-date analyses of industrial relations developments in four contrasting economies: Australia, the United Kingdom, China and Vietnam. Readers are invited to make a comparative study of these very different regions and regimes. Chapters are contributed by leading authorities in employment and industrial relations and make the complex detail of new industrial relations laws easy to understand. This book is designed for students and scholars of employment and industrial relations, and provides an excellent reference for practitioners and students of labour economics and international and comparative human resource management.
Collective representation has long been at the heart of academic governance. As an outgrowth of that tradition and in response to the profound changes in the academic labor market, many academic employees have turned to collective bargaining to enhance shared governance and to advocate for improvements in working conditions. Contributors to this ......
This introduction to the changing nature and context of industrial relations in contemporary Europe shows how different national systems of industrial relations offer varying models of relations between employers and workers as well as between states, companies, markets and interest organizations. The dynamics of change in individual countries and in specific aspects are reviewed, in particular: the significance of the political climate of neo-liberalism; technological change; the international context of European industrial relations; the transformation of Eastern Europe; and developments in the Eastern Union.
