Our study engages evidence from a University and College Union branch archive to explore developments in employee relations (ER) that reflect the organisational effects of marketisation of UK universities. The evidence exposes points of strain in ER at a level of professional divide between managers and academics, and helps to understand their…

This essay offers some reflections for the theory and practice of research supervision drawn from the field of employment relations. It argues that rethinking supervision in terms of the employment relationship can advance dialogue and debate about supervision. This is twofold. (1) Reframing supervision in terms of the employment relationship can…

The wage and job satisfaction impacts for over-educated workers have been well-documented; yet little attention has been paid to the consequences for firms. In this paper we examine over-education from the perspective of the workplace. Using linked employer-employee data for the United Kingdom, we derive the standard worker-level penalties on…

Britain's ageing population reflects an international trend--more people are living for longer. Whilst government grapples with the economic and social impact of this demographic revolution, social justice and equality charities advocate for greater recognition of the contribution that an ageing population brings to society, not just the health,…

The concept of Educational Ambassadors is embedded within the so-called "Danish model" of industrial relations. The Danish industrial relations system is characterised by strong collective organisations with national coverage, which conclude the collective agreements for various industries or sectors and which are mostly grouped under…

A study of 1,509 British employees found that controlling for industrial relations climate reduced the negative relationship between unionization and job satisfaction. The data did not support the theory that union workers' expressions of dissatisfaction through union mechanisms were distinct from "genuine" dissatisfaction. (SK)

Interviews with 32 British union representatives and a survey of 200 auto workers found that union strength was renewed because of new management techniques in industry, which have increased local autonomy. Unions are directly engaged in the issues involved in teamwork, quality control, and flexible manufacturing. (SK)

This issue reviews trends in public sector employment (particularly in the light of government policy to reduce it), wages (in a context of cash limits), and strikes and other forms of industrial action. It also considers recent developments in the structure, organization, and policy of the "actors" in public sector industrial relations.…

Development of the personnel function of local government in the United Kingdom has resulted in a managerial process reflecting key features of the human resource management model. However, employee commitment and organizational flexibility are less evident, and the collectivist nature of employee relations remains well entrenched. (SK)

Surveys in five automobile plants in Canada and the United Kingdom (n=2,600+) indicated that implementation of lean production methods has been uneven across companies and countries and is not associated with greater employee involvement or control. Variations may reflect company-specific responses to the pressures of international competition.…

This study examines affective commitment to employing and client organizations among long-term contracted employees, a new and growing employment classification. Drawing on organizational commitment and social exchange literatures, we propose two categories of antecedents of employee commitment to client organizations. We tested our hypotheses…

In this article an account is given of work undertaken by an internal organization development (OD) unit within the United Kingdom's National Health Service, in the area of joint consultation within a health authority. Some thoughts are also presented on the relationship between OD practice and the field of industrial relations. (SSH)

The case of a strike against Ford and opposition to building an electronics plant in the United Kingdom illustrates the issues facing companies and unions in adopting Japanese industrial practices. Efficient production arrangements conflict with traditional multiunionism, and bargaining positions sometimes lead to company investment in countries…

Longitudinal case studies of four British organizations tested theories that union membership is waning, collective bargaining is being separated from strategic decision making, and employee involvement is lessening union impact. The conclusion reached was that the marginalization of unions has more complex causes; employee relations need to be…

Describes the effects of new technology on industrial relations in the United Kingdom. Includes a diversity of approaches and a complex picture of successes and failures. Concludes that new technology and industrial relations have rarely been dealt with strategically by UK managements. (JOW)