The theory and practice of strategic HRM and participative management: Antecedents in early industrial relations

A diversity of opinion exists about the definition, intellectual boundaries, and major premises of the fields of human resources management (HRM) and industrial relations (IR). To help provide a common frame of reference for discussion and debate on the symposium topic, I endeavor in this paper to flesh out a consensus position on these matters. The method used is largely historical. Based on a review of the origins and evolution of the two fields from the early 20th century to the present day, I show that human resources (HR) up to the early 1960s was typically considered to be a subfield of IR. In more recent years, however, HR has largely severed its links with IR and now is widely regarded as a separate, sometimes competing and sometimes complementary field of study. In the last part of the paper I use this historical analysis, together with a review of the literatures in the two fields and the findings and conclusions of the other papers in this symposium, to identity both the commonalities and differences that distinguish the two fields in terms of their approach to science building (research) and problem solving (policy/practice).     

The industrial relations of work-sharing

There is growing recognition in Britain that high levels of unemployment are likely to survive the current recession and economic policies. This explains the continuing interest in the work-sharing issue within British unions; this article examines some of the industrial relations issues and implications of the practice.     

The industrial relations of skills formation

Central to human resource management is the question of employee skills and their effective utilization, through such arrangements as competency-based training, performance appraisal and assessment. In this context, collective issues come to the fore: the formulation of skills-based work and pay systems, the mechanisms and procedures governing workers' allocation to and progression through skills-based job classification systems, the tracing out of career paths and the conduct of skills audits and training programmes. These issues of necessity are largely being resolved at the enterprise level They are complemented by broader questions to do with skills standardization, accreditation and portability of qualifications, which can only be resolved at the trans-enterprise level. Because all these issues have a collective character, they provide an opportunity to extend the traditional agenda of industrial relations, at both enterprise and national and sectoral level. In this paper, the expanded industrial relations agenda is linked with the emergence of new production systems based on high quality, high value-added production where skills formation and effective utilization of skills become a competitive necessity.     

The wildcat strike and industrial relations*

Institutionalised collective bargaining can be seen as a limited vehicle for the promotion of workers' demands. This detailed participantobserver case study in a plant in northern New Jersey describes the process of a wildcat strike and evaluates its efficacy as a means of advancing important aspects of workers' interests outside the conventional, institutional channels.     

Microchips and industrial relations

Microelectronics may be precipitating another industrial revolution. Greg Bamber considers relevant public policies in several countries. He identifies the likely issues of conflict and concludes that Britain should set up an Agency for New Technology to spearhead more positive government action, which could help to induce a climate of high trust at the workplace.     

Citizenship and industrial relations

Under the Victorian ideal of laissez-faire, industrial relations are conducted unilaterally by employers unimpeded by employees' rights of citizenship. The four facets of citizenship—civil, political, industrial, and social—impinge in a variety of ways on the employment relationship. Civil citizenship, by barring discrimination on account of race or sex, interferes with maintenance of segregated pools of cheap secondary labor. Political citizenship enfranchises propertyless workers and alters the enactments of legislatures. Industrial citizenship creates the institutional basis for collective bargaining. Social citizenship confers economic benefits and protective regulations not driven directly by market forces. Political ascendancy of laissez-faire advocates undermines rights of citizenship and has a retrograde effect on industrial relations.This article is a revised version of a paper presented at the First Industrial Relations Congress of the Americans in Quebec City to the Study Group on Industrial Relations as a Field and Industrial Relations Theory on August 27, 1988. I thank Jack Barbash for the opportunity to present it there.     

The meaning of work,employment relations,and strategic human resources management in Israel

The paper deals with the meaning of work, employment relations, and strategic human resources management. First it shows that Israeli workers have become more individualistic and materialistic, and less collectively oriented, as instrumental achievements outweigh contributions to society. These issues apparently influence employment relations and organizational policies. Next, it deals with the corporatist employment relations system, based on tri-partite collective bargaining among employees, employers, and the state. During various times, the relative balance of power among the three parties swayed considerably, according to major political, economic and social events taking place in society. The final section on strategic human resources management focuses on the transition of Israel's Human Resources profession, from the traditional HR role to the new Strategic Human Resource Management role. These three spheres have gone through some significant changes in the last several decades, perhaps not parallel to most industrial nations.     

Trends and developments in industrial relations and industrial relations law: Trade union discipline and non-strikers

Perhaps the most controversial change introduced in the 1988 Employment Act was the statutory right given to union members not to be disciplined by their unions for continuing to work during lawful industrial action approved by a majority in a secret ballot. Here the authors examine the legal contexts, implications for trade unions and the wider industrial relations and political significance of this important new right.     

The study of management in British industrial relations *

In this article the author gives a general overview of the study of management in industrial relations and examines the assumptions underlying the increased attention being given to management by industrial relations specialists.     

Trends in industrial relations and human resource policies and practices: Australian experiences

This article seeks to chart the main trends which have occurred in Australian industrial relations and human resource (IR/HR) policies and practices, at the macro-level, during the past decade. It also attempts to link changes at the macro-level with those at the micro-level, by drawing on case-study data from nine large organizations in both the private and public sectors. The framework for the case studies is derived from a broader international project initiated by Kochan et al.at MIT (see Kochan, 1991). A set of IR/HR practices were chosen to enable changes in employment relations to be studied in a systematic manner in various industries. Drawing upon these data, our research sought to analyse the dominant patterns in each of the core IR/HR areas, the degree of change which had occurred and the reasons for these changes. This also enabled alternative hypotheses to be tested, as outlined later in this article.     

Power in industrial relations research

Power is a concept which is much discussed but seldom properly understood, not least in industrial relations theorising. Here the author outlines the role of power in the context of several recent studies which have focused explicitly on the concept of power in industrial relations.     

The enterprise response to industrial relations legislation

The authors report a study into the impact of the former Labour Government's industrial relations legislation, much of which remains on the statute book. They focus on joint health and safety committees and provide a useful starting point for further research concerned to develop a model of firm response to industrial relations legislation in any particular subject area.     

The reporting of industrial relations on breakfast-time television

Breakfast-time television offers a different approach from more established television output; but how significant are the differences? This article analyses the scope and presentation of industrial relations issues on breakfast-time television and evaluates the qualitative implications they are given.