All in All,it’s Just Another Plaque on the Wall: The Incidence and Impact of the Investors in People Standard*

ABSTRACT The Investors in People Standard was introduced in 1991 in order to provide a national benchmark of training and development activity. This article, using data from the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey ( Department for Trade and Industry, 1999 ), conducts five tests with regard to the incidence and impact of the Standard. The first test evaluates the types of workplace that have secured accreditation. The second and third tests compare the nature of training practice in accredited and non‐accredited workplaces, based on data from the WERS 98 main management survey and also the survey of employees. The fourth test evaluates the proportion of workplaces that have secured accreditation, yet are failing to engage in good practice. The final test evaluates the characteristics of workplaces that fall into this latter category. The results demonstrate considerable variation between different types of workplace with regard to the likelihood of accreditation having been secured. They also demonstrate that, on average, training practice is better in accredited workplaces than in non‐accredited workplaces, but a large minority of accredited workplaces are failing to engage in good practice. Among workplaces that have accreditation, smaller workplaces stand out in particular as failing to engage in good training practice.     

Employee involvement and participation: developing the concept of institutional embeddedness using WERS2004

It is widely accepted that employee involvement and participation (EIP) is a key component of the high commitment bundle of HRM, but that it can take a range of forms in practice. Much of the analysis to date has either treated different forms of EIP as a single construct or has measured EIP by virtue of its presence or absence alone. Drawing on earlier work based on the data from WERS1998 examining the link between various forms of EIP and employee outcomes such as job satisfaction and organisational commitment, the authors re-apply and extend these ideas to data from WERS2004. In particular they develop the concept of institutional embeddedness, in order argue that both the depth and breadth of EIP have important associations with commitment though not with satisfaction.

This association held for workplaces employing 25 or more workers, and here it was apparent that the more that employees are involved at workplace level – through a wider number of EIP practices that are held more frequently and include opportunities for workers to have their say – the more likely it is that investments in EIP will reap the reward of organisational commitment. For smaller establishments, given that they tend to operate with relatively few formal schemes, it is likely that managers in these workplaces find alternative ways in which to engage the workforce, and that informal EIP offer similar levels of embeddedness in these situations. A clear implication to be drawn from the findings is that, in a context of lower levels of formality within organisations (large and small), line managers are more than ever the key link between HR policy and the embodiment of actual practice at the workplace.     

The non-union workplace in Australia: bleak house or human resource innovator?

This paper compares the employee relations practices and outcomes of non-union and unionized workplaces in Australia. It also examines the nature of those practices to ascertain whether non-union workplaces can best be characterized as human resource innovators or 'bleak houses'. The data for the study are drawn from the 1995 Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey. The findings suggest that non-union workplaces are distinctly less innovative in a number of their employee relations practices and in general have less favourable employee relations outcomes than unionized workplaces in terms of dismissal and turnover rates. The non-union workplace is also distinguished by the individualistic nature of its contractual, remunerative and bargaining arrangements.     

Workplace Bullying: Application of Novak’s (1998) Learning Theory and Implications for Training

This paper applies Novak’s (1998) theory of learning to the problem of workplace bullying. Novak’s theory offers an understanding of how actions of bullying and responses to bullying can be seen as deriving from individualized conceptualizations of workplace bullying by those involved. Further, Novak’s theory suggests that training involving Ausubel’s concept of meaningful learning (Ausubel Educational Theory 11(1): 15–25, 1961; Ausubel et al. 1978) which attends to learners’ pre-existing knowledge and allows for new meaning to be constructed regarding workplace bullying can lead to new actions related to workplace bullying. Ideally, these new actions can involve both a reduction in workplace bullying prevalence, and responses to workplace bullying which recognize and are informed by the negative consequences of this workplace dynamic.     

Understanding injustice-related aggression in organizations: a cognitive model

Recent developments in the literature on workplace aggression emphasized the role of perceived injustice in the occurrence of aggressive behaviours in the workplace. The present article develops a cognitive model, which contends that perceptions of injustice are necessary but not sufficient to trigger aggressive behaviours in the workplace. Rather, retaliatory actions following perceived injustices are embedded in a nexus of personal values, blame attribution, opportunities to carry out the aggressive action, probability of retaliation from the target or a third party, and the advantages incurred by such actions. The paper develops three constructs, injustice threshold, repertoire of perceived injustices and psychological suspended sentence, to explain individual reactions to perceived injustices. Implications for empirical investigations and practice are discussed.     

Burned by Bullying in the American Workplace: Prevalence,Perception, Degree and Impact*

abstract This study assesses the prevalence of workplace bullying in a sample of US workers, using a standardized measure of workplace bullying (Negative Acts Questionnaire, NAQ), and compares the current study's prevalence rates with those from other bullying and aggression studies. The article opens by defining bullying as a persistent, enduring form of abuse at work and contrasting it with other negative workplace actions and interactions. Through a review of the current literature, we propose and test hypotheses regarding bullying prevalence and dynamics relative to a sample of US workers. After discussing research methods, we report on the rates of bullying in a US sample, compare these to similar studies, and analyse the negative acts that might lead to perceptions of being bullied. Based upon past conceptualizations, as well as research that suggests bullying is a phenomenon that occurs in gradations, we introduce and provide statistical evidence for the construct and impact of bullying degree. Finally, the study explores the impact of bullying on persons who witnessed but did not directly experience bullying in their jobs.     

Equality and diversity in British workplaces: the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey

Drawing on key findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS 2004), this article examines developments in the incidence, scope and substance of equal opportunities policy provision and practice in Britain. The discussion then considers the extent to which workplaces might be adopting diversity management practices, the potential for further research on equality and diversity using WERS 2004, and the issues that might be considered in future workplace employment relations surveys.     

Employers’ Perspectives on the Canadian National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in Canada, with costs estimated at 51 billion dollars annually in addition to significant social costs. The Canadian National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard), recently released by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, aims to promote psychological health and safety in Canadian workplaces. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of Canadian employers on the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Ten employers from large, medium, and small workplaces participated in qualitative semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was used to identify themes. Employers are concerned with workplace mental health and see value in the Standard, but are relatively uninformed about it. Employers identified leadership as a critical ingredient for effective Standard implementation, and believed that benefits of the Standard can be far reaching. Roger’s (2003) Diffusion of Innovations model is applied to conceptualize the uptake of this important social change. Employers’ perspectives and foundational knowledge about the Standard provides a starting point for collaborations between human resource professionals, workplace consultants, and workplace leaders to move the implementation of the Standard forward and create psychologically healthy work environments.     

Explaining activity and exploring experience—findings from a survey of union learning representatives

This article draws on data from one of the largest surveys to date of union learning representatives (ULRs) in order to build a unique picture of ULR experience and activity. It is found that ULRs made a contribution to increased diversity and represented an injection of ‘new blood’ within workplace union structures. Moreover, ULRs with no previous union involvement were just as likely to be active in promoting learning as their more experienced colleagues. At the same time, we found that a significant minority of trained ULRs were not active in union learning. While ULR activity was not confined within traditionally unionised settings, active and effective ULRs were most likely to be found in workplaces with substantive structures and institutions that underpinned union learning and reflected a clear commitment from the employer. ULR activity was more difficult to start and to sustain in workplaces in which this support was absent. The article concludes that in order for ULR activity to permeate such environments, some degree of additional statutory support may be necessary.     

Family‐friendly work practices in Britain: Availability and perceived accessibility

Using linked data for British workplaces and employees, we find a low base rate of workplace‐level availability, and a substantially lower rate of individual‐level perceived accessibility, for five family‐friendly work practices' parental leave, paid leave, job sharing, subsidized child care, and working at home. Our results demonstrate that statistics on workplace availability drastically overstate the extent to which employees perceive that family‐friendly policies are accessible to them personally. British workplaces appear to be responding slowly, and perhaps disingenuously, to pressures to enhance family‐friendly work practices. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An ill-informed choice: empirical evidence of the link between employers’ part-time or temporary employment strategies and workplace performance in Canada

Many employers seek flexibility through part-time or temporary employment to achieve improved competitiveness and success. Using strategic choice theory, this study is a longitudinal examination of employers’ strategic decisions of reducing labour costs and using part-time or temporary workers on workplace performance. Workplace performance is measured through profitability, productivity and change in net operating revenue. Statistics Canada’s Workplace and Employee Survey longitudinal workplace data are used for the analysis. Results show that reducing labour costs strategy has no effect on profitability, productivity or change in net operating revenue, and using part-time or temporary workers strategy shows decreased profitability and productivity, and that there is no effect on the change in net operating revenue in Canadian workplaces studied. Based on these findings, we recommend that employers, in Canada and elsewhere, not only carefully weigh reducing labour costs and employing part-time or temporary workers strategies for workplace performance, but also reconsider such strategies and instead seek alternative means of improving workplace performance.     

Employee voice regimes and the characteristics of conflict: an analysis of the 2003 survey of employment tribunal applications

This article investigates the extent to which the characteristics and outcomes of Employment Tribunal Applications (ETAs) differ according to whether (1) unions have a role in workplace voice and whether (2) HR departments have a role in workplace voice. We find that ETAs from workplaces with a union presence are less likely to result in an adverse ruling against the employer. Interpreting the judgement of employment tribunals as an evaluation of the effectiveness of workplace voice regime, this finding suggests that Employment Tribunals (and the employment legislation they consider) provide unions with a framework within which they contribute to workplace performance.     

Do temporary agency workers affect workplace performance?

Using nationally representative workplace data we find the use of temporary agency workers (TAW) is positively associated with financial performance in the British private sector and weakly associated with higher sales per employee. However TAW is not associated with value added per employee. Employees in workplaces with TAW receive higher wages than observationally equivalent employees in non-TAW workplaces. But the presence of TAW in the employee’s occupation is associated with lower wages for employees in that occupation. Furthermore, conditioning on wages, the presence of TAW at the workplace is associated with lower job satisfaction and higher job anxiety among employees. These findings are consistent with TAW having an adverse effect on employees’ experiences at work, perhaps due a more labour intensive regime, one which is only partly compensated for with higher wages.     

The workplace integration of veterans: Applying diversity and fit perspectives

Military veterans are a valuable part of the human capital resource pool. Nonetheless, veterans often struggle with their transition into civilian life and workplaces. This problem often limits the extent to which work organizations utilize their talents. Here, we briefly review relevant work from outside the management field and nascent work within the field to build a conceptual model for understanding the integration of veterans into the workplace. We do this by applying diversity and person-environment fit perspectives. A diversity standpoint helps us to understand veterans as a social group and their inclusion in the workplace, while the person-environment fit perspective helps us describe veterans’ compatibility with their work environments in terms of organizational demands and veterans’ needs. We intend for this conceptual model to guide future empirical research on veterans as human capital and their transition into civilian organizations as part of their societal reintegration, career development, and personal well-being.     

Workplace mindfulness: An integrative review of antecedents,mediators, and moderators

In recent years, research on and the practice of mindfulness have received greater attention in organizational scholarship. Much of the prior work in this area is directed at the workplace outcomes of mindfulness interventions in terms of employees' well-being, relationships, and performance. Meanwhile, there is an absence of work that integrates research findings concerning individual and workplace factors that affect workplace mindfulness and determine when and how they influence workplace outcomes. This article reviews current organizational literature concerning potential antecedents of workplace mindfulness as well as mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions of the relationship between workplace mindfulness and workplace outcomes. Based on 32 selected studies, an integrated framework of workplace mindfulness is developed, helping us to summarize the extant scholarship in this area. The framework provides a foundation for an emerging research area and outlines key directions for future research.     

Employee recognition,meaningfulness and behavioural involvement: test of a moderated mediation model

Abstract

This study examines how and under what conditions recognition practices are related to employee behavioural involvement at work. Combining social cognitive theory, social information processing theory and self-concordance theory, we develop and test a moderated mediation model in which (a) manager recognition promotes behavioural involvement both directly and indirectly through the intervening role of meaningfulness and (b) coworker recognition strengthens the benefits of manager recognition to meaningfulness and subsequent behavioural involvement. The results of a study of 130 employees provided empirical support for our model. These findings help clarify how different sources of recognition can shape the effective behavioural involvement in the workplace; they also emphasize the role of meaningfulness as an important psychological mechanism that explains the recognition–behaviour relation. The implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Achieving a new equilibrium? The stability of cooperative employer–union relationships

The current popularity of ‘partnership’ in workplace industrial relations raises the question of the durability of such arrangements. This article investigates the stability of cooperative employer–union relationships by means of case studies. It analyses perceptions of the experience of negotiation and consultation. Continuing net benefits are reported both by managers and by union representatives in workplaces where cooperative relationships are robust. The benefits come primarily from the informal consultative processes and levels of trust that are engendered. Nonetheless, parties to the relationship, however robust they were, faced substantial challenges to their efforts to diffuse and sustain cooperative working. It is concluded that cooperative relationships are likely to be stable where employers wish to maintain an independent employee voice, especially where workplace union density remains relatively high.     

Explaining variation in the social performance of lean production: a comparative case study of the role played by workplace unions' framing of the system and institutions

Several studies have acknowledged that lean production is implemented in diverse ways across workplaces, thereby generating different outcomes for workers. However, explanations for this variability needs further development. The present article addresses this issue by considering the role played by workplace unions' framing of lean production. It finds that unions' framing is derived from their identities in interaction with available resources in institutional and organisational terms. A case study comparison of the automotive parts industry in Italy and the United States was conducted.     

Managing electronic communications: a new challenge for human resource managers

Advances in information and communication technology are not only changing the way work is conducted but also influencing the development of human resource management (HRM) as a field of practice. In order to understand how HR managers are grappling with this issue we review the misuse of electronic communication in the workplace through the international literature and also recent court and tribunal cases in Australia. In particular, we consider the impact of new communication technologies in blurring of the boundaries between home and work and the way in which this is being dealt with by HR managers. In this paper we draw out the challenge of balancing the interests of employees and organisations, and outline the tension between HR as a strategic partner and employee champion. While not advancing a dystopian view, we argue that in many workplaces new surveillance technologies are being routinely utilised to increase employer control and that such low-trust practices are likely to be counterproductive and may undermine the profession of human resources management.