The nature of the new joint consultation

Drawing upon research conducted in thirteen organisations between 1980 and 1984, the authors illustrate, by the use of case studies, a range of developments in joint consultation. They specifically link their findings on consultation to other industrial relations activity and the nature of the product market in which the companies find themselves.     

Economic liberalization, political pluralism and business associations in developing countries

Trends toward economic liberalization and political pluralism in developing countries would seem to presage a more active political and economic role for business associations. The evidence suggests, however, that business associations are unlikely to be such malleable instruments for the promotion of the private sector and of political pluralism as one might initially expect. They often act more in the interests of their own staff than in those of members. The potential for “unproductive” rivalry and conflict between competing associations is high. The more effective associations are those not financially dependent primarily on membership fees.     

THE ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF RISING FOOD PRICES: FRIEDMAN AND THE PRICE OF STEAKS

The rationale for anti-inflationary policies (at least in the UK) arises from a theory that higher rates of inflation lead to a greater variability in the dispersion of prices and market distortions. This is because economic agents do not fully anticipate what future rates of inflation will be. Little or no empirical work has been directed to the agricultual sector for this model. The economic implications of the prices of some varieties of beef steaks are considered by testing the model for UK data over the period 1968 to 1984. The effects of real earnings and the Common Agricultural Policy are also considered.     

Vertical integration in Franchise systems: Agency theory and resource explanations

The ownership strategies of 128 retail franchising systems are examined in the light of existing agency and resource scarcity explanations of this organizational form. Findings suggest that franchiser ownership strategies are more heterogeneous than previously recognized, and that neither explanation, alone accounts for observed ownership patterns. A path model of franchiser ownership patterns embodying agency and resource scarcity elements is developed that is consistent with empirical findings.     

Teamworking structures and worker perceptions: a cross-national study in pharmaceuticals

Teamworking has been implemented in many organizations in different countries over the last few years, and it has taken a range of forms in practice. In this paper, we draw upon findings from a comparative analysis of teamworking structures and team member perceptions at a British and a German subsidiary of a multinational pharmaceutical company. Interviews were conducted with approximately fifty managers, supervisors and process operators, and 120 questionnaires were analysed. We conclude that, despite major differences, both at national level and in the structure of teamworking, team member perceptions are surprisingly similar at the two sites. This finding challenges the under-researched yet commonly assumed link between structures and perceptions, while calling for more emphasis on the examination of sectoral effects and intra-organizational strategies.     

Relational union organising in a healthcare setting: a qualitative study

This article explores the impact of a relational organising model within a local UNISON NHS branch. While initial outcomes were modest, we argue that relational approaches have the potential to increase branch engagement with organising activity and to provide a focus on the importance of community within the workplace.     

The Competitiveness of Networked Production: The Role of Trust and Asset Specificity

The paper offers a synthesis of sociological and transactions cost economics perspectives on production networks. Sociological explanations of network effectiveness (competitiveness) stress the importance of trust, and transactions costs emphasizes asset specificity. The approach here is comparative, the capabilities of networks are assessed against those of the vertically integrated, managerially co-ordinated hierarchy. The argument is that the competitiveness of each form derives from different organizational capabilities. Neither is inherently superior – by supporting different strategies, networks and hierarchies can co-exist. A distinction is drawn between those networks that rely on communal support and trust and those networks whose dynamism relies on individualistic and autonomous entrepreneurship. The absence of trust (or the surfeit of entrepreneurial zeal) leaves firms reliant on generic assets. Trust creates the conditions under which communities of firms can develop industry-specific assets capable of delivering real services to network firms that are unavailable through market channels. The competitiveness of a production network is a function of the value adding activities undertaken by agents and the collective responses made to external threats or disturbances. The argument is illustrated with reference to the organization of watch (timepieces) production in Hong Kong     

Turning customer data into business value: The case of Standard Life

This paper sets out the business and technological issues involved in transforming a large product-oriented financial services organisation into one with a much stronger customer focus. It begins by exploring the motivating factors behind the move away from a product to a customer orientation. The desire to achieve such a transformation is made more difficult by the diverse nature of administration systems and the absence of compatibility and consistency in the data semantics and structures. The paper examines, briefly, the internal issues involved when a group of, hitherto, autonomous trading units pool their data in the move towards a ‘group-wide’ approach in dealing with customers. Finally, it explores the ways in which the resulting enhanced information can be exploited to the benefit of the organisation and its customers. The paper chronicles the experiences of one of the UK's household name insurance companies, The Standard Life Assurance Company. Some of the ‘softer’ organisational and cultural challenges associated with such initiatives are not specifically addressed.