Investigates the devolution of human resources (HR) responsibilities to the line within a large food manufacturing company. A total of 13 senior/board level line managers took part in this study. Records questionnaire and interview data with reference to line manager perceptions of their...

Purpose – Given the emergence of new legal initiatives for union recognition, declining levels of union membership and the growth of alternative forms of employee representation, this paper aims to examine the management of employee voice in non‐union firms. Design/methodology/approach –...

There is little doubt that team briefing represents an increasingly extensive technique for employee involvement in British organisations. The problems and tensions which arose in three different establishments with their systems for team briefing are presented and a number of concerns about the...

Discussions about the position of British trade unions under Thatcherism continue to interest scholars and practitioners in the UK, and a variety of theories have been put forward which suggest that unions are becoming increasingly marginal to workplace employee relations. Three of these are...

British industrial relations has changed greatly over the past decade. A central development has been management′s sponsorship of new, direct forms of employee involvement (EI) such as team briefing, quality circles and profit sharing. In many larger manufacturing firms new schemes now...

Examines the implications of total quality management for the management of people. The implementation of TQM requires the development of a high commitment employee relations strategy and involves an attempt to build a culture of continuous improvement among employees. Argues that employee...

It is now commonplace to hear about the re‐forming potential of new employment practices such as employee involvement, TQM, empowerment, teamworking, and HRM. There are arguments that these have contributed to organizational success, and a feeling that these are all things to be welcomed. But...

Summarises some findings from recent empirical research into the factors influencing the incidence of claims of unfair dismissal to industrial tribunals. Using a paired comparison case study method it focuses, primarily, on small businesses and small establishments, seeking to explore...

The article summarises findings from recent case study research into recruitment in small firms. The research aims to ascertain whether small firms follow the procedures outlined in the prescriptive literature on recruitment, and to what extent they rely on informal recruitment methods. It finds...

The issue of union power never seems to be far from the centre of political debate and, indeed, during the last year, its prominence would seem to be more marked than usual. For example, the Social Contract and the Concordat between the previous Labour Government and the TUC have been used as...