The range of pressures which has impacted on local government in the 1980s has forced the emergence of dynamic and sophisticated forms of industrial relations at the workplace level. It is clear, however, that with conceptual tools forged to analyse developments in the private manufacturing...

This article looks at attempts made by a case study organization, Surrey County Council, to evaluate and restructure the employment relationship in the context of a range of financial, managerial and political pressures for change. The notion of the psychological contract is used to conduct this...

Purpose – To introduce the papers in the special issue. Design/methodology/approach – Provides a brief review of the papers. Findings – The papers cover a broad variety of human resource topics and the range of separate public services, including the impact of performance indicators on HRM...

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to evaluate employee perceptions of pay practice in civil service executive agencies in the wake of changes in the established institutions of pay determination. Design/methodology/approach – A survey design drawing original data from 1,057 civil...

This analysis of the NMW's initial impact in the apparel industry focuses on organisational and institutional factors in explaining the effects on pay and related issues. The NMW had a marked effect on national terms and conditions, in particular raising the minimum earnings level. At the local...