Amanda Pyman

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Employee Voice Arrangements in Australia

The incidence and effectiveness of different forms of employee voice were compared across three measures: perceived managerial responsiveness to employee needs, job control and influence over job rewards. Multiple regression analyses revealed that voice was perceived as most effective when an amalgam of different forms was present. The effective coexistence of different forms of voice challenges the notion that non-union voice acts as a substitute for union representation.

CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES: A CATALYST FOR STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the extent to which the concept of the corporate university is emerging as a simple re‐labelling of the functional training area or a key strategic platform in developing organisational competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach was taken to provide an in‐depth understanding of the development of a corporate university. Interviews with key informants and background/archival information was used to explore the focus of the corporate university. A typology developed by Taylor and Paton in 2001, was used to analyse the role and integration of the corporate university within the case study organisation.Findings – The research indicates that the development of the corporate university within the case study organisation has focused resources to strategically develop their human capital and is clearly linked to the strategic objectives of the organisation to enhance competitive advantage.Research limitations/implications – The rese...

Wal-Mart innovation and productivity: a viewpoint

Technology effects, business process development, and productivity growth are considered in the context of a single company: Wal-Mart. The starting point is the 2001 McKinsey Global Institute report, which finds that over 1995-2000, a quarter of U.S. productivity growth is attributable to the retail industry, and almost a sixth of that is attributable to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is interesting as well because of its rapid growth in Canada. This is now Canadas largest private sector employer. We also consider other evidence relevant to public policy formation concerning Wal-Mart and conclude with a discussion of options for partially filling important data gaps.

Unmet Demand for Union Membership in Australia

Unmet demand for union membership is defined as employees in non-union workplaces who would join a union if given the opportunity. Unmet demand is a significant issue for Australian unions as union density continues to decline and the current legislative environment remains hostile. This article gauges the contours of unmet demand for union membership in Australia, drawing on responses to the Australian Worker Representation and Participation Survey (AWRPS 2004). It finds a significant level of unmet demand for union membership in Australia. Unmet demand varies according to workplace and employee characteristics and is highest among low income earners, younger workers, workers with shorter organizational tenure and workers in routinized occupations. The practical implications of our findings are discussed in relation to union renewal and the legislative environment prevailing in 2008.

The contours of employee voice in SMEs: the importance of context

This article develops a context-sensitive approach to analyse how and why voice operates in small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), an area that remains under-theorised and under-researched. By building on a priori frameworks with proven ability to unpack complexity and take account of the wider context of SMEs, this article explores how resources (human and social capital) and constraints (product market, labour market and strategic orientation) interact to shape voice practices. The article finds significant differences between ‘reported’ compared with ‘actual’ practices in situ, and identifies different types of firms (‘strategic market regulation’, ‘strategic market-led’ and ‘non-strategic market-led’) along with the factors that influence the form and practice of voice. Overall, the article argues that researchers should further pursue research that appreciates the layered nature of ontology and the role played by firm context to explain complex organisational phenomena, if we are to advance our understanding of voice practices in SMEs and beyond.

Negotiating the Contested Terrain of Drug Testing in the Australian Workplace

Alcohol and illicit substance abuse in the workplace is an important human resource and industrial relations issue. Although more sophisticated measures have been developed to test and monitor drug use in the workplace, and despite tacit union support on occupational health and safety grounds, the implementation of drug testing procedures remains contentious. This paper examines the arguments for and against drug testing in the workplace using an Australian case study where drug testing resulted in industrial disputation that led to legal intervention and remedy.

Trade unions and corporate campaigning in a global economy: the case of James Hardie

This article analyses a campaign led by the Australian Council of Trade Unions, against James Hardie Industries Limited, concerning their responsibility and liability to fully fund asbestos compensation claims. Across the Anglo-American world, trade unions are faced with increasingly hostile legislative and political environments and a declining membership base. In addition, the globalization of capital increasingly allows for organizational mobility and reduced commitment to specific communities or workers. These factors can have a significant impact on union effectiveness, particularly due to their national focus. In response, the concepts of corporate campaigning and social movement unionism have increasingly been used by unions as a strategy to influence and contest corporate policy decisions. This high profile case illustrates the critical role that corporate campaigning can play in ensuring that the mobility of capital does not override justice in a global economy.

Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1996 (CWLTH): Experiences of Five Australian Trade Unions

The experiences of five federally registered trade unions under the operation of the Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1996 (Cwlth) are canvassed. The findings indicate that four key issues have surfaced for these unions, Freedom of Association, Australian Workplace Agreements, award simplification and industrial action. The findings also indicate a divergence between theory and practice; the legislation has not been as devastating for these unions as many would have anticipated. The most likely explanation for this divergence lies in the individual characteristics of the unions and officials studied.

Introduction: Employee voice in emerging economies: Charting new territory

Within the industrial relations paradigm, employee voice is broadly defined as the ways and means through which employees attempt to have a say and potentially influence organisational affairs about issues that affect their work and the interests of owners and managers (Wilkinson, Donaghey, Dundon, & Freeman, 2014). Whilst there is an extensive literature on employee voice in the Anglo-American (developed) world (e.g., Freeman, Boxall, & Haynes, 2007; Wilkinson, Gollan, Marchington, & Lewin, 2010), we know much less about how employee voice operates in emerging economies. This special issue of Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations explores the nature of employee voice in seven emerging economies: Argentina, China, India, South Korea, Belarus, South Africa and Namibia. The issue brings together an internationally renowned group of contributors who are experts in their field and an authority on these countries, to combine cutting edge research and theory in this essential exploration of voice in emerging economies.

Joint consultative committees

This handbook provides an up-to-date survey of the current research into employee voice, sets this research into context, and sets a marker for future research in the area.