Though not monolithic, the non-profit social services sector has been an arena where workers and management participated in various forms of shared planning, service development and organizing the ...labour process. This included: 1- formal participation processes such as collective bargaining with union representation, and 2- practice-profession or task participation. Drawing on 34 qualitative interviews undertaken with a variety of actors (Chief Executive/Senior Directors, senior operational management, Human Resource Managers, frontline staff, and, where available, union representatives) in two non-profit social service agencies in Ontario (Canada), the article traces how these forms of participation have changed as a result of government austerity policies alongside the expansion of precarious employment and funding in the non-profit sector.
Using exemplar quotes and qualitative analysis, the article shows that worker’s participation in each form has declined, while management simultaneously has extended greater control over the labour process and removed or reduced forums and opportunities for input from staff. In terms of task participation, measurement and governance structure of New Public Management (NPM) and austerity have led to less autonomy and choice, especially in the area of working time. The study also found that unitarist approaches, intolerant of staff voice and possible dissent, have displaced earlier representative participatory approaches that either utilized the management chain, or embraced and worked constructively with unions. Though these pressures existed prior to the introduction of austerity policies, the data show that decreased worker’s participation coincides and is further undermined by the financial and governance processes associated with NPM and austerity-linked cuts in government and other forms of funding. Overall, the data and analysis suggest that participation in the Non-profit Social Services (NPSS) may be another casualty of this current wave of neoliberalism.
This study reviews the application of a new training model, Sprint’s Social Media Ninja program, an innovative approach to using new media to initiate change. Sprint recognized change management must ...occur from employee ambassadors to relevant audiences including consumers and other employees. By teaching volunteer employees the strategic message savvy and tactical strengths needed to address social media comments about Sprint, “Social Media Ninjas” have become active change agents in Sprint’s reputation management strategies, product launches, and turnaround story. These unmasked company employees volunteer to address questions, concerns, and comments about the company, as well as to start original conversations.
These days we need not strain ourselves to gather examples of unethical business conduct, erosion of values and moral delinquency in business settings. What is that the mangers draw from while taking ...a decision in the face of ethical dilemmas? This study investigates in to the ethical theories relied on by Indian managers when faced with ethical dilemmas in business settings. The study reveals valuable and interesting patterns in the deployment of ethical theories by the Indian Managers across ethical dilemmas varying in moral intensity.
This puzzle-building activity, originally created by one of the authors, was designed for supervisory training in amusement park settings. Both authors have used it in management classes, as ...participants experience the difficulties in giving clear task instructions and feedback in a structured, hierarchical setting. The exercise is based on role-play triads composed of an employee, a supervisor, and a manager, i.e., three levels of hierarchy. The blindfolded employee attempts to complete a simple jigsaw puzzle with limited communication from the supervisor and manager. In the debriefing, the facilitator may raise any number of theories to help participants understand the experience itself, and, through structured debriefing, carry lessons learned into their work life. Theories include leadership style, verbal and non-verbal communication, listening skills, feedback, motivation, problem-solving, collaboration and power dynamics. This activity temporarily places participants in different social roles. Thus it is ideally suited for multi-cultural groups or different departments or groups within the same organization.
This book examines industrial and employment relations in the emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Turkey, and assesses the contribution of industrial relations institutions ...to inclusive development. The book uses real-world examples to examine the evolution of industrial relations and of organised interest representation on labour issues. It reveals contested institutional pathways, despite a continuing demand for independent collective interest representation in labour relations.
In this article, we review the literature on workplace mediation. To organize the literature in a logical way, we have relied primarily on the model of Margaret Herrman and her colleagues and examine ...the important influence of culture and feedback loops on the practice of workplace mediation. Workplace mediation has become a frequent practice in the United States, Europe, much of Asia, and Australia. In the literature, we have found various descriptions of this practice as well as long lists of its assumed benefits, but empirical studies examining the effectiveness of workplace mediation have been few; a limited number of studies have investigated which conditions ensure the effectiveness of workplace mediation, and few studies have relied on observations. As such, workplace mediation represents an underdeveloped research area. In this article, we describe the findings from the existing literature and offer suggestions for future research.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to offer a broad practitioner’s overview of recent trade union history in the UK, and to investigate organised labour’s prospects in the decades ahead.
...Design/methodology/approach
– The paper is based on a review of relevant literature and trade union documentation from the period 1964 to 2014.
Findings
– This paper concludes that the past 50 years has been a period of change and turbulence for the movement, and suggests that this is likely to remain the case in the decades to come. Although external political and economic factors will have a significant bearing on unions’ prospects, the paper argues that unions remain powerful agents of change in their own right and that a revival of organised labour is not beyond question.
Originality/value
– The paper is written with unique practitioner insight from the UK’s trade union centre.
Over the past two decades, trade union activity in Batam has been heavily influenced by regional demographics, employment conditions and the prevalent political scenario. Following the end of the New ...Order in 1998, the single state-authorized union was fragmented, giving rise to a number of new enterprise unions. Batam’s young and diverse immigrant population, with no pre-existing loyalties to particular trade unions, made it a hotspot for industrial relations activities. Low and stagnant workers’ wages throughout Indonesia and outbreak of social unrest resulted in the formation of three strong national-level unions: FSPMI, KSPSI and the KSBSI. By the mid-2000s, these unions were also active in Batam. Unsettled ethnic relations resulted in escalation of labour mobilizations from 2011 to 2013. The Garda Metal (union member formation) spearheaded a number of intense demonstrations throughout Indonesia, including Batam, during this time. The 2012 mobilization was particularly effective, and the union bodies were able to successfully negotiate for significantly higher minimum wages for all workers in Indonesia. After intervention by the Widodo government, and the signing of a harmony declaration, there has been a change in the unions’ approach in demanding wages and conditions improvement. Instead of addressing employment concerns through national-level campaigns, matters are now to be resolved at the enterprise level. While there are no visible signs of a confrontational mobilization in the near future, a number of worker welfare issues remain unsettled.
The murder in merger de Gooijer, Jinette
2009., 2009, 20180417, 2018-04-17, 20090101
eBook
'While organizational practice and contemporary literature on mergers seem predominantly focused on rational economic and managerial perspectives, Jinette de Gooijer explores the shadow side of these ...ventures. This book illuminates the enormous burden and losses that many, if not most, organizational members must face and endure. The underlying organizational psychodynamic of persecution and annihilation in mergers finds its expression in the book's title: 'The Murder in Merger' . It is a pioneering contribution to the issue of mergers and a unique socioanalytic masterpiece.'- Burkard Sievers, Professor Emeritus of Organization Development, Past-President ISPSO
Purpose
The article aims to explain how leaders who initiate people‐centric reforms can help to create a profitable, harmonious and vibrant organization.
Design/methodology/approach
The article ...illustrates the point through a case study of the work of Sanak Mishra as chief executive of the Rourkela steel plant, India.
Findings
The article describes the traits of effective leadership for handling people. It advances the view that successful change initiatives require: people who have the tools and techniques to perform well; a shared vision between leaders and employees and the alignment of organizational goals with those of individuals; open communications across the organization to facilitate the sharing of the ideas, information and knowledge and build an atmosphere of trust; leaders who know how to empower people by delegating authority, and understand when to intervene; leaders who can network with external constituencies, troubleshoot and manage conflicts; leaders who can link the present with a better future for the organization; and leaders with the skills to create a supportive climate in the organization and the ability to influence employees to change their behavior.
Social implications
The impact of wider economic forces on the fate of an Indian steel plant is considered.
Originality/value
The article emphasizes that effective leaders are able to facilitate the free flow of ideas and tap the energy, commitment and imagination of employees, which then become the vehicle to increase productivity, profitability and the performance of the organization.
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