The author was asked to present an autobiographical account of how her enquiries in the labour productivity and inflation areas reached policy makers.
Abstract
The author was asked to present an autobiographical account of how her enquiries in the labour productivity and inflation areas reached policy makers.
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This paper presents a brief review of research evidence dealing with the individual's perceptions of inflation and incomes policy which was collected by means of national sample…
Abstract
This paper presents a brief review of research evidence dealing with the individual's perceptions of inflation and incomes policy which was collected by means of national sample surveys and which may be of interest to social economists. The implications of the findings for discussions of inflation and incomes policies are also examined. The evidence has been fully documented elsewhere. The research explored some of the social/psychological factors involved in attitudes to inflation which might account for their apparently intractable nature. This territory in the no‐man's area between economics and psychology seemed to have been neglected because the study of inflation was looked upon as primarily the domain of economists while the study of attitudes, learning and thought processes was considered to be that of psychologists.
The Question of Extra Pay for Better Attendance One of the important questions which faces managements in times of inflation is that of deciding what kind of appropriate action…
Abstract
The Question of Extra Pay for Better Attendance One of the important questions which faces managements in times of inflation is that of deciding what kind of appropriate action they can take in the wages field to boost performance. The regular award of pay increases associated with inflation has led to a loosening of the work contribution/reward relationship and has brought with it conflict between the “something for nothing” kind of pay increase which is expected as a matter of right as compensation for the rising cost of living and the “something for something” kind of pay increase, as represented, for instance, by extra pay for extra effort wage‐work bargains.
A striking feature of Jaques' work is his “no nonsense” attitude to the “manager‐subordinate” relationship. His blunt account of the origins of this relationship seems at first…
Abstract
A striking feature of Jaques' work is his “no nonsense” attitude to the “manager‐subordinate” relationship. His blunt account of the origins of this relationship seems at first sight to place him in the legalistic “principles of management” camp rather than in the ranks of the subtler “people centred” schools. We shall see before long how misleading such first impressions can be, for Jaques is not making simplistic assumptions about the human psyche. But he certainly sees no point in agonising over the mechanism of association which brings organisations and work‐groups into being when the facts of life are perfectly straightforward and there is no need to be squeamish about them.
The main purpose of writing this paper is to try to suggest, in conceptual terms at least, a model for the labour turnover process. The model outlined in this paper is seen as a…
Abstract
The main purpose of writing this paper is to try to suggest, in conceptual terms at least, a model for the labour turnover process. The model outlined in this paper is seen as a single part of the total supply and demand for labour in the macro‐economy.
This article examines the intellectual antecedents of Alan Fox’s frames of reference and contributes to academic work that seeks to unravel the pre-Donovan roots of British…
Abstract
Purpose
This article examines the intellectual antecedents of Alan Fox’s frames of reference and contributes to academic work that seeks to unravel the pre-Donovan roots of British industrial relations. It examines the origins of the unitary and pluralist frames of reference with a particular focus on the work of Norman Ross.
Design/methodology/approach
This article draws on published academic materials to examine the origins of the unitary and pluralist frames of reference.
Findings
The article identifies usage of the term “frame of reference” in industrial relations literature from the 1940s and demonstrates the origins of the unitary and pluralist conceptions of the firm in the works of Ross in the 1950s and 1960s.
Originality/value
The article provides a “fresh look” at the origins of the frames of reference.
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A strike is not the only available collective sanction open to a dissatisfied workforce, which may have recourse to alternative forms of militant action such as the go‐slow or…
Abstract
A strike is not the only available collective sanction open to a dissatisfied workforce, which may have recourse to alternative forms of militant action such as the go‐slow or overtime ban. Nevertheless, despite their well known limitations, strike statistics constitute the only available quantitative barometer of overt and organised industrial conflict. In order to explain the incidence of strike action at an aggregative level a number of studies have been carried out in recent years which test quantitative relationships via the use of multiple regression techniques and which postulate an economic interpretation of strike activity. The advantage of the quantitative approach as a method of analysis and insight into the relationships involved is that it “replaces improvised ad hoc explanations of strike activity with a behavioural model which….does yield refutable implications”. That is, in terms of providing more solid and systematic empirical knowledge, its performance is testable and, by amendments and refinements, capable of improvement.
In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of…
Abstract
In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of material poses problems for the researcher in management studies — and, of course, for the librarian: uncovering what has been written in any one area is not an easy task. This volume aims to help the librarian and the researcher overcome some of the immediate problems of identification of material. It is an annotated bibliography of management, drawing on the wide variety of literature produced by MCB University Press. Over the last four years, MCB University Press has produced an extensive range of books and serial publications covering most of the established and many of the developing areas of management. This volume, in conjunction with Volume I, provides a guide to all the material published so far.
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“I'll never go back to that zoo!” exclaimed the General Motors Assembly Division's Vice‐President of Manufacturing. He had just toured the Lordstown plant, where he had come under…
Abstract
“I'll never go back to that zoo!” exclaimed the General Motors Assembly Division's Vice‐President of Manufacturing. He had just toured the Lordstown plant, where he had come under fire from a shower of nuts and bolts accompanied by colourful cat‐calls. This was during the winter of 1971/72, when Lordstown, making the Vega sub‐compact car, was becoming a byword for industrial warfare and worker alienation. Yet at the end of 1976, he did go back. This time he was received with such goodwill that men came off the line to shake his hand. The President of the General Motors Corporation itself then visited the plant, planned to stay for only two hours, but was so impressed with what he saw that he remained for five. A remarkable change had taken place in labour relations at Lordstown, yet it has attracted remarkably little comment. The popular image of Lordstown is still drawn from the acute problem of some six and seven years ago.
MANY associations are formed by a diverse collection of people with a common aim. It is probably the one thing that unites them and, in furthering that aim, they are motivated by…
Abstract
MANY associations are formed by a diverse collection of people with a common aim. It is probably the one thing that unites them and, in furthering that aim, they are motivated by the best intentions and have its welfare at heart.