"INTRODUCTION
As U.S. corporations face intensifying global competition, American labor relations are undergoing a historic transformation. Increasingly, many U.S. managers are seeking a competitive edge by changing their traditionally adversarial relationship with labor. Instead, firms are attempting to reshape their corporate cultures to foster the high-trust work relations necessary to support changing methods of work organization. Firms are responding to international market demands by moving away from hierarchical production processes that involve narrow job assignments and close supervision. Firms have implemented participatory work programs that encourage workers to engage in problem-solving and dialogue concerning production inefficiencies. Industrial relations experts maintain that these innovative shopfloor practices usually improve employee attitudes in the short-run and thus lead to temporary increases in productivity. Preserving a cooperative workplace atmosphere, however, has proven to be a more difficult task. [...]"

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