Documents Snook, Jeremé Charles 3 results

"Following the 2007 Gibbons review and the subsequent repeal of the statutory grievance and disciplinary procedures in April 2009, the resolution of workplace conflict through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) continues to be a topical issue in the UK. Using a qualitative case study methodology, this paper examines the approaches to dispute resolution adopted by owners and managers in small businesses and the operational realities that shape their handling of individual disputes. The findings reveal a support for early and informal conflict resolution, but also a lack of knowledge about ADR and what it can offer. The conclusion is that, whilst ADR offers real benefits to small business employers and their employees, the dominant concern of these parties appears to be their ability to defend decisions they have taken in the event of litigation."

"This article is a longitudinal case study that demonstrates how company middle managers acting as European works council (EWC) delegates are well placed to represent the interests of the wider workforce. Contrary to widely held assumptions about the role of management on EWCs, namely that such delegates represent nothing more than the ‘managerial capture' of this European institution, the article exemplifies such delegates as possessing skills sets which incorporate communication, organization, strategy, assertiveness, tact and diplomacy that can benefit the EWC. The delegates in this study developed both solidarity and a shared sense of identity among employees that spanned national borders; delegates also influenced both company policy and strategy. Ultimately these delegates operating in a strictly non-unionized IT company helped transform the company EWC from its initial description as ‘the best kept company secret' into a more purposeful structure of employee representation. "

"This longitudinal case study in a Japanese owned manufacturing company examines the relationship between union-based representation and organisation and other forms of employee voice. The study covers the period before and after the passage of the Employment Relations Act 1999. During that period the Company voluntarily agreed to the recognition of an independent trade union at the same time as abandoning a pre-existing employee works council and its replacement by a Japanese-style company advisory board. The study investigates, inter alia, how far, and to what extent the inpending EU directive establishing mechanisms for employee information and consultation could influence existing trade union representation and organisation."