Employment Relations in Non-Union Firms

The form of employment relations and the shape of organizations have changed significantly over the last two decades. Many companies now employ workers who have no access to collective forms of employee representation. The precise relationship between an employee and employer is often ambiguous within complex organizational boundaries. This book re-evaluates the way employment relations are conceptualized and examines employment conditions in non-union organizations. The authors present a detailed analysis of the conditions and patterns of employment relations in both small and large non-union firms. They assess the impact of regulation, managerial ideology and market influences on employer strategies to avoid unionization. Using social and psychological exchange, the book concludes with an assessment of the capacity of workers to act as an agent of change in these non-union relationships. The implications for worker mobilization, trade union expansion and employer strategies are also considered inthe light of detailed case study analysis. Employment Relations in Non-Union Firms will be of essential interest to advanced students and academics in the fields of Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management and Organizational Analysis.