Workplace Dispute Resolution and the Management of Individual Conflict —A Thematic Analysis of Five Case Studies

This Acas funded report explores the management of individual conflict and the resolution of employment disputes in five organisations drawing on over one hundred hours of interview data gathered from discussions with HR practitioners, line and operational managers, employee representatives, and trained mediators. In light of increased concern over the impact of employment disputes on public expenditure, economic performance and employee well-being, substantial policy attention has been paid to the ways in which organisations respond to workplace conflict. In particular, there has been an increased focus on the potential for earlier intervention in order to resolve conflict through the use of alternative approaches such as mediation. Surprisingly, there has been relatively little contemporary academic research into these important issues. Therefore, this thematic review aims to provide new insights into the challenges faced by organisations in managing conflict

Domiciliary Care: The Formal and Informal Labour Process

Domiciliary carers are paid care workers who travel to the homes of older people to assist with personal routines. Increasingly, over the past 20 years, the delivery of domiciliary care has been organised according to market principles and portrayed as the ideal type of formal care; offering cost savings to local authorities and independence for older people. Crucially, the work of the former ‘home help’ is transformed as domiciliary carers are now subject to the imperative of private, competitive accumulation which necessitates a constant search for increases in labour productivity. Drawing on qualitative data from domiciliary carers, managers and stakeholders, this article highlights the commodification of caring labour and reveals the constraints, contradictions and challenges of paid care work. Labour Process Theory offers a means of understanding the political economy of care work and important distinctions in terms of the formal and informal domiciliary care labour process

The problems of a ‘dirty workplace’ in domiciliary care

‘Dirty work’ is an acknowledged part of domiciliary care, with tasks such as bathing and toileting, but there is little examination into whether the workplaces may also be dirty. Domiciliaries’ workplace is the client's own home, but this space has been under-researched and is often not considered essential to client's care in policy. Through shadowing and interviews with domiciliaries, managers and stakeholders this paper suggests that in the most extreme cases the workplace may be dirty. Arguably ‘dirty workplaces’ have a negative effect upon domiciliaries’ through unofficially increasing their workload, further devaluing their work and risking their wellbeing

Workplace mediation: the participant experience

This paper reports on a qualitative study of the perceptions and experiences of participants in workplace mediation. In total, 25 individuals, from a variety of occupations and organisations, were interviewed by researchers. The project sought to: explore the trajectory of individual disputes and assess participants’ views of the effectiveness of mediation provision and sustainability of outcomes. Furthermore, the research attempted to examine the broader impact of participation in mediation on the approach of individuals and organisations to the management of conflict

Exploring a shared leadership perspective for NHS doctors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore involving doctors in shared leadership. It examines the policies that have led to the focus on shared leadership and the implications for practice. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper, examining policy developments and key literature to understand the move towards shared leadership. It focuses on UK NHS, and in particular doctors, although the concepts will be relevant to other disciplines in healthcare, and healthcare systems in other countries. Findings – This paper suggests that the shared-leadership approach for doctors has potential given the nature of clinical practice, the inherently collaborative nature of healthcare and the demands of new healthcare organisations. Health policy reform, generally, will mean that all doctors need to be engaged with leadership, albeit, perhaps, at different levels, and with different degrees of formality. Leadership will remain an important precondition for the success of the reforms. This is likely to be the case for other countries involved in healthcare reform. Practical implications – To highlight the benefits and barriers to shared leadership for doctors. Originality/value – Offers an alternative to traditional approaches to leadership

Making the ethical case for effective domestic abuse policy and practice: the role of trade unions

Purpose This paper focusses on the role of trade unions in policy and practice designed to address the workplace impact of domestic abuse. The paper aims to examine this union remit through the lens of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with 39 union representatives in a region of England to capture their views on and experiences of supporting members experiencing domestic abuse. Findings There is a clear ethical model by which the unions might articulate the key moral, legal and business drivers in determining effective domestic abuse policy and practice. Furthermore, the degree of “proximity”, in terms of union deliberation with employers and particularly joint action following disclosure, suggests that unions could play a key part in achieving “substantive” domestic abuse policy and practice within organisations. Originality/value Despite unions' capacity to offer significant support to employers and employees, the role of unions in addressing the workplace impact of domestic abuse is under-researched. With reference to the concept of CSR, the article adds to the knowledge of how to address the workplace impact of domestic abuse

Domestic violence–a management challenge: how trade unions can help

Domestic violence is a key workplace gender equality issue. Although domestic violence affects everyone, it is predominantly women who are the victims and who suffer from the most severe abuse. This chapter focuses on female employees in the United Kingdom. While rarely acknowledged in UK literature or practice, domestic violence can also affect women at work. It can hamper their performance, attendance and career development. Furthermore, perpetrators can continue the abuse at the workplace. Conversely the workplace can be a haven from domestic violence, offering support and resources. Yet far too often employers lack the capacity and capability to handle domestic violence, resulting in many victims losing their job. Our research explored the role played by trade unions in domestic violence cases, and found that representatives were a source of support for both victims and organizations in helping them better handle domestic violence in the workplace