What Works (And Does Not Work) in Industrial Relations System Change to Promote Effective Workplace Participation? France, 1981 and Thereafter

Paper presented to International Evidence: Worker-Management Institutions and Economic Performance Conference, U.S. Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations.Paper_Rojot_France.pdf: 257 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

La « porte ouverte d'IBM » au service de la gestion des ressources humaines

Le programme dit de la « porte ouverte » d’IBM propose aux salariés de l’entreprise, en cas de conflit individuel avec leur supérieur hiérarchique, de recourir à un dispositif particulier de médiation/arbitrage interne. Cet article montre que ce mode original de résolution des conflits – peu courant en France – est source de justice procédurale et d’amélioration du climat social au sein de l’entreprise, malgré les inquiétudes qu’il peut susciter. Quoi qu’il en soit, le sentiment des salariés vis-à-vis de la « porte ouverte » est très sensible à l’information dont ils disposent, ce qui met l’accent sur l’importance de la communication autour de ce type de dispositif. La « porte ouverte » peut alors être considérée, au delà d’un mode de résolution des conflits, comme un outil de gestion des ressources humaines en tant que tel, favorisant la prise de parole et la responsabilisation des salariés au sein de l’entreprise.This paper deals with alternative dispute resolution in labour relations within the French context. By contrast with the United States and Canada, mediation and arbitration are rarely used in France for resolving individual or collective labour relations disputes. It is therefore interesting to study such a voice procedure in labour relations in France. This is illustrated by an empirical study of the French subsidiary of the IBM corporation. We focus our attention on the IBM “open door” policy that allows an employee who considers that he or she has been treated unfairly to formally request an executive manager to look at his or her grievance and potentially provide redress. A quantitative statistical analysis of 203 respondents shows that the “open door” favours procedural justice and equity within the company. However, the open door policy raises worries and anxiety among employees. Some of them might be afraid that the executive manager would decide the issue in favour of management. Some employees might also feel that using the open door policy could slow down the pace of their career. Opinion is also mixed as to the weight of custom and practice.The study also shows the importance of information and communication with employees in fostering positive attitudes to the program and reducing their fears. Indeed, the better informed people are about the “open door” policy, the more confidence they show in the procedure, and the greater the perceived impact on procedural justice. Consequently, according to our study, using an internal mediation or arbitration process is all the more interesting in that it can help to build a sense of equity among employees who increasingly demand recognition and respect, as well as “voice” (according to Hirschman, 1970).El programa llamado « puerta abierta » de IBM propone a los empleados de la empresa, en caso de conflicto individual con los superiores jerárquicos, de recurrir a un dispositivo particular de mediación / arbitraje interno. Este artículo muestra que este modo original de resolución de conflictos, poco corriente en Francia, es fuente de justicia procesal y de mejora del clima social en el seno de la empresa, a pesar de las inquietudes que este puede suscitar. Sea como sea, el sentimiento de los empleados respecto a la “puerta abierta” es muy sensible a la información de la que disponen, lo que hace resaltar la importancia de la comunicación en torno a este dispositivo. La “puerta abierta” puede entonces ser considerada, mas allá de un modo de resolución de conflictos, como un instrumento de gestión de recursos humanos en si mismo que favorece la expresión y la responsabilización de los asalariados en el seno de la empresa

Rétablir la confiance dans l’entreprise par le recours à la médiation

Cet article examine le rôle de la médiation comme outil d’action sur la confiance entre les représentants de salariés et d’employeurs. La notion de confiance est appréhendée à travers les typologies de McAllister (1995) et de Lewicki et Bunker (1995b). Il apparaît que la médiation joue un rôle fort sur la dimension cognitive de la confiance, mais un rôle moindre sur sa dimension affective. Parallèlement, les dimensions basées sur le calcul et sur la connaissance sont fortement influencées, mais la médiation a un impact plus faible sur la dimension identitaire de la confiance. Une approche en termes de « contrat psychologique » peut alors aider à rétablir la confiance identitaire ou affective, bien qu’il puisse subsister une part de méfiance irréductible, liée aux blocages idéologiques. Cette réflexion est illustrée par une étude qualitative du « dispositif d’appui au dialogue social » mis en place par l’Agence nationale pour l’amélioration des conditions de travail (ANACT) en France.The goal of our research is to study the mechanisms by which resorting to mediation (or a third party facilitator) may re-establish trust between parties who are on opposite sides in a contentious context leading to a relational impasse. This research is based on a qualitative study (64 interviews) on ten organizations taking advantage of the “Support for Social Dialogue” program set up by the DRT (Direction Régionale du Travail) and the ANACT (Agence Nationale pour l’Amélioration des Conditions de Travail) in France. This resolution framework consists of leading mediation interventions so as to improve, even restore, dialogue between social partners when, outside of true crisis situations, relations which are difficult or based on mistrust have become present within an organization.One first observation from our study is the success of the mediators’ mission. In all cases, the mediators were able to restore dialogue between the parties and thus able to develop, to different degrees, a trust relationship. A quarter of the people questioned expressly experienced an improvement in the trust relationship, and the sustained effect over two years was observed in only one organization. One way of measuring the effect of mediation on trust was to observe if the behaviour of the parties had changed. The involved parties adopt, in all the mediation cases studied, a less aggressive tone and respectful attitudes, even if these improvements are of limited duration in time. The measurement of trust in itself depends on different mechanisms, which vary from one situation to another. Trust is a multi facetted concept, including various dimensions requiring a detailed analysis so as to determine points of action on which the mediators have an influence.Our study shows the positive role played by the mediator on the trust linked to knowledge (Lewicki and Bunker, 1995b), as well as the cognitive dimension described by McAllister (1995). In fact, when there is a relational impasse, the mediator is able to restart the exchange of information among the parties, and in this way, promote the return to this form of trust. Concretely, they also provide a structured framework which makes the facilitation of communication possible. Mediators also engender a certain transparency which is reflected in the fact of participants being able to talk in a more direct and open manner with each other. The active listening taught by mediators also allows the actors to take a step back from the situation and acquire maturity useful in an improved understanding of the other’s point of view.We also find a positive role for the mediation process on the calculated trust (according to the classification by typology proposed by Lewicki and Bunker, 1995b) and on the emotional dimension of trust (according to the typology of McAllister, 1995). This is promoted by mediators in particular through a feeling of warmth and calm. It is possible to observe the growth of mutual respect between the participating parties.Mediation runs into limits along its most fragile dimension: identity confidence. The reduction of the effects of mediation over time upon trust could be linked in particular to this difficulty of permanently influencing the identity component of trust. It is possible that a tripartite approach in terms of the “psychological contract”, between employer representatives, management representatives and mediators, could act upon the emotional and identity dimensions of trust, even if these aspects are definitely more difficult to reduce and to understand, and that in a certain number of cases, ideological limits are the source of a lasting deadlock in communication. As well, there is the problem in the follow up to mediation over time. Continuity on the part of mediators in their intervention over time would be recommended so as to avoid a trust breakdown. In effect, the identity and affective dimensions of trust are, beyond a doubt, the first dimensions to be affected; the ideological divisions always reappear when new difficulties arise. An effect of contagion can then be felt along the other dimensions, thus explaining a new deterioration in the trust relationship.As a result, mediation can be seen as an invaluable tool aimed at having an effect in contexts where one observes a “relational impasse” between social partners so as to restore the confidence and improve the social climate in the organization. An essential question emerges from this study: How to know from which threshold the general concept of trust swings from the negative side towards the positive side? In what proportions, must each of the sub components of trust be satisfied so as to go from a situation of mistrust to a situation of trust? It is from this question that stems the complexity of analyzing and measuring this phenomenon. Our study would need to be extended through complementary inquiries so as to lead to teachings having a more general impact. In fact, the external validity of this impact is limited in the measure that it is based on only ten organizations case studies and thus necessarily remains contextual.Este artículo examina el rol de la mediación como instrumento de acción sobre la confianza entre los representantes salariales y patronales. La noción de confianza es construida a partir de las tipologías de McAllister (1995) y de Lewicki y Bunker (1996). De esto resalta que la mediación juega un rol fuerte en la dimensión cognitiva de la confianza pero juega un rol menor en la dimensión afectiva. Paralelamente, la dimensión calculada y la dimensión basada en el conocimiento son fuertemente influenciadas, pero la mediación tiene un impacto más débil en la dimensión identitaria de la confianza. Un enfoque en términos de «contrato sicológico» puede ayudar a restablecer la confianza identitaria o afectiva aunque pueda subsistir una parte de desconfianza irreducible, ligada a los bloqueos ideológicos. Esta reflexión ilustrada con un estudio cualitativo del “dispositivo de apoyo al dialogo social” implantado por la Agencia nacional por la mejora de las condiciones de trabajo (ANACT) en Francia

The ‘T-Shaped Buyer’: a transactional perspective on supply chain relationships

This paper challenges the normative view of interdependent buyer-seller relationships and provides a more holistic perspective of the contextual reality that shapes buyer behaviour. By proposing an innovative qualitative methodology, which focusses on boundary-spanning, pre-sales interactions, the research penetrates complex and commercially sensitive buyer-seller relationships. The longitudinal research design uses web-based diaries and follow-up interviews to explore conditions of power based interdependence between buyers and sellers. The ensuing data is mapped using qualitative content analysis and the results are aggregated graphically for assessment. Using this approach the study develops a nuanced view of the dominant patterns of buyer behaviour, and challenges the opinion that a search for competitive advantage will strengthen cooperative relationships in conditions of power based interdependence. The paper introduces the metaphor of the 'T-Shaped Buyer' to explain the empirical findings and, while acknowledging the contextual limits of the study, suggests that this metaphor may cause both academics and practitioners to reflect on normative thinking

Does Corporate Culture Affect Bank Risk-Taking? Evidence from Loan-Level Data

Using comprehensive corporate and retail loan data, we show that the corporate culture of banks explains their risk-taking behaviour. Banks whose corporate culture leans towards aggressive competition are associated with riskier lending practices: higher approval rate, lower borrower quality, and fewer covenant requirements. Consequently, these banks incur larger loan losses and make greater contributions to systemic risk. The opposite behaviour is observed among banks whose culture emphasizes control and safety. Our findings cannot be explained by heterogeneity in a bank's business model, CEO compensation incentives or CEO characteristics. We use an exogenous shock to the US banking system during the 1998 Russian default crisis to support a causal inference

Fundamentos teóricos del poder: desde los orígenes del neoinstitucionalismo a un individualismo metodológico complejo

Este artículo presenta una reflexión compleja del poder como la esencia del proceso de negociación tradicional, en el estudio de las relaciones sociales. El poder es un concepto particularmente difícil de captar; ha sido objeto de estudio de varias disciplinas de las ciencias sociales, existiendo por ello varias perspectivas en su análisis. El poder ha sido incluido en la perspectiva ideológica por el marxismo y en la del individualismo metodológico, por Bon-don. La visión weberiana concibe el poder como dominación y Foucault lo concibe como un fenómeno político que tiene un conjunto de estrategias y tecnologías. El estudio del neoinstitucionalismo extiende su influencia no solamente a la economía, sino también a la teoría de las organizaciones. Los orígenes del neoinstitucionalismo se remontan a los juristas entre los cuales es Mauri-ce Hauríou el más célebre. El análisis más moderno se sitúa en la teoría del individualismo metodológico complejo, con todas sus potencialidades explicativas, pertinentes al comportamiento social que va desde los actores individuales a la constitución de los actores colectivos, que ejercen la acción social en las organizaciones

Economics and Management Theory: New Developments in France

Management theory, initially mostly concerned with establishing a set of normative principles aiming to train practicing managers, has developed a substantial body of theory and several original strands of research. It has traditionally drawn its inspiration largely from economic theory, but has integrated elements of sociology, law and social psychology, among other disciplines. In France, a set of relevant recent and innovative approaches come from recent developments in economic theory gathered generally under the label of 'economics of conventions. 'The paper attempts to characterize the main features of the'economics of conventions' and the ways in which it is relevant and provides fruitful new approaches to management theory.Management Theory, Impact Of New Developments In French Economic Theory, Perspectives For Analysis Of Power And Culture,