The Survival of National Bargaining in the Electrical Contracting Industry: A Deviant Case?

One seemingly incontestable fact about British industrial relations over the last quarter century is the decentralisation of private sector collective bargaining from multi-employer level to the level of the enterprise, division, or plant. This article explores what is often seen to be a deviant case, namely the electrical contracting industry, where multi-employer national bargaining is claimed to have remained strong. This resilience would seem to be despite the fact that, on a priori grounds, given industrial structure and work organisation, multi-employer bargaining would seem unlikely in this industry. The first part of the paper briefly outlines the wider context of collective bargaining trends in British industry. In the second section, the development of collective bargaining arrangements in electrical contracting is outlined. The third section then investigates recent developments and the degree to which arrangements in the industry have deviated from the rest of the private sector. In the final section explanations are offered and implications are explored. The industry's bargaining arrangements are seen as having some positive outcomes in terms of the regulation of self-employment, employee benefits, and training.

Work and employment relations in Kent

This report details the results of a survey of employment practices and policies at workplaces in Kent. The survey was conducted in the summer of 2001 and was carried out by the University of Greenwich Business School with financial support from ACAS South Eastern Area

Acting With Integrity Across The World’? What Do Multinationals Say About Labour Standards?

This paper is concerned with global labour governance and with the position taken by UK based multinational corporations with regard to labour standards in the management of their supply chains, both in the UK and internationally. Organisations may have multiple and varied reasons for their public statements on corporate behaviour, we ask what the largest and most reputable of UK organisations pledge in their public statements about the ways in which they manage across international and corporate boundaries. We address the following questions. What are the claimed objectives for MNC’s in considering management across international boundaries, including management of their supply chains? How do they frame those objectives in public documentation? This paper reports on the first phase of our work, based on documentary research. We have reviewed the annual reports of 20 UK plc’s – multinationals with extensive overseas supply chains and considerable purchasing power and influence. Power asymmetries are inherent in the relations between MNEs and suppliers or sub-contractors and we found that there is little evidence that corporate positions are implemented throughout the relevant supply chains. We found an absence of uniformity in approach (although a high proportion of our sample publically express nothing, or little, on the subject of labour standards). There is no strong evidence to show that fair trading standards in commercial relations with suppliers or contractors lead to clear labour standards for those employed in supply chain companies or with sub-contractors

Innovations in pay and grading in NHS trusts

This report examines innovations in pay and grading in 10 NHS trusts in England using data collected from March 2000 to January 2001, ie prior to the implementation of Agenda for Change. These 10 trusts, which varied in size, function, and location, were selected primarily to illustrate a variety of different approaches to pay and grading. The research utilised a qualitative methodology, with interviews of managers on a one to one basis, group interviews with lay union representatives, focus groups with staff and the inspection of documents. This study focused on four questions: • Did local pay resolve the problems associated with Whitley? • What were the consequences of local pay? • Were the trusts’ pay systems introduced in line with 'new pay' ideas and current trends in reward management? • What factors were critical to the success of developing and implementing local pay systems in NHS trusts

Adolescent experience of intergroup contact in South Africa and its impact on identity development : a qualitative study

Bibliography: leaves 120-128.This research study presents an enquiry into adolescents' experience of the process of intergroup contact in South Africa, with a particular emphasis on the impact of such contact on adolescent identity development. A particular instance of intergroup contact is examined, namely a drama project which brought together ten high school pupils from two very different school and home environments. Literature from both developmental psychology and social psychology was accessed to shed light on the research area, and an attempt was made to integrate the various bodies of literature, using a social constructionist perspective. A conceptual framework was developed to depict the integration between the various areas of literature. A qualitative methodology was adopted in order to facilitate an in-depth understanding of the participants' experience. Multiple methods of data collection were used, namely participant observation, interviews, pieces of writing (essays and biographies), questionnaires and video material. A computer programme, Ethnograph, was used to analyse the data and generate codes, which shaped the categories used in reporting the findings. Further, the findings were integrated with the conceptual framework developed from the literature. This integrative framework is depicted diagrammatically. The findings focus primarily on the complexity of processes involved in the impact of the intergroup situation on adolescent identity, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between personal and social identity

Perspectives on the development of a molecularly targeted agent

AbstractSTI571 (Gleevec, imatinib mesylate) exemplifies the successful development of a rationally designed, molecularly targeted therapy for the treatment of a specific cancer. This article reviews the identification of Bcr-Abl as a therapeutic target in chronic myelogenous leukemia and the steps in the development of an agent to specifically inactivate this abnormality. Issues related to clinical trials of molecularly targeted agents are discussed, including dose and patient selection, as are possible mechanisms of resistance to STI571. Lastly, the potential use of STI571 in other malignancies and the translation of this paradigm to other malignancies is explored

Implementing Retrenchment Strategies: A Comparison of State Governments and Public Higher Education

The authors present a comparative analysis of the processes and strategies by which public organizations implement retrenchment in the face of continued budget shortfalls. The focus is on the governments of the fifty United States and public institutions of higher education in the nine states of the Northeast. Special consideration is given to the programs that have been tried, sources of ideas for the strategies adopted, and constraints that institutions face when dealing with financial crises. While similarities were found for state governments and colleges and universities in use of past strategies and short-term fixes, differences were found in the sources of ideas and the implementation of plans affecting employees. The research suggests that these differences may be attributed to the differences in organizational culture

Assessing the Effects of Incorporating Service in Learning: The Search for a Comprehensive Process of Service Learning Evaluation

Service learning is rapidly becoming a popular teaching and learning tool, yet assessment of the effectiveness of the pedagogy is still developing. It is vital that we begin to systematically evaluate the extent to which service initiatives adhere to sound educational principles and advance the learning of our students . Furthermore, comprehensive assessment of service learning should address the interests of all stakeholders in the process, utilizing instruments that capture the interplay among faculty, students, community, and educational institution. Although evaluation of this pedagogy is still in its infancy, a careful and considered application of a variety of linked assessment mechanisms should provide insights into the true nature of service learning