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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 29 January 2024

Tony Dobbins and Tony Dundon

The purpose of the article is to outline the insights provided by Alan Fox in Man Mismanagement in relation to the rise of the New Right political economy and the spread of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the article is to outline the insights provided by Alan Fox in Man Mismanagement in relation to the rise of the New Right political economy and the spread of unitarist managerialism. The article assesses the contemporary work and employment relations implications of mismanagement arising from a “second wave” of the New Right ideology from 2010 in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

Responding to the Special Issue on Alan Fox, the article focuses on Alan Fox's book Man Mismanagement, considering industrial relations developments arising between the 1st (1974b) and 2nd (1985) editions relating to the political rise of the New Right. It reviews various literature that illustrates the contemporary IR relevance of the book and Fox's insights.

Findings

The New Right’s ideology has further fragmented work, disjointed labour rights and undermined collective industrial relations institutions, and macho mismanagement praxis is even more commonplace, compared to when Fox wrote Man Mismanagement. The stripping away of the institutional architecture of IR renders the renewal of pluralist praxis, like collective bargaining and other forms of joint regulation of work, a formidable task.

Originality/value

The value of the article relates to the identification of dramatic historical industrial relations events and change in the UK in Alan Fox's book Man Mismanagement, most notably relating to the rise to power of the Thatcherite New Right in 1979. Originality is evidenced by the authors’ drawing on Fox's ideas and assessing the implications of the “second wave” of the New Right in the contemporary industrial relations (IR) context of the 2020s under the conceptual themes of fragmented work, disjointed labour rights and undermined collectivism.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 1981

Sue Sharples

As the International Year of Disabled People draws to an end what has been happening in the high street? What changes have been made in attitudes and design policies to…

Abstract

As the International Year of Disabled People draws to an end what has been happening in the high street? What changes have been made in attitudes and design policies to accommodate the needs of so‐called disabled people? In a wide‐ranging review RDM discovered that there's little or no legislation to tie the hands of the planners, developers, designers and shop owners, and that while there was an air of optimism among disabled groups, only in exceptional cases was there contact between such groups and shop owners.

Details

Retail and Distribution Management, vol. 9 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-2363

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1975

Richard Dobbins and Thomas W. McRae

This monograph reports the growth in ownership of ordinary shares in UK registered and managed companies by institutional shareholders and assesses the implications for corporate…

Abstract

This monograph reports the growth in ownership of ordinary shares in UK registered and managed companies by institutional shareholders and assesses the implications for corporate management. Combined holdings of insurance companies, pension funds, investment trust companies, and unit trusts amounted to 45 per cent of quoted UK equities in 1974 and will approach 50 per cent by 1977. Despite exhortations from the Bank of England, the Press, academics and private shareholders, institutions have been reluctant to use their voting strength. French and German companies are familiar with managerial participation by financial institutions. In the United Kingdom the persistent increase in institutional shareholdings presents management with opportunities to mobilise institutional support for the board, particularly in takeover situations; to involve financial institutions in corporate planning and the development of industrial democracy; to use institutions as a source of funds; and to use the financial resources of institutions to maximise the market capitalisation of the firm.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 13 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2017

Cristina Inversi, Lucy Ann Buckley and Tony Dundon

The purpose of this paper is to advance a conceptual analytical framework to help explain employment regulation as a dynamic process shaped by institutions and actors. The paper…

1378

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance a conceptual analytical framework to help explain employment regulation as a dynamic process shaped by institutions and actors. The paper builds on and advances regulatory space theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyses the literature on regulatory theory and engages with its theoretical development.

Findings

The paper advances the case for a broader and more inclusive regulatory approach to better capture the complex reality of employment regulation. Further, the paper engages in debates about the complexity of employment regulation by adopting a multi-level perspective.

Research limitations/implications

The research proposes an analytical framework and invites future empirical investigation.

Originality/value

The paper contends that existing literature affords too much attention to a (false) regulation vs deregulation dichotomy, with insufficient analysis of other “spaces” in which labour policy and regulation are formed and re-formed. In particular, the proposed framework analyses four different regulatory dimensions, combining the legal aspects of regulation with self-regulatory dimensions of employment regulation.

Details

Employee Relations, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2010

Yasmin Rittau and Tony Dundon

The purpose of this paper is to examine the roles and influence of shop stewards under workplace partnership regimes in five case study firms in the Republic of Ireland. It aims…

1948

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the roles and influence of shop stewards under workplace partnership regimes in five case study firms in the Republic of Ireland. It aims to assess the dynamics and potential longevity of partnership relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

A framework is utilised which analyses the scope, breadth and depth of union influence in terms of the structure of partnership processes and the capacity of agency to affect relations among shop stewards, union members and plant management.

Findings

The findings show that while union representatives view partnership in a positive light, there remain problems as to the longevity of partnership owing to management control and a disconnection between national (government) and local (workplace) support mechanisms for partnership. The paper concludes that social partnership is a process that remains anchored in a relationship of both antagonism and accommodation between capital and labour.

Originality/value

Much of the extant literature tends to focus on the outcomes of partnership in terms of the gains or losses to either management and/or unions. In this paper, the focus is on the way the “processes” of social partnership shape the behaviour and roles of workplace union representatives. A number of theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Details

Employee Relations, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1985

Since the first Volume of this Bibliography there has been an explosion of literature in all the main areas of business. The researcher and librarian have to be able to uncover…

16649

Abstract

Since the first Volume of this Bibliography there has been an explosion of literature in all the main areas of business. The researcher and librarian have to be able to uncover specific articles devoted to certain topics. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume III, in addition to the annotated list of articles as the two previous volumes, contains further features to help the reader. Each entry within has been indexed according to the Fifth Edition of the SCIMP/SCAMP Thesaurus and thus provides a full subject index to facilitate rapid information retrieval. Each article has its own unique number and this is used in both the subject and author index. The first Volume of the Bibliography covered seven journals published by MCB University Press. This Volume now indexes 25 journals, indicating the greater depth, coverage and expansion of the subject areas concerned.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2013

Sebastian H.W. Stanger

The purpose of this paper is to develop a generic framework for the assessment of VMI implementation. The framework is used for the analysis of multiple case studies in German…

1797

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a generic framework for the assessment of VMI implementation. The framework is used for the analysis of multiple case studies in German hospitals to discuss the feasibility of VMI in the German blood supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is twofold. In a first step, the literature is reviewed and a generic theoretical VMI framework is developed. In a second step, the case study methodology is applied to 13 cases to assess the feasibility of VMI in the German blood supply chain.

Findings

The paper contributes a generic framework for assessing the implementation of VMI in seven steps. The research proposed that hospitals hesitate to enter a VMI relationship for critical resources such as blood. Hospitals fear losing control over critical resources.

Research limitations/implications

The unit of analysis is hospitals in Germany and the case studies do not target the suppliers in the supply chain. The paper contributes three propositions regarding VMI in the healthcare/blood supply chain.

Practical implications

A generic framework for assessing the applicability and feasibility of VMI is provided which supports managers with the implementation of VMI in a supply chain.

Originality/value

The paper is one of the first papers targeting inventory and supply chain management in the German blood supply chain. It provides a generic framework for the assessment of the feasibility of VMI.

Details

Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8297

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2007

Helen Reijonen and Raija Komppula

The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into small firm entrepreneurs' perceptions of success and how these perceptions affect the performance of a firm. The emphasis…

7132

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into small firm entrepreneurs' perceptions of success and how these perceptions affect the performance of a firm. The emphasis is on non‐financial measures of success and their interaction with the financial indicators of a firm's performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a comparative analysis of two separate studies conducted in the same geographical area in Finland. The studies were concerned with micro‐businesses in the industries of craft and rural tourism.

Findings

The study finds that non‐financial meters of success that are affected by the entrepreneur's motivations and goals influence the financial performance of the small firm. Making a living is important, but going beyond that is not often seen of great concern. Consequently, the entrepreneurs are likely to measure their performance by other criteria and find success, e.g. in job satisfaction and satisfied customers.

Research limitations/implications

In the data collection process, the used questions and themes were not identical. The main themes of performance, growth and success are, however, comparable.

Practical implications

The paper provides useful information about small firm entrepreneurs' perceptions and attitudes of success and growth and how these affect the management of the firm.

Originality/value

This paper brings empirical evidence to the studies of factors affecting small firm performance. In addition, it offers useful insight into the non‐financial measures of success.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 March 2015

Ryan Raffaelli and Mary Ann Glynn

Leaders are important social actors in organizations, centrally involved in establishing and maintaining institutional values, a view that was articulated by Philip Selznick…

Abstract

Leaders are important social actors in organizations, centrally involved in establishing and maintaining institutional values, a view that was articulated by Philip Selznick (1957) nearly a half-century ago, but often overlooked in institutionalists’ accounts. Our objective is to build on Selznick’s seminal work to investigate the value proposition of leadership consistent with institutional theory. We examine public interview transcripts from 52 senior executives and discover that leaders’ conceptualizations of their entities align with the archetypes of organization (i.e., economic, hierarchical, and power oriented) and institution (i.e., ideological, creative and collectivist) and cohere around a set of relevant values. Extrapolating from this, we advance a theoretical framework of the process whereby leaders’ claims function as transformational mechanisms of value infusion in the institutionalization of organizations.

Details

Institutions and Ideals: Philip Selznick’s Legacy for Organizational Studies
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-726-0

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 18 February 2008

Tony Manzi and Keith Jacobs

It is commonly accepted that the study of urban politics has become increasingly complex and fragmented, characterised by a shift away from formal local government structures to a…

Abstract

It is commonly accepted that the study of urban politics has become increasingly complex and fragmented, characterised by a shift away from formal local government structures to a diverse range of public, private and voluntary agencies. The analysis of ‘multi-level’ local governance (Stoker, 2004) in contemporary urban societies therefore requires a need to focus on informal relationships as well as formal institutions, acknowledging the role of a multiplicity of actors and their interactions within partnership and network structures. In this respect the limitations of a purely quantitative methodology have been well-documented, including a lack of depth, insufficient attention to power relationships and an inability to account for symbolic action (see, e.g. Silverman, 2001 and other chapters in this collection). Qualitative methodologies offer the opportunity to consider meaning, complexity and institutional fragmentation in urban policy through detailed empirical and theoretical analysis. However, it is less clear what kinds of theoretical tools are most appropriate to underpin effective qualitative research. The purpose of this chapter is not only to suggest a general approach (that of social constructionism), but also to demonstrate how recent developments can be applied effectively to overcome some of the criticisms of constructionist social theory. The chapter suggests a number of approaches that can provide a means by which contemporary urban processes can be systematically interpreted.

Details

Qualitative Urban Analysis: An International Perspective
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-7623-1368-6

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