Nick Wailes - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Nick Wailes
Policy and Society, 2002
This article explores the possibilities for an integrated theoretical framework which is capable ... more This article explores the possibilities for an integrated theoretical framework which is capable of explaining similarities and differences in national industrial relations policies in the context of globalisation. The first half of the article reviews three theoretical frameworks that can be used to compare industrial relations developments in different countries- simple globalisation, the new institutionalism and a material interest approach to political economy. It argues that whilst institutionalist arguments tend to dominate analysis of the effects of globalisation on national patterns of industrial relations, a model which combines institutionalist and material interest approaches can overcome some of the anomalies attendant in institutionalist analysis. The second section demonstrates the benefits of an integrative theoretical framework for explaining patterns of industrial relations reform in Australia and New Zealand during the 1980s and 1990s. The article concludes by exam...
Management, 2005
Purpose This paper aims to examine the contribution that discourse analysis can make to underst... more Purpose This paper aims to examine the contribution that discourse analysis can make to understanding organizational change. Design/methodology/approach It identifies five key contributions. Discourse analytic approaches: reveal the important role of discourse in the ...
New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations
The aim of this paper is to outline the philosophical assumptions that form the basis of the pres... more The aim of this paper is to outline the philosophical assumptions that form the basis of the present call for the abolition of specialist jurisdiction for labour law in New Zealand The discussion here focuses on Epstein's (1983a) "A common law for labour relations ..." because it is the key statement of the case against a specialist jurisdiction, and the conclusions he advances have played an important role in the debate about labour law in New Zealand While academic literature has been largely critical of the call for the abolition of the Employment Court, there have been very few attempts to come to terms with the types of arguments used by the "abolitionists". It is argued that an adequate critique needs to be built on an understanding of the philosophical assumptions that are driving the current changes in labour relations legislation.
Deakin Law Review, 2008
This book contains the papers delivered at a workshop held in December 2006 at the University of ... more This book contains the papers delivered at a workshop held in December 2006 at the University of Melbourne. The workshop formed part of a larger Australian Research Council (ARC)-funded project titled 'Partnerships at Work'. The list of contributors (pp ix-xii) shows that they come from various disciplines and include academics and other researchers.
J Ind Relat, 2001
... BOOK REVIEWS 253 Page 3. Second, Pontusson and Swenson's analysis suggests that, even in... more ... BOOK REVIEWS 253 Page 3. Second, Pontusson and Swenson's analysis suggests that, even in countries where organised labour is strong, employers play a significant role in determining the shape and structure of wage bargaining. ... UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY NICK WAILES ...
Int J Hum Resour Manag, 2004
This paper provides statistical information on internationalization, human resources and labour m... more This paper provides statistical information on internationalization, human resources and labour market outcomes in ten important developed market economies (DMEs). Such data are useful for practitioners and academics who are interested in international HRM. The article's aim ...
Labour market regulation in Australia and New Zealand has proceeded along a similar trajectory, s... more Labour market regulation in Australia and New Zealand has proceeded along a similar trajectory, sometimes intersecting and other times appearing to take divergent paths. Interest in comparing both systems of labour market regulation peaked in the 1980s and early 1990s when there was a marked divergence. The structural divergence was highlighted by the abolition of compulsory arbitration and the introduction of the Employment Contracts Act in New Zealand. Since the early 1990s, there has been a re-convergence in the structures of labour market regulation. This re-convergence highlights a need to revisit the Australia-New Zealand comparison. This paper seeks to re-conceptualise the comparison by highlighting some of the limitations of the existing comparative literature and developing a broader framework that examines both the structures of labour market regulation and the functions that labour market institutions perform. In doing so, and in keeping with the earlier comparative literature, it seeks to contribute to the theoretical matrix within which cross-national industrial relations research is conducted.
International Journal of Human Resource Management, Feb 18, 2011
The aim of this paper is outline a 'favorable conjunctures' approach to the analysis of industria... more The aim of this paper is outline a 'favorable conjunctures' approach to the analysis of industrial democracy and to briefly demonstrate how such an approach can be used to analyze recent developments in this area on a comparative basis. Three conclusions emerge from the discussion. First, while there are clearly a number of common forces that have affected developments in different countries, the precise forms of participation that have emerged remain different in many key respects. Second, organizational changes at the level of the firm appear to be particularly important in the recent period. Finally, the very complex patterns that are observable reinforce our theoretical arguments of the importance of a conjunctures approach.
Academy of Management Proceedings, 2013
An estimated 90% of HR departments in organisations use some form of technology to manage their d... more An estimated 90% of HR departments in organisations use some form of technology to manage their data and processes. While these systems have gained traction over the last 10 years there is significant evidence to suggest that most organisations have not moved beyond traditional and transactional systems that automate existing HR processes, and that the promise of more sophisticated analytics with strategic value has not materialised. This paper follows three large organisations, using an interpretive case study approach, and investigates how they selected, designed and implemented updated HR systems. Our findings suggest that when a system is designed to engage with the complexity of people management, organisations experience additional challenges from those identified in other functional or integrated IS implementations, Thus the HR system typically becomes stalled at an impasse making it difficult to move beyond the automationtransactional phase to the more strategic transformational phase. By taking a social constructivist perspective we posit that there are four main challenges for management to consider when implementing an HRIS: (1) maintaining both HR and organisational attention in a function that is often attributed limited salience;(2) addressing the complexities associated with people management particularly across global and multi-functional businesses; (3) meeting the challenges associated with the creation and application of relevant HR metrics; (4) and managing user acceptance when there is typically a perceived and realised loss of functionality experienced when people management processes become automated.
Policy and Society, 2002
This article explores the possibilities for an integrated theoretical framework which is capable ... more This article explores the possibilities for an integrated theoretical framework which is capable of explaining similarities and differences in national industrial relations policies in the context of globalisation. The first half of the article reviews three theoretical frameworks that can be used to compare industrial relations developments in different countries- simple globalisation, the new institutionalism and a material interest approach to political economy. It argues that whilst institutionalist arguments tend to dominate analysis of the effects of globalisation on national patterns of industrial relations, a model which combines institutionalist and material interest approaches can overcome some of the anomalies attendant in institutionalist analysis. The second section demonstrates the benefits of an integrative theoretical framework for explaining patterns of industrial relations reform in Australia and New Zealand during the 1980s and 1990s. The article concludes by exam...
Management, 2005
Purpose This paper aims to examine the contribution that discourse analysis can make to underst... more Purpose This paper aims to examine the contribution that discourse analysis can make to understanding organizational change. Design/methodology/approach It identifies five key contributions. Discourse analytic approaches: reveal the important role of discourse in the ...
New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations
The aim of this paper is to outline the philosophical assumptions that form the basis of the pres... more The aim of this paper is to outline the philosophical assumptions that form the basis of the present call for the abolition of specialist jurisdiction for labour law in New Zealand The discussion here focuses on Epstein's (1983a) "A common law for labour relations ..." because it is the key statement of the case against a specialist jurisdiction, and the conclusions he advances have played an important role in the debate about labour law in New Zealand While academic literature has been largely critical of the call for the abolition of the Employment Court, there have been very few attempts to come to terms with the types of arguments used by the "abolitionists". It is argued that an adequate critique needs to be built on an understanding of the philosophical assumptions that are driving the current changes in labour relations legislation.
Deakin Law Review, 2008
This book contains the papers delivered at a workshop held in December 2006 at the University of ... more This book contains the papers delivered at a workshop held in December 2006 at the University of Melbourne. The workshop formed part of a larger Australian Research Council (ARC)-funded project titled 'Partnerships at Work'. The list of contributors (pp ix-xii) shows that they come from various disciplines and include academics and other researchers.
J Ind Relat, 2001
... BOOK REVIEWS 253 Page 3. Second, Pontusson and Swenson's analysis suggests that, even in... more ... BOOK REVIEWS 253 Page 3. Second, Pontusson and Swenson's analysis suggests that, even in countries where organised labour is strong, employers play a significant role in determining the shape and structure of wage bargaining. ... UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY NICK WAILES ...
Int J Hum Resour Manag, 2004
This paper provides statistical information on internationalization, human resources and labour m... more This paper provides statistical information on internationalization, human resources and labour market outcomes in ten important developed market economies (DMEs). Such data are useful for practitioners and academics who are interested in international HRM. The article's aim ...
Labour market regulation in Australia and New Zealand has proceeded along a similar trajectory, s... more Labour market regulation in Australia and New Zealand has proceeded along a similar trajectory, sometimes intersecting and other times appearing to take divergent paths. Interest in comparing both systems of labour market regulation peaked in the 1980s and early 1990s when there was a marked divergence. The structural divergence was highlighted by the abolition of compulsory arbitration and the introduction of the Employment Contracts Act in New Zealand. Since the early 1990s, there has been a re-convergence in the structures of labour market regulation. This re-convergence highlights a need to revisit the Australia-New Zealand comparison. This paper seeks to re-conceptualise the comparison by highlighting some of the limitations of the existing comparative literature and developing a broader framework that examines both the structures of labour market regulation and the functions that labour market institutions perform. In doing so, and in keeping with the earlier comparative literature, it seeks to contribute to the theoretical matrix within which cross-national industrial relations research is conducted.
International Journal of Human Resource Management, Feb 18, 2011
The aim of this paper is outline a 'favorable conjunctures' approach to the analysis of industria... more The aim of this paper is outline a 'favorable conjunctures' approach to the analysis of industrial democracy and to briefly demonstrate how such an approach can be used to analyze recent developments in this area on a comparative basis. Three conclusions emerge from the discussion. First, while there are clearly a number of common forces that have affected developments in different countries, the precise forms of participation that have emerged remain different in many key respects. Second, organizational changes at the level of the firm appear to be particularly important in the recent period. Finally, the very complex patterns that are observable reinforce our theoretical arguments of the importance of a conjunctures approach.
Academy of Management Proceedings, 2013
An estimated 90% of HR departments in organisations use some form of technology to manage their d... more An estimated 90% of HR departments in organisations use some form of technology to manage their data and processes. While these systems have gained traction over the last 10 years there is significant evidence to suggest that most organisations have not moved beyond traditional and transactional systems that automate existing HR processes, and that the promise of more sophisticated analytics with strategic value has not materialised. This paper follows three large organisations, using an interpretive case study approach, and investigates how they selected, designed and implemented updated HR systems. Our findings suggest that when a system is designed to engage with the complexity of people management, organisations experience additional challenges from those identified in other functional or integrated IS implementations, Thus the HR system typically becomes stalled at an impasse making it difficult to move beyond the automationtransactional phase to the more strategic transformational phase. By taking a social constructivist perspective we posit that there are four main challenges for management to consider when implementing an HRIS: (1) maintaining both HR and organisational attention in a function that is often attributed limited salience;(2) addressing the complexities associated with people management particularly across global and multi-functional businesses; (3) meeting the challenges associated with the creation and application of relevant HR metrics; (4) and managing user acceptance when there is typically a perceived and realised loss of functionality experienced when people management processes become automated.