FRAMEWORKS OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ANALYSIS: A RE-VISIT TO INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS THEORY (original) (raw)

Industrial Relations Theory: Painting by Numbers

Journal of Industrial Relations, 1984

Academic writers frequently aver a lack of a coherent theory of industrial relations and thus a lack of academic respectability for the discipline. An alternative emphasis is taken here, and the very idea of a single best theory rejected. The question of what is theorizing is addressed. In this, theory is considered as a process used to capture the practice of industrial relations and present it as an academic dialogue. The test of any theoretic account of practice is shown to be the extent to which it aids in understanding the practice. This is developed in a review of Australian and overseas literature. The criticisms of institutional writing by Marxists and of Marxist writing Australia and Hagen's History of the ACTU. 6 Hagen stresses the need for a 2. There is a predilection to lump critical writings together as some undifferentiated 'Marxism'; there are obvious shortcomings to such an unscholarly practice, but for present purposes, the repeated use of 'quotations' becomes tedious. 3. Geare's study in this journal some years ago being a very typical example: A.

Rethinking Industrial Relations: Appraisal, application and augmentation

Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2018

This extended introduction to the special issue on John Kelly’s Rethinking Industrial Relations comprises three sections. First, reflections on the changes in employment relations and the way employment relations have been studied since Rethinking Industrial Relations was published in 1998. Second, a critical reading of the initial reviews and reception to Rethinking Industrial Relations. And, third, a commentary on the articles in this special issue in terms of the significance of their contributions and their inter-linkages. The introduction ends by suggesting a revised and updated edition of Rethinking Industrial Relations would make a further very welcome and substantial contribution to the understanding of contemporary employment relations.

A Contemporary Model for Industrial Relations: Relook from Global Perspective

This article attempts to inquire what industrial relations (IR) is and analyzes the ways in which it has been defined and interpreted since its inception. Various scholars ranging from system theorists, pluralists, Marxists and neo- Marxists to the modern HR and strategic choice perspectives have added, modified or questioned its subject matter. An attempt has been made to propose a model for IR so that it can involve all the addressed as well as unaddressed issues. This model is then tested with what have been the scholarly opinions of how IR should change and respond to the contemporary realities. The article concludes by proposing empirical testing of this model in the service economy of post-industrial age when we have knowledge workers instead of blue-collar workers, flat team-based structures instead of hierarchy and participative control rather than bureaucracy. The possibility of IR, given its experience and time-tested understanding of managing workers of huge strength, to borrow the concepts from contemporary disciplines like HRM and behavioural sciences and develop new theories and frameworks that can add meaning to the new realities is also explored.

Industrial Relations System A Critical Description

2013

Nota: Las reglas de escritura de las referencias bibliográficas pueden variar según los diferentes dominios del conocimiento. Este documento está protegido por la ley de derechos de autor. La utilización de los servicios de Érudit (comprendida la reproducción) se rige por su política de utilización que se puede consultar en el URI

The (Continuing) Importance of Industry Studies in Industrial Relations

Journal of Industrial Relations, 2009

In the context of an increasing tendency towards industrial relations studies at the level of either the nation or the enterprise, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate the continuing importance of the industry as a unit of analysis. There are three main arguments advanced to support this assertion. First, even basic empirical data demonstrate that industries provide a source of empirical regularity that must be acknowledged and explained. Second, in the realm of public policy debate, there continues to be a hegemony of ideas supporting decentralised, enterprise-level policy solutions that neglect the importance and utility of regulatory responses at the industry level. Third, the industry represents an important unit of analysis for the development of theory -industries are natural 'test tubes' for industrial relations 'experiments'. An agenda for future research is proposed to take advantage of the potential offered by industry studies.