The Meanings and Purpose of Employee Voice
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THE MEANINGS AND PURPOSE OF EMPLOYEE VOICE
Tony Dundon National University of Ireland, Galway Adrian Wilkinson Loughborough University Mick Marchington Manchester School of Management, UMIST Peter Ackers Loughborough University.
8260 words (excluding tables and references)
1
IJHRM Voice 1
THE MEANINGS AND PURPOSE OF EMPLOYEE VOICE
ABSTRACT In this article we present and assess an analytical framework for examining the different ‘ a i s p ro e a dpa te ’ f mp y ev i . h d t w sc lcted from 18 me n g , up s s n rcc so e l e o e T e aa a oe n i o c l organisations in England, Scotland and Ireland. Managers defined voice very much in terms of the perceived contribution to efficiency and tended to downplay notions of rights; however, the linkages between voice and performance outcomes remain problematic. Overall, employee voice is best understood as a complex and uneven set of meanings and purposes with a dialectic shaped by external regulation on the one hand and internal management choice on the other. The evidence suggests that the degree to which voice practices are embedded in an organisation is much more important than reporting the extent of any particular individual or collective schemes for employee voice.
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INTRODUCTION
The last decade has seen a growing interest in the notion of employee voice, both from those seeking higher levels of organisational performance and from those desiring better systems of employee representation. In public policy terms, the environment is more sympathetic to trade unions, more animated by notions of employee rights, and supported by new legal regulations (Ewing 2003). The election of New Labour in 1997, and their return in 2001, appears to mark another major turning point for employment policy (Ackers et al, 2004). While the current government remains committed to labour flexibility, it has been prepared both to regulate independently on behalf of employees and to commit the UK to European Social...
Tony Dundon National University of Ireland, Galway Adrian Wilkinson Loughborough University Mick Marchington Manchester School of Management, UMIST Peter Ackers Loughborough University.
8260 words (excluding tables and references)
1
IJHRM Voice 1
THE MEANINGS AND PURPOSE OF EMPLOYEE VOICE
ABSTRACT In this article we present and assess an analytical framework for examining the different ‘ a i s p ro e a dpa te ’ f mp y ev i . h d t w sc lcted from 18 me n g , up s s n rcc so e l e o e T e aa a oe n i o c l organisations in England, Scotland and Ireland. Managers defined voice very much in terms of the perceived contribution to efficiency and tended to downplay notions of rights; however, the linkages between voice and performance outcomes remain problematic. Overall, employee voice is best understood as a complex and uneven set of meanings and purposes with a dialectic shaped by external regulation on the one hand and internal management choice on the other. The evidence suggests that the degree to which voice practices are embedded in an organisation is much more important than reporting the extent of any particular individual or collective schemes for employee voice.
2
INTRODUCTION
The last decade has seen a growing interest in the notion of employee voice, both from those seeking higher levels of organisational performance and from those desiring better systems of employee representation. In public policy terms, the environment is more sympathetic to trade unions, more animated by notions of employee rights, and supported by new legal regulations (Ewing 2003). The election of New Labour in 1997, and their return in 2001, appears to mark another major turning point for employment policy (Ackers et al, 2004). While the current government remains committed to labour flexibility, it has been prepared both to regulate independently on behalf of employees and to commit the UK to European Social...