The thesis focuses on the impact of the EU Directive (2002/14/EC), which was incorporated into UK employment law, with its phased implementation starting on 6th April 2005. The empirical evidence is based on a survey and predominantly on case-study research that involved interviews with: managers, employees and trade union representatives, together with the collection of relevant documentary evidence. The empirical findings, especially for the non-unionised sector, indicate that the reflexive nature of the Information and Consultation of Employees (ICE) Regulations has mainly stimulated the development of organisation-specific or tailor-made information and consultation arrangements, which minimally comply with the legislative provisions. Moreover, the development of such arrangements is primarily based on the ad hoc momentum that is generated by business pressures (i.e. collective redundancies, transfer of undertakings etc) and can be viewed as reflecting the conceptual framework of legislatively prompted voluntarism. The ICE Directive is aimed at bringing a consistency to the establishment of basic and standard information and consultation arrangements across the workplaces in Great Britain. Subsequently, it should promote the harmonisation of employee participation practices amongst the UK and other EU countries, as it has the goal of ensuring that there is a minimum floor of rights in relation to information sharing and consultation with employees. Nevertheless, the Europeanisation of British industrial relations cannot instantly take place through the adoption of such EU directives. With regard to this research endeavour, it emerges that the extant national idiosyncrasies cannot be substantially altered, whilst business pressures and employers’ goodwill continue to be key drivers in the development of employee participation and consultation arrangements in Great Britain, albeit within the newly adopted legislative and statutory framework.

Employee involvement and participation in HIV-prevention interventions at the workplace remains a barrier to effective programme implementation, which contributes significantly to programme failure and the consequent continued spread of HIV among employees at the workplace. This study explores employee involvement and participation in HIV-prevention interventions at a Bulawayo tyre manufacturing firm. It assesses factors affecting employee involvement and participation in these interventions, and examines the implications of these findings for programme implementation. I used a semi-standardised interview schedule to conduct in-depth, face-to-face qualitative interviews and a self-administered questionnaire to collect quantitative data. The responses showed the nature of employee involvement in HIV-prevention at the firm was at a co-option level, and the type of participation was mere token participation. I recommended that the firm should develop a clear understanding of the importance of stakeholder involvement in HIV-prevention programmes. / Sociology / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Employee involvement and participation in HIV-prevention interventions at the workplace remains a barrier to effective programme implementation, which contributes significantly to programme failure and the consequent continued spread of HIV among employees at the workplace. This study explores employee involvement and participation in HIV-prevention interventions at a Bulawayo tyre manufacturing firm. It assesses factors affecting employee involvement and participation in these interventions, and examines the implications of these findings for programme implementation. I used a semi-standardised interview schedule to conduct in-depth, face-to-face qualitative interviews and a self-administered questionnaire to collect quantitative data. The responses showed the nature of employee involvement in HIV-prevention at the firm was at a co-option level, and the type of participation was mere token participation. I recommended that the firm should develop a clear understanding of the importance of stakeholder involvement in HIV-prevention programmes. / Sociology / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)