Designed and implemented as a partnership between GM and the UAW, Saturn breaks new ground in firm governance,management and industrial relations. Through detailed study of Saturn?s partnership arrangements we have found that thelocal management and union leaders have not only implementedthe contractual joint governance institutions which involvelabor in business strategy, product development, supplier andretailer selection, and manufacturing policy, but have also created a system of co-management which gives hundreds ofjointly selected unionoperations management.1members theIn order toresponsibilities ofunderstand the impact ofthe involvement of union members as management, we analyzedthe relationship between the behaviors of both representedand non-represented middle managers, the dynanics of theirindividual union-management partnership relations,differences in their patterns of communication andcoordination, and Saturn?s quality performance. We alsoexamined each partner?s use of time to explore the balancingof social and economic tasks between represented and nonrepresentedpartners. These data were combined with analysesof the tensions within the union between its traditional rolein membership representation, and its new role in managementand governance. Finally, we raise questions regarding thelearning from and diffusion of Saturn to the rest of the GMand the UAW organizations. / The Impact of Co-Management and Joint Governance on Firm and Local Union Performance / Funds for this researchwere provided by the AlfredP.SloanFoundation,the MIT InternationalMotorVehicleResearchProgram,the MIT Leadersfor ManufacturingProgram,and the NationalscienceFoundation..

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The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore whether manufacturing managers had the skills needed to lead union members whose unions have less influence than in the past. Leaders of manufacturing firms can strengthen the relationship between manufacturing managers and union members through positive and effective leadership. Providing union members with leadership can improve cooperation, reduce problem-solving time, and increase productivity through efficiency. The conceptual framework for this study was transformational leadership theory. Data collection involved conducting 20 semi structured interviews with participants affiliated with the United Auto Workers (UAW) in the Toledo, Ohio, area. The participants (9 manufacturing managers, 9 UAW members, and 2 management consultants) shared their views of how manufacturing managers apply leadership to affect individuals and organizations. Moustakas's 5-step process was used to identify themes and patterns. Analysis of the data revealed that younger managers are not providing leadership to union members and that the size of the facility directly affects the ability of manufacturing managers to apply leadership skills. These findings indicate that organizational leaders do not define leadership expectations well and that young managers may lack leader legitimacy. With insights from the study, manufacturing and union leaders may be able to improve managers' leadership of union employees, resulting, potentially, in a less adversarial work environment as well as an improved societal view of labor unions.

This study provides a feminist analysis of protective labor legislation in the Supreme Court case of UAW v. Johnson Controls, Inc. History of protection rhetoric and precedented cases leading up to UAW are provided. Using a feminist analysis, this study argues that the victory for women's labor rights in UAW is short lived, and the cycle of protection rhetoric continues with new pro-business agendas replacing traditional justifications for "protecting" women in the work place. The implications of this and other findings are discussed.

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