Bibliography: leaves 261-276. Electronic publication; full text available in PDF format; abstract in HTML format. This thesis is about the role that shop floor workers play in organisational change. In particular, it investigates the manner in which a distinct group of worker-level leaders and change agents affected the generation and implementation of change and helped to shape the change process in an organisation undergoing planned change. The data for the thesis were obtained from a three-year, longitudinal case-study of organisational change in a medium-sized automotive components manufacturer, Moving Metals Limited (MML). Electronic reproduction.[Australia] :Australian Digital Theses Program,2001.

[Abstract]: This study identifies statistically significant associations between unfair dismissal arbitration decisions and inherent characteristics pertaining to the unfair dismissal claims. The inherent characteristics examined are the industry sector in which the employee worked, the occupational skill level of the employee’s position, size of the business, presence of human resource expertise within the business, the reason for dismissal, and the genders of both the employee and arbitrator. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on grievance activity within the workplace. It focuses specifically on arbitrated grievances and as such, AIRC unfair dismissal decisions are investigated as an exemplar of arbitrated grievance activity. This study is within an Australian context which may limit its world-wide generalisability but its strength is that it addresses across industry and across occupational data.Empirical analysis is undertaken using data collected from unfair dismissal arbitration decisions made by the AIRC during 2004 and 2005. Three hundred and eighty-four (384) cases are analysed, with 34.4% of the arbitration findings occurring in the grievant’s favour and 65.6% in the employer’s favour. It is noted that this figure is inflated in the employer’s favour because it includes cases lodged and later rejected by the commission for jurisdictional reasons. The split counting the 274 within jurisdiction cases is 51.8% in the employer’s favour and 48.2% in the grievant’s favour. The results of chi-square tests indicate that six characteristics have statistically significant association with the arbitration outcome. These characteristics are: occupational skill level of the grievant; the size of the business; the presence of HR expertise; the reason dismissed; the grievant’s gender; and the arbitrator’s gender. No association was found between the industry sector and arbitration decision, although there is a significant association between industry sector and jurisdictionally rejected claims.The collective finding of the hypotheses tests suggests that the type of aggrieved employee associated with a favourable arbitration outcome is one from an organisation of between 50 and 100 employees without an HR expert, working in a lower skilled occupation, having been made redundant, is female and appears before a male arbitrator. Whereas, the type of employer associated with a favourable arbitration outcome is one who has either up to 50 staff, or over 200 staff with an HR expert, who dismissed a male employee working in a higher skilled occupation for serious misconduct with the case before a female arbitrator.A major policy implication of this research relates to the Rudd government’s proposed legislative reforms of the unfair dismissal provisions. This study identifies disadvantaged groups of workers when it comes to dismissal practices of employers, namely employees from businesses of 50 to 100 workers and lower skilled workers. Identified also was the need for training for businesses to enable them to engage in procedurally fair redundancy processes and for gender bias awareness for arbitrators. In terms of further research, this study provides the foundation for predictive statistical analysis. The variables suitable for further analysis are occupational skill level, business size, reason for dismissal and gender in relation to their influence on the arbitration outcome. Additional descriptive research could also be conducted in terms of conducting international comparatives with a view to identifying the outputs that different legislation/arbitration frameworks produce for workers and employers.

This thesis is about the role that shop floor workers play in organisational change. In particular, it investigates the manner in which a distinct group of worker-level leaders and change agents affected the generation and implementation of change and helped to shape the change process in an organisation undergoing planned change. The data for the thesis were obtained from a three-year, longitudinal case-study of organisational change in a medium-sized automotive components manufacturer, Moving Metals Limited (MML). Data were collected at MML during a move from traditional mass production to lean production and the research was conducted using processual action research, while the researcher adopted the dual roles of researcher and consultant to the company. The research identified a distinct group of workers, with no supervisory capacity, who were able to shape the change process in the organisation. These workers are referred to as workers of influence. This group of workers emerged as central characters in the process of organisational change and as leaders and change agents in the organisation. Drawn from the empirical data, criteria for identifying workers of influence are developed in this thesis, based on the authority vested in them by the workforce and their access to management decision-making. A taxonomy of workers of influence is developed in this thesis using these criteria, as well as the duration of tenure of influence. In much of the literature, shop floor workers are portrayed as either passive participants in, or active resistors of organisational change. This research provides evidence of some workers acting as leaders and change agents in an active and influential manner. The research examines issues of power, influence, autonomy and control and their impact on workers' capacity to participate in change. In so doing, this research identifies and opens up an important area of study with implications for organisational theory, literature and the implementation of planned interventions in organisations. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Department of Social Inquiry, 2000.

Bibliography: v. 2, leaves 176-217. / 2 v. : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, 1985

This thesis examines the formation, development, role and behaviour of the Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF). Its focus is primarily the field of labour management. It addresses key issues in the role of the SNEF from its formation in 1980 to 2004, in the institutional context of Singapore's politics, economic development and industrial relations. This longitudinal study makes a substantial original contribution to understanding Singapore's leading national employers' association, and is a pioneering study of a national employers' association in East Asia. The thesis is a qualitative case-study, using fieldwork interviews, primary documents and the secondary literature as data sources. Through the critical event method, the work focuses analysis on key junctures for the SNEF's development and change during the period examined. In addition, the author employs the Sheldon and Thornthwaite (1999) model of employers' association strategy in framing the analysis of the thesis' central questions, and in examining SNEF's strategic decisions in response to changes in its external environment. By analysing how the SNEF's external roles and internal relations changed during each period, the research draws attention to the dynamic nature of this employers' association in the rapidly changing conditions marking Singapore's development. Given the central role of the People's Action Party (PAP) in Singaporean society, a central theme of this thesis is how the SNEF balances political pressures from Singapore's government-dominated corporatist system, with the needs of its diversified membership. The narrative core of the thesis identifies five distinct periods of Singaporean industrial relations - through the lens of the SNEF - reflecting larger economic developments through which the government guided the economy and society. The thesis finds that, while the SNEF is an independent and apolitical organisation, it is nevertheless deeply embedded in the Singaporean variant of corporatism. Accordingly, the SNEF's role and behaviour are inherently guided by the PAP's ideology of pragmatism and, in Singapore, sectoral interests deferred to and institutionally served national interests.

Bibliography: v. 2, leaves 176-217.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Robert Eisenberger, Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2001. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 259-286). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in Industrial Relations and Human Resources." Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-84).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in Industrial Relations and Human Resources." Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-131).