Employee voice in enterprise bargaining: what managers miss when they fail to listen. (1st October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Townsend, Keith; Loudoun, Rebecca
• Is Part Of: Labour & industry. Volume 26:Number 4(2016)
• Page Start: 266
• Page End: 280
• Publication Date: 2016-10-01
• Subjects: Employee voice -- enterprise bargaining -- qualitative case study; Work -- Periodicals; Industrial relations -- Periodicals; Industrial relations; Work; Periodicals; 331.05
• DOI: 10.1080/10301763.2016.1249554
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1030-1763

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Despite being reregulated several times, the Australian system of 'enterprise bargaining' has remained adversarial in nature and thus has failed to live up to the potential promised. This article examines a case study where employees hold a great deal of power through a strong union. Additionally and separate from the institutional arrangements, employees identify a number of ways that they identify currently affect productivity in their workplace(s), but poorly integrated employee voice systems and a low level of trust means that the benefits of bargaining are somewhat limited. Evidence from this case study suggests that improved trust and a process of listening to, and learning from employee voice are required for employers and employees to better capitalise on bargaining opportunities and shift from distributive bargaining to integrative bargaining models.