2006 Awards for Excellence

Citation

(2006), "2006 Awards for Excellence", Employee Relations, Vol. 28 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/er.2006.01928faa.002

2006 Awards for Excellence

The following article was selected for this year’s Outstanding Paper Award for Employee Relations: The International Journal

‘‘The management of voice in non-union organisations: managers perspectives’’

Tony DundonNational University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland

Adrian WilkinsonPeter Ackers Loughborough University Business School, Loughborough, UK

Mick Marchington Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Purpose – Given the emergence of new legal initiatives for union recognition, declining levels of union membership and the growth of alternative forms of employee representation, this paper aims to examine the management of employee voice in non-union firms.Design/methodology/approach – The research adopts a case study approach in seven non-union organisations from different sectors of economic activity in the UK. Several themes guided the design of the research instruments. Interviews were conducted with managerial respondents responsible for the design and implementation of employee voice at each case study, including non-personnel practitioners.Findings – Provides information on: the meaning of non-union voice; the range of practices adopted; the potential outcomes; and apparent barriers to the implementation of non-union voice arrangements.Research limitations/implications – The research collected data from managerial respondents only, and this limtation is noted. Further research in this area is suggested, particularly from employee stakeholders involved in the processes of employee involvement.Originality/value – The paper addresses a gap on employee voice in non-union settings. It suggests that it is too simple to dismiss voice in non-union organisations as ineffective and inconsequential.

Keywords: Employee relations, Employee representatives, Joint consultations, Non-unionism, United Kingdom

www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/01425450510591620 This article originally appeared in Volume 27 Number 3, 2005, Employee Relations: The International Journal www.emeraldinsight.com/authors

The following articles were selected for this year’s Highly Commended Award

‘‘A bridge over troubled water: a decade of representation at South West Water’’

Carole BonnerPaul J. Gollan

‘‘Small unions and mergers: evidence from two case studies’’

Gerry PalmerJeff ParryMike Webb

‘‘Gender differences in policing: signs of progress?’’ Ronald J. BurkeAslaug Mikkelsen

These articles originally appeared in Volume 23 Numbers 3 and 4, 2005, Employee Relations: The International Journal