Redundancy, authority and workplace relations : case studies of retrenchments in south-east Queensland

Grindrod, Robert (1991). Redundancy, authority and workplace relations : case studies of retrenchments in south-east Queensland PhD Thesis, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland.

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Author Grindrod, Robert
Thesis Title Redundancy, authority and workplace relations : case studies of retrenchments in south-east Queensland
School, Centre or Institute School of Social Science
Institution The University of Queensland
Publication date 1991
Thesis type PhD Thesis
Total pages 452
Language eng
Subjects 1503 Business and Management
Formatted abstract The central focus of this study is the relation between management, employees and trade unions, both before and during the retrenchment process, and the past employment and unemployment situation of the displaced employees.

The study concentrates on three major aspects of the redundancy experience. The first aspect concerns management authority and legitimacy during the conflict situation of a retrenchment. A political approach is used in the study of the organisations, and a labour process approach is adopted to examine the strategies and types of control exercised by management over the production process. The retrenched employees' integration within the organisation and their attitude towards management and the redundancy decision differs markedly according to the level of trust existing between themselves and management, and this varies at the firms studied.

The second aspect of the redundancy experience relates to the employment pattern of the redundant workers, both prior to, and as a consequence of, the retrenchment. A labour market segmentation approach is adopted to explain divisions within the labour market and the subsequent employment situation. Industrial characteristics, such as status and age, are also shown to be important as an influence on employment outcomes and for understanding variations in employees' views on the significance and meaning of work. - - The third aspect of the study concerns the unemployment experiences of the retrenched employees. In this context, the social and economic consequences of retrenchment, and factors explaining differences in the respondents' duration of unemployment, are explained.

Keyword Layoff systems.
Layoff systems -- Queensland -- Case studies.
Personnel management -- Queensland -- Case studies.
Unemployment -- Queensland -- Case studies.
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