Employment Relations in Chile : Evidence of HRM Practices

This paper presents empirical evidence about HRM practices in Chilean organizations with the aims of providing insight into employment relations and adding to limited existing literature. The paper is based on research that explored organizational culture and HRM practices. Research was conducted in a non-probabilistic sample of 2000 Chilean workers employed in organizations in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. The main argument presented in the paper is that HRM practices in Chilean organizations illustrate the normative perspective of modern HRM discourse, where managers understand the nature of employment relationships to be worker control. While HRM processes are articulated under the rhetoric of worker emancipation; discursive practices perpetuate patterns of subordination that have historically shaped employment relations in Chile. Discussion is framed by a conceptual discussion of HRM practices and a contextual discussion of social dynamics and the historical nature of employment relations in Chile. Findings suggest that organizational rhetoric is heavily influenced by the neoliberal stance, where organizations are described with a managerialist discourse that praises their vanguard management techniques and technology. Similarly, workers are said to be valued and considered an organizational asset. In practice, however, workers seem discontented with individualistic employment relations and discretionary HRM practices that force them to “look out for themselves.” Hierarchies and managerial power emerged as central to employment relations and HRM practices, where power of authority and class dictate organizational dynamics and relationships. This mirrors patterns of social relations found in Chile. Findings provide data for wider analyses of HRM practices in the country, in particular to explore workers’ views of, and experiences with the employment relationship. However, more research is needed nationally and regionally in order to gather data that allow for a more comprehensive overview of the country and provide grounds for regional comparison