Purpose – This paper aims to explore the rationale underpinning the national development of UNISON's organising strategy and its implementation at regional and branch levels. Design/methodology/approach – The author used non‐participant observation case studies in three National Health...

Purpose – The paper seeks to identify the nature of the contribution that European works councils (EWCs) have made to six British workplaces and their employees. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative longitudinal study of the workplaces (2001‐2004) is discussed, which analyses the...

Purpose – This paper sets out to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, particularly with regard to the processes of implementation and the role of managers engaged in such high commitment strategies and work practices. Design/methodology/approach – This study is part of a research...

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to compare and contrast the workers and managers of an Anglo‐German MNC, focusing on how each group attempts to maintain an acceptable work‐life balance. Design/methodology/approach – The article is based on a two‐year‐long ethnographic study,...

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to show that a defining characteristic of the UK retail sector is the high number of women it employs but there remains an enduring under‐representation of women in its management positions. The majority of women in the industry work part‐time and this...

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to present research into the employment relationship in small firms and to examine its link to high performance. A psychological contract framework is adopted, it being argued that this supports a more nuanced analysis than existing perspectives on the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight employee diversity at the workplace level in a MNC, and consider its impact upon management attempts to promote a global corporate culture. Design/methodology/approach – The investigation took the form of an ethnographic...

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate the perceptions of senior managers in companies in the Sunday Times list of UK best employers on the practice of HRM in their organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken was to conduct semi‐structured interviews with...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine why and how the Trades Union Congress (TUC) – the labour movement's peak body, “think tank” and exemplar – engages in alliance building with civil movements and groups. In particular, it investigates: the rationale for such; the nature...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamics between employers' use of temporary agency workers and the aspirations of agencies to expand their role further within organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The study focuses on the construction sector in the UK. A mixed...