Analysing the Quality of Workplace Labour Relations: An Exploratory Study with Reference to the Australian Metal Industry

Abstract

This paper focuses on workplace industrial relations, arguing for measures that distinguish workplaces according to variations in the quality of their labour relations. This enables workplaces to be periodically assessed and encourages research on the determinants of variations in workplace relations, thereby contributing to policy formation. The paper draws on survey data from the Australian metal industry. It concludes by suggesting that if workplace analysis is to progress, industrial relations needs to be opened up to insights from organisational behaviour and other disciplines.

A Preliminary Investigation into Myths and the Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey

“…These results are vital to an understanding of industrial relations in Australia at the workplace level (Callus et al, 1990). For too long, according to Frenkel and Pratt (1990), commentators about workplace industrial relations have used adjectives such as 'good', 'hopeless' and 'terrible' to describe the quality of workplace industrial relations. Commentators have often done so without any supporting evidence for their contentions.…”