Labor-Management Relations and Participative Decision Making: Toward a New Paradigm

A Comparison of Personnel Courses in Public and Business Administration

“…The human relations approach idealizes shared policy development and collaborative decision making between management and unions/employees (see Kearney and Hays, 1994). The traditional/technical approach views policies and decision-making as properly dictated by management, with employee contributions tolerated when mandated by law or contract.…”

Teaching Labor Relations

“…A recent article by Kearney and Hays, &dquo;Labor-Management Relations and Participative Decision Making: Toward a New Paradigm,&dquo; summarizes current efforts in cooperative labor-management relations and the organizational mechanisms involved (Kearney and Hays, 1994). Employees are more involved in the results of their work and committed to their public responsibilities.…”

“…The common, umfymg element m TQM, QCs, QWL programs, Labor-Management Committees and related approaches is meanmgful employee participation m orgamzational decision makmg wherem a formal vehicle for an employee voice is operative, and employee views and decisions are given serious consideration (Kearney and Hays, 1994) The success of these participative mechanisms depends largely on three factors. First, the purpose of the committee and procedures for resolving serious problems must be clearly established.…”

Federal Labor-Management Relations Reforms Under Bush

“…Disequilibrium in bargaining power is conducive to unilateral directives, not PDM. (p. 48) The power imbalance identified by Kearney and Hays (1994) has been exacerbated under Bush.…”