Nose to Tail: Using the Whole Employment Relationship to Link Worker Participation to Operational Performance

Litwin, Adam Seth. 2015. “Nose to Tail: Using the Whole Employment Relationship to Link Worker Participation to Operational Performance.” Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations, 21: 143-176.

34 Pages Posted: 4 Feb 2015

See all articles by Adam Seth Litwin

Adam Seth Litwin

Cornell University; Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Date Written: February 1, 2015

Abstract

Although many employers continue to adopt various forms of worker participation or employee involvement, expected positive gains often fail to materialize. One explanation for the weak or altogether missing performance effects is that researchers rely on frameworks that focus almost exclusively on contingencies related to the workers themselves or to the set of tasks subject to participatory processes. This study is premised on the notion that a broader examination of the employment relationship within which a worker participation program is embedded reveals a wider array of factors impinging upon its success. I integrate labor relations theory into existing insights from the strategic human resource management literature to advance an alternative framework that additionally accounts for structures and processes above the workplace level  namely, the (potentially implicit) contract linking employees to the organization and the business strategies enacted by the latter. The resulting propositions suggest that the performance-enhancing impact of worker participation hinges on the presence of participatory or participation-supporting structures at all three levels of the employment relationship. I conclude with implications for participation research.

Keywords: Worker participation; labor relations; employment relations; participative management; employee involvement

Suggested Citation

Litwin, Adam Seth, Nose to Tail: Using the Whole Employment Relationship to Link Worker Participation to Operational Performance (February 1, 2015). Litwin, Adam Seth. 2015. “Nose to Tail: Using the Whole Employment Relationship to Link Worker Participation to Operational Performance.” Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations, 21: 143-176., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2559791

Adam Seth Litwin (Contact Author)

Cornell University ( email )

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Cornell University, Ithaca, New York ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/people/adam-seth-litwin

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