2024年4月20日发(作者：地下城勇士手游)

A range of barriers affect EI issues including: whether the practices work; whether firm context

affects EI practices; general barriers limiting the effectiveness of EI; and management motives.

Definition: EI represents a concerted attempt by employers to find participative ways in

which to manage their staff. Its aims are those which support the achievement of

management’s goals, either directly in relation to Or indirectly

through higher levels of employee commitment, satisfaction and identification with their

employer. (Marchington, 2001:234)

Classical school of management: workers as ‘machine minders’

EI: workers as valuable assets, win-win approach; organisational needs for high levels of

employee performance and employees’ demand for autonomy and self-expression in work

Characteristics (

EI VS Industrial democracy (ID) (Marchington, 2005)

1.

management-initiated; Individualist, stressed direct communications with individual

employees

2.

ID rooted in ideas of employee rights, but EI stemmed from an economic efficiency

argument, make business sense to involve employees, as a committed workforce.

Types of involvement and participation

1. Direct/full participation

1) Consultative

a. Individual consultation

b. Group consultation

2) Delegate

a. Individual delegation

b. Group delegation

2. Indirect /Partial or representative participation

1) Collective bargaining

2) Joint consultation

3. Financial participation

Direct EI practices

1.

2.

3.

4.

Downward communication

Upward problem-solving

Financial involvement

Task participation and team working

Potential benefits of EI

1.

2.

3.

4.

The communication and work-force understanding of management policy

Decision-making

Employee commitment – benefits of voice

Industrial relations

5. ↑Productivity, quality and business performance

6. ↓absenteeism

Why are EI needed (Sisson and Storey)

1. Keep workers in the same direction towards org goals

2. Help firm to achieve competitive advantages in such competitive environments

3. Firms cannot afford the managerial hierarchies.（i.e.上级管不好下属）

Managerial hierarchies: 上级有责任确保下属“拿多少工资就得办多少事”

4. The real advances are much more likely to come from internal flexibility leading to improved

organizational capacity.

5. management should positively promote some form of indirect or

representative collective voice for employees

Impact of EI on employee’s attitudes and Performance (does it works?) Marchington et

al (1992)

1. Employee interest in EI

a. Employees are attracted to the idea of being involved at work and to the concept

of involvement and participation

b. Employees are not satisfied with employers acting without some effort to keep

them informed

c. Employees like to have the opportunity to find out why decisions have been made,

plus the potential to influence those which are felt to be within their own domain

and about which they feel able to contribute ideas.

2. Employee attitudes and commitment

a. Positive

i. Some observers claim that EI leads to higher levels of employee

commitment to or identification with employing organizations, and

improved levels of corporate or business unit performance

ii. Patterson et al (1997): failure in EI make US firms fall behind the Japanese firms

b. Negative

i. Kelly and Kelly (1991)EI is welcomed by workers but little evidence of a

positive impact on attitudes

ii. McGrath (1999) and Pendleton et all‟s (1998): little evidence shows employee

shareholders (share ownership: one type of EI) have much influence over the

level of profits or the distribution of rewards.

Why are managers interested in EI

1. EI is part of a broader HRM approach

a. Pros:

Integrated HR strategy; New management style and shift from control to

commitment

b. Cons

i.

EI so often marginal/decorative to main business issues (i.e. not main

ii.

iii.

issue)

Competing priorities in management

EI not always appear the main trend