Employment Relations in Non-Union Firms

The precise relationship between an employee and employer is often ambiguous within complex organizational boundaries. This book re-evaluates the way employment relations are conceptualized and examines employment conditions in non-union organizations. The authors present a detailed analysis of the conditions and patterns of employment relations in both small and large non-union firms. They assess the impact of regulation, managerial ideology and market influences on employer strategies to avoid unionization. Using social and psychological exchange, the book concludes with an assessment of the capacity of workers to act as an agent of change in these non-union relationships. The implications for worker mobilization, trade union expansion and employer strategies are also considered in the light of detailed case study analysis.