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Industrial Relations Climate, Employee Voice and Managerial Attitudes to Unions: An Australian Study

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  • Amanda Pyman
  • Peter Holland
  • Julian Teicher
  • Brian K. Cooper

Abstract

This article examines how employee voice arrangements and managerial attitudes to unions shape employees' perceptions of the industrial relations climate, using data from the 2007 Australian Worker Representation and Participation Survey (AWRPS) of 1,022 employees. Controlling for a range of personal, job and workplace characteristics, regression analyses demonstrate that employees' perceptions of the industrial relations climate are more likely to be favourable if they have access to direct‐only voice arrangements. Where management is perceived by employees to oppose unions (in unionized workplaces), the industrial relations climate is more likely to be reported as poor. These findings have theoretical implications, and significant practical implications for employers, employees, unions and the government.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda Pyman & Peter Holland & Julian Teicher & Brian K. Cooper, 2010. "Industrial Relations Climate, Employee Voice and Managerial Attitudes to Unions: An Australian Study," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 48(2), pages 460-480, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:48:y:2010:i:2:p:460-480
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8543.2009.00772.x
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    4. Nicole Torka & Jan Kees Looise & Stefan Zagelmeyer, 2011. "Ordinary Atypical Workers, Participation within the Firm and Innovation: A Theoretical Endeavor and Empirical Outlook," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 22(3), pages 221-239.
    5. Nicole Torka & Jan Kees Looise & Stefan Zagelmeyer, 2011. "Ordinary Atypical Workers, Participation within the Firm and Innovation: A Theoretical Endeavor and Empirical Outlook," management revue. Socio-economic Studies, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 22(3), pages 221-239.
    6. Pengxin Xie & Lian Zhou, 2022. "Keeping dispute resolution internal: Exploring the role of the industrial relations climate, organizational embeddedness and organizational turbulence," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(2), pages 898-917, May.
    7. Raja Muhamad Yusof & Nek Kamal Yeop Yunus & Ahmad Amri Zainal Adnan, 2019. "Examining Moderating Effect of Industrial Relations Climate on Workplace Spirituality and Counterproductive Work Behaviour," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 9(3), pages 353-363, July.
    8. Ogbonnaya, Chidiebere & Dhir, Amandeep & Maxwell-Cole, Alexander & Gorny, Tomasz, 2022. "Cost-cutting actions, employment relations and workplace grievances: Lessons from the 2008 financial crisis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 265-275.
    9. Bruce Kaufman, 2014. "Explaining Breadth and Depth of Employee Voice across Firms: A Voice Factor Demand Model," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 35(3), pages 296-319, September.
    10. Aurora Trif & Malcolm Brady, 2013. "Implications of game theory for theoretical underpinning of cooperative relations in workplace partnership," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 258-275, May.
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