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History of the British Industrial Relations Field Reconsidered: Getting from the Webbs to the New Employment Relations Paradigm

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  • Bruce E. Kaufman

Abstract

Sidney and Beatrice Webb are commonly cited as the founders of the British field of industrial relations. Are they, however, if the field is centred not on study of unions and collective bargaining but rather on the entire employment relationship? A ‘qualified yes’ answer is given; however, getting there involves major revision to the conventional historiography of the field. To illustrate, the article presents a traditional and revised family tree of British industrial relations. Numerous insights and implications follow.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruce E. Kaufman, 2014. "History of the British Industrial Relations Field Reconsidered: Getting from the Webbs to the New Employment Relations Paradigm," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 52(1), pages 1-31, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:52:y:2014:i:1:p:1-31
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1467-8543.2012.00907.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Roderick Martin, 1998. "The British Tradition of Industrial Relations Research: The Contribution of W.E.J. (Lord) McCarthy," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 36(1), pages 83-97, March.
    2. Marsden, David, 1999. "A Theory of Employment Systems: Micro-Foundations of Societal Diversity," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198294221.
    3. William McCarthy, 1994. "The Involvement of Academics in British Industrial Relations," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 32(2), pages 201-217, June.
    4. Jerry Evensky, 2005. "“Chicago Smith” versus “Kirkaldy Smith”," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 37(2), pages 197-203, Summer.
    5. Bruce E. Kaufman, 2008. "Paradigms in Industrial Relations: Original, Modern and Versions In‐between," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(2), pages 314-339, June.
    6. Peter Ackers, 2007. "Collective Bargaining as Industrial Democracy: Hugh Clegg and the Political Foundations of British Industrial Relations Pluralism," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(1), pages 77-101, March.
    7. Clarkson, Jesse D., 1953. "The Background of Fabian Theory," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(4), pages 462-471, October.
    8. Bruce E. Kaufman, 2010. "The Theoretical Foundation of Industrial Relations and its Implications for Labor Economics and Human Resource Management," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 64(1), pages 74-108, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ian Kessler & Sidney Kessler, 2015. "Engaging with management," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 20-26, January.
    2. Bruce E. Kaufman, 2013. "Sidney and Beatrice Webb's Institutional Theory of Labor Markets and Wage Determination," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 765-791, July.

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