Can informal social relations help explain workers’ reactions to managerial interventions? Some case evidence from a study of quality management

This article seeks to address the question of whether workers’ reactions to managerial interventions can be more fully explained when the influence of informal social relations are analysed. Empirical evidence is drawn from detailed case studies that examined workers’ reactions to quality management in British subsidiaries of two multinational companies. Some of the findings appear paradoxical at first sight. For example, workers expressed concerns for quality and customer satisfaction — despite feelings of demoralization and alienation. The analysis of informal relations offers an explanation for these responses. While not overlooking the importance of formal relations, the discussion focuses upon the nature and impact of informal relations (inside and outside the organization) as these have been less well discussed. Furthermore, the importance of linking the workplace with the non-work domain is increasingly being recognized and the concept of social relations can bridge these domains.