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Institutional Environments, Work and Human Resource Practices, and Unions: Canada versus England

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  • John Godard

Abstract

This analysis of data from a 2003–2004 telephone survey of 750 Canadian and 450 English workers finds that work practices and human resource (HR) practices had important implications for unions. The effects differed by the type of practice (for example, traditional versus “new†HR), and were mediated by each country's institutional environment. For example, traditional personnel/HR practices were strongly positively related to the likelihood of union representation and strongly negatively related to workers' propensity to vote for a union in Canada, but made little difference to either of those union outcomes in England; and “alternative†work practices bore an inverse U-shaped association with union representation in Canada, versus a positive relationship with that outcome in England. In general, the Canadian findings are consistent with an adversarial dynamic, and the English findings with a more collaborative one.

Suggested Citation

  • John Godard, 2009. "Institutional Environments, Work and Human Resource Practices, and Unions: Canada versus England," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 62(2), pages 173-199, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:62:y:2009:i:2:p:173-199
    DOI: 10.1177/001979390906200203
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. John Godard, 2009. "The Exceptional Decline of the American Labor Movement," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 63(1), pages 82-108, October.
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    5. Gregory Jackson & Sarosh Kuruvilla & Carola Frege, 2013. "Across Boundaries: The Global Challenges Facing Workers and Employment Research 50th Anniversary Special Issue," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 51(3), pages 425-439, September.
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    7. Danielle D. Van Jaarsveld & Hyunji Kwon & Ann C. Frost, 2009. "The Effects of Institutional and Organizational Characteristics on Work Force Flexibility: Evidence from Call Centers in Three Liberal Market Economies," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 62(4), pages 573-601, July.
    8. Monica Rolfsen, 2013. "Transfer of labour-management partnership in multinational companies," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 316-331, May.

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