|
Article Excerpt
SUMMARY
The effects of strikes have always preoccupied industrial relations' scholars and practitioners. Even though statistically, there have been fewer strikes in Quebec during the last few years, they have not been of lesser interest. The most recent strikes have been more apparent because of their longer duration. This study discusses trust between managers and unionized employees who have returned to work after a fourteen-month strike. The objective is to better understand the phenomenon of trust in a situation of organizational conflict and, more precisely, to analyze the factors that contribute to re-establishing trust between union employees and managers following this major conflict.
A few theoretical concepts about trust help us understand the basic elements needed to produce collaborative relationships. Among other things, categories of trust established by Lewicki and Bunker (1996) as well as Zucker (1986) are presented to help make a better judgment with regard to the different types of relationships and to understand the way in which they present themselves in particular situations. This section ends with an overview of the authors' theoretical perspective, an institutional approach, which makes reference to Powell and Dimaggio's (1991) framework.
Because of the difficulty to access multiple companies affected by a strike, a qualitative case study was conducted. Thirteen union employees and five managers chosen randomly among each job category from a total of forty-six employees make up the sample. They were interviewed during semi-structured interviews six months following the end of the strike. Observations about individual behaviour during the interview period were also taken into consideration. An analysis of internal documents from the organization helped bring out factual information about the state of the relationship between the two groups before, during and after the strike. It is the use of these three traditional methods that helped construct the case presented. Not only does it explain the events surrounding the conflict by using a balanced approach including information obtained from union employees and company managers, but it also includes references to articles published in local newspapers to give a temporality and a sense of place to the events.
Subsequently, the authors undertake a discussion about ways to reconstruct trust among the parties. Tables detailing the factors that can contribute to reconstructing trust according to each party are presented with representative quotes from the semi-structured interviews. In total, three common factors were raised--communication, material investments and human investments. Communication is a central concept, but it also includes its share of complexities because the simple act of communicating is not sufficient. Even if, in basic terms, material investments are perceived as advantages, they are not in practice, according to the literature on this subject. Human investments can also bring new dynamics to a company, but cannot be done to the detrimental need of removing existing personnel. To these factors, the union employees add six additional ones including desire, supervision, recognition and appreciation, respect of the collective agreement and the importance of not resorting to outsourcing. The managers also came up with four additional factors--responsibility, comprehension, company vision and the importance of providing projects to union employees. All these factors are systematically analyzed in the article in direct relation to the written scientific and theoretical literature on these subjects.
In light of this analysis, it is possible to establish a relationship between these factors and a hierarchy of their importance that can serve to explore the possibility of reestablishing trust within the organization. These relationships and this hierarchy are presented in an illustration which summarizes the study. Explanations about its creation and the way to interpret it are also included. It is important, however, to note that although the study reveals a number of important factors needed to study trust, it has its limitations which can only be rectified by studying each factor in a distinct fashion and by weighing each one individually during subsequent research.
In conclusion, this research demonstrates the difficulty to establish trust within an organization because the company does not recognize the union's presence and its role. The company is rather searching to achieve its own objectives without taking the values and interests of its employees into account as well as those of the trade union. From a theoretical point of view, the study helps identify the limitations to trust relationships between various groups of employees, the effects of strikes on returning to work and of trust in the after-strike context. Paths for future research are explored. It is suggested to replicate the study in an institution in the same field or in different fields to open the door to the possibility of generalization. Secondly, it is suggested to weigh the factors to find out which ones would have the greatest impact on the creation of trust. And, finally, measuring the level of trust that really exists between the parties would be beneficial in understanding the scope of the division which separates them.
Cette etude a pour but d'analyser les facteurs contribuant a batir la confiance entre employes syndiques et cadres apres une greve de longue duree dans une succursale bancaire. Des entrevues semi-dirigees aupres de treize employes et cinq cadres, des observations et une analyse documentaire ont servi a determiner ces facteurs. Ces derniers ont ete analyses a la lumiere des ecrits scientifiques pour etablir un modele relationnel et analyser la situation vecue par les membres de l'organisation a l'etude.
RESUMEN
El objetivo de este estudio es de analizar los factores que contribuyen a construir la confianza entre empleados sindicalizados y directivos despues de una huelga de larga duracion en una sucursal bancaria. Para determinar estos factores, se utilizaron entrevistas semi-dirigidas con trece empleados y cinco cuadros, observaciones directas y un anfilisis documentario. Dichos factores fueron analizados a la luz de escritos cientificos para establecer un modelo racional y analizar la situacion vivida por los miembros de la organizacion al estudio.
**********
Les travaux de recherche portant sur les effets des greves interessent les chercheurs et les praticiens en relations industrielles. Au Quebec, si les statistiques montrent une reduction significative des greves au cours des dernieres annees (Sauve et Robitaille, 2005), l'interet n'en demeure pas moins present, car les greves de longue duree sont plus apparentes. Cette recherche porte sur la confiance entre cadres et employes syndiques dans un contexte de retour au travail apres une greve de plus d'une annee. Nous cherchons a comprendre le phenomene de la confiance dans une situation de conflit organisationnel. Plus precisement, l'objectif de cette etude est d'analyser les facteurs qui contribuent a retablir la confiance entre gestionnaires et salaries syndiques a la suite d'un conflit majeur.
Il existe deux types de travaux de recherche consacres aux greves. Les premiers portent sur l'impact economique des greves telles que les fluctuations des actions a la bourse (Kramer et Vasconcellos, 1996; Clark, 1996; McDonald et Bloch, 1996; Persons, 1995), les salaires (Stengos et Swindinsky, 1990), les analyses socio-economiques (Mehling, 1963), la croissance et la productivite des entreprises ayant subi un arret de travail (Naples, 1981, Knight, 1989) et la situation financiere des familles (Radecki, 1981; Gennard, 1981). Les seconds informent sur les effets psychosociologiques des greves, notamment les liens entre les familles et la communaute touchee par une greve, les liens entre employes et cadres au retour d'une greve (Radecki, 1981; Gennard, 1981).
Les etudes mentionnent l'importance de la confiance, la justice et la communication entre les agents du travail dans le contexte de retour au travail (Lewicki et Bunker, 1996; Ethier, 1991; Radecki, 1981), sans toutefois en faire l'objet central de l'etude. La confiance est essentielle a la solidarite, la cooperation, la productivite, la performance de groupe, la satisfaction des besoins, la participation, le changement organisationnel, le contrat psychologique et la communication (Barber, 1983; Blau, 1964; Golembiewski et McConckie, 1975; Rotter, 1967, Zand, 1972; Boss, 1978, Deutsch, 1973; Loomis, 1959; Sherif, 1966; Maslow, 1954; Golembiewski, 1986; Miles et Ritchie, 1984; Mellinger, 1956). C'est pourquoi on y porte un interet croissant dans les recherches sur les organisations. Notre etude cherche a identifier et a analyser les facteurs qui contribuent a la construction de la confiance alors qu'aucun element ne semble a priori y souscrire puisque les agents du travail se remettent d'un long et perilleux conflit qui n'a engendre que de la mefiance des uns envers les autres.
Pour realiser la recherche, nous avons effectue une etude de cas aupres de la Banque des Quatre-saisons. En raison des stigmates profonds...
|
