Changing employment relations in Australia

by Russell D. Lansbury

Changing Employment Relations in Australia examines recent developments in industrial relations and human resource management. The core of the book consists of studies of six airlines, automobile manufacturing, banking, information technology, steel and communications. Each chapter consists of industry level analysis as well as detailed studies of individual enterprises. Key areas of change are highlighted and include work organisation, skills development, payment systems, staffing and employment security, and enterprise governance and industrial relations. Discussed are initiatives which have been taken by employers, such as flexible work arrangements, quality and customer orientation, integration of competitive strategy with employment practices, and the decentralisation of bargaining to the enterprise level. The extent to which recent developments in Australian employment relations are new and whether they differ from trends overseas are questioned. What implications these changes have for the future of Australian industry are also explored. This text will be invaluable for all students and practitioners in human resource management, industrial relations, management, industrial sociology, public policy and administration, and business.

254 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1997