Grievances: A Review of Research and Practice

Abstract

Behavioral and industrial relations literature on grievances were reviewed. As a result, serious methodological, theoretical, and ethical questions were raised. Fundamental research is required to establish the reliability of grievance phenomena. Further, the use of grievance data as criteria is dubious because of conceptual problems of deficiency and contamination. Given existing threats to traditional grievance systems, basic research, especially program evaluation, on proposed structural and behavior variants of grievance procedures is necessary.

A Test of an Efficiency Model of Grievance Activity

“…As one review notes, however, this literature has produced no clear pattern of results; the only consistent finding across studies is that younger workers file more grievances than older workers (Murchinsky and Maassarani 1980). Other attempts have looked at the structure of the organization as a determinant of grievance rates, but here too the results conflict (see Gordon and Miller 1984). Nor do the characteristics of the jobs (Ash 1970) or the style and characteristics of leadership-either management or union-play a consistent role in explaining grievance rates (Lewin 1983).…”

A comparison of blue- versus white-collar grievance behavior: A field assessment

“…Indeed, some 99~ of all collective bargaining contracts contain a provision for grievance resolution of disputes (Bureau of National Affairs, 1979). It would appear to be central to effective labor/management relations inasmuch as several have argued that the grievance process is the single most important American innovation in collective bargaining (e.g., Dalton & Todor, 1981, 1984Gordon & Miller, 1984;Lewin & Feuille, 1983;Peterson & Lewin, 1981).…”

“…First, there are certainly blue-collar workers in the public sector as there are white-collar workers in the private sector. Moreover, previous studies (e.g., Dalton & Todor, 1981;Muchinksy & Maassarani, 1980;Paul & Gross, 1981; see also, Gordon & Miller, 1984 for a recent compendia) have focused on different unions. There has been no study that examined differences in grievance behavior for members of the same union.…”

“…Gordon and Miller (1984) in an exhaustive review indicate a median public sector grievance rate of 4.2 versus some 7.2 in the private sector. It may be inappropriate, however, to extend these results to compare white-versus blue-collar grievance-filing behavior.…”

“…(Dalton & Todor, 1985a, p. 140) Lastly, the filing of a formal grievance is not uncommon. Gordon and Miller (1984), for example, have estimated that the average grievance rate in the private sector is some 7.2 grievances per 100 members per year. Dalton and Todor (1981) report a grievance rate for 4,600 employees of just over 10070 over a year's period.…”