Monitoring, Grievances, and Plant Performance

Abstract

This study develops the theory and an in‐depth longitudinal study of the role of residual grievance activity as a suggested proxy for managerial monitoring within the context of manufacturing production. In the empirical section, we test the theory and practice within the firm for the optimal level of monitoring/grievances in an establishment with monthly data over a ten‐year period. We find that production‐related residual grievances could indicate increased managerial monitoring of a kind that has a positive impact on productivity.

Research on unionized grievance procedures: Management issues and recommendations

“…The size of the productivity and cost effects reported in the aforementioned studies, however, seem too large to be fully accounted for by such a displacement effect. Moreover, a study by Kleiner, Nickelsburg, & Pilarski (1995) of grievance procedures and firm performance in a large unionized aerospace company found that the lowest levels of unit labor costs were associated with a "moderate" level of grievance activity.…”

“…Using an agency theory framework, Kleiner, Nickelsburg, & Pilarski (1995) hypothesized that management monitoring of employees would be positively related to grievance filing. The researchers were unable to develop a direct quantitative measure of such monitoring.…”

“…These researchers focused their attention on three major issues: (1) differences in demographic and job-related characteristics of grievance filers and non-filers; (2) personality Younger, male, more educated more skilled employees most likely to file grievances; democratic supervision associated with lower grievance rates; frequency of employee complaints to shop stewards positively related to grievance filing Weiss (1957), Sayles (1958), Kuhn (1961), Ronan (1963) Peach & Livernash (1974), Nelson (1979), Muchinsky & Maassarani (1980, 1981, Bemmels, Reshef, & Stratton-Devine (1991) Work groups of semi-skilled employees performing specialized work who undergo frequent changes in work methods have high grievance rates and use the grievance process to influence collective bargaining A. Rees (1977), Freeman & Medoff (1984), Katz, Kochan, & Gobeille (1983), Katz, Kochan, & Weber (1985), Norsworthy & Zabala (1985), Ichniowski & Lewin (1987), Cappelli & Chauvin (1991), Ichniowski (1986Ichniowski ( , 1992, Kleiner, Nickelsburg & Pilarski (1995) Presence of a grievance procedure associated with lower turnover, longer job tenure, greater human capital and higher productivity; use of the grievance procedure negatively associated with organizational performance Slichter, Healy & Livernash (1960), Knight (1986), Clark & Gallagher (1988), Gordon (1988), Fryxell & Gordon (1989), Klass & DeNisi (1989), Delaney, Lewin, & Ichniowski (1989), Mitchell, Lewin & Lawler (1990, Klaas, Heneman & Olson (1991), Rees (1991), Bemmels, Resh...…”

L’impact des relations industrielles sur la performance organisationnelle

“…Un certain nombre d'études ont été réalisées en se basant sur divers indicateurs reliés au climat pour évaluer l'impact des RI sur la performance. Les griefs, les mesures disciplinaires, le roulement du personnel, l'absentéisme et les grèves sont quelques-uns des indicateurs employés (Katz, Kochan et Gobeille 1983 ;Katz, Kochan et Weber 1985 ;Norsworthy et Zabala 1985 ;Mefford 1986 ;Ichniowski 1986 ;CutcherGershenfeld 1991 ;Kleiner, Nickelsburg et Pilarski 1995). De façon géné-rale, ces études concluent qu'un bon climat favorise la performance et, qu'à l'inverse, un mauvais climat la détériore peu importe la dimension étudiée.…”

“…Ces coûts d'implantation peuvent constituer un frein à la diffusion des pratiques dites « innovatrices » (Pil et MacDuffie 1996) qui, selon d'autres (Cappelli et Neumark 2001), sont susceptibles d'accroître les coûts de main-d'oeuvre, en raison des qualifications plus éle-vées de la main-d'oeuvre (Bailey, Berg et Sandy 2001). D'un autre côté, d'autres études (Kleiner, Nickelsburg et Pilarski 1995 ;Cutcher-Gershenfeld 1991) montrent que certaines pratiques RI diminuent les coûts, notamment en permettant une réallocation des ressources. Pour réconcilier ces tendances apparemment contradictoires, il faut poser que les pratiques sont susceptibles d'augmenter les coûts de production à court terme mais que cet effet diminue avec le temps.…”