HIgh performance work systems in ireland

PRTLI_HPWS

This is one of the five major Whitaker Institute projects financed under Cycle 3 of the PRTLI (Programme of Research in Third Level Institutions) managed by the Higher Education Authority under the Irish Government's National Development Plan.

Background

Recent decades have witnessed the erosion of traditional organisational structures and hierarchies. A recent OECD report has noted that, 'the emergence of knowledge based economies ... has profound implications for the determinants of growth, the organisation of production and its effects on employment and skill requirements and may call for new orientations in industry-related policies' (OECD, 1998).
These developments have led one commentator to suggest that there now exists a growing 'representation gap' between employee and employer which may impede organisational performance (Towers, 1997). There is a tendency in much of the existing literature to over-simplify the impact of HPWS into one of two divergent perspectives. At one extreme is a 'low road' or 'bleak-house' perspective (Roche, 1999; Roche & Geary, 2000), which indicates that management systems are authoritarian, dictatorial and exploitative. Here, employers seek greater flexibility through the elimination of collective representation and intensified work regimes. In contrast, 'high road' employers may seek to foster greater trust and commitment through investments in human capital (Appelbaum et al, 2000). Such techniques can engender new forms of workplace democracy and social partnership as a key to improved organisational performance (Sparrow and Marchington 1998; Wood, 1995).

Interesting as these two divergent perspectives are, theorising about the impact of HPWS on organisational effectiveness in such 'either-or' terms tends to oversimplify and polarise practices that are, in fact, remarkably diverse and complex. High or increasing levels of trust and commitment between employer and employee may also show a 'fear of management' and 'abuse of the managerial prerogative' (Edwards, 1995; Dundon et al, 1999). It is also apparent that a 'bundle' of high performance work practices can be extremely difficult to implement (Marchington & Grugulis, 2000; Osterman, 1994). In other words, 'systems' of innovative work design remain patchy and irregular (Purcell, 1999).

This project is concerned with assessing the 'scope, impact and meaning' of HPWS and addressing the controversies which have attended its introduction in the knowledge-based economy in Ireland. It will do so through a rigorous methodological approach, as summarised under the following technical description and timeframe.

Project Leader

Participants

Technical description

Task 1

Literature review, conceptualisation of issues, consideration of appropriate research instruments

The first task is to undertake a comprehensive review of existing theoretical and empirical literature concerning high performance work systems. It is envisaged that such a review will focus attention on the advantages and limitations of different research methodologies that seek to draw meaningful conclusions in the area of HPWS and its links to performance.

Task 2

Design of research framework and piloting of data collection instruments

The main focus during the second stage will be the operationalisation of the conceptual, empirical and theoretical frameworks identified above. It is also anticipated that the literature review will be on-going during this task, with a focus on recent institutional, political and cultural factors that have shaped the context of changing skills, technologies and employment.

Task 3

Fieldwork survey data collection

Task three will focus on a survey of the work practices across a stratified sample of regional innovative organisations. The aim is to establish the extent and range of HPWS across the growing 'knowledge-based' economy of Ireland. The full survey will follow analysis of a pilot questionnaire to test the conceptual and empirical research framework previously identified.

Task 4

Fieldwork - case study data collection

The research team will spend a period of time in a selected number of case study organisations. The aim is to follow up issues identified during the survey stage. This will provide deeper analysis from company management, employees and union representatives (where recognised). The basis for selecting suitable case studies will be determined by the criteria for defining regional innovative organisations but also reflect dissimilarity in terms of sector, workforce, sizes and union and non-unionised cases.

Task 5

Writing-up, dissemination of results

The final stage in the project will be analysis and write-up. It is the intention to disseminate findings at both academic and practitioner conferences.

Publications, presentations etc, for this project:

Please visit the Project Participants' webpage for details of publications associated with this research.

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