One size fits one : customizing work through manager-employee exchange


Autoria(s): McDonald, Paula K.; Townsend, Keith J.
Data(s)

2012

Resumo

While prior research has addressed how collective workplace outcomes are negotiated between employers and trade unions, less attention has been afforded to the ‘everyday’, micro-level exchanges between managers and employees in adjusting work, alongside the ‘standard’ terms and conditions set out in employment contracts. Building on previous work on idiosyncratic deals and requests for flexible scheduling, this article presents the findings from a survey of Australian parents which addressed manager-employee exchanges which led to customized work arrangements. The survey examined the frequency with which various employment terms and conditions were negotiated, who initiated the interactions, where they occurred, and the extent of perceived compromise. The study revealed that manager-employee exchanges occur frequently in the context of roles in nuclear and extended families, and are influenced by the parameters around which formal childcare and educational settings function. Women rated the exchanges as more important than men, but men and women were similarly comfortable with the interactions and satisfied with outcomes. The findings have important implications for managers and organizations in terms of balancing the goals of efficiency with employees’ preferences for workplace flexibility and other terms beyond those which are standardized.

Formato

application/pdf

Identificador

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/54148/

Relação

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/54148/1/McDonald_-_One_size_fits_one_-_ILERA.pdf

http://ilera2012.wharton.upenn.edu/RefereedPapers/McDonaldPaula%20KeithTownsend.pdf

McDonald, Paula K. & Townsend, Keith J. (2012) One size fits one : customizing work through manager-employee exchange. In 16th International Labour and Employment Relations Association World Congress 2012 : Beyond Borders: Governance of Work in a Global Economy, 2-5 July 2012, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Direitos

Copyright 2012 [please consult the author]

Fonte

QUT Business School; School of Management

Palavras-Chave #150305 Human Resources Management #150306 Industrial Relations #Customized Work Arrangements #Flexibility #Manager-Employee Exchange #Work and Family #Employment Relations
Tipo

Conference Paper