I EMPLOYEE VOICE IN FOREIGN OWNED MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES IN AUSTRALIA

I This thesis sets out to examine the use and character of employee voice practices in foreign owned multinational enterprises operating in Australia. It specifically focuses on the impact of union presence and a strategic human resource management approach on the employee voice practices. To address the research questions a quantitative research method was adopted utilising a questionnaire. This was conducted through face to face interviews with the HR managers of a sample of 171 foreign owned multinational enterprises operating in Australia. To examine the character of employee voice practices, frequencies and cross tabulations were conducted. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine the influence of a union presence and strategic human resource management approach on employee voice practices. The findings provide a comprehensive snapshot of the current character and influences of employee voice approaches adopted by multinational enterprises in the Australian context. This thesis demonstrates that foreign owned multinational enterprises are high-level users of the full range of direct employee voice mechanisms with the exceptions of use of employee suggestion schemes. Indirect methods such as trade union recognition and the use of joint consultation committees across all sites were not utilised to the same extent. It was also found that trade union presence and a strategic human resource management approach; greenfield site and country of origin affect the employee voice approach adopted. High trade union presence is associated with an indirect employee voice approach. A low trade union presence is associated with a direct or a minimalist approach to employee voice. A strategic human resource management approach is associated with both direct and dualistic approaches to employee voice. Implications II can be drawn for theory and management practice