Changing Organisational Forms and the Re-shaping of Work : Case Study Interviews, 1999-2002

<p>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</p>This research into changing organisational forms and the re-shaping of work was prompted by the recognition that, despite an apparent increase in the number and importance of 'new' organisational forms, their implications for the future of work had yet to be fully explored. Current accepted frameworks for analysing organisations, work and employment tend to be founded upon one of two premises. The first, prevalent in human resources management (HRM), industrial relations, occupational psychology and employment law literature, takes work and employment to be organised and shaped by a single employing organisation, having well-defined boundaries and considerable control over its internal policies. This approach largely ignores the growth of inter-organisational relationships and the permeability of organisational boundaries, even in situations where work is sub-contracted. The second, associated with much organisational analysis, strategic management and industrial economics literature, attends to inter-organisational relationships, but also treats each organisation as an essentially coherent and unitarist entity, capable of displaying entity-wide attitudes and values such as organisational trust. Analysis of the employment relationship and its well-known contested nature is widely disregarded.<br> <br> In a context of increasing fragmentation and permeability of organisations, and evidence that human resources (HR) policies are unable to resolve the potential conflicts and contradictions inherent in the employment relationship, a fresh approach is needed. This departs from methodological traditions focused on the single organisation as the unit of analysis, with data often gathered through the lens of a single respondent, and with a lack of attention to inter-organisational relations. This research built on work in the ESRC Contracts and Competition Programme that has analysed trust between firms (for example, the work of Deakin and Michie), to include a more specific analysis of the role of employment relations. It also extended work that has focused on the employment aspects of specific types of 'new organisational form' - franchising, employment agencies, public sector subcontracting, for example - by developing a broader and more comprehensive analysis. The project was designed to collect data, via in-depth qualitative case studies of inter-organisational networks, on how these new organisational forms operate in practice, and to subject existing literature - particularly that based on speculative and normative theorising - to more critical analysis.<br> <br> The project adopted a case study approach using documentary analysis, in-depth interviews with a range of individuals at different levels of the hierarchy and a limited amount of participant observation. A key feature of the approach was its focus on inter-organisational relations.<br><B>Main Topics</B>:<br>The researchers adopted a case study approach using documentary analysis, in-depth interviews with a range of individuals at different levels of the hierarchy and a limited amount of participant observation. A key feature of the approach was its focus on inter-organisational relations. <br> <br> This data collection is comprised of interview material from eight case studies. The characteristics of the data for each case are given below:<br> <li>Airport Case: ten key airport organisations and airport-owned departments/subsidiaries at Airport S were selected for the study, including airport security, engineering, fire services, baggage handling services, full handling services, four airlines and a ground cleaning contracting firm. Eighty-eight interviews (88 interviewees) were held with senior and middle managers, employees and union representatives across the range of organisations. </li><br> <li>Ceramics Case: five ceramics manufacturers were selected for the study. Thirty-eight interviews (36 interviewees) were held with senior and middle managers, employees and union representatives across the five organisations, the employers' organisation and the trade union for the industry.</li><br> <li>Chemicals Case: this case study focused upon links between a pigment manufacturing plant (Scotchem), one of several UK based chemical production facilities owned by Multichem, a large European multinational that specialises in developing and producing industrial chemicals, and a network of its suppliers. It also draws upon data from customers and suppliers including chemical companies, road haulage firms and a security firm. Forty-seven interviews (42 interviewees) were held with senior and middle managers, employees and union representatives across the range of organisations and with the trade association for the industry.</li><br> <li>Information Technology Case: this case study involved a large government department which outsourced the development and maintenance of its computer facilities to 'FutureTech', a global software and IT systems development company. Forty-five interviews (49 interviewees) were held with senior and middle managers, employees and union representatives across both organisations.</li><br> <li>Post Office Counters Ltd Case (POC): this case study focuses upon POC, one of the three main businesses of Consignia, formerly the Post Office Group, which is a publicly owned company (it has since changed its name again to Royal Mail). Of the three, POC is the only subsidiary, the other two being run as operating divisions. The case study focuses upon Crown Post Offices, which are run and staffed as a public sector organisation as well as branches that are privately owned, either through sub-post office contracts or franchises. Thirty-four interviews (37 interviewees) were held with senior and middle managers, employees and union representatives across the range of organisations. </li><br> <li>PFI Case: this case study involves a large NHS Trust and a consortium of three private sector organisations which won a PFI (Private Finance Initiative) contract to construct new buildings and deliver estates maintenance, cleaning and catering services. Sixty-seven interviews (57 interviewees) were held with senior and middle managers, employees and union representatives in both the public and private sector organisations.</li><br> <li>Teacher Supply Case: this case study focuses upon a temporary employment agency that specialises in providing supply teachers for schools. Sixty-three interviews (66 interviewees) were held, drawing upon interviews with managers and employees from two branches of the agency along with supply teachers and representatives from schools in the North West area. </li> <br> <li>Customer Services Case (TCS): this case study focuses upon TCS, which provides business processing outsourcing services to utilities, private enterprise and the public sector, with a primary focus on customer management outsourcing. Four TCS sites have been explored; TCS Training Service, a subsidiary company specialising in training; a North West call centre and billing centre for National Suppliers companies; a North West call centre offering services for 5 different contracts; and the administration of the housing benefits service for a London Council. The case study has focused particularly on the latter two sites. Sixty interviews (60 interviewees) were held with senior and middle managers, employees and union representatives in both the public and private sector outsourcing sites.</li><br> <br> Interview transcriptions are verbatim, but some passages were inaudible, and interview summaries are partial. Each data file contains a mixture of both