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Catching a Wave: the Adoption of Voice and High Commitment Workplace Practices in Britain: 1984-1998

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  • Alex Bryson
  • Rafael Gomez
  • Tobias Kretschmer

Abstract

In this paper we treat workplace voice and systems of high-commitment human resource management (HCHRM) as technological innovations in order to account for the uneven diffusion patterns observed across establishments. Using British data, the paper finds that variables highlighted in the technological diffusion literature are significant predictors of voice and HRM adoption decisions. Workplace size, size of multi-establishment network, ownership type, set-up date and network affects all play a significant role in high-commitment HRM adoption. We also find that union presence, per se, is not an inhibitor to the adoption of high commitment HRM practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Bryson & Rafael Gomez & Tobias Kretschmer, 2005. "Catching a Wave: the Adoption of Voice and High Commitment Workplace Practices in Britain: 1984-1998," CEP Discussion Papers dp0676, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0676
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Heli Koski & Tobias Kretschmer, 2004. "Entry, Standards and Competition: Firm Strategies and the Diffusion of Mobile Telephony," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 26(1), pages 89-113, November.
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    7. Michie, Jonathan & Sheehan, Maura, 1999. "HRM Practices, R&D Expenditure and Innovative Investment: Evidence from the UK's 1990 Workplace Industrial Relations Survey (WIRS)," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 8(2), pages 211-234, June.
    8. Heli Koski & Tobias Kretschmer, 2004. "Survey on Competing in Network Industries: Firm Strategies, Market Outcomes, and Policy Implications," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 5-31, March.
    9. Richard R Nelson & Alexander Peterhansl & Bhaven Sampat, 2004. "Why and how innovations get adopted: a tale of four models," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 13(5), pages 679-699, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jo Blanden & Stephen Machin & John Van Reenen, 2005. "New Survey Evidence on Recent Changes in UK Union Recognition," CEP Discussion Papers dp0685, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    2. Bruce E. Kaufman, 2013. "The economic organization of employment: systems in human resource management and industrial relations," Chapters, in: Anna Grandori (ed.), Handbook of Economic Organization, chapter 16, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Bryson, Alex & Freeman, Richard B., 2007. "Doing the right thing? does fair share capitalism improve workplace performance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 4964, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Antonioli, Davide & Mancinelli, Susanna & Mazzanti, Massimiliano, 2013. "Is environmental innovation embedded within high-performance organisational changes? The role of human resource management and complementarity in green business strategies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 975-988.
    5. Bruce E. Kaufman & Benjamin I. Miller, 2011. "The Firm's Choice of Hrm Practices: Economics Meets Strategic Human Resource Management," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 64(3), pages 526-557, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    High-commitment work practices; voice; unions; technology diffusion; complementarities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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