Do Implementation Processes and Rationales Matter? The Case of Workplace Reforms

This paper draws on a 1995 survey of 141 Canadian firms to address the extent to which the rationales and processes associated with workplace reform programmes matter to their success. Specifically, I explore the extent to which implementation rationales predict implementation processes, whether and how both appear to be associated with managerial evaluations of the effectiveness of workplace reforms, whether these associations are contingent on the intensity with which these reforms are adopted or on establishment size, and whether results are sensitive to the measure of effectiveness employed. Overall, I find that, although implementation rationales and processes may ‘matter’, the extent to which this is the case is limited and varies depending on intensity of adoption, on establishment size, and on the definition of effectiveness employed. I also find that, while adherence to a ‘processually rational’ model bears some association with effectiveness, this association tends to be uneven. I conclude that, although implementation rationales and processes may help to account for the uneven diffusion and success of reforms, much may also depend on the context and the actors involved