communication processes. A partnership agreement may well be the best
way of getting employee relations strategies into action.
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS
Defined
In industrial relations a partnership arrangement can be described as one in
which both parties (management and the trade union) agree to work
together to their mutual advantage and to achieve a climate of more cooper-
ative and therefore less adversarial industrial relations. A partnership
agreement may include undertakings from both sides; for example
management may offer job security linked to productivity and the union
may agree to new forms of work organization that might require more flexi-
bility on the part of employees.
Key values
Five key values for partnership have been set down by Roscow and Casner-
Lotto (1998):
- mutual trust and respect;
- a joint vision for the future and the means to achieve it;
- continuous exchange of information;
- recognition of the central role of collective bargaining;
- devolved decision making.
Their research in the United States indicated that, if these matters were
addressed successfully by management and unions, then companies could
expect productivity gains, quality improvements, a better-motivated and
committed workforce and lower absenteeism and turnover rates.
The impact of partnership
The Department of Trade and Industry and Department for Education and
Employment report on partnerships at work (1997) concludes that part-
nership is central to the strategy of successful organizations. A growing
understanding that organizations must focus on customer needs has brought
with it the desire to engage the attitudes and commitment of all employees in
order to meet those needs effectively, says the report.
The report was based on interviews with managers and employees in 67
private and public sector organizations identified as ‘innovative and
198 l HR strategies