Employee Voice (EV) has become one of the most increasingly debatable subjects in the field of Human Resource Management. Generally the term refers to the extent of involvement and participation of employees in business decisions in order to assist management in establishing a stronger organizational commitment and well-balanced work field (Dudon, Wilkinson, Marchington, & Ackers, 2004, p. 22). However the concept is ever changing when identifying different literature. While referring to the view from Human Resource Management, EV is a valuable contribution that tends to lead the organization into an improved state, from employee behavior and attitudes to loyalty and commitment. Research has demonstrated the benefits that can be accrued by
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Specifically the early days of EV were strengthened with indirect trade union memberships. These unions were the face of employee representation and provided avenues to ensure workplace conditions are favorable (Benson & Brown, 2010, pp. 80-99). But the steady decline in trade union representation has seen a drastic shift towards other applicable direct and indirect representation. For example, joint consultations, a form of indirect representation has added to the framework for employees to ‘voice’ their stance. On the contrary ‘employee involvement’ as a direct representation form, has grown to play an important part in the business decision process (Benson, Employee Voice in Union and Non-union Australian Workplace, 2000, p. 453).
Interestingly, the significance of the dramatic decline in trade union representations can largely be attested to the movements of the government. In particular their drive to reform to improve working conditions for employees. As such the government’s groundbreaking Industrial Relations Reform Act 1993 and Fair Work Act 2009, which adopted enterprise bargaining at the Federal level, greatly assisted in creating an environment conducive to deteriorating union membership (Barnes, MacMillan, & Markey, 2005, pp. …show more content…
Specifically in can be a direct result to such factors as the loss of institutional protections; changes in the role of the public sector and in forms of employment contracts; increasing employer hostility to unions and anti-union policies and action by governments, especially during recent periods of conservative commonwealth and state governments; and the weakness of workplace level union organisation to deal with such challenges (Peetz, Webb, & Jones , 2002, pp. 83-108).These factors underline the changing dimension of workplace diversity and conditions to better streamline employee conditions. However, the persistence of decline reflects the complex set of factors behind it, which have much in common with individualisation and structural changes observed elsewhere (Frege & Kelly, 2004, pp. 34-35). Interestingly the steady decline in part can be traced back to the changes in employer’s attitudes in their negotiations with unions. A more robust approach to employee conditions, specifically keeping in line with EV has shaped the modern workplace environment. In conjunction with the loss of institutional protections through a weakened centralised arbitration and award system, along with the loss of ‘closed shop’ arrangements in many locations has greatly affected the decline in trade union representations (Van Buren & Greenwood, 2008, pp.
Specifically the early days of EV were strengthened with indirect trade union memberships. These unions were the face of employee representation and provided avenues to ensure workplace conditions are favorable (Benson & Brown, 2010, pp. 80-99). But the steady decline in trade union representation has seen a drastic shift towards other applicable direct and indirect representation. For example, joint consultations, a form of indirect representation has added to the framework for employees to ‘voice’ their stance. On the contrary ‘employee involvement’ as a direct representation form, has grown to play an important part in the business decision process (Benson, Employee Voice in Union and Non-union Australian Workplace, 2000, p. 453).
Interestingly, the significance of the dramatic decline in trade union representations can largely be attested to the movements of the government. In particular their drive to reform to improve working conditions for employees. As such the government’s groundbreaking Industrial Relations Reform Act 1993 and Fair Work Act 2009, which adopted enterprise bargaining at the Federal level, greatly assisted in creating an environment conducive to deteriorating union membership (Barnes, MacMillan, & Markey, 2005, pp. …show more content…
Specifically in can be a direct result to such factors as the loss of institutional protections; changes in the role of the public sector and in forms of employment contracts; increasing employer hostility to unions and anti-union policies and action by governments, especially during recent periods of conservative commonwealth and state governments; and the weakness of workplace level union organisation to deal with such challenges (Peetz, Webb, & Jones , 2002, pp. 83-108).These factors underline the changing dimension of workplace diversity and conditions to better streamline employee conditions. However, the persistence of decline reflects the complex set of factors behind it, which have much in common with individualisation and structural changes observed elsewhere (Frege & Kelly, 2004, pp. 34-35). Interestingly the steady decline in part can be traced back to the changes in employer’s attitudes in their negotiations with unions. A more robust approach to employee conditions, specifically keeping in line with EV has shaped the modern workplace environment. In conjunction with the loss of institutional protections through a weakened centralised arbitration and award system, along with the loss of ‘closed shop’ arrangements in many locations has greatly affected the decline in trade union representations (Van Buren & Greenwood, 2008, pp.