Peter Ackers
Biographic Data
| ID | 259608 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Peter Ackers |
| GIVEN NAMES | Peter |
| FAMILY NAME | Ackers |
| SIGNATURE | ACKERS P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Loughborough University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4030-3300 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 49 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 27 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1976 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Pluralisms? Social philosophy, social science and public policy in employment relations and human resource management
Alan Fox's frames of reference has sparked over half a century of debate between employment relations/human resource management pluralists, radicals and unitarists. But the notion of industrial relations pluralism itself continues to be highly disputed. This commentary tracks the journey from classical pluralism to neo-pluralism, then addresses three articles that offer a variety of radical pluralist alternatives. A fourth paper discussed, sugges…
Industrial Relations and the Limits of the State
Since 2017 the British Labour Party has proposed mandatory sectoral collective bargaining (SCB) as a comprehensive strategy to rebuild the trade union voice across the entire economy. The intellectual roots lie in the Institute of Employment Rights’ (IER) Manifesto for Labour Law (2016). First, this article explains the core IER approach, questioning its feasibility given current low levels of union membership and bargaining coverage and whether …
Protestant Sectarianism in Twentieth-Century British Labour History
The British educated classes have long worried and fantasized about working-class religious belief and unbelief. Anglican churchmen feared Methodist “enthusiasm” in the eighteenth century, radicalism in the aftermath of the French Revolution, and urban, industrial irreligion after the 1851 Religious Census on churchgoing. In a mirror image of these old anxieties, most labour historians have wished away Christianity in the twentieth century. The l…
Workers of the World? A British Liberal-Pluralist Critique of Marcel van der Linden’s Global Labour History
Marcel van der Linden has championed Global Labour History (GLH) as a solution to the decline of Labour History as an academic field. His 2008 Workers of the World (and other writing) strives to transcend methodological nationalism and provides a new global framework to study labour through the ages. This British liberal-pluralist critique argues that Van der Linden’s version of GLH is essentially a re-packaging of Marxism that narrows the concep…
Experiments in industrial democracy
State-socialist academics have been highly sceptical of worker co-operatives. Following the Webbs’ classic studies, they assume that capitalist market competition renders them either inefficient or undemocratic. The experience of the British co-operative co-partnership (COCP) movement, from the late nineteenth to the early twenty-first century, suggests a more optimistic reading, with implications for future alternative forms of work organization…
Partnership at Work and Mutual Gains
This chapter addresses two main issues. First, we consider the meaning of “partnership at work,” by examining how frames of reference shape our understanding of the nature of the employment relationship . We then explore the challenges surrounding definitions of partnership, and offer our own set of principles, practices, and processes. Here we focus upon the voluntary workplace partnership debate in liberal market economies, such as the UK and U…
Finding a Voice at Work?
How much 'say' should employees have in the running of business organizations, and what form should the 'voice' take? This is both the oldest and latest question in employment relations. Answers to these questions reflect our fundamental assumptions about the nature of the employment relationship, and inform our views on almost every aspect of Human Resource Management (Hrm) and Employment Relations. Voice can also mean different things to differ…
Gramsci at the miners' strike
The great British miners' strike of 1984–1985 began 30 years ago. This personal reflection centres on the debate over trade union strategy during the strike. The Communist Party of Great Britain (CP) had long been an important influence in the leadership of the National Union of Mineworkers, but the strike also coincided with and exacerbated divisions within the CP and the wider left about how to respond to the ‘New Right’ Thatcher Conservative G…
Priest in deep water
The Warwick School of Industrial Relations
An Industrial Relations Perspective on Employee Participation
Industrial relations (IR) has two historical meanings. In one usage, the term describes public policy and the employment practices of employers and unions. But IR also refers to a specific academic perspective, centred on certain normative and theoretical principles. This article traces the argument between the British theorists of mainstream IR realism and their utopian ‘workers control’ protagonists. In the background, outside the mainstream IR…
Managing the Modern Workplace
Work restructuring and changing craft identity
This article explores the changes in worker identity that can occur during manufacturing restructuring - specifically those linked to the declining status of craft work - through an in-depth case study of Weaveco, a UK carpet manufacturer. An analysis of changes in the labour process is followed by employee reactions centred on the demise of the traditional craft identity of male carpet weavers. The voices of the weavers dramatize the tensions in…
The Work–Life Balance from the Perspective of Economic Policy Actors
This article reviews the burgeoning literature on work–life balance and family-friendly policies in European countries, noting the new interdisciplinary dialogue between traditional ‘work’ and ‘family’ disciplines. It examines the findings from interviews with economic actors, suggesting that, while work–life balance and family-friendly policies are an issue everywhere, progress is very uneven. Overall, strong traditional family policies have not…
Going Against the Historical Grain
This article discusses a process of restructuring of working practices within two manufacturing firms with respect to its implications for gendered occupational segregation. A contextualized, historically situated analysis is presented, which is cast within debates on the nature of gendered occupational identity, equality initiatives and arenas of power and influence for women and men, within what were traditionally male‐dominated organizational …
Before the storm
British coal mining historiography is still dominated, whether consciously or unconsciously, by a militant narrative running from the 1926 General Strike to the national disputes of the 1970s and 1984/5. Any exceptions to this, most notably the behaviour of the Nottinghamshire miners, has to be explained as deviation from a conflict-ridden norm. In most accounts, the period of nationalization and attempted industrial relations partnership between…
The Enigma of the young Arthur Horner
Paternalism, Participation and Partnership
Through a Glass Darkly’
Professionals in the NHS – a case study of business process re‐engineering
Rather than providing evidence of business process re‐engineering (BPR) as another example of cultural change rhetoric, this case study shows BPR as a substantive initiative that has had a considerable impact on health care professionals. A hybrid of differing bureaucratic professions allows for a diversity specific to the health service. The study highlights a number of controversial issues unique to health care professionals, particularly in th…
West End Chapel, Back Street Bethel
There is a large and complex literature regarding the part played by working-class Nonconformity in the industrial revolution and the emergence of the English labour movement. For all its nuances, this writing can be separated into two main strands. The first, broadly Marxist, perspective sees working-class Nonconformity primarily as a form of capitalist control, inculcating bourgeois norms of hard work, thrift, respectability and political moder…
Change in Trade Unions Since 1945
Ed Heery and John Kelly's claim that the relationship between British trade unions and their members has passed through 'three discernible phases in postwar Britain' is a thought-provoking contribution which raises some important questions of both substance and method. This response addresses, first, their substantive case and presents an alterna tive cultural interpretation of the pivotal 'participative' middle period, before noting some issues …
Change in Trade Unions Since 1945
Thesis Report
Colliery Deputies in the British Coal Industry Before Nationalization
This article challenges the militant and industrial unionist version of British coal mining trade union history, surrounding the Miners' Federation of Great Britain and the National Union of Mineworkers, by considering, for the first time, the case of the colliery deputies' trade union. Their national Federation was formed in 1910, and aimed to represent the three branches of coal mining supervisory management: the deputy (or fireman, or examiner…
Work restructuring and changing craft identity
This article explores the changes in worker identity that can occur during manufacturing restructuring - specifically those linked to the declining status of craft work - through an in-depth case study of Weaveco, a UK carpet manufacturer. An analysis of changes in the labour process is followed by employee reactions centred on the demise of the traditional craft identity of male carpet weavers. The voices of the weavers dramatize the tensions in…
Understanding the Meaning of Participation
It is now generally agreed that there has been a growth in the extensiveness of employee involvement (El) in Britain in recent years. However, the value of this information is limited because many of the studies rely heavily on management viewpoints about the impact of El. Even when surveys of employee opinion are undertaken, however, the results are typically abstracted from the organizational context in which they are located. In this article, …
Colliery Deputies in the British Coal Industry Before Nationalization
This article challenges the militant and industrial unionist version of British coal mining trade union history, surrounding the Miners' Federation of Great Britain and the National Union of Mineworkers, by considering, for the first time, the case of the colliery deputies' trade union. Their national Federation was formed in 1910, and aimed to represent the three branches of coal mining supervisory management: the deputy (or fireman, or examiner…
Going Against the Historical Grain
This article discusses a process of restructuring of working practices within two manufacturing firms with respect to its implications for gendered occupational segregation. A contextualized, historically situated analysis is presented, which is cast within debates on the nature of gendered occupational identity, equality initiatives and arenas of power and influence for women and men, within what were traditionally male‐dominated organizational …
Paternalism, Participation and Partnership
The Work–Life Balance from the Perspective of Economic Policy Actors
This article reviews the burgeoning literature on work–life balance and family-friendly policies in European countries, noting the new interdisciplinary dialogue between traditional ‘work’ and ‘family’ disciplines. It examines the findings from interviews with economic actors, suggesting that, while work–life balance and family-friendly policies are an issue everywhere, progress is very uneven. Overall, strong traditional family policies have not…
Professionals in the NHS – a case study of business process re‐engineering
Rather than providing evidence of business process re‐engineering (BPR) as another example of cultural change rhetoric, this case study shows BPR as a substantive initiative that has had a considerable impact on health care professionals. A hybrid of differing bureaucratic professions allows for a diversity specific to the health service. The study highlights a number of controversial issues unique to health care professionals, particularly in th…
Before the storm
British coal mining historiography is still dominated, whether consciously or unconsciously, by a militant narrative running from the 1926 General Strike to the national disputes of the 1970s and 1984/5. Any exceptions to this, most notably the behaviour of the Nottinghamshire miners, has to be explained as deviation from a conflict-ridden norm. In most accounts, the period of nationalization and attempted industrial relations partnership between…
West End Chapel, Back Street Bethel
There is a large and complex literature regarding the part played by working-class Nonconformity in the industrial revolution and the emergence of the English labour movement. For all its nuances, this writing can be separated into two main strands. The first, broadly Marxist, perspective sees working-class Nonconformity primarily as a form of capitalist control, inculcating bourgeois norms of hard work, thrift, respectability and political moder…
Gramsci at the miners' strike
The great British miners' strike of 1984–1985 began 30 years ago. This personal reflection centres on the debate over trade union strategy during the strike. The Communist Party of Great Britain (CP) had long been an important influence in the leadership of the National Union of Mineworkers, but the strike also coincided with and exacerbated divisions within the CP and the wider left about how to respond to the ‘New Right’ Thatcher Conservative G…
Change in Trade Unions Since 1945
Ed Heery and John Kelly's claim that the relationship between British trade unions and their members has passed through 'three discernible phases in postwar Britain' is a thought-provoking contribution which raises some important questions of both substance and method. This response addresses, first, their substantive case and presents an alterna tive cultural interpretation of the pivotal 'participative' middle period, before noting some issues …
The Effects of Training Works on the Loose-Boundary Regime of the Wash
Communication
Thesis Report
Colliery Deputies in the British Coal Industry Before Nationalization
This article challenges the militant and industrial unionist version of British coal mining trade union history, surrounding the Miners' Federation of Great Britain and the National Union of Mineworkers, by considering, for the first time, the case of the colliery deputies' trade union. Their national Federation was formed in 1910, and aimed to represent the three branches of coal mining supervisory management: the deputy (or fireman, or examiner…
Understanding the Meaning of Participation
It is now generally agreed that there has been a growth in the extensiveness of employee involvement (El) in Britain in recent years. However, the value of this information is limited because many of the studies rely heavily on management viewpoints about the impact of El. Even when surveys of employee opinion are undertaken, however, the results are typically abstracted from the organizational context in which they are located. In this article, …
Change in Trade Unions Since 1945
Ed Heery and John Kelly's claim that the relationship between British trade unions and their members has passed through 'three discernible phases in postwar Britain' is a thought-provoking contribution which raises some important questions of both substance and method. This response addresses, first, their substantive case and presents an alterna tive cultural interpretation of the pivotal 'participative' middle period, before noting some issues …
Change in Trade Unions Since 1945
West End Chapel, Back Street Bethel
There is a large and complex literature regarding the part played by working-class Nonconformity in the industrial revolution and the emergence of the English labour movement. For all its nuances, this writing can be separated into two main strands. The first, broadly Marxist, perspective sees working-class Nonconformity primarily as a form of capitalist control, inculcating bourgeois norms of hard work, thrift, respectability and political moder…
Professionals in the NHS – a case study of business process re‐engineering
Rather than providing evidence of business process re‐engineering (BPR) as another example of cultural change rhetoric, this case study shows BPR as a substantive initiative that has had a considerable impact on health care professionals. A hybrid of differing bureaucratic professions allows for a diversity specific to the health service. The study highlights a number of controversial issues unique to health care professionals, particularly in th…
Through a Glass Darkly’
The Enigma of the young Arthur Horner
Paternalism, Participation and Partnership
Going Against the Historical Grain
This article discusses a process of restructuring of working practices within two manufacturing firms with respect to its implications for gendered occupational segregation. A contextualized, historically situated analysis is presented, which is cast within debates on the nature of gendered occupational identity, equality initiatives and arenas of power and influence for women and men, within what were traditionally male‐dominated organizational …
Before the storm
British coal mining historiography is still dominated, whether consciously or unconsciously, by a militant narrative running from the 1926 General Strike to the national disputes of the 1970s and 1984/5. Any exceptions to this, most notably the behaviour of the Nottinghamshire miners, has to be explained as deviation from a conflict-ridden norm. In most accounts, the period of nationalization and attempted industrial relations partnership between…
The Work–Life Balance from the Perspective of Economic Policy Actors
This article reviews the burgeoning literature on work–life balance and family-friendly policies in European countries, noting the new interdisciplinary dialogue between traditional ‘work’ and ‘family’ disciplines. It examines the findings from interviews with economic actors, suggesting that, while work–life balance and family-friendly policies are an issue everywhere, progress is very uneven. Overall, strong traditional family policies have not…
Work restructuring and changing craft identity
This article explores the changes in worker identity that can occur during manufacturing restructuring - specifically those linked to the declining status of craft work - through an in-depth case study of Weaveco, a UK carpet manufacturer. An analysis of changes in the labour process is followed by employee reactions centred on the demise of the traditional craft identity of male carpet weavers. The voices of the weavers dramatize the tensions in…
Managing the Modern Workplace
An Industrial Relations Perspective on Employee Participation
Industrial relations (IR) has two historical meanings. In one usage, the term describes public policy and the employment practices of employers and unions. But IR also refers to a specific academic perspective, centred on certain normative and theoretical principles. This article traces the argument between the British theorists of mainstream IR realism and their utopian ‘workers control’ protagonists. In the background, outside the mainstream IR…
Priest in deep water
The Warwick School of Industrial Relations
Gramsci at the miners' strike
The great British miners' strike of 1984–1985 began 30 years ago. This personal reflection centres on the debate over trade union strategy during the strike. The Communist Party of Great Britain (CP) had long been an important influence in the leadership of the National Union of Mineworkers, but the strike also coincided with and exacerbated divisions within the CP and the wider left about how to respond to the ‘New Right’ Thatcher Conservative G…
Partnership at Work and Mutual Gains
This chapter addresses two main issues. First, we consider the meaning of “partnership at work,” by examining how frames of reference shape our understanding of the nature of the employment relationship . We then explore the challenges surrounding definitions of partnership, and offer our own set of principles, practices, and processes. Here we focus upon the voluntary workplace partnership debate in liberal market economies, such as the UK and U…
Finding a Voice at Work?
How much 'say' should employees have in the running of business organizations, and what form should the 'voice' take? This is both the oldest and latest question in employment relations. Answers to these questions reflect our fundamental assumptions about the nature of the employment relationship, and inform our views on almost every aspect of Human Resource Management (Hrm) and Employment Relations. Voice can also mean different things to differ…
Experiments in industrial democracy
State-socialist academics have been highly sceptical of worker co-operatives. Following the Webbs’ classic studies, they assume that capitalist market competition renders them either inefficient or undemocratic. The experience of the British co-operative co-partnership (COCP) movement, from the late nineteenth to the early twenty-first century, suggests a more optimistic reading, with implications for future alternative forms of work organization…
Workers of the World? A British Liberal-Pluralist Critique of Marcel van der Linden’s Global Labour History
Marcel van der Linden has championed Global Labour History (GLH) as a solution to the decline of Labour History as an academic field. His 2008 Workers of the World (and other writing) strives to transcend methodological nationalism and provides a new global framework to study labour through the ages. This British liberal-pluralist critique argues that Van der Linden’s version of GLH is essentially a re-packaging of Marxism that narrows the concep…
Political science (23 works) · Sociology (20 works) · Law (18 works) · Law (15 works) · Labor Movements and Unions (14 works) · Economics (11 works) · Politics (10 works) · Political economy (8 works) · Engineering (7 works) · History (7 works)