Suggested Readings and Term Paper Topics
1. Since the mid-1970s researchers have shown a growing interest in procedural justice and distributive justice. What are the main findings from this line of research? What are the implications for company policies? What use would a union have for these findings? What are the implications for dispute mediation and arbitration?
Possible references:
Conlon, D. E., & Ross, W. H., Jr. (1992). Influence of movement toward agreement and third party intervention on negotiator fairness judgments. International Journal of Conflict Management, 3, 207-221.
Flint, D. H. and Cole, N.D. (2003). Decision frame and procedural justice: interactive effects on perceptions of distributive justice.Psychological Reports, Oct 2003 v93 i2 p631(7)
Friedman, R. A., & Robinson, R.J. (1993). And justice for all? Union versus management responses to unjust acts and social accounts. International Journal of Conflict Management, 4, 99-117.
Giacobbe-Miller, J. K. (1995). A test of the group value and control models of procedural justice from the competing perspectives of labor and management. Personnel Psychology, 48, 115-142.
Morris, M. W., & Leung, K. (2000). Justice for all? Progress in research on cultural variation in the psychology of distributive and procedural justice. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 49, 100- 132.
2. Is alienation a problem at work? Do unions reduce alienation?
Possible references:
Aronowitz, S. (1973). False promises: The shaping of American working class consciousness. NY: McGraw-Hill.
Funk, R., Portman, I., & Kunkel, M. (2000). Erich Fromm: His life and ideas. Continuum Publishing Group.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1980). Work redesign. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley.
Jacoby, S. M. (2004). Employing bureaucracy: Managers, unions, and the transformation of work in the 20th century. Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum.
Schacht, R. (1994). The future of alienation. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
3. What are the implications of new types of information technology for organized labor? Should labor unions embrace the use of new information technology?
Possible references:
Garson, B. (1988). The electronic sweatshop: How computers are transforming the office of the future into the factory of the past. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Gemignani, J. (May, 2000). There’s no place like home – for today’s teleworkers. Business & Health, 18, (5), 30-36.
Jackson, P. J. (1999). Virtual working: Social and organizational dynamics. London & New York: Routledge.
Koch, C. (2000). Collective influence on information technology in virtual organizations – emancipatory management or technology? Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 12, 357-368.
4. Analyze the influence of religion on business managers and upon the labor movement. How much influence should there be? Support your position.
Possible references:
Colson, C. (September 16, 1991). Comfortably numb at Harvard Business School. Christianity Today, 35, (10), 88-92.
Roberts, R.H. (2002). Religion, theology, and human sciences. Cambridge, U.K., New York.
Rush, M. (1983). Management: A Biblical approach. Wheaton, IL: Victor.
Sutton, W. R. (1995). Tied to the whipping post: New labor history and evangelical artisans in the early republic. Labor History, 36(2): 251-281.
Tamasy, R. J. (Ed.) (1991). The Complete Christian Businessman. Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt.
5. How are American unions portrayed in films (e.g. “The Molly McGuires,” “Grapes of Wrath,” “Norma Rae,” “Reds,” “I’m All Right, Jack,” “The Garment Jungle”, “Hoffa,” etc.)? How are unions portrayed in television movies (e.g., “Blood Feud”) and T.V. entertainment programs? (NOT news broadcasts). Based on what you have learned in this course, do the visual media portray labor management relations accurately? Support your position with quotes from the various programs and films you watched as well as your reading of scholarly works.
Possible references:
Garafola, L. (Jan./Feb., 1980). Hollywood and the myth of the working class. Radical America, 14, (1), 7-15.
Jowett, G. & Linton, J. M. (1989). Movies as mass communication. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Puette, W. J. (1992). Through jaundiced eyes: How the media view organized labor. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press.
Rosenbaum, J. (Sept./Oct., 1991). Guilty by omission. Film comment, 27, (5), 42-52.
6. What does the field of accounting have to offer to the study of labor-management relations?
Possible references:
Bowker, A. L. (1998). Trust violators in the labor movement: A study of union embezzlements. Journal of Labor Research, 19, 571-579.
Brown, J. A. (2000). Labour perspectives on accounting and industrial relations: A historical and comparative review. Labor Studies Journal, 25, 40-74.
Brown, R. E., & Trumble, R. R. (1995). Accounting can improve labor-management negotiations. Management Accounting, 76, 46-52.
Langbert, M. (1996). Compliance with ERISA’s disclosure provisions. Journal of Labor Research, 17, 277-288.
7. Have unions strengthened or weakened the Protestant Work Ethic? Support your position.
Possible references:
Buchholz, R. A. (1978). An empirical study of contemporary beliefs about work in American society. Journal of Applied Psychology, 63, 219-227.
Fantasia, R. and Voss, K. (2004). Hard work: remaking the American labor movement. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Kaufman, S. B. (February, 1981). Samuel Gompers vs. Horatio Alger: Defining the work ethic. The AFL-CIO American Federationist, 88, 7-12.
Furnham, A. (1990). The protestant work ethic: The psychology of work-related beliefs and behaviors. London: Routledge.
8. How can unions help improve an “organization’s culture”? How can they make it “worse”?
Possible references:
Boyd, C. (1992). Individual commitment and organizational change. New York: Quorum.
Jacoby, S. M. (2004). Employing bureaucracy : Managers, unions, and the transformation of work in the 20th century. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Schneider, B. (Ed., 1990). Organizational climate and culture San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
9. What has the field of sociology contributed to our understanding of industrial relations?
Possible references:
Dahrendorf, R. (1959). Class and class conflict in industrial society. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Gerteis, J., & Savage, M. (1998). The salience of class in Britain and America: A comparative analysis. British Journal of Sociology, 49, 252-274.
Katz, D., & Kahn, R. L. (1978). The social psychology of organizations, 2nd ed. NY: Wiley.
Bridges, W. P., & Villemez, W. J. (1991). Employment relations and the labor market: Integrating institutional and market perspectives. American Sociological Review, 56, 748-765.
10. Some people have argued that unions are “unnecessary.” Are they? If unions are unnecessary, then who will insure that workers’ rights and interests are considered? How? If unions are necessary, then why are the alternatives to unions inadequate?
Possible references:
Moberg, D (2003). Labor Fights for Rights. The Nation, 277, 7, 24, 26-8.
Nissen, B. (2003). The Recent Past and Near Future of Private Sector Unionism in the U.S.: An Appraisal. Journal of Labor Research, 24, 2, 323-38.
Troy, Leo (2000). Beyond Unions and Collective Bargaining. M.E. Sharpe.
11. The strategic management literature is full of articles dealing with the formation of “Strategic Alliances.” What can we learn about bargaining and negotiation from this literature? What can the strategic management literature learn from the literature on bargaining and negotiation?
Possible references:
Gray, B., & Yan, A. (1992). A negotiations model of joint venture formation, structure, and performance: Implications for global management. Advances in International Comparative Management, 7, 41-75.
McConville, D. J. (1994). What truckers want. Distribution, 93, No. 10, 48-49.
Rigby, D. K., & Buchanan, R. (1994). Putting more strategy into strategic alliances. Directors and Boards, 18, No. 2, 14-19.
Shenkar, O., & Ellis, S. (1995). Death of the “organization man”: Temporal relations in strategic alliances. International Executive, 37, No. 6, 537-553.
12. What is a “psychological contract”? Why is this concept important for an understanding of the future of labor-management relations?
Possible references:
Coyle, J. (1991). Aligning human resources processes with total quality. Employment Relations Today, 18, (3), 273-278.
De Meuse, K. P., & Tornow, W. W. (1990). The tie that binds – has become very, very frayed! Human Resource Planning, 13, (3), 203-213.
Rousseau, D. M. (June, 1989). Psychological and implied contracts in organizations. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 2, (2), 121-140.
Rousseau, D. M. (1995). Psychological Contracts in Organizations: Understanding written and unwritten agreements. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
13. Agree or disagree: “Unions are poised to make a dramatic resurgence in the United States.”
Possible references:
Cobble, D. S. (August, 1997). The next unionism: Structural innovations for a revitalized labor movement. Labor Law Journal, 48, (6), 438-439.
Cook, M. L., Gunderson, M., Thompson, M. & Verma, A. (August, 1997). Making free trade more fair: Developments in protecting labor rights. Labor Law Journal, 48, (8), 519-528?.
Kaufman, B. (August, 1997). The future of the labor movement: A look at the fundamentals. Labor Law Journal, 48, (8), 474-485.
Nissen, B. (2003). The Recent Past and Near Future of Private Sector Unionism in the U.S.: An Appraisal. Journal of Labor Research, 24, 2, 323-38.
14. What does the future hold for the labor movement?
Possible references:
Fantasia, R. and Voss, K. (2004). Hard work : remaking the American labor movement. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Feldman, S. (May 1, 2000). The labor movement. Vital Speeches of the Day, 66, ( 14), 434-437.
Juravich, T. (Sept. 3, 2000). Labor makes its call to the future. The Washington Post, B- 1.
Lazes, P., & Savage, J. (Fall, 2000). Embracing the future: Union strategies for the 21st century. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 23, (4), 18-23.
Nissen, B. (2003). The Recent Past and Near Future of Private Sector Unionism in the U.S.: An Appraisal. Journal of Labor Research, 24, 2, 323-38.
15. Analyze the relationship between labor unions and the Roman Catholic Church, either in the present day or historically.
Possible references:
Greenhouse, S. (July 24, 2000). Union celebrates O’Connor’s labor views. New York Times, B-3.
Higgins, G. G. (Nov. 3, 2000). Are unions obsolete? Contrasting views of R. Nenhaus and Cardinal J. O’Connor. Commonweal, 127, (19), 10-11.
Newton, J. (Oct. 13, 2000). Mahony’s close labor ties reflected in his strike role; by supporting union causes, the cardinal has cultivated the trust of leaders over the years. The Los Angeles Times, p. 1.
16. How does having a labor union change an organization’s culture?
Possible references:
Ackroyd, S., & Thompson, P. (1999). Organizational misbehavior. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Gabriel, Y. (2000). Storytelling in organizations: Facts, fictions, and fantasies. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Jacoby, S. M. (2004). Employing bureaucracy : Managers, unions, and the transformation of work in the 20th century. Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum.
Peterson, M F Ashkanasy, N M., & Wilderom, C. (2000). Handbook of organizational culture and climate. London: Sage.
Schein, E. H (1999) The corporate culture survival guide: Sense and nonsense about cultural change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
17. Some writers complain that most labor unions in the U.S. and in Europe are in the grips of the radical left. Others complain that most unions are actually quite conservative. Which position is correct? Support your position.
Possible references:
Fitch, R. (Mar./Apr, 2000). Union reformation. TikLun, 15, (2), 21-23.
Hassan, K. (July/Aug., 2000) The future of the labor left. Monthly Review, 52, (5), 6083.
Mcllroy, J. (Summer, 2000). New Labor, new unions, new left. Capital & Class, No. 71, 11-45.
Verma, A. and Kochan, T.A. (2004). Unions in the 21st century: An international perspective.New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
18. Unions have declined as a percentage of the workforce in the private sector. With this decline, have career and workplace dissatisfaction and alienation increased? If so, why is this so? If not, why not? Support your position.
Possible references:
Jarley, P & Fiorito, J. (1991) Unionism and changing employee views toward work. Journal of Labor Research, 12, 223-230.
Nicholson, P.Y. (2004). Labor’s story in the United States. Philadelphia : Temple University Press.
London, M. (1998). Career barriers: How people experience, overcome, and avoid failure. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Stout, R. (1999). America: Land of the alienated? Fairway Press.
19. Is U.S. manufacturing in decline? If so, what can be done by managers and union leaders to reverse the decline? If not, then what can unions, managers, and the government do to maintain and increase the U.S. economic growth and industrial status?
Possible references:
Dudley, W., and Szumski, B. (Eds.) (1990). America’s future: Opposing viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc.
Chatak, E. (1991) A unionist’s perspective on the future of American unions. Journal of Labor Research, 12, 327-332.
Cornfield, D B. (Ed.) (1987). Workers, managers, and technological change. New York: Plenum.
Hage, G. and Powers, C. (1992). Post-industrial lives: Roles and relationships in the 21st Century. Newbury Park: Sage.
Verma, A. and Kochan, T.A. (2004). Unions in the 21st century : An international perspective.New York : Palgrave Macmillan.
20. Many employers today are testing for drugs. How should unions respond to this trend? Write a report to the AFL-CIO entitled, “Drug Testing: Recommended Union Policies and Collective Bargaining Objectives.” Be sure to support your recommendations.
Possible references:
Abbey, A., and Redel, C. (April, 1991). Drug testing in the workplace: Public and
private sector employers and the courts. Labor Law Journal, 42, 239-246.
DeCresce, R. P., Lifshitz, M. S., Mazura, A. C, and Tilson, J. E.
(1989). Drug testing in the workplace. Washington, D.C.: BNA Books.
Petersen, D. J. and Massengill, D. (March, 1991). Employer response to the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988: A preliminary look. Labor Law Journal, 42, 144-151.
Persson, A. and Hansson, S.O. (2003). Privacy at work ethical criteria. Journal of Business Ethics 42, 1, 59-70.
21. Imagine that a journal editor called you and said, “I want you to critique a 1992 book written by two labor leaders. It is called, Negotiating the Future by Barry and Irving Bluestone (NY: Basic Books). Don’t just summarize and agree with their thoughts–report on their shortcomings, oversights, errors, biases, and/or ‘blind spots’ also. Be sure to support your positions.”
Possible references:
Nissen, B. (2003). The Recent Past and Near Future of Private Sector Unionism in the U.S.: An Appraisal. Journal of Labor Research, 24, 2, 323-38.
Nicholson, P.Y. (2004). Labor’s story in the United States. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
22. We see a lot of discussion about the impact of various environmental legislation on business. But how do U.S. environmental laws impact organized labor? Overall, is the impact positive or negative? What are current environmental proposals? Should labor support or oppose these new proposals? Support your position.
Possible references:
Daily, C.M. and Dalton, D.R. (2003). Corporate governance digest. Business Horizons. 46, 3, 2-5.
Jessup, D. H. (1990) Guide to state environmental programs. Washington, D. C. BNA Books.
Mays, R. H. (1991) Environmental laws: Impact on business transactions. Washington D.C.: BNA Books.
McClain, W. E., Jr. (1991). U S. Environmental laws. Washington, D.C.: BNA Books.
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