University of Tasmania
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

Union suppression and union substitution strategies of multinational enterprises in Ghana

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 08:44 authored by Desmond AyentimiDesmond Ayentimi, Burgess, J, Dayaram, K
This article complements the literature by furthering the understanding of an ‘African dimension’ of multinational enterprise (MNE) union avoidance. The evidence suggests that MNEs engaged in both union suppression and union substitution strategies by (i) exploiting young employees’ apathy to promote opposition and indifference for union organisation (evil stuff), (ii) implementing union member-centred employee retrenchment (fear stuff), (iii) using enterprise-level collective bargaining arrangement to suppress union bargaining power (fear and fatal stuff), (iv) exploiting the fragmented labour union environment to suppress union organisation (fatal and evil stuff) and (v) promoting individual employee voice and involvement mechanisms (sweet stuff). Although MNEs in Ghana engaged in both union suppression and union substitution strategies, they appear to particularly favour the adoption of ‘union suppression’ strategies and what might be termed as ‘corridor tactics’. Our article highlights four transitional issues underpinning the emerging success of ‘corridor tactics’ in union suppression in a less developed host country.

History

Publication title

Industrial Relations Journal

Volume

50

Pagination

379-398

ISSN

0019-8692

Department/School

TSBE

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Place of publication

United Kingdom

Rights statement

Copyright 2019 Brian Towers (BRITOW) and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in human society

Usage metrics

    University Of Tasmania

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC