So what are the key messages for the HR profession? First, HR managers are shown to have significant influence as internal consultants and hidden persuaders. Senior line managers make decisions about which voice strategies to adopt for instance, whether or not to recognise a trade union but there is a major opportunity for HR to influence those decisions and implement them effectively.
Second, it is not easy to get employee involvement right. Obstacles include a reluctance among employees to take part, a lack of management skills to implement programmes and uncertainty from middle management. But these are all issues that HR can help to tackle.
Third, employment regulations seem to have led several of the companies in the study to consider new and creative voice options. Legal provisions for union recognition and electing employee representatives were welcomed by companies that found them useful for improving communications and involving staff. This will not be true of other organisations, many of which are concerned that statutory intervention on information and consultation might reduce their options or interfere with effective current arrangements. But if HR managers are proactive they can help their firms to get the most from the legal framework.
Lastly, employee voice needs to be integrated with wider organisational and HR strategies. Decisions about it are generally made at the highest level, affecting management style and culture. Commercial and market pressures, union strategies and employee expectations are also important influences, but HR managers have a key role in implementing voice strategies effectively.
The research underlines again the scope for HR managers who are willing to respond to the challenge to become, in the language of Professor Dave Ulrich, genuine business partners.
The research report Management Choice and Employee Voice, by Mick Marchington, Adrian Wilkinson, Peter Ackers and Tony Dundon, will be published next month by the CIPD (01752 202301) price £15 (£50 to non-members).
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