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The last ten years of re-regulation and rapid technological change have had a significant impact on organizational structure and employment within television in the UK. While this may have resulted in one-off productivity gains, it has also seen progressive casualization of employment. The fragmentation of employment is rooted in both specific regulatory provisions and also the structure of commissioning in the independent sector. We argue that this not only threatens to undermine the skills base of the industry but also has generally negative performance attributes. Therefore, re-regulation has removed one source of x-inefficiency but created another with damaging long-term consequences for the industry. In order to sustain those efficiency gains that have been made, actors within the industry must, within regulatory constraints, attempt to continue to move towards stable organizational structures and long-term contracting relations that will provide the necessary continuity of employment.

This article introduces readers to the special issue on 'the enactment of neoliberalism in the workplace'. We argue that contemporary developments such as zero-hours contracts, casualization and platform work are part of a neoliberal regime of deregulation and flexibilization that renders employment precarious and work degraded. Thus, the degradation of work that Braverman wrote of should be extended to include aspects of the employment relationship, acknowledging the crucial relationship between the mode of employment and the experience of work. In short, we assert that the quality of work is intimately connected to the quality of employment. The neoliberal agenda is played out in and around organizations through management decisions on employment and work, which, in turn, have significant and complex connections to a range of wider social, economic and political issues, such as poverty and welfare systems. The articles in our special issue explore and analyse several dimensions of the changes taking place and whilst presenting a rather gloomy view of contemporary work and employment they do demonstrate continued scope for resistance.

The debate over the significance of union learning representatives (ULRs) in the UK has become increasingly polarized. Some commentators see little prospect of ULRs contributing to advancing either workplace learning or union organization due to the constraints of neo-liberal state policy. An opposing view emphasizes union agency in developing a collective approach to learning and extended joint regulation through a process of critical engagement. This article presents analysis of data from the 2009 National Survey of ULRs, which finds a positive relationship between ULR activity and its impact in enhancing training outcomes, increasing union membership and the joint regulation of workplace learning. This supports arguments that agency of ULRs is not inevitably suppressed by the structural limitations of union learning.

In recent years, workplace conflict has become increasingly manifest in individual employment disputes as collective labour regulation has been eroded. Accordingly, attention has been focused on finding ways to facilitate the early resolution of such disputes. Policy-makers have placed a particular emphasis on workplace mediation. However, the broader impact of mediation on conventional grievance and disciplinary processes and on the workplace relations that underpin them has been largely ignored. This article reports on research into the introduction of an in-house mediation scheme within a primary care trust. It explores the implications of the scheme for: workplace relations within the organization; the dynamics of conflict management; and trade union influence. It argues that the introduction of mediation provided a conduit through which positive workplace relations were rebuilt which in turn facilitated informal processes of dispute resolution. Furthermore, it allowed trade unions within the organization to extend their influence into areas traditionally dominated by managerial prerogative.

Accounts of the shift to post-industrial modes of employment have tended to present an over-simplified view of networks as an assemblage of contacts used to gain individual advantage in the labour market. Creative industries represent a challenge to this as typically they rely on networks to foster collaboration, trust and co-operation. In this article we explore how a variety of networks are used to promote both individual competition and co-operation in an industry where re-regulation has resulted in the break up of bureaucratic organizations and widespread casualization of the labour market. We argue that there is a need to extend the debate on the role of networks in a casualized labour market to examine how individuals organize themselves via the plethora of networks that result from organizational break up.We use qualitative data from a series of interviews with freelance television production workers in the United Kingdom to suggest that workers use networks as a source of competitive advantage and, at the same time, support and co-operation. Overall our research suggests that network activity is more complex, and networks themselves more dynamic, than existing research and theory implies.

Reframing Resolution provides an original, accessible and critical point of reference for students, practitioners and scholars interested in the management of workplace conflict. Drawing on contemporary empirical evidence from the UK, USA, Ireland and Australia, the book explores the front-line challenges facing organizations and individuals in addressing and responding to conflict. In particular, it examines the extent to which conflict management is treated as a strategic issue and discusses the development of mediation and its impact on employment relations culture, the experiences of participants in mediation and the relationship between ADR and workplace justice. Crucially, the book also assesses key innovations in the management of workplace conflict, and discusses the future potential of more integrated and systemic approaches

Reframing Resolution provides an original, accessible and critical point of reference for students, practitioners and scholars interested in the management of workplace conflict. Drawing on contemporary empirical evidence from the UK, USA, Ireland and Australia, the book explores the front-line challenges facing organizations and individuals in addressing and responding to conflict. In particular, it examines the extent to which conflict management is treated as a strategic issue and discusses the development of mediation and its impact on employment relations culture, the experiences of participants in mediation and the relationship between ADR and workplace justice. Crucially, the book also assesses key innovations in the management of workplace conflict, and discusses the future potential of more integrated and systemic approaches.

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to explore the orientations of line managers in handling workplace conflict. In particular it examines the tension between the traditional preference of frontline managers for informal approaches and the perceived certainty of written disputes procedures.


Design/methodology/approach
– The paper draws upon findings from 12 organisational case studies, focusing on interviews conducted with HR and managers.


Findings
– As line managers undertake more responsibility for people management, their preferences for informal approaches to workplace issues appears to be being replaced by a more rigid adherence to policy and procedure. This is largely driven by a lack of confidence and expertise in conflict management and a fear of the repercussions (both legal and organisational) of mishandling difficult issues. Written procedure therefore provides managers with both a systematic guide but also a protective shield against criticism and litigation.


Research limitations/implications
– It is not possible to generalise from a limited sample, therefore this suggested change requires further exploration to assess whether it has been evidenced in organisations more widely.


Practical implications
– For practitioners this research highlights the critical requirement for organisations to develop key skills among line managers to enable them to respond effectively to problems at an early stage.


Social implications
– For policy-makers, the barriers to line managers implementing informal resolution should be considered.


Originality/value
– This paper enriches understanding of line managers' current role in people management and the challenges they face in doing so informally.

This is a highly practical and established text designed specifically for the CIPD's new Managing Employment Relations module