Contracts, complexity and contradictions: The changing employment relationship

Examines the changing employment relationship between organizations and their staff. Analyses the relationship in terms of five contractual areas – knowledge requirements, psychological needs, efficiency demands, job design and ethical relations. Describes how a number of these informal contracts have become overweighted in favour of one partner to the contract – the employer, how each of the contract areas can be improved and the costs of not doing this. Also examines the changing role of personnel managers and trade unions and forecasts how these will respond to the employment situation of the future.