Management industrial relations policy in highly unionised companies in Britain

Management industrial relations policy and management style are examined in a panel of 50 highly unionised companies between 1979 and 1991. Management policy in panel firms in 1979 was relatively uniform, centred upon collective bargaining and the closed shop. A much broader spectrum of policies was evident in 1991, although collective bargaining was retained as part of the policy‐making framework in the large majority of companies. A minority of firms had either a strategic planning or financial control management style, which may be associated with tighter regulation of industrial relations. The majority had a strategic control style, the effects of which were more ambiguous.