Table 2 Strategies to cut labour costs,... | Emerald Publishing

Table 2

Strategies to cut labour costs, outcomes and sources of power

Strategy		Hospital A	Hospital B	Hospital C
Outsourcing		Outsourcing laundry services	Outsourcing artisanal/maintenance tasks	Using existing staff for artisanal/maintenance tasks
	Outcome	Laundry outsourcing contract cancelled; tension between unions and between unions and management	Outsourced artisanal tasks; equipment maintained; Workload more manageable	Some staff did extra work; dissatisfaction about not being compensated, but equipment maintained
	Source of power	Management: Division between unions	Management: Legitimate/participatory management processes	Management: Financial – refused to pay for additional work; Cultural – staff felt responsibility towards hospital community
	Source of power	Unions: Higher government body	Unions: None used/agreed with strategy	Unions: None
Free or cheaper labour			Finance interns	Extended public works program (EPWP)
	Outcome		Interns joined finance department; decrease in workload; satisfied staff; backlog cleared	EPWP workers chased away; continued shortage off staff; further tensions
	Source of power		Management: Participatory management processes–legitimate power Unions: None used/agreed with strategy	Management: Division between unions Unions: Ideological power- Against casualization of labour force Social power–mobilized union members to protest
Greater productivity from existing staffs		Asking staff to practice out of scope	Asking staff to practice out of scope	Asking staff to practice out of scope
	Outcome	Staff felt used and dissatisfied; Some staff refused, and services were disrupted	Staff felt happy and satisfied; less disruption to services	Staff felt used and dissatisfied
	Source of power	Management: Financial – not hiring more staff Cultural–staff felt responsibility towards hospital community; Symbolic – supervisory power Unions: None	Management: Participatory management processes–legitimate power Unions: None used/agreed with strategy	Management: Financial – not hiring more staff Cultural–staff felt responsibility towards hospital community; Symbolic – supervisory power Unions: None
		Installation of cameras
	Outcome	Cameras installed; monitored attendance; disciplined those sleeping on duty; tension between union and management; Dissatisfaction of members with unions
	Source of power	Management: division among unions Unions: Social network power- asked other unions to oppose management but failed
		Incapacity leave		Incapacity Leave
	Outcome	Employees who did not qualify come back to work; some vacated positions were filled others not		Employees who did not qualify come back to work; some vacated positions were filled others not
	Source of power	Management: Legitimate		Management: Legitimate
	Source of power	Unions: None used/agreed with strategy		Unions: None used/agreed with strategy

Strategy		Hospital A	Hospital B	Hospital C
Outsourcing		Outsourcing laundry services	Outsourcing artisanal/maintenance tasks	Using existing staff for artisanal/maintenance tasks
	Outcome	Laundry outsourcing contract cancelled; tension between unions and between unions and management	Outsourced artisanal tasks; equipment maintained; Workload more manageable	Some staff did extra work; dissatisfaction about not being compensated, but equipment maintained
	Source of power	Management: Division between unions	Management: Legitimate/participatory management processes	Management: Financial – refused to pay for additional work; Cultural – staff felt responsibility towards hospital community
	Source of power	Unions: Higher government body	Unions: None used/agreed with strategy	Unions: None
Free or cheaper labour			Finance interns	Extended public works program (EPWP)
	Outcome		Interns joined finance department; decrease in workload; satisfied staff; backlog cleared	EPWP workers chased away; continued shortage off staff; further tensions
	Source of power		Management: Participatory management processes–legitimate powerUnions: None used/agreed with strategy	Management: Division between unionsUnions: Ideological power- Against casualization of labour forceSocial power–mobilized union members to protest
Greater productivity from existing staffs		Asking staff to practice out of scope	Asking staff to practice out of scope	Asking staff to practice out of scope
	Outcome	Staff felt used and dissatisfied; Some staff refused, and services were disrupted	Staff felt happy and satisfied; less disruption to services	Staff felt used and dissatisfied
	Source of power	Management: Financial – not hiring more staffCultural–staff felt responsibility towards hospital community; Symbolic – supervisory powerUnions: None	Management: Participatory management processes–legitimate powerUnions: None used/agreed with strategy	Management: Financial – not hiring more staffCultural–staff felt responsibility towards hospital community; Symbolic – supervisory powerUnions: None
		Installation of cameras
	Outcome	Cameras installed; monitored attendance; disciplined those sleeping on duty; tension between union and management; Dissatisfaction of members with unions
	Source of power	Management: division among unionsUnions: Social network power- asked other unions to oppose management but failed
		Incapacity leave		Incapacity Leave
	Outcome	Employees who did not qualify come back to work; some vacated positions were filled others not		Employees who did not qualify come back to work; some vacated positions were filled others not
	Source of power	Management: Legitimate		Management: Legitimate
	Source of power	Unions: None used/agreed with strategy		Unions: None used/agreed with strategy