You Try To Be A Fair Employer' Regulations and employment relationships in medium-sized firms

Atkinson, C; Mallett, O; Wapshott, Robert

Abstract

'You try to be a fair employer': Regulation and employment relationships in medium-sized firms Abstract In this article, we explore the dynamic, indirect effects of employment regulation through a qualitative study of three medium-sized enterprises and their ongoing, everyday employment relationships. We analyse how employment regulation is enacted through employment relationships and how its effects are negotiated by owner-managers and employees. Whereas owner-manager prerogative is generally associated with informality in small and medium-sized enterprises, we identify instances of formal policies and procedures implemented in response to regulation being instrumental in exerting this prerogative. Further, employees reinforced this process by making judgements regarding the employment relationship in terms of their perceived, informal psychological contract rather than external regulatory obligations. This article extends understanding of dynamic, indirect regulatory effects in relation to the interplay of informality and formality within psychological contracts in medium-sized enterprises.

Citation

Atkinson, C., Mallett, O., & Wapshott, R. (2016). You Try To Be A Fair Employer' Regulations and employment relationships in medium-sized firms. International Small Business Journal, 34(1), 16-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242614541992

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 10, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Jul 17, 2014
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Deposit Date: Apr 23, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 29, 2020
• Journal: International Small Business Journal
• Print ISSN: 0266-2426
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 16-33
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242614541992
• Keywords: Medium-sized enterprises; employment relationships; regulation; psychological contract
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4329651
• Publisher URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0266242614541992