| dc.description.abstract | Designed and implemented as a partnership between GM and
the UAW, Saturn breaks new ground in firm governance,
management and industrial relations. Through detailed study
of Saturn's partnership arrangements we have found that the
local management and union leaders have not only implemented
the contractual joint governance institutions which involve
labor in business strategy, product development, supplier and
retailer selection, and manufacturing policy, but have also
created a system of co-management which gives hundreds of
jointly selected union
operations management.
members the
In order to
responsibilities of
understand the impact of the involvement of union members as management, we analyzed
the relationship between the behaviors of both represented
and non-represented middle managers, the dynanics of their
individual union-management partnership relations,
differences in their patterns of communication and
coordination, and Saturn's quality performance. We also
examined each partner's use of time to explore the balancing
of social and economic tasks between represented and nonrepresented
partners. These data were combined with analyses
of the tensions within the union between its traditional role
in membership representation, and its new role in management
and governance. Finally, we raise questions regarding the
learning from and diffusion of Saturn to the rest of the GM
and the UAW organizations. The key findings from our work to
date are summarized in Figure 1 and our research methods,
detailed findings, the implications we draw from these
results, and suggested next steps for our research are
discussed in more detail in the following sections. | en |
