This book explores the manner in which the size of the organization influences the employment relationship with a focus upon small enterprises. The majority of organizations in the UK economy are categorized as small firms, having fewer than 50 employees, and in 2002 such firms were found to provide 43% of jobs within the economy (DTI, 2002). Clearly these organizations make a critical contribution to the British economy, yet - surprisingly - until quite recently very little was known about how such firms managed their labor. Since the 1990s there has been a growing of evidence which has explored the employment relationship in small firms and this book fulfils an important task by recognizing the importance of this literature, and also by moving the debate forward.
Managing Labour in Small Firms also acknowledges that size - whilst influential in shaping firm behavior - will interact with context to create particular employment relationships. These relationships are examined in chapters covering:
* HRM in the smaller organization
* The challenge of undertaking research in such firms
* The impact of regulation
* The influence of social embeddedness
* The affect of the national minimum wage
* Training and development
* Pay construction
* Employee representation
These discussions link the key themes and concepts within employment relations, and illustrate how firm size shapes their articulation and consequent management. Written by well respected specialists in the field, this is one of the only books on the market covering this topic, and as such it will be an essential text for researchers and graduates studying business and management, human resource management and industrial relations.