Workplaces that Work
Workplaces That Work: A Guide to Conflict Management Systems in Union and Non-Union Workplaces is a practical book that offers quantitative solutions to managing workplace conflict. Practitioners are provided with a set of instruments to aid them in a thorough diagnostic test of their workplace. This book addresses:
- The cost of conflict to your company.
- How to save money by managing workplace conflict better.
- How to uncover workplace conflict.
- How to define workplace culture.
- Options for an effective workplace fairness system.
- How to test your present workplace system.
- How to assess the value of your workplace system.
- How to build consensus around change.
- How to ensure the system remains effective.
- How you can engage unions and employers to support change.
Workplaces That Work introduces the idea of "fairness" into conflict management systems.
So what is "workplace fairness"?
There are two dominant themes for workplace conflict management. The Due Process Systems movement advocates workplace "justice" and the Integrated Conflict Management Systems movement studies "efficiency". Workplaces That Work reaches beyond "justice and efficiency' to consider "engagement and resource sufficiency" as critical parts of a system that manages workplace conflict. This is called "workplace fairness".
Does workplace fairness really matter?
The workplace is an extension of our society wherein all participants follow certain rules and ascribe to certain authority structures. Everyone has a role to play and the success of the whole relies on individual contribution. Just as effective societies engage their citizens, so must a competitive company engage its employees. Modern companies cannot afford to be veritable autocracies without concern for the treatment of their participants.
What does an employer have to do to achieve a balance between employee satisfaction and productivity?
Workplace fairness is the key. To motivate productivity and loyalty, the new employee needs visible workplace fairness.
How can you measure workplace fairness?
Workplaces That Work offers a new approach to the study of conflict management – the Donais Fairness Theory. According to this theory, workplace conflict management systems can be measured for fairness. If your accountant can measure and predict the company's financial forecast, why not use experience and informed decision-making to assess your company's fairness system? The Testing Instrument for Fairness Systems (TIFFS) presented in this book will allow you to diagnose and modify your fairness system. The Fairness Cost Analysis Tool (FCAT) will help you make informed decisions to improve your company's bottom line. This book explores the "science" of fairness.
Achieving Fairness Excellence
The Donais Fairness Theory also argues that workplaces can achieve "fairness excellence" in their systems for managing conflict. Whether you are a manager, CEO, human resources professional, union leader or any other workplace participant, there is value in understanding workplace conflict and having tools to effectively manage it. This book is based on the theory that good processes lead to good results. Through an accurate understanding of the nature of conflict, the options available and the proper diagnostic tools, every workplace can achieve fairness excellence.
Engaging the Stakeholders
This process is designed to engage stakeholders and vest them with responsibility for fairness in their workplace. Workplace participants are invited to become stakeholders in developing the system. This will have a positive impact on trust levels between employees and organizational leaders. We begin, then, from the premise that there is a symbiotic relationship between trust and consensus-building.
The CD-ROM will make the diagnostics for your business faster by providing you with:
- Diagnostic tools – such as the Testing Instrument For Fairness Systems and the Fairness Cost Analysis that allow you to take a thorough diagnostic test of your workplace
- Checklists – that help you organize and summarize complicated information into an accessible format
- Templates – offering fast, efficient solutions for conflict management
- Surveys – that allow system designers to solicit feedback from workplace participants … and more!
What Practitioners are saying:
“A wonderful resource for anyone interested in workplace fairness and conflict management.”
Douglas Stone
Co-author of Difficult Conversations
Partner at Triad Consulting
“The book provides a framework for understanding and tools for evaluating the relative fairness of the conflict management system within a company. This focus on measurement would be very useful when trying to justify expenditures in this area to senior management who do not have a complete understanding of such systems or of their value to the company.”
Brian Story
Former Vice President of Labour Relations
Ontario Power Generation Inc.
Labour Relations Consultant
“This book will be of great benefit to everyone who deals with workplace disputes… This book will also be a tremendous resource for alternative dispute resolution practitioners who deal with workplace conflicts and for those who do system design consultation for clients who wish to improve workplace fairness.”
Brian Cook
Vice-Chair,Workplace Safety and
Insurance Appeals Tribunal
President,Dispute Resolution Services
“A valuable, practical addition to a serious ADR professional’s “tool kit”.”
Nalini Jugnundan B.A. ,LL.B., LL.M.
President - Access Dispute Resolution
“This book is a must if you want a comprehensive, practical guide to developing conflict management systems in the workplace. I have used it. It works!”
Richard Moore,
President MDR Associates Conflict Resolution Inc.
“Workplaces That Work is a valuable tool for HR professionals, union representatives, and all stakeholders in the analysis or design of a conflict system. It furthers our understanding of the underlying causes of organizational conflict and its resolution, and the necessary integration of the fairness imperative.”
Lisa Tenace
Department of National Defense Office of the Ombudsman
“Workplaces That Work is a terrific resource for union, management and ADR professionals who are reviewing or designing a conflict management system. The ‘fairness’ theme runs right through this book making it a ‘must have’ resource. This book will be a very valuable resource in my library!”
Roger Alton CHRP C.Med
President Just Resolutions
“The ADR field is flooded with literature, mostly theory. This practical, pragmatic piece of work really is a unique contribution to the literature. The beauty of it is that it applies theory in a clever and practical way.”
Elaine Newman
Labour Mediator and Arbitrator
“The book shows that it is more cost-effective to have a system than to pretend the conflict is not here.”
Richard Long
Canada Industrial Relations Board
“Exploring the “science of fairness,” the book will show you how to diagnose and modify your fairness system, as well as helping you to make informed decisions to improve your company’s bottom line.”
Workplace News November/December 2006
The Author’s instrument helps achieve three key factors:
1) Provides a tool to Analyze workplaces to define and assess current conflict management systems (CMS) and how to achieve sustainable improvements
2) Demonstrates that the model is applicable in ANY workplace and is translatable to almost any culture and/or country.
3) Exemplifies how even unionized environments can have effective CMS provided that the union facilitates buy-in and inclusion of its working members.
Debra Dupree
Pulse Institute
ACR Co-Chair, Workplace Section 2005-2007
Briarpatch/Rabble Book Review - external link
Download brochure >>
Read book reviews
Workplaces that Work>>
CIIAN book review>>
How to Order
Workplaces That Work is published through Canada Law Book. A copy of the book can be ordered from Canada Law Book by clicking the link below:
Order Here >> |
