The Concept of the Cooperation Threshold Applied to Australian Industrial Disputes

Abstract

The concept of the Cooperation Threshold gives Australian industry a basis on which to analyse and resolve conflicts and so benefit from new manufacturing techniques such as the Japanese 'just-in-time' method. The cooperation threshold in any dispute can be identified by the use of four quantifiable variables. These four variables may be used to measure the deterioration of a relationship, to classify different types of deadlocks, and to identify strategies for restoring or building cooperation in conflict situations. The Borg-Warner dispute on manning levels in 1986 may be used to illustrate these concepts, and to show that dispute resolution does not depend only on qualitative factors such as goodwill and tenacity.