Industrial Relations Research Articles

People Have the Right to Be Mad: Wildcat Strikes and Labor Relations in the Post-World War II Auto Industry

Writing on wildcat strikes, which were usually brief and under-reported, has been limited. This is especially the case in the auto industry, where postwar labor relations were supposedly stable and staid, marked by high rates of unionization and collective bargaining. Scholars have stressed the landmark national contracts that the United Auto Workers (UAW) won in the post-World War II era, particularly with the Big Three automakers. Despite these economic gains, rank-and-file workers had many unresolved grievances, especially over non-economic issues such as high workloads, poor safety, and abusive supervisors. This article examines wildcat strikes at two locations; the New Haven Foundry in Michigan (1962 and 1963) and Ford's Chicago Heights Stamping Plant (1963). It argues that these unauthorized walkouts were symptomatic of rank-and file disaffection over non-economic issues, including failure to get safety and workload grievances resolved. The industry suffered hundreds of wildcat strikes in the 1950s and 1960s, especially at Ford, where resistance to union influence continued. In 1951 alone, there were 56 wildcats at Ford alone, involving over 16,000 workers, with further wildcat surges in 1953 and 1958. The article uses worker testimony before the UAW's international executive board to provide unexpected insights into grievances of postwar autoworkers. These records show that despite the gains of the national contracts, many local issues persisted, complicating images of postwar labor relations in a key industry.

Air Transport Organization: Competitiveness, Globalization, and Innovation

Introduction. Effective organization of air transportation is the basis of strengthening the positions of airlines in the international air transport system in the conditions of deepening globalization processes of aviation activity.Problem Statement. It is a priority direction for the development of aviation activities within the framework of the concept of the state's transport policy, which ensures the safety of passengers and the transparency of territorial and industrial relations in the conditions of constant changes in the economic environment of the national economy.Purpose. Research of the current state of aviation activity, ensuring the effective organization of air transportation in the transport system and interrelated branches of the national economy.Materials and Мethods. A dialectical-materialist approach, induction and deduction, abstraction and concretization, formalization and analogy have been employed. Statistical documents of international organizations, private and state institutions, publications of research by domestic and foreign researchers have been used as reference material.Results. Five elements of the organization of air transportation at the global level are highlighted: the largest specific weight of passenger transportation in the structure of aviation activity; the aviation industry is promising, which is gradually expanding the boundaries of its niche in the world transport market; the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the aviation industry, changing the centers of economic gravity; active activity of global aviation organizations and associations, which covers most countries of the world; development of a regulatory and legal framework of a global level and global standardization of aviation activities. The challenges of the aviation industry, which arise at the global level, have been characterized.Conclusions. The key prospects for the development of the global aviation industry based on innovative activities are: the latest types of aviation fuel aimed at environmental safety; targeting new layers of potential customers; growth of jobs in the aviation industry; compliance with the accuracy of the departure/arrival schedule; smart service and flight safety.

An Intelligent Indicator Film Based on Food Derived Materials for Real-Time Visual Monitoring of Salmon Freshness

ABSTRACT Determining the freshness of aquatic products during food processing, transportation, and preservation is critical for ensuring food safety and quality. In this study, we developed intelligent indicator films sensitive to nitrogen compounds using sodium alginate, glycerol, and natural pigments. These films exhibited excellent indicating performance in monitoring the freshness of salmon, including total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and pH levels. Additionally, the intelligent indicator films exhibit both thermal stability and good biocompatibility. This finding paves the way for developing safe and effective food freshness indicators with potential uses in transportation, packaging, and related industries.

Quality Dimensions of Travel Products: A Research Perspective

This paper also explores the impacts and benefits of enhancing the quality of travel products using the four dimensions: conformity, durability, design innovation and improvement, and brand image.. It is found that high-quality travel products can not only improve tourists' satisfaction and promote word-of-mouth communication but also enhance brand image and market competitiveness, thus driving the development of related industries(Khan, M. S., et al. (2020). However, the improvement of travel product quality also faces many challenges, such as homogenized competition in the market, insufficient professionalism of service personnel, and lack of brand strategy. In response to these problems, this paper proposes future directions for research and practice, including strengthening product innovation and formulating a systematic brand-building strategy. By synthesizing the research on China's travel product quality, this paper aims to provide valuable references for academics and the industry and to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for improving travel product quality.

ANCIENT GREEK EXPERIENCE OF POLITICAL AND LEGAL REGULATION OF OIKONOMIA AS A BALANCE OF INDIVIDUAL AND GENERAL

The paper examines the political and legal means and ethical principles of harmonizing the interests of the individual and the general in the economic activity of ancient Greek society in the 8th–4th centuries BC. Explore the reform of the economic sphere, reveal the meaning of oikonomia, its structural components in the imagination and state legal practice of the ancient Greeks, highlight the shortcomings of legal regulation in matters of capital accumulation to level out the contradictions of the individual and the general. The ancient Greeks were aware of the antagonism between the individual and the general, understood the dynamic essence of their relationship and formed ethical and legal means of harmonizing the manifested contradiction. As a result of the pan-Athenian agreement, polic was determined as the dominant sphere, where oikonomia acted as a separate subject of citizen activity and consisted of three meanings: a) archaic form of blood-family economic activity, closed in itself, despotic in its essence and therefore destructive for the general; b) a household that naturally provides everything necessary for a patriarchal family and provides the opportunity for its owner to become a “master of industrial relations management.” Individual management experience ensures freedom for each citizen and can promote the interests of the general; c) chremastics is an element of оікіа. This type of activity, under the influence of egocentrism and an anti-human position, naturally threatens the common because it destroys the solidarity and democratic foundations of the policy. Therefore, certain types of chremastics (usury) were prohibited, and the type of activity itself was placed under ethical and legal control – in the form of voluntary charity. This policy was not effective and the way of managing authority was replaced by the state-legal way of managing domestic policy. Since the formation of the professional state apparatus and the formation of the Athenian Empire, oikonomia and chremastics have been transformed from a multiple phenomenon of the internal life of policy into a political lever of the external activities of the state. Athens was transformed into a large archaic оікіа – the majority of citizens and the state itself were enriched unlimitedly. Chremastics have become the dominant activity and value of the public sphere in Athens. This became one of the levers of a new imbalance of individual and general interests, the decline of ancient Greek civilization.

Principles for Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Ceramic Dental Implants in Japan.

Recent progress in materials chemistry has resulted in the development of several ceramic materials that are now being used in dental implants. The advantages of ceramic materials over conventional metallic materials are that they do not induce allergic reactions in individuals with metal allergies, they do not interfere with magnetic resonance imaging, and they provide improved esthetics. In addition, some ceramic materials are tougher than metallic materials and less brittle. However, despite these advantages, few ceramic dental implant materials are currently approved for use in Japan. In FY2022, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan commissioned a project called the "Project for the Development of a Guideline for the Evaluation of Ceramic Dental Implants," the goal of which was to consider how best to facilitate swift clinical development and approval of emerging ceramic dental implant materials. At a meeting of experts from professional societies, related industry organizations, and government agencies, the issues related to evaluation of the efficacy and safety of ceramic implant were discussed. Here, we summarize the outcomes of that meeting as a set of principles for the premarketing evaluation of ceramic dental implant materials in Japan.

Directors from related industries and corporate diversification

ABSTRACT This paper aims to examine the impact of directors from related industries on corporate diversification. Director social networks, as a form of informal institution, have significant effects on firms’ production, operation, and strategic decision-making. However, few studies have focused on the economic effects of directors from related industries. We select Chinese A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2021 as our research sample and empirically examine the impact of directors from related industries on corporate diversification. The study finds that directors from related industries can promote corporate diversification. Mechanism tests that they can influence corporate diversification through the information channel. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of directors from related industries on corporate diversification is more pronounced in firms with strong absorptive capacity, non-state-owned enterprises, and in regions with poor institutional environments. Additionally, directors from related industries can strengthen the positive correlation between diversification and corporate investment efficiency.

Qualitative and Quantitative Handling of Collective Labor Disputes and Strikes With the Help of Artificial Intelligence: an Inter- and Trans-disciplinary Theoretical Approach to Modern Industrial Relations

In today’s context of rapid technological evolution, this article explores from a purely theoretical perspective how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used as a tool for qualitative and quantitative manipulation of collective labor disputes and strikes. Beyond the simple use of modern technologies, this article examines the theoretical and epistemological foundations of integration (IA) in the analysis and prediction of labor conflicts. A theoretical framework is proposed that combines the theory of social conflict and the theory of industrial relations with contemporary approaches in the field of artificial intelligence, thus offering a new way to conceptualize and understand the dynamics of labor relations in the global economy. In conclusion, the paper discusses the epistemological, ethical and social implications of such an interdisciplinary approach.

Innovative heat sink design for enhanced cooling efficiency in Dual Active Bridge (DAB) topology

Abstract After in-depth research and analysis, aiming at the heat generation mechanism and limitations of the current heat dissipation method, this paper proposes an innovative heat dissipation design scheme. By optimizing the structural design of the heat sink, the heat dissipation surface area is increased, thus achieving more efficient heat emission and maintaining the optimal operating temperature of the equipment. Experimental data show that this new heat dissipation design significantly improves the cooling efficiency, an increase of about 60%, and provides support for the performance improvement of high-power power products, which brings a reliable and efficient cooling solution for related industries.

Study on Eyebrow Shape and Image Suitable for Men’s Social Image -Focusing on South Korean and Chinese Men in their 20’s and 30’s-

This paper aimed to run a comparative analysis of preferred eyebrow shapes among South Korean and Chinese men in their 20’s and 30’s, to present their desirable eyebrow shape effective for giving an impression. Furthermore, the renewed recognition of the social function of eyebrow shapes, an important factor which determines their impression formation depending upon desirable images, could help ramp up the related cosmetics industry. For this purpose, we carried out a survey and did statistical analysis. The findings of this paper were as follows. First, as for preferred eyebrow shape, there turned out a common predominant preference for ‘standard type’ among South Korean and Chinese men. However, South Korean men had the least preference for ‘angled type’, while Chinese men had the least preference for ‘straight type’. This means Chinese men go after a ‘masculine’ image, compared with South Korean men. Second, among both South Korean and Chinese men, a ‘natural’ image was commonly the most popular, with ‘cute’ image the least popular. However, ‘simple’, ‘tender’, ‘refined’, and ‘urbane’ images ranked high in popularity among South Korean men; on the other hand, Chinese men had a preference for ‘masculine’, ‘simple’, ‘decent’, ‘dynamic’, and ‘tough’ images. Third, among men with sales/service or self-employed jobs which entail face to face contact with people, a ‘natural’ image without revealing their personality was commonly most popular; on the other hand, there was a tendency to raise their energy through ‘dynamic’ images among men with office/administrative jobs which need human resource management through work concentration and hierarchy. And men with production/engineering jobs which entail lots of movements tended to seek toughness through a ‘masculine’ image. There was a preference for bright and affirmative energy through ‘lively’ image among students who was building relationships with friends with no occupational image. Finally, as regards socially desirable eyebrow shapes of those surveyed by job, ‘standard type’ or ‘straight type’ is suitable for men with sales/service or self-employed jobs requiring a ‘natural image’. On the other hand, ‘upward type’ is suitable for men with production/engineering job in need of a ‘masculine image’. And also, ‘angled type’ goes well with a ‘dynamic image’ which men with office/administrative job need.

A Tale of Two Locals: The Strategic Choice of a Trade Union during the 2019 GM–UAW Strike and Member Satisfaction

Industrial relations (IR) scholars emphasize the strategic choices of industrial relations actors to explain IR processes and outcomes. This article asserts that union member satisfaction is critical to realize unions’ objectives and that the local union and work context shapes satisfaction. The authors study the 2019 national UAW strike against General Motors in two, at first sight, very similar union locals. Union members of one local approved the agreement while the other local rejected the agreement. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis, the authors explain the different outcomes. Their analysis of a unique worker survey conducted during the strike shows that general member satisfaction was an important dimension for supporting the union’s strategic choices. Qualitative case studies of the two locals highlight the importance of shares of transfer workers—“invisible divides”—when examining member satisfaction. Broadly, findings contribute to the strategic choice literature and emphasize the local union context as a key locus for producing successful outcomes.

Human Resource Management and Technology: A study of the Status in Nepalese Enterprises

This article is concentrated on the study of use of technology in HR management system in Nepalese organizations. At present most of the most of the corporate organizations of Nepal use different forms of related software for managing human resource in an effective way to bring effectiveness in performance outcomes. They use technology in various HR activities consisting of recruitment, selection, training, development, financial transactions, performance appraisal, job analysis, HR planning, learning, performance management, career management, compensation management, and maintaining good labour and industrial relation. The main focus of the use of modern technology along with relevant software for managing HR activities is to bring specific system in organizational activities for improving performance to use resources consisting of money, material, machine and information technology in an effective way which helps to maximize productivity, maintaining quality and minimizing cost of products and services which facilitates to improving competitive strengths of the organization in the market. In practice it is found that most of the Nepalese enterprises especially unorganized sectors are still using manual system for managing HR activities of the organization.

Promoting and ImprovinPromoting and Improving the Tourism Industry in Malaysia through Tourist Satisfactiong the Tourism Industry in Malaysia through Tourist Satisfaction

Tourism is an important sector that contributes to the countries’ economies. Tourism has a direct relationship with other industries such as hotels, transportation, and retail as tourists who come to the country will spend their money on these categories. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry was badly affected and so did the other related industries. Now, people are back visiting attractive places, staying in hotels during their visits, and spending money on food and other items. However, little is known about why people are attracted to visit some places or countries and not others. The study is meant to investigate the factors that lead to tourist satisfaction when they visit a country. A total of 150 respondents answered the survey that was distributed to students, and public and private sector employees in Malaysia through an online platform. The results indicated that accommodation, tourism products and host attitudes were significant in leading to tourist satisfaction. While price was not a significant predictor of tourist satisfaction. The practical and theoretical implications of the study are discussed at length in this paper.

The Application of Big Data Technology in Supply Chain Cost Control: The Case of IKEA

Abstract: Supply chain management is important in all aspects of business processes. With the advent of the information age, big data technology has become important in developing all aspects of our country. Appropriate use of big data technology in supply chain cost management by enterprises can not only improve their ability to analyse and master data but also timely control the cost expenditure issues in different links of the supply chain, improve management systems, and enhance the companys core competitiveness. In order to improve the efficiency and accuracy of supply chain management, this study explores the application of big data technology in enterprise supply chain cost control and data analysis. This study uses big data as the background to analyse the costs of several important links in the supply chain of IKEA. It combines the discovered problems with big data technology to improve them, hoping to be helpful to the development of IKEA and related industries.

Factors Affecting the Management of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Corresponding Recommendations

Abstract: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)play a crucial role in economic development. Their management methods and internal strategic decisions not only affect their own development but also influence the establishment of internal management systems within related industries. Therefore, identifying the factors that influence changes in business management methods is of paramount importance for SMEs. Additionally, due to the smaller size and scale of SMEs, they are easily affected by changes in various management factors. To mitigate risks and enhance development, SMEs must assess both individual and combined impacts of various factors. This article employs a literature review to examine SMEs comprehensively. It summarizes and analyzes existing research, identifies key management factors, and offers targeted recommendations. The research results show that human resource management, financial management, and technology management have important effects on the management methods of SMEs. All three aspects originate from the enterprise itself and continuously affect enterprise development from different angles. Therefore, this article also proposes corresponding recommendations for SMEs concerning these three aspects, in order to continuously improve enterprise management methods.

The Boundaries of Transgender Rights: A Case Study Based on the Historical Legislation of the United States

The U.S. started to legally recognize transgender as transexuals in the 1970s, but with the late 1980s gender queer theory, the U.S. legal system recognizes all transgenders by how they identify themselves. The 2010s see rapid growth in transgender movements and related surgical industries. This paper studies the historical development of transgenders rights in the U.S. and analyzes its legitimacy based on past legislation and ideologies of America. It uses historical analysis and case studies on past lawsuits of the development of transgender. It analyzes how the three aspects of social, economic, and political factors intertwine to form the current legislation regarding transgenders. It divides the post-1980s transgenders into two groups to analyze, each based on a historical analysis of legislative values in the U.S. The current development of transgender rights and the over-protection of which has violated the U.S.s founding ideologies of liberty. To ensure the basic right to privacy in sex-divided facilities, legal systems should give clear criteria for determining transgender. To protect transgenders, especially adolescents and young adults, legislation needs to outlaw the school-to-clinic pipeline.

Research on Collaborative Strategy of Supply Chain Management under the Background of NIKE Mass Customization

Abstract: With the continuous advancement of technology and the popularization of the Internet, consumers' demand for personalized products is increasingly high. Traditional production modes have been unable to meet consumers' demands for product uniqueness and personalized experiences, which requires manufacturing enterprises to shift towards mass customization modes with unique advantages in production efficiency and cost control. Taking Nike as an example, this paper analyzes its supply chain problems based on its financial report. It then explores Nike's mass customization process using C2M and 3D printing, as well as information collaboration methods in the supply chain. Additionally, the paper analyzes AR-based virtual fitting technology and evaluates Nike's internal matrix organizational structure for customization and collaboration. From the perspectives of Nike's technology level and internal organizational structure, this paper analyzes the supply chain management and information collaboration process in its mass customization process, aiming to provide references for related manufacturing industries in enterprise operation and technology application during the mass customization process.

Integrating Digital Trends into Candidate Journeys and Employer Branding: A Book Review

Given the evolving landscape of recruitment, the integration of technologi-cal and media trends has revolutionized recruitment processes, transform-ing how companies attract potential future colleagues. “Digitales Recruiting entlang der Candidate Journey. Maßnahmen und Best Practices für erfol-greiches Employer Branding” by Michael Lorenz and Frank Nientiedt (2023) offers insights and guidelines on integrating digital components at every stage of the candidate journey. The book serves as a comprehensive guide to the complex field of digital recruiting strategies. From raising awareness to making a final hiring decision, Lorenz and Nientiedt (2023) break down the stages of the candidate journey, explaining how digital tools can be used to optimize recruitment processes and outcomes. Drawing on related research and specific industry best practices, the book discusses va-rious aspects of digital recruitment, including social media recruiting, app-licant tracking systems, predictive analytics and more. The implementation of digital technologies to create a seamless and candidate-centric recru-itment process is a primary focus. The book highlights the potential of di-gital recruiting strategies by providing methods on how to leverage social media platforms to enhance employer branding or how to use algorithms powered by artificial intelligence to identify top talent...

Building labour power in the platform economy: A comparative analysis of worker struggles in German and Norwegian food and grocery delivery

AbstractThis study undertakes a comparative analysis of delivery workers’ struggles in Norway and Germany. Through the theoretical lens of the power resources approach, we analyse how delivery workers in Berlin and Oslo combine associational, structural, institutional, coalitional and discursive power resources, responding to different institutionalised frameworks of industrial relations. We make three contributions to debates on worker agency and resistance in the platform economy. First, we show that delivery workers need to actively combine different power resources to overcome barriers to organising and exercising structural power, resulting from platforms’ model of work organisation. Second, we highlight the role of institutional contexts in shaping workers’ collective organising strategies. Finally, our analysis stresses that the power resources that food delivery workers have built are often contested and circumvented by counter‐practices from the platform companies.

Raman spectroscopy coupled with the PLSR model: A rapid method for analyzing gamma-oryzanol content in rice bran oil

Rice bran oil (RBO) is widely used in food, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries, due to its γ-oryzanol content, a key quality indicator. This study developed a rapid, non-destructive method for quantifying γ-oryzanol in RBO using Raman spectroscopy combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR). The optimal PLSR model, based on orthogonal signal correction (OSC)-pretreated data of Raman spectra from 800 to 1800 cm−1, demonstrated high accuracy with a strong R2-Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.9827 and low root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.5314. Principal component analysis (PCA) of OSC-pretreated data showed improved sample grouping by concentration of γ-oryzanol compared to untreated data. Additionally, Bland-Altman plots comparing results from Raman and HPLC methods showed random scatter within ±2 SD of the mean difference, confirming the method's reliability. This study indicates that Raman spectroscopy can serve as a reliable method for determining γ-oryzanol content in RBO products within the related industries.