Abstract

A growing number of unions and employers during the 1980s have implemented various programs centered on labor-management cooperation in response to economic problems brought about by declining productivity, poor work quality, deregulation, and international competition. Such programs include QWL, employee involvement, productivity bargaining and gainsharing, and arca-wide labor-management committees. This article identifies insights gained from experience with labor-management cooperation during the past 30 years. The authors then identify a number of steps that can be taken to enhance the possibility of success in joint problem-solving efforts.