Employment Practices and Business Strategy

This book explores the reasons for persistent differences inwork practices both within and between industries. Theauthors found that the strategy that a firm chooses tofollow often determines the kind of work practices itfosters. Therefore a firm may not adopt the approach nowadvocated by many management thinkers--in whichdecision-making is pushed down to the lowest level of thefirm--because this choice may not be consistent with itscompetitive strategy. The authors discuss the ways thatpublic policy can aid workers without subverting thestrategic choices made by firms.