TIME AS A WAY OF RECONCILING CONFLICT AND COOPERATION IN THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP: A VIEW WITH SPECIAL APPLICATION TO NEW EMPLOYMENT FORMS

Abstract

Explanations of the coexistence of conflict and cooperation in theemployment relationship are often vague and-or misleading. Authors havefrequently failed to distinguish between institutional bases for cooperation andthe ideological orientations of employers and employees. Previous theorizing hastypically presented cross-sectional views where theemployment relationship ispresented outside of its temporal context. Here itis argued that the extent andnature of conflict and cooperation between employers and their workforceshould be understood through appreciating that interest alignment changes as anemployment relationship moves from a short to a long term. In practice, theinstitutional basis for conflict mostly exists in the short and long term andcooperation in the long term exclusively. Using survey data obtained from fastfood workers, the theoretical and strategic consequences of this view areexplored in relation to new employment forms whichhave a modified concept ofa long term.