Equipping trade unions to improve employment relations through achieving performance management reform

Description of impact

Responding to trade union concerns, Professor Taylor’s research provided evidence of the nature and implications of poor performance management practice in the public and private sectors which equipped UK trade unions to campaign effectively for Human Resources Management (HRM) reform to improve employment relations. Achieved through dissemination of Taylor’s report for the Scottish Trade Union Congress and the application of its findings by the Communication Workers Union, Unite the Union’s Finance and Legal Sector, Accord and the Public Commercial Services Union, numerous public and private sector organisations reviewed and improved their approach to performance management to the benefit of both employees and employers. At least 238,000 employees have benefitted from these improvements.

Who is affected

By evidencing the nature and implications of poor performance management practice in the public and private sectors, Strathclyde’s research has equipped UK trade unions to campaign effectively for Human Resources Management (HRM) reform to improve employment relations. Building on a wider body of research, this has been achieved through dissemination of Professor Taylor’s STUC report and the application of its findings by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), Unite the Union’s Finance and Legal Sector, Accord and the Public Commercial Services (PCS) Union. As a result of union activity, including senior management briefings and industrial action ballots, numerous public and private sector organisations have reviewed and improved their approach to performance management to the benefit of both employees and employers. Illustrative examples relating to British Telecommunications (BT), Pladis (formerly United Biscuits), Lloyds Banking Group (LBG), Trustee Savings Bank (TSB), HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and the UK Civil Service, namely the Ministry of Defence, are detailed below. The combined workforce of these organisations is more than 238,000 staff

Impact status	Closed
Impact date	2015 → 2020
Category of impact	Economic and commerce, Policy and legislation, Quality of life and safety
Impact level	Benefit