Employee grievance research through an organisational behaviour framework

Abstract

Purpose of the research/paper: The complexities surrounding grievance activity in the workplace makes a single theoretical explanation for the entire process an unlikely achievement. As a result, researchers are taking a piecemeal approach to the investigation of the grievance phenomenon. It would offer much benefit if researchers could co-ordinate their efforts with regard to understanding the impact of the grievance process on the organisation. Findings: The organisational behaviour model could be an optimal framework for designing future research pertaining to the impact of employee grievances in the workplace. Implications for theory: The contribution of this paper is that it reprises the organisational behaviour model as a framework to organise a variety of social science theories that have potential to explain or predict grievance activity within the workplace. Implications for practice: Potential for improvements in job satisfaction and citizenship behaviours and reduced absenteeism, deviance and turnover rates could occur by increasing our understanding of how grievance activity can impact on these productivity indicators. Value of the paper: This paper provides the researcher with a map of consolidated theories which can underpin ongoing research into workplace grievance activity.