What is the purpose of the IRC’s
research program?
Our objective is to effectively serve academics, researchers
and practitioners interested in the field of Industrial relations and human
resource management by creating, promoting and disseminating independent basic
and applied research.
What impact does the IRC’s research
program have in the world of work?
Through our research and theoretical and practical analysis
of complex industrial relations issues, the IRC serves as a bridge linking
the university with the industrial relations community. By integrating academic
and practitioner-based research, the IRC offers a diversity of viewpoints
and a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach.
Who will be interested in the research?
Scholars, researchers and practitioners are interested
in quality research that provides insight into the ever-changing world of
work and contributes to public debate and policymaking. Students pursuing
degrees in industrial relations/human resource management (IR/HR) have access
to independent research relating to important IR/HR issues of the day and
case studies of actual workplace problems facing practitioners.
Busy practitioners have different research needs. A manager of industrial relations
or human resources in a private or public sector organization or a union official
looks for information on current practices, new trends and developments, effective
approaches and strategies that have important implications for the employment
relationship and the practice of industrial relations in the workplace.
What kind of benefits does the research
program provide to IR/HR practitioners?
By participating in an active research program, academics
and researchers benefit from a scholarly exchange of theoretical and empirical
knowledge, the opportunity to present and discuss research findings on contemporary
issues, and gain first-hand knowledge of potential areas for further research.
The IRC’s analysis and interpretation of academic research into concise,
readable and usable information on current practices and effective approaches
and strategies, helps practitioners understand the theory behind the practice.
The research also educates and informs graduate students pursuing professional
degrees in industrial relations by helping them develop an understanding of
the theoretical knowledge, problems and emerging issues in the field and approaches
taken to meet those challenges.
What kind of research is being conducted
at the IRC?
The IRC concentrates on areas of research that are of current
interest to the industrial relations community including change management,
teams, dispute resolution, organizational learning, strategic human resource
management, managerial and organizational behaviour, labour-management relationships,
union approaches and strategies, collective bargaining, labour law, and public
policy issues. This research has both an academic and a practitioner focus.
The academic stream is based on the research being conducted by industrial
relations and human resource management professors, published proceedings
from research symposiums, and papers presented at the Don Wood Visiting Lectureship
in Industrial Relations. The practitioner-based stream includes a case studies
series, which are written accounts of IR/HR problems that closely parallel
actual organizations and workplace issues and benchmark surveys.
Who will be doing the research?
The IRC encourages the involvement of academics and researchers
from Queen’s and outside of Queen’s who are actively engaged in
industrial relations research. The research staff of the Industrial Relations
Centre is also engaged in several research initiatives involving academics
and IR/HR practitioners.
How will the research be disseminated?
Our knowledge and expertise are built on a foundation of
up-to-date and thorough research. Research findings and results are available
in many forms, including electronically published papers, reports and case
studies. Most of these publications are available
free of charge and can be accessed and downloaded through our website. The
IRC occasionally publishes academic monographs and books and information and
order forms are available on our website. Case studies, survey results and
reports are often shared with participants in our seminar
programs.
