GROUP GOVERNANCE IN A THIRD LINE ENTERPRISE

Abstract

WHAT SORT OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COULD BE FOUND IN THE THIRD LINE ENTERPRISES? IN THIS STUDY, I ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THIS BROAD QUESTION BY FOCUSING ON A MORE SPECIFIC DIMENSION: THE GROUP LEADERS? DAILY CONTROL OF WORKERS. I ARGUE THAT, IN THE THIRD LINE FACTORIES, GROUP LEADERS DID NOT DEAL WITH THEIR MEMBER WORKERS? RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIORS BY MEANS OF RIGID ENFORCEMENT OF THE FORMAL INSTITUTIONS. INSTEAD, THEY TOLERATED THESE MISBEHAVIORS AND MADE USE OF THEM TO MAINTAIN THE GROUP?S PRODUCTION. GROUP LEADERS? TOLERATION WAS ROOTED IN THREE CONTEXTUAL CONDITIONS: GEOGRAPHICAL ISOLATION, INTENSIVE INFORMAL SOCIAL RELATIONS AND THE WORKERS? TACTICS OF PRODUCTION CONTROL. IN ORDER TO ILLUSTRATE THE TOLERATING STRATEGY, I TAKE THE GROUP LEADERS? MANAGEMENT OF WORKERS? ABSENTEEISM AS AN EXAMPLE. IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE TOLERATING STRATEGY WAS IMPLEMENTED BASED ON THE FOLLOWING THREE BUILDING BLOCKS: THE REINTERPRETATION OF WORKERS? ABSENCE, THE MULTI-ACTORS EXCHANGE AND THE TACTICS SUSTAINING