Edward Elgar Publishing New Directions in the Study of Work and Employment: Revitalizing Industrial Relations as an Academic Enterprise

Charles Whalen's book identifies avenues leading to the revitalization of industrial relations as an academic discipline. The contributors, a stellar assemblage of the field's leading scholars, demonstrate there is much work to be done: the scope and intellectual content of industrial relations need to be reconsidered; academic and social institutions must be reshaped; and new conceptual and practical issues demand attention. The contributors to this volume examine a broad range of issues. Some chapters explore the conceptual boundaries and core assumptions of the field. Others probe how industrial relations correlates with social capital, the law and globalization. Still others outline new approaches to academic programs and institutions, labor and employment journals, and the integration of teaching and community service. A wrap-up chapter by MIT's Thomas Kochan ties all this together and presents additional insights on the revitalization of the field. Industrial relations scholars, labor studies, sociology and business professors as well as many practitioners will find much to recommend in this book. Review '. . . the book is both wide-ranging and thought provoking. . . New Directions in the Study of Work and Employment is a first-rate collection of papers that provides a state-of-the-art overview of debates on the health and standing of the field of industrial relations.' -- John Kelly, Transfer'Charles Whalen's excellent edited volume New Directions in the Study of Work and Employment is a conversation about renewing the academic discipline formerly known as industrial relations. . . The chapters of this book are uniformly of high quality and provocative. . . It inspires the reader to engage and mend the world a bit.' -- David Jacobs, Heterodox Economics Newsletter'. . . an intellectually stimulating collection of informed, sound, and innovative responses to modern labor problems. . . . New Directions is a timely work that deserves wide readership by anyone with an association or interest in industrial relations. Although the matter of revitalization of the field of IR is not nearly a new topic, dismissing this volume as simply another typical prescription in the lineage of IR revitalization commentary would be a gross miscalculation. For one, the sheer breadth and depth of the contributing scholars brings a unique intellectual richness to this project. Also, this book distinctively tackles the issue of revitalization from a multitude of perspectives - from social capital to network theories to labor and employment law, and from research and theory to teaching and practice - and does so in a way that is comprehensive, continuous, and in dialog throughout. Finally this book makes a significant contribution because of its specific recommendations for IR revitalization. Instead of telling scholars and practitioners the need for a new direction but providing few feasible alternatives, New Directions proffers real pathways for progress. This book is a useful guide for navigating the ever-developing world of work and employment relations.' -- Sean Rogers, Perspectives on Work'Where is the field of industrial relations going? How can it be rejuvenated? How can it be reformulated to deal with current problems? These are among the difficult questions this stimulating book addresses.' About the Author Edited by Charles J. Whalen, Research Fellow, The Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, US