This research takes into account the study of one of the more avant-garde theories in industrial relations – Social Partnership, an approach which promotes productivity and at the same time effective human resources management in an idyllic system built on common trust and interest, effective communication and a harmonious working environment between management and its employees.

Social Partnership as an industrial relations tool have been applied and researched in varied sectors. To expand the study, this thesis focused on its implementation in educational institutions particularly in three (3) schools in South Metro Manila, namely: PAREF Southridge School for Boys, Elizabeth Seton and Blessed Trinity School of Las Pinas using case study approach.

To enrich research findings, five additional industrial relations models were used as reference in assessing the effectiveness of the implemented Social Partnership programs in the participating schools, which are: Joint Consultation, Joint Management, Mutual Gains, Employee Involvement/employee Participation and Labor-Management Cooperation. The research also took into account the relationship between the school administrators, teachers and parents as well as the effect of other variables like that of organizational culture.

The success of a well-implemented Social Partnership was measured through its outcomes, in this case: low-teacher grievance, stable enrollment, parent satisfaction, and school and student achievement.

The study examines the experience of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) using the lens of union renewal as it engaged in a struggle against contractualization at Philippine Airlines (PAL). The study used participant observation, in depth interviews and analysis of documents. The PAL-PALEA dispute has been the biggest labor row in recent history. PALEA saw outsourcing not just as a scheme to replace regular with contractual workers but also as a ploy to suspend collective bargaining negotiations and bust the union. PALEA insisted outsourcing and the state’s lax policy on contractualization will lead to the degradation of the working conditions of all Filipino workers. Thus the strategic choice to resist and the logic of transformation in the process of union renewal. From a passive and co-opted union that was retreating in the face of management attacks, PALEA transformed into a fighting organization strengthened by mass participation. The external threat of outsourcing molded the contours and tempo of the internal changes undergone by PALEA. PALEA implemented its struggle along the lines of social movement unionism to encompass the labor movement and civil society. The resolute fight and the solidarity movement exerted enough leverage to impact on the behavior of the IR parties involved, specifically PAL which signed a settlement agreement and the government which enacted new rules on
contractualization.

This paper examines the relationship between employee engagement and organizational commitment in selected government financial institutions (GFIs) in the Philippines. To put this in perspective, the first major article on engagement at work as conceptualized by Kahn (1990) was discussed. The Gallup Q12 survey is used as a method to measure employee engagement while Meyer and Allen’s scale was applied to determine the tri-dimensional affective, continuance and normative organizational commitment of respondents. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with selected participants was utilized as well to come up with the triangulation method of research. Eight hundred ninety-seven(n=897) rank and file employees of three GFIs participated in the survey. Findings revealed that employees of GFIs are highly engaged and are committed to their organizations’ goals and values. It was made known those female and married employees who had been in government service for more than ten years had higher levels of engagement and higher affective commitment to their organizations. This was expressed in their emotional attachment and identification with their respective organizations. It was found out that the higher the level of employee engagement in GFIs, the higher the affective organizational commitment and the lowest for continuance with normative commitment in between them. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the understanding of employees’ level of engagement and its relationship with affective commitment to their organizations.

This paper aims to show the prevalence of different types of workplace bullying in selected Philippine schools and examines the correlates and its effects on worker’s mental health and level of job satisfaction. Workplace bullying is distinguished by type and dimension. It is either downward vertical (perpetrator are in higher job level), upward vertical (perpetrator are in lower job level), or horizontal (perpetrator are of the same job level). The dimension of workplace bullying refers to work-related, person-related, and physically intimidating. Work-related bullying refers to being subjected to negative acts that impact the victim’s work performance. Person-related bullying is experiencing a negative act that is demeaning to the person while physically intimidating is a facet of bullying that has intimidating action. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis. The quantitative method includes descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and regression analysis using the data collected from a survey that uses a modified version of the Negative Acts Questionnaire by Einarsen, Hoel and Notelaers (2001) and the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire by Spector (1985). The statistical results were supplemented by the qualitative data gathered from in-depth key informant interview.

The study shows that more than half (55 percent) of the faculty and management staff experienced workplace bullying. The ten most commonly experienced negative acts among workers in the school were work-related and person-related as follows: someone withholding information affecting performance as experienced by 31 percent of the respondents; persistent criticism of errors or mistakes (30 percent), being ignored or excluded (27 percent); being pressured not to claim an entitlement (26 percent), being ordered to do work below level of competence (26 percent), being exposed to unmanageable workload (26 percent), excessive monitoring of work ranked (25 percent), repeated reminders of errors and mistakes (24 percent), having opinions ignored (24 percent) and being ignored or facing a hostile reaction when approaching another worker (22 percent).

Workers who possess the following demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were more likely to be bullied: male workers relative to female workers, senior faculty members compared with either the junior faculty members or the administrators, the youngest and the single workers; the less educated workers and those in probationary employment status, and those working in private schools relative to those in public schools.

The present study provides evidence of the high incidence of horizontal (peer-to-peer) bullying as much as downward-vertical (superior-to subordinate) bullying. The Filipino crab mentality also reinforces the prevalence of workplace bullying. Employees tend to pull down each other out of jealousy and envy and this is manifested in various negative acts in the workplace.

A high stress work-centered culture and ineffective leadership reinforces workplace bullying. Ineffective leadership can encourage workplace bullying through a lack of policy and clear guidelines against workplace bullying. The nature of work, social traditions, and the work culture seem to reinforce the negative act while the personality type of the target influences the perception of bullying. There are still some who refuse to accept that bullying is happening in their workplace simply because they do not perceive the negative acts such as teasing, bickering, playing pranks, gossiping, and the likes as a form of bullying but as part of the norm in any work setting. Jesting was perceived as making the work environment less stressful is just one of the rationalization given by workers.

Workplace bullying is a form of workplace violence that have a negative effects on worker job satisfaction and the negative effect is directly proportional to the frequency of being bullied. Workplace bullying has negative effects on the workers’ professional morale and self-esteem and results in emotional distress among workers regardless of whether they personally experienced or just witnessed the negative act. Victims of workplace bullying felt inadequate and tend to isolate him/herself while bystanders felt sorry for them. Changes in personality, insomnia, and dampened spirit are just some of the manifestations of the harm workplace bullying can cause to a worker’s mental health.

The study recommends that the various types and dimensions of workplace bullying should be addressed through local legislations and company policies.

The safety and health of workers is a critical issue especially for dangerous occupations such as the pyrotechnics industry. Studies showed that awareness to potential hazards in the workplace and workers` involvement in safety committees increase compliance to safety and health standards. This thesis measured the awareness of owners and workers to Republic Act 7183 (An Act Regulating the Sale, Manufacture, Distribution and Use of Firecrackers and other Pyrotechnics Devices), described the working conditions, and determined the level of workers` participation in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). Workers in the industry should be involved in terms of being informed on OSH matters, having active participation in association meetings and seminars, and taking personal responsibility to their own safety. The research made use of interviews, ocular visits and safety checklists to gather the necessary data. Results showed that awareness to R.A. 7183 among owners is high, however awareness among workers is low. Workers are not required to attend association meetings and seminars; there fore they do not have a sense of personal responsibility in ensuring safety in their workplaces. It is therefore recommended that workers be educated by letting them attend safety seminars and be allowed to participate in association meetings.