Abstracts
Abstract
Though not monolithic, the non-profit social services sector has been an arena where workers and management participated in various forms of shared planning, service development and organizing the labour process. This included: 1- formal participation processes such as collective bargaining with union representation, and 2- practice-profession or task participation. Drawing on 34 qualitative interviews undertaken with a variety of actors (Chief Executive/Senior Directors, senior operational management, Human Resource Managers, frontline staff, and, where available, union representatives) in two non-profit social service agencies in Ontario (Canada), the article traces how these forms of participation have changed as a result of government austerity policies alongside the expansion of precarious employment and funding in the non-profit sector.
Using exemplar quotes and qualitative analysis, the article shows that worker’s participation in each form has declined, while management simultaneously has extended greater control over the labour process and removed or reduced forums and opportunities for input from staff. In terms of task participation, measurement and governance structure of New Public Management (NPM) and austerity have led to less autonomy and choice, especially in the area of working time. The study also found that unitarist approaches, intolerant of staff voice and possible dissent, have displaced earlier representative participatory approaches that either utilized the management chain, or embraced and worked constructively with unions. Though these pressures existed prior to the introduction of austerity policies, the data show that decreased worker’s participation coincides and is further undermined by the financial and governance processes associated with NPM and austerity-linked cuts in government and other forms of funding. Overall, the data and analysis suggest that participation in the Non-profit Social Services (NPSS) may be another casualty of this current wave of neoliberalism.
Keywords:
- non-profit social organization,
- worker’s participation,
- unions,
- New Public Management (NPM),
- precarious work,
- unitarism,
- neoliberalism
Résumé
Bien que non monolithique, le secteur de l’économie sociale s’est avéré une arène dans laquelle travailleurs et gestionnaires participent, sous diverses formes, à la planification partagée, au développement de l’offre de services et au processus d’organisation du travail. On y retrouve : 1- des processus de participation formelle, telle la négociation collective avec représentation syndicale; et 2- la participation à la formation pratique ou aux tâches. À partir de 34 entrevues qualitatives réalisées auprès d’une diversité d’acteurs (directeur général, directeurs séniors, gestionnaire opérationnel sénior, gestionnaires en ressources humaines, personnel de première ligne, et, là où c’était possible, représentants syndicaux) de deux agences de services sociaux sans but lucratif en Ontario (Canada), cet article retrace comment ces formes de participation ont évolué à la suite de la mise en place de politiques gouvernementales d’austérité, parallèlement à l’évolution de l’emploi précaire et du financement dans le secteur sans but lucratif.
En extrayant un ensemble d’exemples de citations rapportées par les participants à l’étude et grâce à une analyse qualitative, cet article montre comment la participation des travailleurs a décru dans chacune de ces formes de participation tandis que, simultanément, les directions élargissaient leur contrôle sur le processus de travail et retirait ou réduisait les forums et les possibilités d’implication pour le personnel. En termes de participation aux tâches, la mesure et la structure de gouvernance du nouveau management public (NMP) et l’austérité ont conduit à moins d’autonomie et de choix, particulièrement en ce qui concerne le temps au travail. L’étude met aussi en relief que les approches unitaires, l’intolérance face à l’expression du personnel et la dissension sont venues remplacées les approches initiales de participation représentative qu’on retrouvait dans la chaîne de management, ou qu’on avait adoptées et qui fonctionnaient de manière constructive avec les syndicats. Même si une certaine pression existait déjà en ce sens avant l’arrivée des politiques d’austérité, les données montrent que le déclin de la participation des travailleurs a coïncidé avec, et s’est trouvée davantage minée par les processus financiers et de gouvernance associés au NMP, de même que par les coupures liées à l’austérité gouvernementale et autres formes de financement. Globalement, les données suggèrent que la participation dans le secteur de l’économie sociale est sans doute une autre victime de la présente vague de néolibéralisme.
Mots-clés:
- organisme sans but lucratif,
- participation des travailleurs,
- syndicats,
- nouveau management public (NMP),
- travail précaire,
- unitarisme,
- néolibéralisme
Resumen
Aunque no monolítico, el sector de servicios sociales sin fines lucrativos ha sido una arena en la cual trabajadores y directivos empresariales participaban, bajo diversas formas, a la planificación compartida, al desarrollo de la oferta de servicios y a la organización del proceso de trabajo. Esto incluía: 1 – los procesos de participación formal, tales como la negociación colectiva con representantes sindicales; y 2- la participación a la formación práctica o a las tareas. A partir de 34 entrevistas cualitativas realizadas con una diversidad de actores (director general, directores seniors, directivos operacionales seniors, directivos de recursos humanos, personal de primera línea, y, cuando fue posible, representantes sindicales) de dos agencias de servicios sociales sin fines lucrativos en Ontario (Canadá), este artículo reconstituye la evolución de esas formas de participación después de la implantación de políticas gubernamentales de austeridad, paralelamente a la evolución del empleo precario y del financiamiento en el sector sin fines lucrativos.
Ilustrado con un conjunto de citaciones extraídas de las entrevistas con los participantes al estudio y gracias al análisis cualitativo, este artículo muestra cómo la participación de los trabajadores ha disminuido en cada una de esas formas de participación mientras que, simultáneamente, las direcciones amplificaban su control sobre el proceso de trabajo y retiraban o reducían los fórums y las posibilidades de implicación para el personal. En términos de participación a las tareas, la medida y la estructura de gobernanza de la nueva gestión pública (NGP) y la austeridad han conducido a menos de autonomía y de alternativas, particularmente en lo que se refiere al tiempo de trabajo. El estudio pone también en evidencia que los enfoques unitarios, la intolerancia frente a la expresión del personal y el posible disentimiento han remplazado los enfoques iniciales de participación representativa que se observaban en la cadena de gestión, o que se habían adoptado y que funcionaban de manera constructiva con los sindicatos. Aunque ya existía cierta presión en ese sentido antes de la introducción de políticas de austeridad, los datos muestran que la disminución de la participación de los trabajadores ha coincidido con su implantación, y se encuentra aún más debilitada por los procesos financieros y de gobernanza asociados a la NGP, así como por los cortes asociados a la austeridad que afectan al gobierno y a otras formas de financiamiento. Globalmente, los datos sugieren que la participación en el sector de servicios sociales sin fines lucrativos es sin duda otra víctima de la presente ola del neoliberalismo.
Palabras claves:
- organismo sin fines lucrativos,
- participación de trabajadores,
- sindicatos,
- nueva gestión pública (NGP),
- trabajo precario,
- unitarismo,
- neoliberalismo
Appendices
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