While research on corporate political activity (CPA) recognizes different national institutions as important sources of heterogeneous CPA across countries, less attention has been given to the influence of diverse, within-country institutions, especially informal institutions at the local level. We develop a framework wherein firms’ CPA is shaped by the imprints of past dominant informal institution in a city where the firms domicile, and apply it to Chinese private firms undertaking formal CPA. The strength of the imprint of Maoist ideology varies significantly across Chinese cities, primarily resulting from different cities’ degree of centrality in the state planning system. In cities where such imprint is stronger, firms are less likely to undertake CPA, and if they do, they do it to a less degree. This negative relationship is stronger for smaller firms than for larger firms. Such ideological imprint also interacts with present, formal institutions in influencing CPA. Our framework is supported through a multilevel analysis of 1,427 Chinese private firms in 21 cities. Our study contributes to the CPA literature by bringing history to the fore and unpacking the mechanisms through which a specific historical condition is maintained within a geographic location and persists in shaping contemporary organizational behaviors.

The literature has neglected to analyse employer associations as organizations facing potential environmental threats to their financial sustainability. We examine associations' responses to collective bargaining decentralization, a major, contemporary threat. Using a qualitative, comparative case approach, we examine eight associations four each in Australia and Italy to develop a model of response types. Stronger decentralization effects increase associations' exposure to new and heightened competition, which in turn produces stronger association responses. These include prioritizing commercial over associational objectives. We analyse responses using strategic choice and resource dependence theories, finding that associations use both. However, the decision how to combine them reflects environmental conditions as well as choices linking organizational purpose and financial sustainability.

We locate the 1980 formation of the Singapore National Employers' Federation (SNEF) within a history of Singaporean tripartism. This redresses a general neglect of employer associations in that system and suggests re-conceptualising Singaporean tripartism into three overlapping phases between 1960 and 1985. The motivations for the first two are well understood. Once in government, the People's Action Party (PAP) suppressed political and union opposition and then sought legitimacy and the integration of Singapore's working class, including by providing a central role for a subordinated union movement. We argue that in a third phase, emerging during the 1970s, PAP brought employer associations into its national distributed leadership model that meshed close personal ties and institutional tripartite roles. SNEF's formation was necessary for rapid tripartite implementation of the PAP's radical shift in economic strategy.

Industrial peace and rapid economic development have been central goals of the People’s Action Party (PAP) which has dominated Singapore’s government for more than 50 years. It gradually established a comprehensive tripartite corporatist system to achieve and maintain those goals. Industrial peace was also important for its strategy of attracting and retaining foreign direct investment, as was forging successful business-government relations. Until the formation of the Singapore National Employers’ Federation (SNEF) in 1980, employer representation remained fragmented. Faced with the enormous social and economic challenges it had unleashed through its second industrial revolution in 1979, the PAP required coordinated employer engagement in its principal corporatist bodies through a single authoritative employer voice. PAP’s role in fostering the SNEF’s formation demonstrated how institutional links contributed to a more effective distributed pattern of leadership in national business and labour coordination. We contend that by incorporating Asian values and institutional leadership, the Singaporean government adroitly interwove political and economic priorities with business interests in building coordinating mechanisms and successful policies to secure national success.

Established over 160 years ago, actuarial studies is a highly regarded disciplineand many students aspire to gain admission into the program offered by universities worldwide. The discipline is reknowned for offering students with the potential of excellent career prospects and high salaries. The experience of actuarial graduates has not been systematically recorded and analysed. This paper summarises a study implemented on students in the actuarial alumni body from a leading Australian university on their perceptions of the university education program, the profession qualification process and their career aspirations. 66 respondents participated in the study and 33 respondents completed the study in its entirety. The respondents confirmed popular belief that attaining the Fully Qualified Actuary (FQA) title is time-consuming and difficult. Respondents are generall satisfied with their current job, especiall regarding their financial rewards. However, whilst respondents have aspirations to become part of management, they are insufficiently skilled and are less inclined to seek employer support to develop these skills. The study complies with the protocols of the UNSW Ethics Committee.

The survey of actuarial graduates from UNSW was undertaken in 2010 to obtain an understanding of their experience after graduation.

AbstractThere has been growing concern over the role of industrial relations arrangements in the workplace in Australia. In response more industrial relations research has focused on the workplace over the recent past. Although this work has centred on a range of themes, it has however relied on essentially the same theoretical framework or industrial relations paradigm. The basis of which is the analysis of bargained rules — the result of the joint-regulation of employment and workplace practice. In other words, the bargaining paradigm focuses overwhelmingly on one type of labour-management relation — viz. bargaining. This paper proposes a typology based on a number of types of social relations in order to broaden the basis of industrial relations analysis. It is used to analyse the characteristics and dynamics of a number of industrial relations systems currently under debate in Australia over the reshaping of industrial relations.