Historical reflections on today’s Frames of Reference: insights from collective contracting in China (1949-1956)

ABSTRACT

This study re-examines the Frames of Reference (FoR) concept in Employment Relations/Industrial Relations (EIR) studies, challenging its efficacy in the face of shifting world of work and advancing its development by leveraging historical accounts. Utilizing the case of collective contracting in China (1949–1956), we scrutinise its embedded values and approaches via Bray, Budd and Macneil’s Frames of Reference on Co-operation. Our findings suggest that these FoRs offer a more potent analytical lens compared to Fox’s trichotomous frames, underscoring the resonance of consultative unitarism and collaborative pluralism in state-owned and private sectors, respectively. While emphasising the importance of innovative constructs and terminology in contemporary EIR discourse, we advocate for greater attention to power dynamics within future FoR frameworks. Furthermore, this research affirms the vital role of historical insights in developing and refining FoR constructs. We encourage future research to integrate historical accounts further, promoting both horizontal and longitudinal comparisons, and enhancing theory generation in EIR. This study thus contributes to FoR literature by elucidating potential dimensions for future development and underscoring the enduring relevance of historical insights.

KEYWORDS:

• Frames of Reference
• collective contract
• perspectives on co-operation
• power dynamics
• China

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Declaration of conflicting interest

The Author(s) declared that there is no conflict of interest.

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Notes

1. Heavy industries typically manufacture means of production, such as mechanical manufacturing.

2. Light industries typically produce means of livelihood, such as textile, pulp and paper industry.

3. Miscellaneous industries include industries which are difficult to be categorised, such as commercial cleaning.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 71904079] and the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education Fund of Philosophy and Social Science Projects [Grant No. 2021SJA0276].

Notes on contributors

Ziheng Liu

Ziheng Liu received PhD in Management from the University of Newcastle, Australia. He is a lecturer in the Faculty of Labour and Social Security, School of Public Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, China. His research expertise lies on work relations and precarious employment.

Xiaohe Li

Xiaohe Li received PhD in Public Management from the Wuhan University, China. She is a researcher in the Jiangsu Institute of Social Security and a lecturer in the Faculty of Labour and Social Security, School of Public Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, China. Her research expertise lies on female employment and long term care.