¶ … Human Resources at a Small Construction Company Labor Relations

It is reported that there is a great fluctuation in the market demand in construction and that this includes the fluctuations "within short period and with uneven distribution among geographical regions." (Hendrickson and Au, nd) Employers in the construction industry value flexibility in their hiring of and laying off workers with the ebb and flow of the industry. There are a great variety of crafts in the construction labor force however most employers hire only a few of the representative crafts depending upon the specialized needs of each project. Labor and management in the construction industry is characterized by "both unionized and non-unionized operations which compete for future dominance." (Hendrickson and Au, nd) Craft unions work with construction contractors through use of "unionized labor through various market institutions, such as jurisdiction rules, apprenticeship...

(Hendrickson and Au, nd) However, it is reported that when no collective bargaining agreement exists that many contractors "operate under policies adopted by non-union contractors' associations. This practice is referred to as 'merit shop'." (Hendrickson and Au, nd) Reported as advantages of merit shops are their ability to manage their own labor force; their flexibility in making management decisions of a timely nature, maximum use emphasis concerning local labor force; encouragement of individual advancement through ongoing skill development emphasized and the interest that is shown by management and workers alike in the individual firm prospering.
Evaluation System

The performance appraisal system or performance review system are traditional systems that are reported…