Research on the Coupling Mechanism of the Trade Union and Human Resource Management in China

With the reform of trade unions in China, there has been a noticeable interaction in recent years between trade unions and human resource management in the workplace. However, we do not have a proper concept to describe such a phenomenon. Therefore, based on reviewing the current literature involving trade unions and human resource management in China, this study aims to describe the interactive relation between union's practices and enterprises' human resource management by exploring the definition, characteristics, and formation mechanism. This study defines the relationship between the trade unions and human resource management as a coupling relationship where the trade unions and human resource management continually promote and restrain each other as two relatively independent systems in the enterprise. This relationship possesses three dual characteristics, namely reciprocity vs. restraint, integrity vs. independence, and stability vs. dynamism. And there are three sequential stages for trade unions and human resource management to form such a relation, interaction, consensus, and adjustment. This study provides further insight into the relationship between trade unions and human resource management in the workplace and attempts a proximately complete description of the relationship. The study also offers a direction for trade unions and enterprises to establish high-quality cooperation with each other which is mutually beneficial for enterprises' development and employees' wellbeing.

Double-Edged Sword Effect of High-Performance Work System on Employee Well-Being-Moderating Effect of Union Practice

Improving the well-being of the employees is the inevitable choice to improve corporate performance and competitive advantage and the social responsibility that enterprises must undertake. Based on the job demands-resources model, this study introduces perceived organizational support and work stress as the mediator and trade union practice as the moderator to explore the double-edged sword effect of a high-performance work system (HPWS) on the well-being of the employee. Taking 243 employees from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui as samples, we found that HPWS positively affects the well-being of the employee through perceived organizational support and negatively affects the well-being of the employee through work stress. Union practices can significantly reduce the positive effect of HPWS on work stress and further weaken the negative effect of HPWS on the well-being of the employee through work stress. The results of this study provide a new way to explain the impact of the HPWS on the well-being of the employees and find that union practice can weaken the negative effects of HPWS. This study provides a new thinking direction for improving the well-being of employees in enterprises.