Brian J Quinn PhD Thesis

322 Pages·2007·1.08 MB·English

;.<.42;2<B! @2AB@C0BC@6<4 .<1 6<[email protected]
@29.B6=<A , =@4.<6F.B6=<.9 05.<42 D6B56< B52
C<6B21 86<41=; /@=.10.AB6<4 6<1CAB@E! &+*+"’%%’
/VOGS 7# ?YOSS
. BNKWOW AYHROXXKJ LTV XNK 1KMVKK TL >N1
GX XNK
CSOZKVWOX] TL AX# .SJVK[W
’%%*
3YQQ RKXGJGXG LTV XNOW OXKR OW GZGOQGHQK OS
@KWKGVIN-AX.SJVK[W,3YQQBK\X
GX,
NXXU,$$VKWKGVIN"VKUTWOXTV]#WX"GSJVK[W#GI#YP$
>QKGWK YWK XNOW OJKSXOLOKV XT IOXK TV QOSP XT XNOW OXKR,
NXXU,$$NJQ#NGSJQK#SKX$&%%’($()+
BNOW OXKR OW UVTXKIXKJ H] TVOMOSGQ ITU]VOMNX
BNOW OXKR OW QOIKSWKJ YSJKV G
0VKGXOZK 0TRRTSW 9OIKSWK
Management, Restructuring and Industrial
Relations:
Organizational Change within the United
Kingdom Broadcasting Industry
1979 – 2002.
A thesis submitted for the degree of PhD.
By
Brian J. Quinn BA (Hons).
School of Management,
The Gateway, North Haugh,
St Andrews.
University of St Andrews,
Scotland.
I, Brian Quinn,herebycertifythat this thesis, whichis approximately25,000words inlength,
has beenwrittenbyme,that it is therecordof workcarriedout bymeandthat it has not been
submittedinanyprevious applicationforahigher degree.
Date……….. Signatureofcandidate…………………….
Iwas admittedas a researchstudent inOctober1998andas acandidate for thedegreeof
PhDinOctober1999; thehigherstudyforwhich this is arecordwas carriedout inthe
UniversityofSt Andrews between1999 and2005.
Date……….. Signatureofcandidate…………………….
Iherebycertifythat thecandidatehas fulfilledthe conditions oftheResolutionand
Regulations appropriateforthedegreeofPhDintheUniversityofSt Andrews andthat the
candidateis qualifiedtosubmit this thesisinapplicationforthat degree.
Date……….. Signatureofsupervisor…………………….
Unrestricted.
Insubmittingthis thesis totheUniversityofSt Andrews Iunderstandthat Iam giving
permissionforit tobemadeavailableforuseinaccordancewiththe regulations ofthe
UniversityLibraryforthetimebeinginforce,subject toanycopyright vestedintheworknot
beingaffectedthereby. Ialso understandthat thetitleandabstract will bepublished,andthat
acopyofthe workmaybemadeandsuppliedtoanybona fidelibraryorresearch worker,
that mythesis will beelectronicallyaccessiblefor personal orresearchuse, andthat the
libraryhas theright tomigratemythesis intonew electronic forms as requiredtoensure
continuedaccess tothethesis. Ihaveobtained anythird-partycopyright permissions that may
berequiredinorderto allowsuchaccess andmigration.
Date……….. Signatureofcandidate…………………….
ii
ABSTRACT.
Inthepast decaderesearchers begantoremedya literaturedeficit inthestudyof
broadcastinginstitutions –addressinginparticular theissues oflabourprocess,restructuring
andindustrial relations. This thesis whichconsiders management change, industrial relations
andrestructuringwithintheUnitedKingdom (‘UK’)broadcastingindustryemploys a case
studyformat withaview tohighlightingthevariations ofindustry(macro) andfirm (micro)
basedrestructuring.Organizational change was not auniform process throughout theUK
broadcastingindustryandsignificantlydifferent strategies weredeveloped bymanagement
withinthetwomainterrestrial broadcasters –inparticularinattemptingtofundamentally
altertheorganizationofprogrammeproduction.Thelabourprocess and experienceof
employees andowner-managers withintheindependent productionsector was also
distinguishableas betweenthetwomainUKterrestrial broadcasters.
Inordertoprovideatheoretical underpinningtotheempirical studies which form the
centrepieceofthis thesis, thefourthemes of contemporarylabourprocess theoryare
explored.Thesecontributions areincludedbecauseexaminations undertakenoflabour
processes haveresultedincritical insights as tothenatureofmanagement andlabour
relationships. Togetherwithfirm basedorganizational restructuringofthe broadcasting
industry,thepast 25 years haveseenverysignificant regulatorychange consequent ona
varietyoflegislativeinitiatives andwhichareset out.
Thecasestudies beginwiththewide-scale restructuringofindustrial relations withinthe
Independent Television(‘ITV’)sectorsince1979 (Chapter4).Thesecond casestudy
(Chapter5)is concerned withtheimplementationofaset ofmanagerial strategies aimedat
reshapingthelabourprocesses withintheCentral Scotland ITVfranchise– Scottish
Television Ltd.(‘STV’). Chapter6deals withthe implementationofnew workingpractices
andwhat might bedescribedas anattackonemployeeidentitywithinBBC Scotland.The
restructuringoftheCorporationalongquasi-commercial lines withspecificreferencetothe
employment ofthedirectorate(distinct business units)system is examined.Thefinal case
study(Chapter7)is anexaminationoftheindependent productionsectortracingthe
emergenceof a groupof ProducerOwners (independent productioncompanyowners)who
emergedduringthefirst halfofthe1990s and whohavesincebecome asignificant forcein
British televisionproduction.This studyalso traces thedevelopment ofthe career and
networkinglabourofthe groupofindividuals employedonshort-term contracts bythe
independent productioncompanyowners.
ii
Contents.
Chapter Page
Introduction. i-vii.
Chapter 1: Core Theoretical Underpinnings: 1-51.
Introduction to Labour Process Theory and the
United Kingdom Broadcasting Industry.
Chapter 2. The Materials and Methods of Study. 52-65
Chapter 3: The Political and Regulatory Context of the UK 66-89.
Broadcasting Industry 1979-2002.
Chapter 4: Management, Work and Industrial Relations: 90-122.
British Commercial Television, 1979-2000.
Chapter 5: Management –Technology and Industrial 123-157.
Relations Change: Re-Regulating the Employment Relationship.
A Case Study of Scottish Television PLC. 1979- 2001.
Chapter 6: Marketizing – a Cultural Bureaucracy: 158-195.
Negotiating Organizational Change in BBC Scotland
1982-2002.
Chapter 7: Networking and The Independent Television 196-231.
Production Sector in the United Kingdom 1982-2000.
Chapter 8: Summary and Conclusions. 232-247.
References: 1-LV.
iii
.
Chapter 1:Core Theoretical Underpinnings Introduction to Labour
Process Theory and the UK Broadcasting Industry
Introduction. 1.
1.1.
Situating Labour Process Theory (LPT). 4.
1.2.
Regulation of the Broadcasting Industry
and Management of Work and Industrial Relations Change. 10.
1.2.1.
Regulation and Fordism. 11.
1.2.2.
Post-Fordism and De-Regulation of Work. 16.
1.3.
De-Skilling and Up-Skilling; the changing nature of work
within broadcasting. 22.
1.3.1.
The De-Skilling Thesis.
24.
1.3.2.
The Up-Skilling Thesis.
27.
iv
1.4.
Identity and Work for Creative Workers. 30.
1.5.
Networks and Networking within the
Independent Television Production Sector. 39.
1.5.1.
Networking and Producer Owners. 42.
1.5.2.
Broadcast Professionals and Networking. 44.
Conclusion. 49.
Chapter 2: The Materials and Methods of Study.
Broad Research Questions of the Study. 52.
2.2
Rationale for the Multiple Case Study Research Approach. 53.
2.3
Data Selection Methods and Selection of Cases. 56.
2.4
Data Gathering Methods and Interviews Undertaken. 57.
v
2.5
Statement of Interviews, Including Date and Location. 62.
Chapter 3: The Political and Regulatory Context of the UK Broadcasting
Industry.
Introduction. 66.
3.1.
Context For Industry Change. 67.
3.2.
UK Television Broadcasting 1950-1979. 70.
The Pilkington Report. 71.
The Annan Report. 72.
3.3.
Pre-Peacock De-regulatory Manoeuvrings. 73.
3.4.
The Move to Marketization: The Peacock Report. 73.
3.5.
Broadcasting in the 1990s and Beyond. 79.
vi
3.6.
The Broadcasting Act, 1990. 80.
The Broadcasting Act, 1996. 84.
The Communications Act, 2003. 86.
Conclusion. 87.
Chapter 4: Management, Work and Industrial Relations: British
Commercial Television, 1979-2000.
Introduction. 90.
4.1.
‘Tales of Corruption’. 92.
4.2.
National Agreements and Regulation;
A Relatively Quiet Industrial Relations Environment. 95.
4.3.
The Formation of Employers’ Strategy. 101.
4.4.
The Collapse of the Guild Strategy. 115.
4.5.
Industrial Relations in the 1990s. 118.
Conclusion 121.
vii
Chapter 5: Management –Technology and Industrial Relations Change:
Re-Regulating the Employment Relationship. A Case Study of Scottish
Television PLC. 1979- 2001.
Introduction. 123.
5.1.
Management and Labour in a Regulated Environment. 126.
5.2.
The New Broadcasting Economy? The Move From A Regulated
to A Flexible Workplace. 133.
5.3.
Work and Employment Relations in The Late 1990s and Beyond. 148.
5.4.
Game Show 1. 149.
5.5.
SMG Opinion Survey. 153.
Work Organization and Quality. 154.
Management Effectiveness. 154.
Leadership and Direction. 155.
Communications. 155.
Conclusion. 156.
viii