Individualism, Collectivism, and the Case of Awards in Australia

Abstract

This paper offers an alternative framework for characterizing individualism and collectivism. This framework is constructed in terms of three dimensions of the employment relationship — who makes the rules; who is covered by the rules; and who enforces the rules. The value of the framework is demonstrated by applying it to the analysis of awards in Australia, revealing fundamental changes in the individualist/ collectivist character of awards over the last 20 years.