Paper \(C_{0}\) is a large, multisite manufacturing organisation that is a joint venture between two blue-chip MNCs (Swedish and Anglo-American). Paper Co supplies recycled newsprint paper to regional and national publishers and printers in Western Europe and the USA. The company employs a total of 370 staff, two-thirds of whom are manual shift workers. The company is unionised, with a union density of approximately 40 per cent, but this density has been declining on an annual basis.

Paper Co operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The production process is highly automated, and two paper machines produce 400,000 tonnes of paper per annum. Its annual turnover is approximately \(£ 130\) million. Operations at Paper Co have not, however, escaped the effects of globalisation and the economic downturn. Increased global competition and rising energy prices have continued to threaten the profitability and competitiveness of the UK paper-making industry, an industry that collectively employs over 10,000 workers across 60 mills (Carley, 2007). Over the last decade, paper production has fallen by over a quarter, with the closure of over 35 paper mills across the UK (Confederation of Paper Industries, 2008). The domestic market for paper, including newsprint, has contracted, but the collection of recovered paper has continued to rise. The industry has thus witnessed a rapid expansion in the export of recovered paper to the Far East and Europe. In October 2008, due to rising costs and a decline in profits, Paper \(\mathrm{Co}\) announced 37 redundancies below management level.........

Questions
1 Utilising Marchington and Wilkinson's (2002) typology, how would you classify the JCF in Paper Co?
2 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the JCF in Paper Co?
3 To what extent do management at Paper Co exhibit a lack of buy-in or commitment to employee involvement?
4 Employee representatives on the JCF reported a lack of interest among employees. What factors might explain the indifference of employees to the JCF?
5 The CEO of Paper Co has asked you to advise on how the JCF can be developed in order to be more effective in the future. Identify and justify your recommendations for the JCF.