The evaluation of current theory and research in industrial relations requires as a background a brief sketch of the nature of industrial relations in our present-day American society. The primary parties to these relations are workers and management. The extent and variety of the relations between workers and management cannot be dealt with in this chapter. That bare fundamental relation has been elaborated in our society into an extensive, diversified, complex and indirect network of relations in which the individual worker becomes an insignificant and inconspicuous figure. In a situation of rapidly changing production structure and technology, particularly in the wake of globalization, the nature and composition of demand for labour is also changing dynamically, even in a single location, industry and enterprise. Labour market information service assumes special importance in this context. The interdisciplinary scope of the book makes it an ideal text for a wide range of disciplines of this subject and its useful for students, researchers and teachers.
