Making sense of an imposed industrial relations system in Papua New Guinea : a review of literature

Over the past few decades there has been much debate on the issue of whether some transformation of the industrial relations system has occurred in many countries in response to globalisation of capital, markets and technology. One theme that is apparent in the debate is the existence of different national institutional systems and cultures as the common denominators of the existence of different industrial relations systems. What is often not articulately acknowledged in such debates is how national industrial relations systems in developing countries have progressed after the departure of the colonial powers. This paper analyses the emergence and operation of Papua New Guineaââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s (PNGââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s) industrial relations system. The evaluation of the body of literature on industrial relations in PNG will identify the historical emergence of an imposed industrial relations system that continues to have contradictions and present challenges for the country. The review of industrial relations literature on PNG is divided into three main sections each commencing with a separate thematic discussion. The chronological review is structured into three main sections: colonisation, independence, and post-independence. A concluding discussion provides a brief perspective of current commentary on labour associated works and predicts the emergence of further works.