The ECA has a vibrant Research department, ready and able to complete Compensation Surveys, Labour Market Research and Employment Benefit compilations on behalf of members and we have an in-house Library with publications covering all aspects of employment, labour laws and terms and conditions of service in Trinidad and Tobago which members are free to visit and utilise.
Research Role
One of the long-standing activities of the ECA is that of research. The ECA has conducted a number of research projects that ultimately inform the production of publications, another mainstay of the organization’s income.
In addition, the ECA also conducts research on the request of member and non-member organizations. Some typical research subjects have included:
salary/wage data, terms and conditions of employment, job description data, guidelines on industrial relations practice in Trinidad and Tobago, trends in Industrial Court judgements in Trinidad and Tobago, etc. The purpose of these requests are either to aid employers in policy-making decisions in their firms or alternatively in the case of international organizations to assist in the production of discussion papers, presentations and articles.
Some research undertaken by the ECA cannot be facilitated in-house and, as such, a consultant is sometimes hired to conduct the research and put together the findings and recommendations. The decision to utilize this option is usually made at the conception stage and occurs frequently whenever collaborative ventures are entered into with international, regional or local organizations and associations. Accordingly, consensus must be reached in determining the appropriate course of action. The results of such projects are usually put together and compiled as a publication for future reference and/or sale/distribution.
As mentioned above, the ECA uses the output of research initiatives as reference materials and may also supplement its income through the sale/distribution of certain documents and publications. For example, the ECA has produced industrial relations guidelines as one of its regular publications, concurrently the documentation is also utilized internally whenever staff need assistance in satisfying an immediate inquiry of a member. These publications have proved invaluable in delivering a timely service to members and its sales have proven to be a reliable source of income for the ECA, both past and present.
External bodies also make use of research compiled by the Association.
For example, as the Employer representative in Trinidad and Tobago on Industrial Relations and other socio-economic issues, the ECA is often called on by government agencies, ministries and committees to provide input into the formulation of national policies and , at times, even law.
The Research Function
The ECA can be said to have a significant foothold in the provision and production of research in the field of Industrial Relations in Trinidad and Tobago. A distinguishing characteristic of the ECA’s market is that its main clientele base is that of the Employer community and alternatively other organisations with an interest in seeking an Employer perspective on certain issues.A good example of specific research that the Association conducts, are the bi-annual summaries of Wages and Conditions of work in Unionised Companies in sectoral categories. This research forms an ECA publication that can easily be said to be one of the most recognisable sources/references on ascertaining trends in terms and conditions of employment in Trinidad and Tobago.
Processes
How is it done?As mentioned earlier, research work is done mainly on the request of members. However, work is also done on a regular basis to aid in the compilation of ECA’s publications for sale.
Data Sources and Collection
The ECA sources its data either locally or from overseas dependent on the type of research being done. Usually, however, most data is obtained from local sources mainly since the ECA is often called on to provide data on trends and existing situations within a Trinidad and Tobago context.Response rates on surveys and requests for comments/feedback are often low i.e. ranging between 10 to 20 % of the membership at times. To bolster this, persons are sometimes assigned to the task of calling and obtaining the relevant information directly off the telephone. The most common complaint being, that the target audience has little available time in their work day to devote to filling out and send in questionnaires. Thereby by calling in the ECA is able to improve the overall response rate.
Key Success Factors
One of the ECA’s critical success factors has been its vast experience which has allowed it to gain a reputation as a recognizable authority.This has been bolstered by the ECA’s on-going relationship with various other resource bodies e.g. National Libraries, Ministry of Labour, Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago, the ILO, etc.
Other than its reputation in the business community, the ECA can boast of focusing on Industrial Relations issues, unlike many of the other business organizations in Trinidad and Tobago. The competency therefore to handle matters of this nature has always resided within the organization or in the hands of consultants who work closely with the ECA. Alternatively, most of the other business organizations do not have a recognized in-house capability in the field of Industrial Relations.
In addition to the ECA’s access to resource organizations, has over its years of operation put together a pool of individual consultants and consulting firms that can be called upon to provide a high quality and efficient service. The successes of the Association’s research projects and other functional activities are highly dependent on the capabilities of the personnel utilized.
Technology and its increased use within the ECA have left an indelible mark on the services provided. The various services have evolved tremendously as a result i.e. higher quality, speedier delivery, more efficient communications network, an increase in professionally produced documentation, etc.
