The purpose of this study was to: (1) investigate labour relations arrangements in large manufacturing establishments, and their relationship to plant performance; (2) assess the role of plant managers in the management of the modern corporation. This was the first systematic survey of workplace industrial relations to use the senior executive at plant level (and not a personnel manager) as the respondent, and hence to place industrial relations in context of other managerial behaviour. Variables Importance of industrial relations in decision-making; constraints on capacity working; introduction of new working practices; managerial decision-making structures; career histories of managers; managers perceptions of their role. 5 and 7 item scales of agreement/disagreement with statements on managers' personal flexibility and attitudes to the employing company were used. Those on personal flexibility were derived from Ellis and Child, 'Placing stereotypes of the Management in perspective', <i>Journal of Management studies</i>, October, 1973. Measures on corporate decision-making, etc. were derived from Brown, W., (ed.) <i>The changing contour of British industrial relations</i> (1981).