Do Union Mergers Affect the Members? Short- and Long-term Effects on Attitudes and Behaviour

Although union mergers have occurred since the earliest stages of unionization, few attempts have been made to uncover the psychological effects of merger on member attitudes and behaviour. The literature suggests that the intended results of a merger (e.g. economies of scale, reduced jurisdictional...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Economic and industrial democracy 2004-02, Vol.25 (1), p.103-124
Main Authors: Sverke, Magnus, Chaison, Gary N., Sjöberg, Anders
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Membership
Mergers
Organizational Behavior
Organizational Change
Social Attitudes
Sweden
Unions
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Summary:Although union mergers have occurred since the earliest stages of unionization, few attempts have been made to uncover the psychological effects of merger on member attitudes and behaviour. The literature suggests that the intended results of a merger (e.g. economies of scale, reduced jurisdictional disputes) can be accompanied by unintended consequences, such as lowered degrees of union commitment and membership participation. This study examined the effects of a union merger on members’ attitudes and participation in union activity using questionnaires. Baseline data from two merging unions and a comparison union were collected a year prior to the merger, and longitudinal follow-up surveys were administered twice. The results suggest that membership commitment, satisfaction and participation do not necessarily have to be sacrificed for the bene.t of building larger, more stable and powerful unions through mergers.
ISSN:0143-831X
1461-7099
DOI:10.1177/0143831X04040103