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A model of the antecedents of early union commitment: The role of socialization experiences and steward characteristics
Author(s) -
Fullagar Clive,
Clark Paul,
Gallagher Daniel,
Gordon Michael E.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of organizational behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.938
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1099-1379
pISSN - 0894-3796
DOI - 10.1002/job.4030150604
Subject(s) - socialization , structural equation modeling , context (archaeology) , social psychology , psychology , sample (material) , statistics , paleontology , chemistry , mathematics , chromatography , biology
Abstract The present study aimed at investigating the influence of shop steward characteristics and early union socialization experiences on new members' attitudes toward unions and their affective commitment to the union. Two thousand surveys were mailed to the most recent members of the National Association of Letter Carriers. Of these, 658 (33 per cent) were returned. Focusing on those individuals who had joined the union within the past 12 months yielded a usable sample of 585. A two‐stage, structural equation modeling approach indicated a satisfactory goodness‐of‐fit for both the measurement and structural models. Individual socialization experiences significantly affected union attitudes. The latter variable was a significant predictor of union commitment. These results are discussed in the context of the organizational socialization literature and union commitment research.