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Are Unions Good or Bad for Organizations? The Moderating Role of Management's Response
Author(s) -
Pohler Dionne,
Luchak Andrew
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
british journal of industrial relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.665
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-8543
pISSN - 0007-1080
DOI - 10.1111/bjir.12042
Subject(s) - conceptualization , empirical research , business , moderation , empirical evidence , panel data , psychology , public relations , social psychology , economics , political science , econometrics , computer science , philosophy , epistemology , artificial intelligence
Abstract Union impact research has been hindered by an underdeveloped conceptualization of management response, contributing to inconclusive empirical findings. Integrating the collective voice/institutional response model with the appropriateness framework, we propose that an employee‐focused business strategy is a critical moderating variable in the relationship between union density and organizational outcomes that mitigates the negative effects of unions and enhances the positive effects by sending a clear signal of management's intentions to co‐operate. Using a panel dataset of C anadian organizations over six years, we provide empirical evidence to support our arguments. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.