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The psychosocial impact of a labour dispute
Author(s) -
MACBRIDE ARLENE,
LANCEE WILLIAM,
FREEMAN STANLEY J. J.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of occupational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 2044-8325
pISSN - 0305-8107
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8325.1981.tb00050.x
Subject(s) - psychosocial , distress , psychology , salient , anxiety , dispute mechanism , dispute resolution , social psychology , political science , clinical psychology , psychiatry , alternative dispute resolution , law
As a by‐product of a larger investigation, this paper examines the psychosocial impact of a 1976 labour dispute among Canadian air traffic controllers. Questionnaires were administered to the controllers during the dispute and during two subsequent periods of routine operations, four and 10 months later. The level of distress, as measured by the 30‐item General Health Questionnaire, was significantly higher during the dispute than during routine operations. The labour dispute was also accompanied by deterioration in perceived general functioning, perceived health and perceived anxiety. However, no increase in use of medical services was documented in the two‐month period surrounding the dispute. Nor did the findings demonstrate any direct causal relationship between the salient issue of the dispute (i.e. the implementation of bilingual air communication in parts of Canada) and the increase in distress level during the dispute. Implications for the focus of future research in the field of labour disputes are discussed.