The author estimates a behavioral model of grievance initiation with 1990 survey data on 1,205 work groups in Canada. The behaviors of supervisors, employees, and shop stewards—such as the degree to which supervisors emphasized productivity rather than friendly relations with employees—were significantly related to grievance rates, but the determinants of grievance rates varied across grievance issues. The results suggest, for example, that the grievances most likely to be initiated by stewards rather than employees were those involving job descriptions, and that grievances over work rules were the least likely to be settled through informal resolution. The model explains approximately 30% of the total variation in grievance rates across work groups—40% if industry dummy variables are included.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AllenRobert E.KeavenyTimothy J., 1985. “Factors Differentiating Grievants and Nongrievants.”Human Relations, Vol. 38, No. 6 (June), pp. 519–34.
2.
BemmelsBrianReshefYonatanStratton-DevineKay. 1991. “The Roles of Supervisors, Employees, and Stewards in Grievance Initiation.”Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 45, No. 1 (October), pp. 15–30.
3.
CappelliPeterChauvinKevin. 1991. “A Test of an Efficiency Model of Grievance Activity.”Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 45, No. 1 (October), pp. 3–14.
4.
DaltonDan R.TodorWilliam D., 1981. “Grievances Filed and the Role of the Union Steward vs. the Rank and File Member: An Empirical Test.”International Review of Applied Psychology, Vol. 30, No. 1 (January), pp. 199–207.
5.
DaltonDan R.TodorWilliam D., 1982. “Antecedents of Grievance Filing Behavior: Attitude/Behavioral Consistency and the Union Steward.”Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 25, No. 1 (March), pp. 158–69.
6.
FleishmanEdwin A.HarrisEdwin F., 1957. “A Leader Behavior Description for Industry.” In StogdillRalph M.CoonsAlvin E., eds., Leader Behavior: Its Description and Measurement. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University, pp. 103–19.
7.
FleishmanEdwin A.HarrisEdwin F., 1962. “Patterns of Leadership Behavior Related to Employee Grievances and Turnover.”Personnel Psychology, Vol. 15, No. 1 (Spring), pp. 43–54.
8.
GhiselliE. E.1964. Theory of Psychological Measurement. San Francisco: McGraw-Hill.
9.
GordonMichael E.MillerSandra J., 1984. “Grievances: A Review of Research and Practice.”Personnel Psychology, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Spring), pp. 117–46.
10.
JenningsKen. 1974a. “Foremen's Views of Their Involvement with Other Management Officials in the Grievance Process.”Labor Law Journal, Vol. 25, No. 5 (May), pp. 305–16.
11.
JenningsKen. 1974b. “Foremen's Views of Their Involvement with the Union Steward in the Grievance Process.”Labor Law Journal, Vol. 25, No. 9 (September), pp. 540–49.
12.
KemeryEdward R.DunlapWilliam P., 1986. “Partialling Factor Scores Does Not Control Method Variance: A Reply to Podsakoff and Todor.”Journal of Management, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Winter), pp. 525–30.
13.
KlaasBrian S.1989. “Determinants of Grievance Activity and the Grievance System's Impact on Employee Behavior: An Integrative Perspective.”Academy of Management Review, Vol. 14, No. 3 (July), pp. 445–58.
14.
KormanAbraham K.1966. “‘Consideration,’ ‘Initiating Structure,’ and Organizational Criteria—A Review.”Personnel Psychology, Vol. 19, pp. 349–61.
15.
LabigChalmer E.Jr.GreerCharles R., 1988. “Grievance Initiation: A Literature Survey and Suggestions for Future Research.”Journal of Labor Research, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Winter), pp. 1–27.
16.
LewinDavidPetersonRichard B., 1988. The Modern Grievance Procedure in the United States. New York: Quorum.
17.
MaddalaG. S.1977. Econometrics. New York: McGraw-Hill.
18.
MaddalaG. S.1983. Limited-Dependent and Qualitative Variables in Econometrics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
19.
MartinJames E.PetersonMelanie M., 1987. “Two-Tier Wage Structures: Implications for Equity Theory.”Academy of Management Review, Vol. 30, No. 2 (June), pp. 297–315.
20.
PetersonRichard B.1992. “The Union and Nonunion Grievance System.” In LewinDavidMitchellOlivia S.ShererPeter D., eds., Research Frontiers in Industrial Relations and Human Resources. Madison, Wis.: Industrial Relations Research Association, pp. 131–62.
21.
PetersonRichard B.LewinDavid. 1981. “A Model for Research and Analysis of the Grievance Process.”Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meetings. Madison, Wis.: Industrial Relations Research Association, pp. 303–12.
22.
PodsakoffPhilip M.OrganDennis W., 1986. “Self-Reports in Organizational Research: Problems and Prospects.”Journal of Management, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Winter), pp. 531–44.
23.
SlichterSumner H.HealyJames J.LivernashE. Robert. 1960. The Impact of Collective Bargaining on Management. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution.
