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.
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Stockholm: Swedish Centre for Working Life
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2.
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(1992)
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mellan Beklädnadsarbetarnas Förbund,
Fabriksarbetareförbundet och Livsmedelsarbetareförbundet
[BEFALI – A New Union: Report from the Investigation about the
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Union, the Swedish Factory Workers' Union and the Swedish Food
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Stockholm: The BEFALI Investigation Committee
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7.
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Unions, Working Paper 85-103.
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Countries.
Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press
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13.
Chaison, G.N.
(in press)
‘Union Mergers in the US and Abroad’
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14.
Chaison, G.
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M. Sverke
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A. Sjoberg
(2001)
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356–372
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and
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(1989)
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(1991)
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Mergers: The Effect of Socioeconomic Status’
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334–348
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dissertation, University of West Virginia, Morgantown.
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, Wall Street Journal, 1 September:
A2-A2, A6-A6
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22.
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