The worker collectivity and Anglo-Saxon theories of collectivity

Abstract

The Norwegian sociologist Sverre Lysgaard’s theory of the worker collectivity is virtually unknown outside Scandinavia. This article presents the basic principles of the theory and compares it to three British theories in the same research area of resistance at work: Stewart et al. on the collective worker and collectivism; Fox on the employee collectivity; and Ackroyd and Thompson on self-organization. The main aim in this article is to examine whether Lysgaard’s theory may have anything to contribute to the international body of theories on collectivity. It is concluded that it stands out as a more thorough analytical examination of the constitutional mechanisms supporting collective action when compared to the other theories discussed.