Union leadership : a study of union stewards and executives of local civil service and trade unions

Abstract

This study examined differences between union stewards and union executive members of trade and civil service unions as part of an investigation into union leadership. Union executives were more charismatic, reported more willingness to work for the union and had more conflict with family than did stewards. Trade union leaders reported higher perceived instrumentality of participation in union activities and were more willing to engage in unconventional behaviour than civil service union leaders. Compared to archival data on rank-and-file members, union stewards were higher in union commitment.

Trade union leaders had a higher willingness to strike, less formal education, and less time served as stewards than civil service leaders. Civil service union leaders were also more likely to have mothers who belonged to a union, held a union office, and striked as a member of a union. Union executives had a higher willingness to strike and spent more hours per week and a greater percentage of their time each week on union duties.

The various types of union leaders differed in industrial relations stress, pro-union attitudes, transformational leadership, Marxist work beliefs, perceived instrumentality of participation, and job satisfaction. Post hoc analyses revealed that victim union leaders had higher industrial relations stress, higher transformational leadership assessments, higher Marxist work beliefs, and lower job satisfaction than other union leaders. Reluctant leaders reported lower levels industrial relations stress, union attitudes, transformational leadership assessments, and Marxist work beliefs yet higher levels of job satisfaction than other leaders. Voice leaders had a higher perceived instrumentality and union loyalty whereas social/ambitious had higher pro-union attitudes than other leaders. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)