Employer responses to union organising: patterns and effects

Heery, Edmund James ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3914-7635 and Simms, Melanie 2010. Employer responses to union organising: patterns and effects. Human Resource Management Journal 20 (1) , pp. 3-22. 10.1111/j.1748-8583.2009.00102.x

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Abstract

This article presents original research on employer responses to trade union organising campaigns in the United Kingdom. The evidence indicates that there is no single response, with employers in some cases seeking to block and in others support union activity. These different patterns are strongly path dependent and reflect the prior degree of exposure to trade unionism of workplaces targeted for organising. Another finding is that employer responses co-vary with union approaches to organising, such that when the employer adopts adversarial tactics so does the union. The militancy of both parties, it seems, is mutually reinforcing. Finally, the evidence points to substantial influence of employer responses over the outcomes of organising. When employers are supportive then campaigns tend to be more successful, measured on a range of criteria. When the employer is hostile unions find it difficult to make progress and encounter particular difficulties in securing recognition.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory J Political Science > JC Political theory
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Trade union campaigns; United Kingdom; militancy; employer support
Publisher:	John Wiley & Sons
ISSN:	0954-5395
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2022 09:58
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/22814

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