Union Strategy: a Conceptual Framework School of Industrial Relations and Organisational Behaviour Working Paper Series

Over the last decade a large decline in union membership and influence has been observed in many countries. This observation has prompted many researchers to consider the means by which individual unions are able to mitigate the effects of less favourable economic and political conditions on their functions as institutions designed to represent and defend worker interests. Such research suggests that unions can improve their labour market and political position through the reformulation of established union strategies. This paper contributes to this research agenda by developing a more robust construct of union strategy. It begins with a critical evaluation of the concept of ‘strategy’ and ‘strategic choice’ within the organisational studies and business strategy literatures, as well as its use in industrial relations theory. From there it develops a conceptual framework of union strategy. This framework posits that union strategies can be analysed in terms of four dimensions: objectives, methods, tactics and the level at which strategies are formulated and implemented. It also considers the nature of the strategy formulation process. This model, it is argued, could be operationalised in cross-national research on union strategy to investigate specific strategic patterns, the determinants of specific strategic patterns, and the relationship between different strategies and measures of union effectiveness.