Union Beliefs and Activism: A Research Note

Abstract

Whether termed participation, organizational or union citizenship, extra-role behaviors, or activism, union members’ voluntary efforts on behalf of the union have received renewed academic and practitioner interest in recent years. The reason for the renewed interest is the terms’ close association with the organizing model of unionism, which some refer to as the “soul” of union representation–at a time when unions are doing much soul-searching. What predicts union activism? We find that the effects of a variable indicating perceived behavioral control to be as or more important in predicting activism and activism intentions than more conventional predictors. We also find evidence supporting the conclusion of some prior research that attitudes, i.e., covenantal beliefs, are relatively more important for activism—or at least for future union activism intentions—than are union instrumentality beliefs.