• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.61-73
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of union commitment and union participation intention based on the social exchange perspective and apply implications to union setting to improve union management. The results are as follows : Firstly, union commitment is the most direct predictors of union participation intention and mediates the relation both perceived union support and union instrumentality and union participation intention. Secondly, both perceived union support and union instrumentality are direct predictors of union commitment but perceived union support has more effect than union instrumentality on union commitment. Lastly, process related justices affect on perceived union support but interactional justice is a more Important antecedent of perceived union support than procedural justice. Unexpected finding is that union instrumentality has direct relationship with not only union commitment but also perceived union support. This finding is needed further research in the future.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.25-40
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• 2003

A number of recent studies have contributed to an increased understanding of how and why workers feel bound to their unions. However, by now there has been limited theoretical works on the various forms that union membership can take. Thus, the goal of this study is to develop the types of union membership. To develop the types of union membership, I used the ideological and instrumentalitic concepts. The types of union membership are identified as follows: Positive free agents (${\Leftrightarrow}$ Negative free agents) have low levels of both positive (negative) instrumentality and positive (negative) ideology. If positive (negative) instrumentality is high and positive (negative) ideology low, this group may be labeled Instrumentals (${\Leftrightarrow}$Disgruntled). Expressives (${\Leftrightarrow}$Antagonizers) have low levels of positive (negative) union instrumentality and high levels of positive (negative) ideology. Those who have high levels of both positive (negative) ideology and positive (negative) instrumentality have been called Identifiers (${\Leftrightarrow}$Opponents). Variables related to union instrumentality, and union ideology were investigated: (1) the personal characteristics of individual members, (2) the employing organization, (3) the union characteristics, (4) the economic environment, (5) the labor relations climate.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.165-191
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• 2013

A long debate has been made about whether job satisfaction facilitates or impedes union participation. This study analyzed the moderating effect of union instrumentality in the relationship between job satisfaction and union participation. The data collected from 826 employees of 22 workplaces were empirically evaluated. The result of the research revealed that both positive effect and negative effect were observed in the relationship between job satisfaction and union participation. The positive effect was noticed in the direct influence of job satisfaction on the union participation. However, given the interaction between job satisfaction and union instrumentality, the job satisfaction showed the negative effect on the union participation. Based on this result, we can conclude that the direct influence of job satisfaction on the union participation supports dissonance theory about the union participation and the interaction effect between job satisfaction and union instrumentality confirms the utility theory. The present study indicates that the effect of union participation is more reinforced when job satisfaction and union instrumentality are closely connected than when job satisfaction independently affects union participation. Thus, the result implicates that for the revitalization of the labor union, the organization needs to offer a variety of services to satisfy the expectation of whole union members in practical terms instead of concentrating on the labor movement for the political struggle. This point says a lot for a new direction of labor movement.