Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The impact of unions on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover

  • Published:
Journal of Labor Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Conclusion The research on the exit-voice hypothesis, both in the United States and abroad, shows convincingly that most of the variance in the negative union effect on job satisfaction can be accounted for by job quality, industrial relation climate, and wages. Union members see their jobs as less attractive than do nonunion workers in terms of skill requirements, task complexity, the amount of autonomy or discretion available, and opportunities for promotion. Union members also perceive the supervision they receive and the labor-management relations they experience as less satisfactory. They are, however, clearly better off with respect to wages, benefits, and pensions. But when it comes to job satisfaction, the economic advantages of union jobs are not sufficient to compensate for job content and work environment factors. It comes as no surprise to the job satisfaction researcher that job content — the nature of the tasks people are given to do — weighs heavily in overall job satisfaction scores. While there are individual differences in the degree to which people prefer intrinsically interesting jobs, there is ample empirical evidence showing that autonomy, skill variety, complexity, challenge, and advancement are important determinants of people's affective reactions to their jobs (Deci, 1975; Hackman and Oldham, 1980; Kanfer, 1990). The relative importance of job content factors to overall job satisfaction is also mirrored in the most commonly used measures of job satisfaction (Weiss et al., 1967).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abowd, John M. and Henry S. Farber. “Job Queues and the Union Status of Workers.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 35 (April 1982): 354–367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Addison, John T. and Alberto C. Castro. “The Importance of Lifetime Jobs: Differences Between Union and Nonunion Workers.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 40 (April 1987): 393–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Addison, John T. and John Chilton. “Models of Union Behavior.” In David Lewin, Daniel Mitchell, and Mahmood Zaido, eds. The Human Resource Management Handbook, Part II. Greenwich, CT.: JAI Press, 1997, pp. 157–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, Steven G. “Trade Unions, Absenteeism, and Exit-Voice.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 37 (April 1984):331–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Appelbaum, Eileen, Thomas Bailey, Peter Berg, and Arne L. Kalleberg. Manufacturing Advantage: Why High Performance Work Systems Pay Off. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arvey, Richard D., Lauren M. Abraham, Thomas, J. Bouchard, and Nancy L. Segal. “Job Satisfaction: Environmental and Genetic Components.” Journal of Applied Psychology 74 (April 1989): 187–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barling, Julian, Clive Fullagar, and E. Kevin Kelloway. The Union and Its Members: A Psychological Approach. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batt, Rosemary and Eileen Appelbaum. “Worker Participation in Diverse Settings: Does the Form Affect the Outcome and If So, Who Benefits?” British Journal of Industrial Relations 33 (September 1995): 353–378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bender, Keith A. and Peter J. Sloane. “Job Satisfaction, Trade Unions, and Exit-Voice Revisited.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 51 (January 1998): 222–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, James T. and Bruce E. Kaufman. “Conclusion: The Future of Private Sector Unionism in the U.S. — Assessment and Forecast.” In James T. Bennett and Bruce E. Kaufman, eds. The Future of Private Sector Unionism in the United States. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2002, pp. 395–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, James T. and Jason E. Taylor. “Labor Unions: Victims of Their Own Political Success?” In James T. Bennett and Bruce E. Kaufman, eds. The Future of Private Sector Unionism in the United States. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2002, pp. 245–259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger, Chris J., Craig A. Olson, and John W. Boudreau. “Effects of Unions on Job Satisfaction: The Role of Work-Related Values and Perceived Rewards.” Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 32 (June 1983): 289–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blau, Francine D. and Lawrence M. Kahn. “Unionism, Seniority, and Turnover.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 22 (Fall 1983): 362–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borjas, George J. “Job Satisfaction, Wages, and Unions.” Journal of Human Resources 14 (Spring 1979): 21–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boroff, Karen E. and David Lewin. “Loyalty, Voice, and Intent to Exit a Union Firm: A Conceptual and Empirical Analysis.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 51 (October 1997): 50–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brett, Jeanne B. “Behavioral Research on Unions and Union-Management Systems.” In Barry Staw and Larry L. Cummings, eds. Research in Organizational Behavior, Vol. 2. Greenwich, CT: JA1 Press, 1980, pp. 177–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brett, Jeanne M. and Tove H. Hammer. “Organizational Behavior and Industrial Relations.” In Thomas A. Kochan, Daniel J. B. Mitchell, and Lee Dyer, eds. Industrial Relations Research in the 1970s: Review and Appraisal. Madison, WI: Industrial Relations Research Association, 1982, pp. 221–281.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brief, Arthur P. Attitudes in and around Organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryson, Alex, Lorenzo Cappellari, and Laidio Lucifora. “Does Union Membership Really Reduce Job Satisfaction?” London: Centre for Economic Performance Discussion Paper No. 569, London School of Economics, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carsten, Jeanne M. and Paul E. Spector. “Unemployment, Job Satisfaction and Employee Turnover: A Meta-Analytic Test of the Muchinsky Model.” Journal of Applied Psychology 72 (August 1987): 374–381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cascio, Wayne F. Costing Human Resources. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, Susan G. and Diane E. Bailey. “What Makes Teams Work: Group Effectiveness Research from the Shop Floor to the Executive Suite.” Journal of Management 23 (3 1997): 219–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa, Paul T. and Robert R. McCrae. “Influence of Extraversion and Neuroticism on Subjective Well-Being: Happy and Unhappy People.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 38 (April 1980): 668–678.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — “Personality in Adulthood: A Six-Year Longitudinal Study of Self-Reports and Spouse Ratings on the NEO Personality Inventory.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54 (May 1988): 853–863.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cranny, C.J., Patricia C. Smith, and Eugene F. Stone. Job Satisfaction. How People Feel about Their Jobs and How It Affects Their Performance. New York: Lexington Books, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cropanzano, Russell, Keith James, and Mary A. Konovsky. “Dispositional Affectivity as a Predictor of Work Attitudes and Job Performance.” Journal of Organizational Behavior 14 (November 1993): 595–606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deci, Edward L. Intrinsic Motivation. New York: Plenum Press, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewen, Robert B. “Weighing Components of Job Satisfaction.” Journal of Applied Psychology 51 (January 1967): 68–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farber, Henry S. “The Determination of the Union Status of Workers.” Econometrica 51 (September 1983): 21–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and Alan Kruger. “Union Membership in the United States: The Decline Continues.” In Bruce Kaufman and Morris Kleiner, eds. Employee Representation: Alternatives and Future Directions. Madison, WI: Industrial Relations Research Association, 1993, pp. 105–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farber, Henry S. and Bruce Western. “Accounting for the Decline of Unions in the Private Sector.” In James T. Bennett and Bruce E. Kaufman, eds. The Future of Private Sector-Unionism in the United States. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2002, pp. 28–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiorito, Jack. “Human Resource Management Practices and Worker Desires for union Representation.” In James T. Bennett and Bruce E. Kaufman, eds. The Future of Private Sector Unionism in the United States. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2002, pp. 205–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, Richard B. “Job Satisfaction as an Economic Variable.” American Economic Review 68 (May 1978): 135–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and Joel Rogers. What Workers Want. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, Richard B. and James L. Medoff. What Do Unions Do? New York: Basic Books, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fullagar, Clive and Julian Barling. “A Longitudinal Test of a Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Union Loyalty.” Journal of Applied Psychology 74 (April 1989): 213–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George, Jennifer M. “Time Structure and Purpose As a Mediator of Work-Life Linkages.” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 21 (February 1991): 296–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — “Trait and State Affect.” In Kevin R. Murphy, ed. Individual Differences and Behavior in Organizations. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass, 1996, pp. 145–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Getman, Julius G., Stephen B. Goldberg, and Jeanne B. Herman. Union Representations Elections: Law and Reality. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghiselli, Edwin E., John P. Campbell, and Sheldon Zedeck. Measurement Theory for the Behavioral Sciences. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Godard, John and John T. Delaney. “Reflections on the ‘High Performance’ Paradigm's Implications for Industrial Relations as a Field.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 53 (April 2000): 482–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, Michael E. and Angelo DeNisi. “A Rexamination of the Relationship Between Union Membership and Job Satisfaction.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 48 (January 1995): 222–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, Michael E. and Robert T. Ladd. “Dual Allegiance: Renewal, Reconsideration, and Recantation.” Personnel Psychology 43 (Spring 1990): 37–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, Michael E., John W. Philpot, Robert E. Burt, Cynthia A. Thompson, and William E. Spiller. “Commitment to the Union: Development of a Measure and an Examination of Its Correlates.” Journal of Applied Psychology 65 (August 1980): 479–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith, Roger W. and Peter W. Horn. Retaining Valued Employees. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hackman, Richard J. and Greg R. Oldham. Work Redesign. Reading, MA.: Addison-Wesley, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, Tove H. “Relationships Between Local Union Characteristics and Worker Behavior and Attitudes.” Academy of Management Journal 21 (December 1978): 560–577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and Michael Berman. “The Role of Noneconomic Factors in Faculty Union Voting.” Journal of Applied Psychology 66 (August 1981): 415–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, Tove H. and Jean F. Hartley. “Individual-Union-Organizational Relationships in a Cultural Context.” In P. Christopher Early and Miriam Erez, eds. New Perspectives on International Industrial/ Organizational Psychology. San Francisco: New Lexington Press, 1997, pp. 446–492.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, Tove H., Jacqueline C. Landau, and Robert N. Stern. “Absenteeism When Workers Have a Voice.” Journal of Applied Psychology 66 (October 1981): 561–573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hersch, Joni and Joe A. Stone. “Is Union Job Dissatisfaction Real?” Journal of Human Resources 25 (Autumn 1990): 736–751.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, Barry T. and David A. Macpherson. Union Membership and Earnings Data Book: Compilations from the Current Population Survey (2000 ed.). Washington, DC: Bureau of National Affairs, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, Barry T. and Edward J. Schumacher. “Private Sector Union Density and the Wage Premium.” In James T. Bennett and Bruce E. Kaufman, eds. The Future of Private Sector Unionism in the United Stales. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2002, pp. 92–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirschman, Alberto O. Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hulin, Charles. “Adaptation, Persistence, and Commitment in Organizations.” In Marvin D. Dunnette and Laetta M. Hough, eds. Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., Vol. 2. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1991, pp. 445–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • — Mary Roznowski and Donna Hachiya. “Alternative Opportunities and Withdrawal Decisions: Empirical and Theoretical Discrepancies and an Integration.” Psychological Bulletin 97 (March 1985): 233–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, Larry W., John Paul MacDuffie, and Lorna Doucet. “What Makes Teams Take? Employee Reactions to Work Reforms.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 55 (April 2002): 448–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • laffaldano, Michelle T. and Paul M. Muchinsky. “Job Satisfaction and Job Performance: A Meta-Analysis.” Psychological Bulletin 97 (March 1985): 251–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Judge, Timothy A., Joyce E. Bono, Carl J. Thoresen, and Gregory K. Patton. “The Job Satisfaction-Job Performance Relationship: A Qualitative and Quantitative Review.” Journal of Applied Psychology 127 (May 2001): 376–407.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanfer, Ruth. “Motivation Theory and Industrial and Organizational Psychology.” In Marvin D. Dunnette and Laetta M. Hough, eds. Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., Vol. 1. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1990, pp. 75–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, Bruce E. “What Do Unions Do: Insights from Economic Theory.” Journal of Labor Research 25 (Summer 2004): 351–382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinicki, Angelo J., Frances M. McKee-Ryan, Chester A. Schriesheim, and Kenneth P. Carson. “Assessing the Construct Validity of the Job Description Index: A Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Applied Psychology 87 (April 2002): 14–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleiner, Morris M. “Intensity of Management Resistance: Understanding the Decline of Unionization in the Private Sector.” In James T. Bennett and Bruce E. Kaufman, eds. The Future of Private Sector Unionism in the United States. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2002, pp. 292–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kochan, Thomas A. “On the Paradigm Guiding Industrial Relations Theory and Research.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 53 (July 2000): 704–711.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — and David E. Helfman. “The Effects of Collective Bargaining on Economic and Behavioral Job Outcomes.” In Ronald G. Ehrenberg, ed. Research in Labor Economics, Vol. 4. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1981, pp. 321–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kochan, Thomas, A. and Paul Osterman. The Mutual Gains Enterprise. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kochan, Thomas A., Harry C. Katz, and Robert B. McKersie. The Transformation of American Industrial Relations. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leigh, Duane E. “Union Performance, Job Satisfaction, and the Union-Voice Hypothesis.” Industrial Relations 25 (Winter 1986): 65–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln, James L. and Joan N. Boothe. “Unions and Work Attitudes in the United States and Japan.” Industrial Relations 32 (Spring 1993): 159–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Locke, Edwin A. “The Nature and Causes of Job Satisfaction.” In Marvin D. Dunnette, ed. Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1976, pp. 1297–1349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meng, Ronald. “The Relationship Between Unions and Job Satisfaction.” Applied Economics 22 (December 1990): 1635–1648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, John P. and Natalie J. Allen. Commitment in the Workplace: Theory, Research, and Application. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, Katherine I. and Peter R. Monge. “Participation, Satisfaction, and Productivity: A Meta-Analytic Review.” Academy of Management Journal 29 (December 1986): 727–753.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, Paul W. “Trade Unions and Job Satisfaction.” Australian Economic Papers 29 (December 1990): 226–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and Charles Mulvey. “Australian Evidence on the Exit-Voice Model of the Labor Market.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 45 (October 1991): 44–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Motowidlo, Stephan J. “Orientation Toward the Job and Organization.” In Kevin R. Murphy, ed. Individual Differences and Behavior in Organizations. San Francisco, CA.: Jossey-Bass, 1996, pp. 175–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mowday, Richard T., Richard M. Steers, and Lyman W. Porter. “The Measurement of Organizational Commitment.” Journal of Vocational Behavior 14 (October 1979): 224–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunnally, Jum C. Psychometric Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osterman, Paul. “Work Reorganization in an Era of Restructuring: Trends in Diffusion and Effects on Employee Welfare.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 53 (January 2000): 179–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pencavel, John H. “The Demand of Union Services: An Exercise.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 24 (January 1971): 180–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • — Labor Markets and Trade Unionism. Cambridge: Blackwell, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  • Petty, M. M., Gail W. McGee, and Jerry W. Cavender. “A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship between Individual Job Satisfaction and Individual Performance.” Academy of Management Review 9 (October 1984): 712–721.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, Jeffrey and Alison David-Blake. “Unions and Job Satisfaction: An Alternative View.” Work and Occupations 17 (August 1990): 259–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polsky, Daniel. “Changing Consequences of Job Separation in the United States.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 52 (July 1999): 565–580.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rees, Daniel I. “Grievance Procedure Strength and Teacher Quits.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 45 (October 1991): 31–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renaud, Stephane. “Rethinking the Union Membership/Job Satisfaction Relationship: Some Empirical Evidence in Canada.” International Journal of Manpower 23 (2 2002): 137–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, Arthur M. Trade Union Wage Policy. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1953.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosse, Josph, G. and Terry W. Noel. “Leaving the Organization.” In Kevin R. Murphy, ed. Individual Differences and Behavior in Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996, pp. 451–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubinstein, Saul A. and Thomas A. Kochan. Learning from Saturn. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwochau, Susan. “Union Effects on Job Attitudes.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 40 (January 1987): 209–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, Patricia Cain, Lorne M. Kendall, and Charles L. Hulin. The Measurement of Satisfaction in Work and Retirement: A Strategy for the Study of Attitudes. Chicago. IL.: Rand-McNally, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  • Staw, Barry M. and Jerry Ross. “Stability in the Midst of Change: A Dispositional Approach to Job Attitudes.” Journal of Applied Psychology 70 (August 1985): 469–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tellegen, Auke. “Structures of Mood and Personality and Their Relevance to Assessing Anxiety, with an Emphasis on Self-Report.” In A.H. Tumas and J.D. Masters, eds. Anxiety and the Anxiety Disorders. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, 1985, pp. 681–709.

    Google Scholar 

  • — David T. Lykken, Thomas J. Bouchard, Kimberly J. Wilcox, Nancy L. Segal, and Stephen Rich. “Personality Similarity in Twins Reared Apart and Together.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54 (June 1988): 1031–1039.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thieblot, Armand J. “The Fall and Future of Unionism in Construction.” In James T. Bennett and Bruce E. Kaufman, eds. The Future of Private Sector Unionism in the United States. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2002, pp. 149–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, Harry C. Individualism and Collectivism. San Francisco: Westview Press, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vroom, Victor H. Work and Motivation. New York: John Wiley, 1964.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner III, John A. “Participation's Effects on Performance and Satisfaction: A Reconsideration of Research Evidence.” Academy of Management Review 19 (April 1994): 312–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, D. J., R. W. Dawis, G. W. England, and L. H. Lofquist. Manual for the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Minneapolis: Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zalesny, Mary D. “Comparison of Economic and Noneconomic Factors in Predicting Faculty Union Vote Preferences in a Union Representation Election.” Journal of Applied Psychology 70 (May 1985): 243–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, NY

    Ariel Avgar

Authors
  1. Tove Helland Hammer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ariel Avgar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hammer, T.H., Avgar, A. The impact of unions on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover. J Labor Res 26, 241–266 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12122-005-1024-2

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12122-005-1024-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation