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Union characteristics and organizing success

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Abstract

Using archival data, 12 independent variables pertaining to organizing strategy, organizing resources, and financial resources were used to predict the NLRB certification election success rates of national unions in three different time periods. The more than 50 unions participated in more than 75 percent of such elections. Relative to the hypothesized relationships, a mixed set of results was obtained. Possible explanations for these results, along with suggestions for more refined measurement procedures, are offered in terms of future research needs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53706, WI

    Herbert G. Heneman

  2. The Ohio State University, 43210, Columbus, OH

    Marcus H. Sandver

Authors
  1. Herbert G. Heneman
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  2. Marcus H. Sandver
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Additional information

Financial support for this project was provided by the Graduate School Research Committee at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and by the Graduate and Research Committee, College of Business at the Ohio State University. Data analysis was provided by Kyu Hwang. We thank Marick Masters, Anne Miner, and Craig Olson and an anonymous reviewer for comments. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Academy of Management meeting, Chicago, August 1986.

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Heneman, H.G., Sandver, M.H. Union characteristics and organizing success. Journal of Labor Research 10, 377–389 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02685330

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