Does Modernizing Union Administrative Practices Promote or Hinder Union Revitalization? A Comparative Study of US, UK and Australian Unions

Abstract

Can a union be both democratic and administratively efficient, or are these goals always at odds? Building on the Webbs' focus on this critical question, this article analyses and compares the changing administrative policies and practices of US, UK and Australian trade unions over a 25-year period. We conducted surveys of unions in all three countries to gather information on union policies and practices involving the unions' human resources, hiring, budgeting and strategic planning. Using these novel longitudinal data, we contribute to industrial relations scholarship by showing that unions have increasingly adopted formal, systematic practices in these areas. The article is grounded in theory and also has practical relevance given the important implications that our findings may have for the revitalization of unions in the three countries and beyond.

How do trade unions manage themselves? A study of Australian unions’ administrative practices

“…Clark et al’s (2021) findings on the US and the UK are approximately replicated in Australia. Similar to these countries, legislative changes in Australia have forced unions to respond in a timely manner to ensure financial and governance compliance, thus increasing union professionalism and CSR (Gold et al, 2020).…”

“…They published findings from their various surveys of unions conducted in the US, the UK and Canada on HRM, budgeting and strategic planning processes. Over this period, the researchers found an increase in the formalisation of unions’ HRM, budgeting and strategic planning processes (Clark, 1992; Clark et al, 1998; Clark et al, 2021). Clark and colleagues conclude that this research provides convincing evidence that unions have modernised and professionalised their internal administrative and management practices over time in response to the changing contexts and challenges they face.…”

“…Unions in all three countries show a high level of formalisation with respect to budgeting and planning. Clark et al (2021) attribute the increasing formalisation of union administrative practices in the US and the UK to internal and external factors. This also applies to Australian unions.…”

“…While each of these concerns is important if unions are to advocate effectively for their members, unions can benefit from additional research on how their internal administrative policies and practices have changed in recent decades. Building on research by Clark and his colleagues (Clark et al, 1998; Clark et al, 2021) on administrative policies and practices of unions in the US, the UK and Canada, this article presents results of research on the internal management of national and branch-level unions in Australia. It focuses on unions’ human resource management (HRM) practices (Stratton, 1992), budgeting and financial mechanisms, and strategic planning processes, as recommended by Stratton and Reshef (1996), to gauge the extent to which unions have adopted formal administrative practices.…”

Planejamento estratégico e gestão organizacional no setor farmacêutico

“…Desta forma, o planejamento estratégico de acordo com Clark et al (2020) envolve o estabelecimento de metas e o desenvolvimento de um plano de ação para conseguir alcançar os objetivos. Os sindicatos dos EUA, Reino Unido e Austrália são exemplos de esforço mútuo para o desenvolvimento de planejamento estratégico para fomentar recursos que possam revitalizar a representação dos sindicatos.…”