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MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

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‘Legitimate’ managerial actions - stakeholders<br />

Another functional manager had experienced something similar:-<br />

From my perspective there were political difficulties because my<br />

biggest issue was what is going to be the membership system,<br />

an integrated membership system as soon as possible because<br />

that was key for the organisation to be able to function and to<br />

conform to legislation on industrial action ballots. There would<br />

be an election process very soon after testing day, a set of<br />

elections so you had to have a system to handle that. But then it<br />

became a political issue. So the whole aspect of trying to<br />

develop the strategy to work together to build the new union met<br />

its first obstacle in deciding which system we were going to use,<br />

how we were going to implement it and decide (Interviewee B)<br />

The danger is expressed succinctly:-<br />

I suppose the danger is interference by elected people in a trade<br />

union in the managing of staff and in a trade union it is perhaps<br />

changing in policies – politics – the political side of it. The politics<br />

within the union can have an impact on the managing of the job<br />

which makes it difficult (Interviewee O)<br />

One particular political influence is identified by a functional manager,<br />

reflecting on the appointments procedure which PCS introduced which<br />

provides for open advertising of all posts:-<br />

Now we have in place procedures where we do behave like any<br />

outside organisation, but there is a reality, when you look at the<br />

appointments that are made, that depending on the political<br />

complexion, because it is the lay officers, particularly at senior<br />

level, that are involved in appointments, they will appoint people<br />

of their own political persuasion. That is the reality of unions, I<br />

think. (Interviewee N)<br />

We have seen above one manager who has unwillingly become<br />

involved in trades off to achieve his managerial objectives. At regional<br />

level, managers identify their strategies for managing these situations,<br />

both in terms of achieving an objective:-<br />

Sometimes you overstep the balance on both sides and then<br />

you'd step back and bring it back together again. Undoubtedly,<br />

as a senior full time official, you have powers that people<br />

perhaps might not realise that you have got in terms of influence<br />

in higher places. In the main I try not to use that to thwart the<br />

wishes of the elected representatives. If necessary, I would. So<br />

I think that the balance is that they understand my role, I<br />

understand their role and we seek to make sure that we can<br />

proceed in a way that we can all agree with. It is not always<br />

possible. Sometimes we fall out, it just has to happen, and if I<br />

feel strongly about it I will use my influence elsewhere. I will<br />

189

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