MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

‘Legitimate’ managerial actions - stakeholders
Another functional manager had experienced something similar:-
From my perspective there were political difficulties because my
biggest issue was what is going to be the membership system,
an integrated membership system as soon as possible because
that was key for the organisation to be able to function and to
conform to legislation on industrial action ballots. There would
be an election process very soon after testing day, a set of
elections so you had to have a system to handle that. But then it
became a political issue. So the whole aspect of trying to
develop the strategy to work together to build the new union met
its first obstacle in deciding which system we were going to use,
how we were going to implement it and decide (Interviewee B)
The danger is expressed succinctly:-
I suppose the danger is interference by elected people in a trade
union in the managing of staff and in a trade union it is perhaps
changing in policies – politics – the political side of it. The politics
within the union can have an impact on the managing of the job
which makes it difficult (Interviewee O)
One particular political influence is identified by a functional manager,
reflecting on the appointments procedure which PCS introduced which
provides for open advertising of all posts:-
Now we have in place procedures where we do behave like any
outside organisation, but there is a reality, when you look at the
appointments that are made, that depending on the political
complexion, because it is the lay officers, particularly at senior
level, that are involved in appointments, they will appoint people
of their own political persuasion. That is the reality of unions, I
think. (Interviewee N)
We have seen above one manager who has unwillingly become
involved in trades off to achieve his managerial objectives. At regional
level, managers identify their strategies for managing these situations,
both in terms of achieving an objective:-
Sometimes you overstep the balance on both sides and then
you'd step back and bring it back together again. Undoubtedly,
as a senior full time official, you have powers that people
perhaps might not realise that you have got in terms of influence
in higher places. In the main I try not to use that to thwart the
wishes of the elected representatives. If necessary, I would. So
I think that the balance is that they understand my role, I
understand their role and we seek to make sure that we can
proceed in a way that we can all agree with. It is not always
possible. Sometimes we fall out, it just has to happen, and if I
feel strongly about it I will use my influence elsewhere. I will
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