MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

Deploying resources
comes down to communication, managing expectations and
delivering, really. If you can do that, then you can keep them all
happy. (Interviewee J)
The deployment of physical space in UNiFI was undertaken in the
context of the decision to keep open all three old union offices, albeit
that the Bournemouth office closed in 2002. Because of this decision, it
is not surprising that quite different problems were identified in UNiFI
than those identified by managers in other unions. The problems were
not so much of cultural integration of staff working together but seeking
to build the new union in a situation where working together was
impeded by spatial factors. It was suggested that the three year
timescale for retaining the three head offices was itself a culturally
related decision:-
I suppose unconsciously we have given ourselves three years to
bed the structure of the union down and de facto the culture of
the union. (Interviewee N)
There were attempts culturally to reinforce the message that the union
had three head offices and that Raynes Park was not the de facto
headquarters, as the Joint General Secretary explained:-
It was incumbent on them as managers to make sure that they
went out of their way to move out of the bailiwick that they were
used to. Ed, Bob and I had to show that and that is why we had
meetings around the place. We would go to Haywards Heath. It
is a pain in the neck sometimes but this building knows today
that it is important because Rory and Ed and Bob are here (in
Bournemouth) and the President is here and the Vice President
is here. There are not many people here but it permeates
through the system
The comment earlier in this chapter, however, that some people did not
like being reminded that there were three head offices gives the
impression that in practice, after merger, there was some ambiguity in
the process. This is supported from elsewhere:-
Of course, the first thing that I did was to come along and say to
people that it did not make any sense at all that we're occupying
two buildings in Haywards Heath and that since there is going to
be a gradual migration away from Haywards Heath in terms of
the industrial side of the union, it made sense for us (Uniservice)
to be in one building, not only in terms of us being under one
roof but from the economic point of view -- we're renting one and
we owned the other. So I suppose very easily I put a little bit of
pressure on some people and they all saw the logic of moving
up to Raynes Park a little earlier which enabled us to move here
very quickly (Interviewee C)
231