MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

Managing action - leadership
A number of other initiatives have already been mentioned. Regional
Secretaries were required to form management teams, the Senior
Management Team has been widened to a Senior Management Group,
of which the Head Office Senior Management Team is a part. Several
managers have referred to team away days. So it is fair to say that in
UNISON there is a positive managerial attitude to team working. At
regional level this has represented a major change, challenging the
attitudes of staff to their somewhat autonomous traditions and their
attitudes to management – the cognitive rules by which many
traditionally lived.
Managing Action
8.16. Here we look at the extent to which trade union managers engage in
‘action’ roles, given that they are popularly known as ‘leaders’ and lines
may be blurred between ‘controlling’ and ‘doing.’ One manager
approaches this question in terms:-
The role is as a strategic manager, almost like the Chief
Executive of the Region, which raises interesting questions
about the political role which we can go on to in more detail. But
I think a Regional Secretary who is a strategic manager does do
stuff which appears to be operational but is part of the strategic
management/political leadership, if I can use that term, role.
Whilst you service the Regional Committee and Regional
Council which on the one hand could be seen as operational I
think they really are strategic. So I would have to say that was
the area where perhaps it is most operational, interfacing with
lay members and with the lay member democracy. And it's
inevitable that -- I mean, what is the difference between a
strategic and an operational manager anyway? I mean, you lead
a Management Team and everybody has got responsibilities for
certain areas but you inevitably get drawn into talking about -- I
can't think of an example really but, you know, hands on sort of
stuff. But I think the bulk of it is strategic. (Interviewee O)
Another manager reflects this strategic focus
In terms of hands on management, if I can put it that way,
locally, I mean, that (strategic management) has always been
the function. In fact, particularly in NALGO because that was far
more the function and on the policy side. It was as a manager
rather than as a "trade union leader" (Interviewee K)
Another manager is particularly thoughtful about her own role:-
Well, the word lead that I am using is about a person who takes
full responsibilities for negotiations and that is the lead person
who is recognised outside the organisation as the lead
negotiator. I think that in terms of my role and function as a
manager of the Group, I have leadership qualities so it is
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