MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

een unsettling. If so, it does show a link between the inhibition of the
progress of the union towards psychological merger and the
development of management within the union.
UNISON
UNISON, as is noted above, gave a great deal of attention to merger
management and psychological merger has almost certainly been
reached. All of its managers accepted their managerial roles. It has
developed some sophisticated management systems – moving recently
into ‘programme management’ in order to set up mechanisms for the
setting and monitoring of annual objectives. Language could in some
cases be a problem but this difficulty was faced by changing the
language rather than by abandoning a managerial concept.
Management training is not only provided, it is compulsory for every
manager from the General Secretary downwards.
It is thus apparent that the development of management within
UNISON reflects the development of UNISON as a merged
organisation. In UNISON, it would be people who resisted undertaking
managerial activities that would feel isolated in an organisation whose
systems are founded on the assumption that they will be managed.
Hypotheses
The following hypotheses, relating to the case study unions, appear to
flow from this discussion:-
1. Lack of a developed approach to management may be
related to the lack of attention given to the management of
merger.
2. The extent of attention given to the management of the
merger process is related to the ability of the unions to reach
psychological merger.
3. There is a relationship between the phase unions have
achieved in their mergers and the extent to which the
managerial role has become institutionalised.
4. Where there is little support for management, managers
often seek to pass their managerial responsibilities over to
specialist third parties.
5. Neither acceptance of managerial roles nor undertaking of
management activities depends on institutional support,
though managers may modify the language of management.
6. In the early stages of the development of management,
managers who accept their roles may, in the absence of
overt institutional support for the role, doubt whether
353