MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

In the first instance, the research attempted to establish exactly what
values were espoused by trade union managers in this context.
Batstone et al (1977) list unity, social justice, fairness and equality as
the principal categories in their definition and all of these were
expressed by some individual managers. A summary of individual
statements is set out in Exhibit 9.5, explaining how managers saw their
values impacting on their management roles:-
CWU PCS UNiFI UNISON
• Concern for
individual
problems
• Fairness but
firmness
• The sensitivity of
a butterfly but
the hide of a
rhinoceros
• Seeking out
areas of
commonality
• Democracy
• Mutual
protection
• Fairness
• Protection of
minorities
• Openness
• Taking account
of the views of
others
• Treating people
how you would
expect members
to be treated
• But also taking
decisions in the
knowledge that
the members
provided the
resources
.
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• Fairness but
hardness
• Treating people
how you would
want to be
treated or would
want the
members treated
• Practice what we
preach
• Principles derived
from trade
unionists’ –
valuing the
individual,
diversity
• Accepting
responsibility,
transparency,
consistency but
pragmatism
• No compulsory
redundancies,
social justice
EXHIBIT 9.5. Trade union principles and management
• Fairness and
decency
• Fairness and
democracy
• Fairness, equity,
compassion,
hardness
• Involvement
• Inclusion
• Protection of
minorities
• Understanding
people
This is not a positivist study and therefore we are not seeking to come
to decisions based on the numerical frequency of particular words.
Nevertheless, it is hard to ignore the fact that, although these ideas
demonstrate a fascinating bundle of values which certainly indicate a
strong people orientation on the part of trade union managers, the
thought mentioned substantially more frequently than any other is
‘fairness.’ In several unions, there is the caveat expressed that this did
not, in effect, mean that trade union managers should be a pushover –
they should be firm, having, perhaps, the hide of a rhinoceros.
The second area where investigation was required was how managers’
experiences, and, perhaps, the culture arising from the experiences of
organisational members, impacted on how managers acted. It was
therefore necessary to examine those experiences and to see what
‘meanings’ were derived from them.
In varying ways, cultural issues relating to the value placed on
management in the union were perceived by managers as having an
influence on their management roles. Furthermore, they perceived that