MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

CHAPTER TEN: CONCLUSIONS
10.1. INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER TEN
This final chapter brings to a conclusion this research project. It first
discusses the conclusions from the research in the light of the literature
reviewed in Chapter 2. Based on those conclusions, it seeks to answer
the questions:-
• What has been replicated or confirmed by the study?
• What further development or extension of theory has taken
place?
• What is there in the study that is new, novel or unique?
The answer to this latter question indicates what contribution to
knowledge has been made by the project. The chapter will end with
sections noting the limitations of the research, discussing implications
for practitioners and suggesting areas for future research together with
a personal postscript marking the end of a singular life experience.
10.2. THEORETICAL CONCLUSIONS
Trade union managers
The study has established that there is a role of trade union manager
and that those in that capacity are significant actors in the dramas of
trade union life. Both Dunlop (1990) and Hannigan (1998), whilst
discussing management, did so speculatively, not empirically, whilst
Willman et al (1993) studied only one particular category of manager, in
a different context. Broom (1994) looked at the experiences of women
trade union managers. None of these studies examined the
development of trade union management. This study does so, in a
context of unions formed by merger.
Buono and Bowditch (1989) propose a model of seven stages of
merger, reproduced in adapted form in Exhibit 2.4, the utility of which
lies in suggesting that different approaches to management are
required at each stage. The goal is psychological merger. In one of
their case studies, the authors found loss of organisational pride,
employee detachment, fractionalisation, loss of job security and
feelings of helplessness and Dempsey and McKevitt (2001), employing
this model, identified some of these features in the UNISON merger.
Their conclusion is that trade union mergers should be planned on the
basis that such consequences should be anticipated.
The model of phases of merger facilitates this process. The three
unions are, it is suggested, at different phases. CWU barely left the
‘formal legal merger’ phase, involving stakeholder conflict and
organisational instability. Even as it progressed to the next stage
‘merger aftermath’, ‘them’ and ‘us’ feelings perpetuated themselves.
PCS, owing to high level conflict, was not able to progress to
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