MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

inevitable consequence of organisational creation. But this is not
supported in this research
Partnership
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, a criterion for this model is the
assumption that managers want to do a good job and are effective
stewards of the union’s resources (Cornforth 2002:3). It assumes
expertise on the part of activists so that they can make equal
partnership a reality – something which some trade union managers
recognise and some do not. Managers in this research identify
circumstances of equal partnership with lay activists but others identify
circumstances of low trust and competitive behaviour. In trying to
establish exactly what the partnership model might look like in trade
unions, however, Cornforth’s definition is potentially useful. If applied
here, it might suggest that none of the case study unions was truly a
partnership.
Stakeholder
Cornforth (2002) focuses, in discussing this model, on external
stakeholders, as Freeman (1984) originally intended. The role of the
Executive Council is to represent stakeholder interests – which is
certainly what one would expect as elected representatives – but as
stakeholders themselves they would be likely also to represent political
or societal interests. Thus, this model enables one to think of EC
members, realistically, as bringing to the EC their experiences and
affiliations as socialists, feminists, environmentalists, workers in
particular specialisms and so on. Thus, for managers, managing
political boundaries becomes an issue.
Co-optation
If one regards the stakeholders that a union primarily relies on for its
resources as the members and the role of Executive Council members
as spanning boundaries between managers and members, then this
idea can explain some aspects of union governance. When UNiFI
required a subscriptions increase, it mounted a campaign amongst the
membership which was designed by managers but in which lay
activists played a crucial part in approving and implementing.
Compliance
There are some similarities between agency theory, which is at the
heart of this model, and theories of trade union governance which
assume that officials and members have different interests and the
function of activists is to control officials in the interests of the
members. In that this research has found managers and activists
competing over boundaries in polyarchal organisations, this model can
help to explain some of the relationships observed.
Democratic
Cornforth (2002:4) says that a democratic perspective on governance
suggests that the job of the Executive Council is to represent the
399