MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

4. Trade union principles 1 influence the way that trade union managers
undertake their managerial roles, specifically
• in their management of people
• in their practice of normative stakeholder management in respect of
stakeholders within unions' democratic structures.
This derives from
a. the literature that seeks to identify the nature of trade union
principles
b. the content of that literature that identifies principles
conveying concern for people being treated fairly
c. the notion, discussed in this chapter, that normative
stakeholder management (a concept that involves ethical
dimensions and is therefore founded on principle) is an
appropriate way to manage in a polyarchal organisation.
5. Irrespective of the terms of a union's Rule Book and despite its being a
significant factor, political and power relations cause boundaries
between the roles of trade union managers and lay member
stakeholders to be unclear.
This is founded on the discussion of the literature on stakeholder power
within organisations and the suggestion (particularly in Flvbjerg 1998)
that, within democratic organisations, rationality is subservient to
power; thus, that boundaries between stakeholders are likely to be
difficult to define depending on the extent of the different forces at work
at any one time.
1 For this purpose, the 'trade union principles' which apply here are those identified by Batstone
et al (1977 p 27) which include 'an emphasis on unity and the prevention of the
fractionalisation of the domestic organisation (and) some idea of social justice. That is, those
within the collectivity are to be treated both fairly and equally (Brown 1973 p 133; Batstone et al
1976). This involves, on the one hand, ensuring that members of the collectivity are not subject to
managerial whim. . . . . . There should be no discrimination against the less fortunate, while the
unbridled pursuit of self-interest should be minimised.'
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