Antecedents of Union Commıtment in Turkish Food and Transportation Sector

This study aims to examine the relationship between unioncommitment and a series of antecedents- general attitudes towardsunion, union satisfaction, perceived justice, union instrumentality,militancy- among 461 union members from food and transportationsectors in Turkey. Regression analysis was used to test therelationships between these antecedents and union commitment.Findings revealed that instrumentality explained the highest variancein union loyalty, then came the justice perception and perceivedunion support. Results suggested that members saw their relationwith the union mostly as an economic one, but also perceivedorganizational support, procedural and interactional justice whichreflects a social exchange approach appear to be important for levelof union commitment. Implications of the study andrecommendations for further studies are discussed.

___

  • Aryee, S., & Chay, Y. W. (2001). Workplace justice, citizenship behavior, and turnover intentions in a union context: Examining the mediating role of perceived union support and union instrumentality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 154–160.
  • Aryee, S., Chay, Y.W., (2001). Workplace justice, citizenship behavior and turnover intentions in a union context. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(1):154-160.
  • Bamberger, P. A., Kluger, A. N., & Suchard, R. (1999). The antecedents and consequences of union commitment: A meta-analysis. Academy of Management Journal, 42, 304–318.
  • Barling, J., Fullagar, C., & Kelloway, K. (1992). The union and its members: A psychological approach. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Barkin, S. (1950). A trade unionist appraises management personel philosophy. Harvard Business Review, 28, 59-64.
  • Bayazıt, M. (2008). Endüstri I lis kileri I klimi ve Sendika ve Kuruma Bag lılık, 1. Çalısma İlişkileri Kongresi. Bildiriler Kitabı, Sakarya, 53-62.
  • Bies, R. J., & Moag, J. S. (1986). Interactional justice: Communication criteria of fairness. In R. J. Lewicki, B. H. Shep pard, & M. H. Bazerman (Eds.), Research on negotiations in organizations (Vol. 1, pp. 43-55 ). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
  • Bilgin, L. (2003). Sendikaya bağlılık ölçeğinin Türkçe uyarlaması. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi SosyalBilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 5, 12-31.
  • Bolton, D., Bagraim J.J., Witten, L., Mohamed, Y. & Others (2007). Explaining union participation: the effects of union commitment and demographic factors. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 33, 74-79.
  • Demirbilek, T., Çakır, Ö.(2004). Sendikal Bağlılık, Petrol-İş Yayın:91, İstanbul.
  • Demirbilek, T., Çakır, Ö.(2006). İkili Bağlılık: Hem sendikaya hem de işletmeye bağlı olunabilir mi?, İstanbul Üniversitesi İktisat Fakütesi Dergisi, Toker Dereli’ye Armağan, 55(1),125-141.
  • Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 500-507.
  • Fiorito, J, Gallagher D.G., Fukami, C.V. (1988). Satisfaction with Union Representation. Industrial and Labour Relations Review, 41, 294-307.
  • Folger, R., Konovsky. M.A. (1989). Effects of Procedural and Distributive Justice on Reactions to Pay Raise Decisions. Academy of Management Journal, 32:115-30.
  • Fullagar, C., Barling, J. (1991). Predictors and outcomes of different patterns of
  • organisational and union loyalty. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 64: 129-43.
  • Fullagar, C., Barlıng J. (1989). A longitudinal test of a model of the antecedents and consequences of union loyalty. Journal of Applied Psychology 74, 213-227.
  • Fullagar, C., Barling, J. (1987). "Towards A Model Of Union Commitment", Advances in Industrial and Labour Relations, Vol.4, pp43-78.
  • Fuller, J. B. & Hester, K. (2001). A closer look at the relationship between justice perceptions and union participation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(6), 1096-1105
  • Gallagher, D.G., Clark , P.F. (1989). Research on union commitment: Implications for labor. Labor Studies Journal, 52-71.
  • Gamage, P.N., Hewagama, G.V. (2012). Determinants of union participation of Public Sector Organizations in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Journal of Human Resource Management, 3(1), 19-31.
  • Glick, W., Mirvis, P., & Harder, D. (1977). Union satisfaction and participation. Industrial Relations, 16, 141–151.
  • Gordon, M. E., Philpot, J. W., Burt, R. E., Thompson, C. A., & Spiller, W. E. (1980). Commitment to the union: Development of a measure and an examination of its correlates. Journal of Applied Psychology, 65, 479–499.
  • Greenberg, J.(1987). A Taxonomy of Organizational Justice Theories. Academy of Management Review, 12, 9–22.
  • Johnson, G.J., Johnson, W.R.(1992). The effect of Normative Influence on Union Loyalty: A regional comparison. International Journal of Comparative Sociology. 33, 216-222.
  • Korsgaard, M.A., Roberson, L. (1995). Procedural justice in performance evaluation: The role of ınstrumental and non-ınstrumental voice in performance appraisal discussions. Journal of Management. 21, 657-669.
  • Kuruvilla, S, Gallagher, D.G.& Wetzel, K.(1993). An investigation of member-union attitude formation: evidence from Sweden and Canada Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 46, 499-515.
  • Leung, K., Chiu, W., & Au, Y. (1993). Sympathy and support for industrial actions: A justice analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 781-787.
  • Moorman, R.H. (1991). Relationship between Organizational Justice and Organizational CitizenshipBehaviors: Do Fairness Perceptions Influence Employee Citizenship?. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76, 845-855.
  • Morrow, P.C., McElroy, J. (2006). Union Loyalty Antecedents: A Justice Perspective. Journal of Labor Research, 27, 75-87.
  • Mellor, S..(1990). The Relationship between Membership Decline and Union Commitment: A Field Study of Local Unions in Crisis.. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 258–267.
  • Moorman, R. H. (1991). Relationship between Organizational Justice and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: Do Fairness Perceptions Influence Employee Citizenship?. Journal of Applied Psychology. 76, 845–855.
  • Newton, L. A., Shore, L. M. (1992). A model of union membership: Instrumentality, commitment, and opposition. Academy of Management Review, 17,275-298.
  • Snape, E, Redman, T. (2006). The Consequences of Dual and Unilateral Commitment: Evidence from the Health http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/dbs/faculty//working-papers/WP-102-Feb06.pdf. Durham University Working Paper,
  • Uçkan, B. (2007). From the perspective of EU integration: Trade union rights in Turkey. South-East Europe Review, 107 – 126
  • Urhan, B. (2004). Sendikal Örgütlenme Bunalımı ve Türkiye’deki Durum. İstanbul: Petrol-Is Yayınları.
  • Tetrick, L.E., Shore L.M., McClurg, L. & Vanderberg R. (2007). A model of union participation: The impact of perceived union support, union instrumentality, and union loyalty. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 820-828.
  • Tan, H.H., Aryee, S., (2002), Antecedents and outcomes of union loyalty: A constructive replication and an extension, Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4):715-722.
  • Yorgun, S. (2007). Dirilişin Eşiğinde Sendikalar. İstanbul: Ekin Yayınları.