A model of the antecedents of early union commitment: The role of socialization experiences and steward characteristics

Clive Fullagar, Paul Clark, Daniel Gallagher, Michael E. Gordon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present study aimed at investigating the influence of shop steward characteristics and early union socialization experiences on new members' attitudes toward unions and their affective commitment to the union. Two thousand surveys were mailed to the most recent members of the National Association of Letter Carriers. Of these, 658 (33 per cent) were returned. Focusing on those individuals who had joined the union within the past 12 months yielded a usable sample of 585. A two‐stage, structural equation modeling approach indicated a satisfactory goodness‐of‐fit for both the measurement and structural models. Individual socialization experiences significantly affected union attitudes. The latter variable was a significant predictor of union commitment. These results are discussed in the context of the organizational socialization literature and union commitment research.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)517-533
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Organizational Behavior
Volume15
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1994

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Applied Psychology
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • General Psychology
  • Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

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