An agency theory of unionism

Product Quality Improvement Through Employee Participation: The Effects of Unionization and Joint Union Management Administration

“…(Addison and Hirsch 1987;Allen 1986;Faith and Reid 1987;Boal 1990.) If unions do tend to place restrictions on employers, it would not be surprising to find that they impede the optimal design and administration of participation programs, and thus vitiate the improvements in product quality achievable through participation programs.…”

Product Quality Improvement through Employee Participation: The Effects of Unionization and Joint Union-Management Administration

“…(Addison and Hirsch 1987;Allen 1986;Faith and Reid 1987;Boal 1990.) If unions do tend to place restrictions on employers, it would not be surprising to find that they impede the optimal design and administration of participation programs, and thus vitiate the improvements in product quality achievable through participation programs.…”

Unions and microeconomic performance: A look at what matters for economists (and employers)

“…The latter acknowledges that unions can have efficiencyenhancing participatory benefits for both workers and management by facilitating cooperation at the workplace. The benefits can arise because unions are institutions with a collective voice and can communicate worker preferences to management, as well as participate in the establishment of work rules and seniority provisions in the firm's internal labour market (Faith and Reid, 1987). These agency services can change the "exit-voice" trade-off of workers by providing a channel through which they can express their grievances ("voice") without having to leave the firm ("exit").…”