Trade Union Leadership: Biography and the Role of Historical Context

Abstract

The leadership of trade unions is a much neglected aspect in the field of contemporary leadership studies despite the growing importance of the role as these organizations struggle to survive in the current political and economic climate extant in most Western countries. By employing a methodology which uses a series of biographical case studies of leaders to examine the leadership in a single trade union, this article evaluates the significance of union leadership and demonstrates the importance of historical context in leadership study. It also shows how leadership and the organization's environment inter-connect to shape the way unions develop over time together and discusses some of the implications of the study for theory.

Teaching Leadership Critically: New Directions for Leadership Pedagogy

“…Leaders can emerge informally in more junior positions and dispersed locations, as well as in oppositional organizations such as trade unions (Knowles, 2007) and in revolutionary movements (Rejai, 1979). 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 This approach involves going 'beyond the affirmation and reconstitution of the familiar world to recognize other possibilities' (Calhoun, 1995: 2).…”

Dichotomies, dialectics and dilemmas: New directions for critical leadership studies?

“…By contrast, CLS emphasize that leadership and management are often interwoven forms of organizational power and identity that are not as easily separable as is sometimes assumed. CLS also recognize that despite typically being associated with those in positions of formal authority, leaders can emerge informally in more subordinated and dispersed positions and locations, as well as in oppositional organizations such as trade unions (Knowles, 2007) and revolutionary movements (Rejai, 1979). Whilst emphasizing the importance of power dynamics, there is also a growing recognition in CLS that leadership relations are typically not so asymmetrical and top-down that they are invariably one-way and all-determining.…”

‘Only Connect!’: Exploring the Critical Dialectical Turn in Leadership Studies

“…Power can be conferred by hierarchical position, as well as enacted more informally through processes, relationships, networks and personal agency. While leadership and power are often associated with those in positions of formal authority, critical dialectical studies emphasize that leadership can also emerge informally in more subordinated and dispersed relationships, as well as in oppositional organizational forms such as trades unions (Knowles, 2007) and revolutionary movements (Rejai, 1979). The following sub-sections now explore the multi-faceted nature of leadership power dialectics in more detail.…”