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The Effects of Workgroup Gender Composition on Unionization and Union Strength

Jordan, Nicholas A.

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Sociology.
Why are women less like to be union members, yet more likely to desire union representation? Most available explanations for this emphasize the supply side, especially the resources and job characteristics of female workers. This study examines a more structural explanation: That female dominated workplaces are less like to become unionized, and more likely to have weaker unions, because of gender stratification. The Williams/Acker theory of gendered organizations suggests that this is at least partly due to gender bias embedded at the organizational level. This reflects the devaluing of “women’s work” which targets workplaces as well as occupations in which women constitute a major share of the workers. Drawing on the Workplace Ethnography dataset, we analyze the effects of workgroup gender composition on unionization and union strength along with a range of standard controls for the resources and job characteristics of workers. The percentage of female workers is shown to significantly reduce the likelihood of unionization, as well as decreasing the likelihood of forming a stronger union. These show net of controls for the average level of worker seniority and education, local unemployment levels, paternalistic management, as well as size of the workplace, occupational skills of the workers, and locally owned companies. These findings indicate that gender is operating independent of the individual actors to present further obstacles to female union membership. So, while women are attitudinally more supportive of unionization, the larger system of gender stratification hinders women’s access to the benefits that unionization can provide.
J. Craig Jenkins, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Edward Crenshaw, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Andrew Martin, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Randy Hodson, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
31 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Jordan, N. A. (2010). The Effects of Workgroup Gender Composition on Unionization and Union Strength [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1267033844

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Jordan, Nicholas. The Effects of Workgroup Gender Composition on Unionization and Union Strength. 2010. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1267033844.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Jordan, Nicholas. "The Effects of Workgroup Gender Composition on Unionization and Union Strength." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1267033844

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)