Date of Award

Fall 1997

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

Management

First Advisor

Anthony Jurkus

Abstract

This study assesses union commitment using a quasi-experimental methodology to determine and test the hypothesis that there is no difference in commitment levels of white-collar and blue-collar union workers. A self reporting pencil and paper survey instrument was used to gather the data. Two specific union locals in the same area were chosen to participate in the survey. One local was a white-collar, engineering local and the other was a tire manufacturing local. These two locals were chosen on the basis of location and attributes that met the research requirements.

There were ten hypotheses formulated that contended that the level of commitment was the same for both white and blue-collar workers. Such attributes as loyalty, participation, family history, fair treatment, attitudes, (toward work, the organization, and the union) and other opportunities were hypothesized to be the same. The data was analyzed using Hotelling's T$\sp2$ statistic, a special form of MANOVA. The tests of significance at a.01 level determined all hypotheses should be rejected. There was a significant statistical difference in white-collar and blue-collar workers based on level of commitment.

The implications of this research is that this kind of finding can lead to better decision making by both unions and companies. Unions in organizing efforts and companies in determining the needs and wants of their work-force can benefit from this type of research.

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