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Demobilised or dormant? Exploring pro-strike attitudes among employees who have never joined a strike

Author

Listed:
  • Lorenzo Frangi

    (Department of Organization and Human Resources, School of Management, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada)

  • Muhammad Umar Boodoo

    (Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, UK)

  • Robert Hebdon

    (Faculty of Management, Organizational Behaviour Area, McGill University, Montreal, Canada)

Abstract

The general decline of strikes does not necessarily imply that workers are demobilised. A dormant strike potential can be present. Drawing on strikes as ‘experience goods’, this article sheds light on this point by studying pro-strike attitudes among employees in 24 countries who have never been on strike. The variation in pro-strike attitudes is explained by both contextual (collective bargaining coverage, economic conditions and freedom of rights and liberties) and individual (union membership and confidence in unions, political values and household financial situation) factors. Deeper analyses of three countries highlight the potential impact of specific repertoires of contention developed over time on the formation of pro-strike attitudes. Implications for the labour conflict literature and union strategies are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Lorenzo Frangi & Muhammad Umar Boodoo & Robert Hebdon, 2022. "Demobilised or dormant? Exploring pro-strike attitudes among employees who have never joined a strike," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(3), pages 1236-1259, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:43:y:2022:i:3:p:1236-1259
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X20980059
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    References listed on IDEAS

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