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A Switch or a Process? Disentangling the Effects of Union Membership on Political Attitudes in Switzerland and the UK

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  • Sinisa Hadziabdic
  • Lucio Baccaro

Abstract

The paper examines the effects of union membership on individual political attitudes using panel data for Swiss and British workers. Considering union membership as an on/off switch (member vs. non‐member), as it is often done, it is only possible to distinguish between a selection effect (unions attract like‐minded individuals) and a molding effect (the experience of membership has a transformational impact on the individual). Exploiting the longitudinal structure of the data reveals that union membership is best characterized not as a switch, but as a dynamic process involving anticipation effects (which start well before becoming affiliated) and maturation effects (which become noticeable only after a certain duration of membership and may not dissipate after leaving the union). Empirically, the selection effect appears the most important in the two countries we focus on, while the molding effect is less pronounced. Anticipation and maturation effects are also non‐negligible and hitherto unexplored.

Suggested Citation

  • Sinisa Hadziabdic & Lucio Baccaro, 2020. "A Switch or a Process? Disentangling the Effects of Union Membership on Political Attitudes in Switzerland and the UK," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(3), pages 466-499, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indres:v:59:y:2020:i:3:p:466-499
    DOI: 10.1111/irel.12264
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    7. Josef Ringqvist, 2022. "Union membership and the willingness to prioritize environmental protection above growth and jobs: A multi‐level analysis covering 22 European countries," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(3), pages 662-682, September.
    8. Hadziabdic, Sinisa, 2023. "Turning no tides: Union effects on partisan preferences and the working-class metamorphosis," MPIfG Discussion Paper 23/2, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    9. Josef Ringqvist, 2021. "How do union membership, union density and institutionalization affect perceptions of conflict between management and workers?," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 27(2), pages 131-148, June.
    10. Marco Trentini, 2022. "Political attitudes, participation and union membership in the UK," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 19-34, January.
    11. Artz, Benjamin & Heywood, John S., 2020. "Unions, Worker Participation and Worker Well-Being," GLO Discussion Paper Series 705, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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