Department chairs’ perceptions of union membership on academic human resource decision-making

• Published in: European journal of training and development Vol. 47; no. 7/8; pp. 729 - 746
• Main Authors: Dzwik, Leigh Settlemoir, Park, Sunyoung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Limerick Emerald Publishing Limited 14.08.2023; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Chi-square test; Collective bargaining; Corporate culture; Decision making; Department Heads; Discipline; Faculty Evaluation; Governance; Higher education; Hiring; Human resources; Labor contracts; Labor relations; Leadership; Legislation; Literature Reviews; Occupational Aspiration; Organizational Culture; Perceptions; Personnel Selection; Public sector; Role Conflict; State Legislation; Supervision; Supervisors; Teacher Evaluation; Tenure; Union Members; Union membership; Unionization; Wagner Act 1935-US; Decision-making; Faculty development; Higher education; Department chair; Human resources; Unions
• ISSN: 2046-9012; 2046-9020; 2046-9012
• DOI: 10.1108/EJTD-11-2021-0185

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore unionization’s impact on university department chairs for academic human resource decision-making in terms of faculty hiring; re-employment, promotion and tenure; other faculty evaluation decisions; and discipline and discharge. Design/methodology/approach The subjects were department chairs with more than one year of experience in institutions with faculty bargaining units in the USA. Half of the department chairs were members of the bargaining unit and half were not members of the bargaining unit. T-test and Chi square statistics were used to examine and compare 136 chair responses. Findings While there were significant differences between the groups when making all academic human resource decisions based on role affiliation, there was a weak identification as a bargaining unit member. There was no difference between groups when determining how the participants perceived the process rules, and the majority of the responses indicated membership in the union does not complicate making academic human resource decisions. Originality/value Based on these findings, this study provides the first empirical evidence against a long-held administrative belief department chairs should not be unionized as they will side with union colleagues in difficult academic human resource cases. The findings of this study also produce three key recommendations for practice and faculty development.