Power is at the core of current debates over the future of trade unionism. This article provides a framework to assess the power resources and strategic capabilities central to union capacity building. We identify four key power resources: internal solidarity; network embeddedness; narrative resources that frame understandings and union actions; and infrastructural resources (material, human, processes, policies and programmes). Resources alone are not enough; unions must also be capable of using them. We identify four strategic capabilities: intermediating between contending interests to foster collaborative action and to activate networks; framing; articulating actions over time and space; and learning. Much experimentation and research on the interactions between these resources and capabilities in particular contexts is required to advance our understanding of the renewal of union power.
%0 Journal Article
%1 Levesque2010
%A Levesque, Christian
%A Murray, Gregor
%D 2010
%I SAGE Publications
%J Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research
%K Globalization Trade_unions Union_power Union_renewal deliberative_vitality framing globalization learning power_resources strategic_capabilities union_renewal
%N 3
%P 333--350
%R 10.1177/1024258910373867
%T Understanding union power: resources and capabilities for renewing union capacity
%U http://trs.sagepub.com/content/16/3/333.abstract
%V 16
%X Power is at the core of current debates over the future of trade unionism. This article provides a framework to assess the power resources and strategic capabilities central to union capacity building. We identify four key power resources: internal solidarity; network embeddedness; narrative resources that frame understandings and union actions; and infrastructural resources (material, human, processes, policies and programmes). Resources alone are not enough; unions must also be capable of using them. We identify four strategic capabilities: intermediating between contending interests to foster collaborative action and to activate networks; framing; articulating actions over time and space; and learning. Much experimentation and research on the interactions between these resources and capabilities in particular contexts is required to advance our understanding of the renewal of union power.
@article{Levesque2010,
abstract = {Power is at the core of current debates over the future of trade unionism. This article provides a framework to assess the power resources and strategic capabilities central to union capacity building. We identify four key power resources: internal solidarity; network embeddedness; narrative resources that frame understandings and union actions; and infrastructural resources (material, human, processes, policies and programmes). Resources alone are not enough; unions must also be capable of using them. We identify four strategic capabilities: intermediating between contending interests to foster collaborative action and to activate networks; framing; articulating actions over time and space; and learning. Much experimentation and research on the interactions between these resources and capabilities in particular contexts is required to advance our understanding of the renewal of union power.},
added-at = {2011-08-12T20:11:47.000+0200},
author = {Levesque, Christian and Murray, Gregor},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/227d5883efa9fa7263d63886f87e378ef/meneteqel},
doi = {10.1177/1024258910373867},
interhash = {30e8b116322cefa29db757448df4c6c8},
intrahash = {27d5883efa9fa7263d63886f87e378ef},
issn = {1024-2589},
journal = {Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research},
keywords = {Globalization Trade_unions Union_power Union_renewal deliberative_vitality framing globalization learning power_resources strategic_capabilities union_renewal},
language = {en},
mendeley-tags = {Globalization,Trade unions,Union renewal},
month = aug,
number = 3,
pages = {333--350},
publisher = {SAGE Publications},
timestamp = {2011-08-12T20:11:49.000+0200},
title = {{Understanding union power: resources and capabilities for renewing union capacity}},
url = {http://trs.sagepub.com/content/16/3/333.abstract},
volume = 16,
year = 2010
}