The union participation construct: A mixed-methods assessment

Abstract

Using interview and survey data, in this article the authors compare discrepancies between emic (how union members classify their union participation) and etic (how researchers classify union participation) conceptualizations of union participation. Interview data were used to create activity-level profiles that link how study participants labelled their level of union participation to the union activities they participated in. Survey data were used to determine the relationship between type of participation (i.e. active, passive) and generational cohort to how members view their level of union participation. Qualitative and quantitative findings are compared and implications drawn concerning how researchers/practitioners should conceptualize the union participation construct offered.