Supersizing the Impact of Unions in Downsizing Processes
A Configurational Approach Based on 19 Cases in France
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2374836 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Vincent Pasquier (0000-0002-1793-2117, HEC Montréal), Rémi Bourguignon (0000-0001-7870-8648, Université Paris-Est Créteil), Géraldine Schmidt (0000-0002-3744-1307, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 657-680 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Work Employment and Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0950-0170 • E-ISSN: 1469-8722 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/09500170241289245 |
| OpenAlex | W4403769437 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 26 |
This article explores how unions can influence employer decisions to downsize - a longstanding question that has been addressed through three waves of research. Although the literature has successively identified three types of factors that influence managerial decisions to downsize, it has not fully addressed the interactions of these factors, leading to inconsistencies. This article builds on and refines the existing work through a configurational approach which qualitatively evidences six downsizing configurations through a uniquely large number of cases ( n = 19). This research sheds new light on how factors combine to enhance union influence by theorizing four types of chemical-like factor interactions: catalysing, inhibiting, synthesizing and decomposing. By highlighting this interactive chemistry, this configurational approach revisits longstanding academic debates about the context-union strategy fit and the relative efficacy of union responses. From a practical perspective, it encourages unions to reject the idea that there is a single, optimal strategy for addressing downsizing
Biology · Context (archaeology · Economics · Epistemology · Management science · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Positive economics · Sociology · Work (physics · Computer Science · Employment and Welfare Studies · Engineering · Labor Movements and Unions · Organizational Downsizing and Restructuring · Artificial Intelligence · Mechanical Engineering
Rethinking Industrial Relations
Capturing Causal Complexity
Understanding union power
Beyond Compare
Case Study Research
The Mutual Gains Enterprise
Multinational corporations’ politics and resistance to plant shutdowns
Firm-level restructuring and union strategies in Europe
Trade union responses to workplace restructuring
Strategic Negotiations
Trade Union Strategy and Renewal
Social partnership and political devolution in the National Health Service
The Role of the Steelworker Occupational Community in the Internalization of Industrial Restructuring
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |