Development and validation of the employer anti-unionism scale based on data from US workers

Abstract

Labour union organizing has experienced a resurgence of interest in the United States. However, a series of unionization drives have spotlighted the hostility of employers toward unionization. Despite numerous studies examining employer anti-unionism from a qualitative perspective, a significant gap remains as there is currently no available instrument to quantitatively measure this phenomenon. This study, therefore, develops and validates a scale that measures employee perceptions of employer anti-unionism. Based on data gleaned from US workers (N = 55, N = 200, N = 225, N = 250 and N = 158) at two points in time, it follows a multi-step scale development procedure. The 10-item unidimensional scale, which provides a micro-level snapshot of workplace realities, is characterized by internal consistency and composite reliability, as well as indicates face, content and construct validity. The study also confirmed the instrument's predictive and nomological validity. The results indicate that there was a negative relationship between employer anti-unionism and organizational identification, and that attitudes toward unions moderated this relationship. We also found that employer anti-unionism was negatively associated with workers’ job satisfaction, intention to quit and positively with intention to join unions. The study concludes by discussing its theoretical contributions and practical implications.