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Stacy Horner Southwestern Michigan College

Relationship between trust and perceived value of faculty unionization among fulltime faculty in selected michigan community colleges. Stacy Horner Southwestern Michigan College. Background. Why study trust and unions? Increased CC enrollment Increased workloads

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Stacy Horner Southwestern Michigan College

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  1. Relationship between trust and perceived value of faculty unionization among fulltime faculty in selected michigan community colleges Stacy Horner Southwestern Michigan College

  2. Background Why study trust and unions? • Increased CC enrollment • Increased workloads • Demographic changes/challenges • Cost of labor • Cost of having a union • Job satisfaction • Faculty and CC customers (the students) • Trust is foundational in a relationship

  3. Significance of study • Economic climate • Trust has been linked to: • Attitude • Performance • Behavior • Perceptions • Effective organizations • Happier customers (students) • Could impact: • Faculty productivity • Retention • Reduction in absenteeism • Improvements in teaching quality

  4. Literature reviewTrust and Schools • Fukuyama’s book Trust: The Social Virtues and Creation of Prosperity indicates that people who do not trust rely on formal rules and regulations (the union and their contracts). • Professionals are normally trusted at a higher level and can operate in a less “rule-bound” environment. • Inverse relationship between trust and rules – the more people depend on the rules, the less they trust. • Building trust at colleges makes sense for the business of the college – because it has been called the backbone of a strong and sustainable professional learning community.

  5. Literature reviewTrust and Unions • Almost half of all community colleges have unions. • Used to negotiate wages, benefits, class size, textbook selection, work weeks, and working conditions. • Academic freedom has also been important; now it is having a voice with administration. • Michigan has a greater percentage of unions than the national average – union culture. • Unions cost a lot of money • After a union becomes involved faculty are less likely to serve on committees • Adversarial relationship created when a union is involved

  6. Literature reviewCorporatization of Schools • More administrators are being hired from outside academia • Schools are thinking and acting like corporations • Budget gaps and reduced federal and state funding are requiring schools to think differently • Students are considered “customers” • Decisions are being made more quickly and nimbly and at times faculty are being left out of the decisions with no voice at the table • Curriculum decisions are being taken from faculty

  7. Literature reviewPro Union Argument • Protect pay, benefits, and working conditions • Protect academic freedom • Provide a voice for faculty with administration • Unions can speak at a national level and have political leverage on behalf of faculty • Unions can help schools fight for money with the state and federal government • Unions are helping to fight the “corporatization” model, restoring a learning environment

  8. Literature reviewFaculty union and job satisfaction • Union workers express more dissatisfaction than non union workers but they do not leave (exit voice theory). • Monetary satisfaction was contradicting • Non monetary aspects were more satisfactory • Is dissatisfaction a union issue or employer issue?

  9. Job satisfaction and students • Satisfied faculty are more inclined to have positive student relationships resulting in: • Improved student outcomes • Improved retention • Motivated students • Happy students

  10. Theories • Herzberg & Job Satisfaction • Extrinsic v. Intrinsic rewards • Maslow Hierarchy of Needs • People are motivated by five levels • Alderman ERG Theory • Summarizes Maslow’s Hierarchy into three categories: existence, relatedness, and growth • McClelland Learned Needs Theory • Says that people’s needs vary from person to person and motivation is driven by achievement and power affiliation. Also says needs are learned no innate. • Equity Theory • People are motivated if they perceive they are being treated fairly • Union does this by equaling out the pay with negotiating salaries and wages • Expectancy Theory • People are motivated if they think their efforts will lead to something positive • If faculty trust that administration will treat them fairly, they will be more motivated

  11. conclusion • Trust impacts relationship, attitude, performance, behavior, perceptions, effectiveness or the organization, reduces uncertainty, improves collaboration and teamwork. Also impacts student outcomes and retention. • What can we do about this at our schools?

  12. Contact information Stacy L. Horner Chair, School of Business Southwestern Michigan College 269.782.1220 shorner@swmich.edu

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