Nakano, Satoshi (1993) A time-series analysis of union growth : unionisation in banking, 1920-1989. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This is an interdisciplinary work in industrial relations,
focusing particularly on union growth. As such, its
methodological properties derive from four different fields in
the social sciences; a relatively recent development in
sociology and social theory, industrial relations and
economics. Any research in the social sciences requires
reciprocal processes between the theory and empirical surveys,
through which a generalised model of certain phenomenon can be
constructed. When we actually starts an investigation, however,
we are often dismayed by the fact that theories are rather
fragmentary whereas empirical data is difficult to obtain. This
might be particularly so in a social study carried out in a
historical context.
Chapters 1 and 2 of this dissertation deal with theories and
3 to 7 the empirical evidence required to test them. A few
problems concerning the foundations of social theory are
briefly mentioned in Chapter 1. The point here is to consider a
micro-foundation for subsequent analysis. This seems
indispensable to me as it is something that current social
theory lacks and a straightforward application of the rational
choice framework also seems somewhat problematic. Following
this, Chapter 2 provides a survey of theories of union growth
in developed in sociology, industrial relations and economics.
My contention here is that no single theory is sufficient to
understand the social process as a whole.
The empirical section, whose primary aim is the verification
of the theories, consists of three parts; Chapter 3 is an
introduction to the banking industry and its industrial
relations system, from which information for the empirical
research is taken. Chapters 4 and 7 provide analyses of shortrun
and long-term union growth in the industry. In these
chapters, I generally followed a method commonly adopted in
industrial relations and economics. Chapters 5 and 6 provide an
historical analysis of union growth. The approach here is
explicitly historical sociological, in which the research aims
to attain a generalised understanding of the social processes
from an empirical context. This, I think, is valuable
particularly when the nature of causality changes and when
theory does not have absolute reliability.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HG Finance
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Labor unions -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Banks and banking -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Industrial relations -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century
Official Date:	February 1993
Dates:	Date Event February 1993 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Social History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Mason, Tony, 1938-
Extent:	iii, 477 leaves
Language:	eng

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