The Union Learning Agenda and Trade Union Revitalisation in Wales by Katy Huxley

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The Union Learning Agenda and Trade Union Revitalisation in Wales by Katy Huxley The Union Learning Agenda and Trade Union Revitalisation in Wales By Katy Huxley A Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy, Cardiff University Management, Employment and Organisation Section, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University 2015 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisors Prof. Ed Heery, Dr. Marco Hauptmier, and Prof. Rick Delbridge for their advice and support throughout my studies. I would also like to acknowledge funding support from the ESRC and SKOPE, without which this thesis would not have been possible. Thanks must also go to my husband, family and friends who have supported my journey, and to Elsie Phillips and Lainey Clayton and the HRM section for the support they give to the PhD students at Cardiff Business School. Most importantly I offer a huge thank you to all the ULRs, trade unionists, learning providers, and WTUC staff who took part in the research for granting me access, and giving their time and opinions that have informed the analysis herein. This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my late Grandfather, John Thomas Huxley who sadly passed away on October 6th 2010 – you will always be loved and remembered. ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... 5 LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................................ 6 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................... 7 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................. 8 CHAPTER ONE: THE UNION LEARNING AGENDA ....................................................................... 10 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 10 1.2 Trade Union Revitalisation ........................................................................................................... 12 1.3 Vocational and Educational Training in the UK ......................................................................... 14 1.4 The Union Learning Agenda ........................................................................................................ 20 1.5 Outline of the Thesis ..................................................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER TWO: TRADE UNION REVITALISATION AND THE UNION LEARNING AGENDA ............ 30 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 30 2.2 Conceptualising revitalisation ..................................................................................................... 31 Political revitalisation: social partnership and devolution ............................................................. 35 Political revitalisation and the ULA ................................................................................................... 37 The Role of Devolution ..................................................................................................................... 39 Economic revitalisation: bargaining, workplace systems, and employer relationships ............. 43 Economic revitalisation and the ULA ................................................................................................ 45 Membership revitalisation: attracting activists and encouraging participation........................... 49 Membership revitalisation and the ULA ............................................................................................ 53 Institutional revitalisation: the capabilities model .......................................................................... 57 Internal solidarity ............................................................................................................................... 58 Network embeddedness ................................................................................................................... 59 Narrative resources .......................................................................................................................... 61 Infrastructural resources ................................................................................................................... 61 Institutional revitalisation and the ULA ............................................................................................. 62 Infrastructural resources ................................................................................................................... 62 Network resources ............................................................................................................................ 64 Narratives and framing ..................................................................................................................... 65 2.3 Prospects for revitalisation .......................................................................................................... 65 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................................................... 70 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 70 3.2 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 70 3.3 Research Design and Methodology ............................................................................................ 71 Quantitative methods ........................................................................................................................ 74 Questionnaire delivery ...................................................................................................................... 75 Data management ............................................................................................................................ 78 Qualitative methods .......................................................................................................................... 79 Observation ....................................................................................................................................... 79 Documentary research ..................................................................................................................... 83 Interviews .......................................................................................................................................... 84 Qualitative analysis ........................................................................................................................... 86 Using a mixed-methods approach .................................................................................................... 87 3.5 Considerations of credibility, validity, reliability and ethics .................................................... 89 3.6 Reflection and Limitations ........................................................................................................... 91 3.7 Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 92 CHAPTER FOUR: UNION LEARNING AND POLITICAL REVITALISATION ....................................... 93 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 93 4.2 Devolution and Social Partnership ............................................................................................. 93 Policy Structures and Political Relations .......................................................................................... 95 4.3 The role of the WTUC .................................................................................................................... 98 4.4 Policy divergence ........................................................................................................................ 104 2 4.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 110 CHAPTER FIVE: UNION LEARNING AND ECONOMIC REVITALISATION ..................................... 113 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 113 5.2 ULR Workplaces .......................................................................................................................... 115 5.3 Provisions, Support and Barriers .............................................................................................. 116 Training, time off and facilities ........................................................................................................ 116 Employer support ............................................................................................................................ 121 Conflict and Barriers ....................................................................................................................... 126 5.4 Bargaining and Procedural mechanisms ................................................................................
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