Unionism as Collective Action: Revisiting Klandermans’ Theory

This paper examines unionization as a subset of collective action. It is an attempt to reappraise Klandermans' model of union participation. The three theories stated by Klandermans' to explain union participation namely the frustration aggression, the rational choice and the interactionist theories are claimed to be limited in their application when viewed in isolation. The historical, cultural, social, economic and political environments the individual is embedded in are also instrumental in determining union participation. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.