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Staff Labor Organizing in Higher Education: How Imperfect Unions and Organizational Subjugation Shape Resistance and Change Efforts.

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Title: Staff Labor Organizing in Higher Education: How Imperfect Unions and Organizational Subjugation Shape Resistance and Change Efforts.
Authors: Harper, Jordan (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Higher Education. 2026, Vol. 97 Issue 5, p828-852. 25p.
Subjects: Labor unions, Organizational change, Decision making, Collective bargaining, Labor organizing, Collective action, Administrative assistants
Abstract: This study examines how administrative assistants in higher education perceive their unions and the extent to which they organize to address perceived union limitations in pursuit of organizational change. It is grounded in literature on staff, unionization, resistance, and organizational change. Drawing from interviews within a broader qualitative portraiture study on administrative staff labor issues in contemporary higher education, findings indicate that while they view unions as beneficial, their effectiveness is often limited. Resultingly, the study highlights the significance of, and challenges associated with, both individual and collective resistance strategies in fostering change at micro, meso, and macro levels. This research critiques the prevalent heroization of unions during this contemporary wave of unionization in higher education, advocating for a critical examination of their liberatory potential and responsiveness to rank-and-file needs. It calls on higher education workers across the terrain to respond proactively to these challenges. Additionally, the study explores research implications and suggests avenues for further theoretical and empirical exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Staff Labor Organizing in Higher Education: How Imperfect Unions and Organizational Subjugation Shape Resistance and Change Efforts.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Higher+Education%22">Journal of Higher Education</searchLink>. 2026, Vol. 97 Issue 5, p828-852. 25p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+unions%22">Labor unions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+change%22">Organizational change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+making%22">Decision making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Collective+bargaining%22">Collective bargaining</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Labor+organizing%22">Labor organizing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Collective+action%22">Collective action</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrative+assistants%22">Administrative assistants</searchLink>
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  Data: This study examines how administrative assistants in higher education perceive their unions and the extent to which they organize to address perceived union limitations in pursuit of organizational change. It is grounded in literature on staff, unionization, resistance, and organizational change. Drawing from interviews within a broader qualitative portraiture study on administrative staff labor issues in contemporary higher education, findings indicate that while they view unions as beneficial, their effectiveness is often limited. Resultingly, the study highlights the significance of, and challenges associated with, both individual and collective resistance strategies in fostering change at micro, meso, and macro levels. This research critiques the prevalent heroization of unions during this contemporary wave of unionization in higher education, advocating for a critical examination of their liberatory potential and responsiveness to rank-and-file needs. It calls on higher education workers across the terrain to respond proactively to these challenges. Additionally, the study explores research implications and suggests avenues for further theoretical and empirical exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/00221546.2025.2521203
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 25
        StartPage: 828
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Labor unions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Organizational change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decision making
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Collective bargaining
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Labor organizing
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      – SubjectFull: Collective action
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      – SubjectFull: Administrative assistants
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      – TitleFull: Staff Labor Organizing in Higher Education: How Imperfect Unions and Organizational Subjugation Shape Resistance and Change Efforts.
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              Text: 2026
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