Page Header Logo

Cover Page

Journal Content
Browse
  • By Issue
  • By Author
Information
  • For Readers
  • For Authors
  • For Librarians
Current Issue
Atom logo
RSS2 logo
RSS1 logo
  • About the Journal
  • Aims and Scope
  • Submission
  • Author Guidelines
  • Review Process
  • Privacy Statement
  • Article Processing charges
  • Publication Ethics
  • Open Access
  • Copyright and License
  • Archive Policy
  • Plagiarism Policy

Template Cover Page Cover Page
Similarity Checker

Cover Page

Member of

Cover Page

Statistics


Flag Counter

  • Home
  • Current
  • Announcement
  • Archive
  • Editorial Team
  • Reviewers
  • Contact us
  • Search
Home > Articles

Unionized Workforce and Employee Well-Being: A Comparative Study of Psychological Safety in Unionized vs. Non-Unionized Organizations

  • Pipit Sundari
    STIE Semarang

  • Dyah Nurul Bayu Pertiwi
    STIE Semarang

  • Bayu Sapta Adi Nugroho
    STIE Semarang


DOI: https://doi.org/10.37034/infeb.v7i2.1144
Keywords: Psychological Safety, Unionized Organizations, Employee Well-Being, Organizational Structure, Voice Efficacy

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between unionization and psychological safety as a determinant of employee well-being, using a qualitative comparative approach. By analyzing interviews with employees from both unionized and non-unionized organizations, the research identifies key differences in how institutional structures shape perceptions of voice, protection, and trust in the workplace. Findings reveal that unionized environments promote higher levels of psychological safety through formal grievance mechanisms, consistent managerial practices, and collective representation, enabling employees to express concerns without fear of retaliation. In contrast, non-unionized settings are often characterized by ambiguity, interpersonal dependency, and limited institutional safeguards, contributing to lower psychological security. The study contributes to the theoretical expansion of psychological safety by situating it within organizational systems and suggests practical strategies for enhancing employee voice and well-being across diverse organizational contexts.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Newman, A., Donohue, R., & Eva, N. (2017). Psychological Safety: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Human Resource Management Review, 27(3), 521–535. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.11.003 .

Guest, D. E. (2017). Human Resource Management and Employee Well-Being: Towards A New Analytic Framework. Human Resource Management Journal, 27(1), 22–38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12139 .

Edmondson, A. C., & Lei, Z. (2014). Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of An Interpersonal Construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1, 23–43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091305 .

Frazier, M. L., Fainshmidt, S., Klinger, R. L., Pezeshkan, A., & Vracheva, V. (2017). Psychological Safety: A Meta-Analytic Review and Extension. Personnel Psychology, 70(1), 113–165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12183 .

Choi, S. (2020). Flexible Work Arrangements and Employee Retention: A Longitudinal Analysis of Psychological Safety. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 93(3), 567–592. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12298 .

Snape, E., Redman, T., & Bamber, G. J. (2016). Working Hard and Working Smart: Employee Attitudes Towards Work and Unions. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 27(4), 447–466. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2015.1041761 .

Green, F., Felstead, A., Gallie, D., & Inanc, H. (2016). Job-Related Well-Being Through The Great Recession. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(1), 389–411. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9600-x .

Bryson, A., Forth, J., & Laroche, P. (2011). Evolution or Revolution? The Impact of Unions on Workplace Performance. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 17(2), 171–187. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0959680111400910 .

Wood, A. J., & Budd, J. W. (2021). The Future of Union Voice and Worker Well-Being. Work and Occupations, 48(2), 127–153. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888420979776 .

Pohler, D. M., & Luchak, A. A. (2014). Union Impact on Employee Voice and Workplace Satisfaction. Human Resource Management, 53(6), 917–938. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21617 .

Harley, B., Sargent, L., & Allen, B. (2010). Employee Responses to ‘High Performance Work System’ Practices: An Empirical Test of The Disciplined Worker Thesis. Work, Employment & Society, 24(4), 740–760. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017010380638 .

Bryson, A., Barth, E., & Dale-Olsen, H. (2013). The Effects of Organizational Change On Worker Well-Being and The Moderating Role of Trade Unions. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 66(4), 989–1011. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/001979391306600408 .

Roche, W. K., & Teague, P. (2014). Do Recessions Transform Work and Employment? Evidence From Ireland. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 52(2), 261–285. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12008 .

Hoel, H., Cooper, C. L., & Faragher, B. (2019). The Experience of Bullying In Great Britain: The Impact of Organizational Status. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 10(4), 443–465. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320143000780 .

Gall, G., & Fiorito, J. (2016). Union Effectiveness: In Search of A New Theoretical Framework. Journal of Labor Research, 37(3), 217–238. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12122-016-9227-5 .

Gill, C., Meyer, D., Lee, Y., Shin, K., & Yoon, J. (2021). Union Presence, Employee Voice, and The Experience of Workplace Bullying. Employee Relations, 43(2), 407–423. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-02-2020-0070 .

Wood, A. J., & Budd, J. W. (2021). The Future of Union Voice and Worker Well-Being. Work and Occupations, 48(2), 127–153. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888420979776 .

Lewis, S. (2015, July 11). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Health Promotion Practice. SAGE Publications Inc. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839915580941 .

Vaivio, J. (2012). Interviews – Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing. European Accounting Review, 21(1), 186–189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638180.2012.675165

Sharp, C. A. (2003, December 1). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods (3rd ed.). Evaluation Journal of Australasia. SAGE Publications Ltd. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1035719X0300300213 .

Orb, A., Eisenhauer, L., & Wynaden, D. (2001). Ethics In Qualitative Research. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 33(1), 93–96. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2001.00093.x .

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis In Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa .

Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic Analysis: Striving to Meet The Trustworthiness Criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847 .

Hashimov, E. (2015). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook and The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. Technical Communication Quarterly, 24(1), 109–112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10572252.2015.975966 .

Owens, R. G. (1982). Methodological Rigor in Naturalistic Inquiry: Some Issues and Answers. Educational Administration Quarterly, 18(2), 1–21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X82018002002 .

Nemanick, R. (2022). Amy C.Edmondson. The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety In The Workplace For Learning, Innovation, and Growth. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.2019, 256 pages, $17.49 hardcover. Personnel Psychology, 75(2), 521–524. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12509 .

Detert, J. R., & Burris, E. R. (2007). Leadership Behavior and Employee Voice: Is The Door Really Open?. Academy of Management Journal, 50(4), 869–884. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.26279183 .

Carmeli, A., & Gittell, J. H. (2009). High-Quality Relationships, Psychological Safety, and Learning from Failures In Work Organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30(6), 709–729. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/job.565 .

Li, X., Yang, C., Liu, L., Ding, Y., Xue, J., He, J., … Liu, L. (2024). Configurational Paths to Turnover Intention Among Primary Public Health Workers In Liaoning Province, China: A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. BMC Public Health, 24(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17881-8 .

Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior In Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999 .

Download
Published
2025-06-30
Issue
Vol. 7, No. 2 (June 2025)
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Sundari, P., Pertiwi, D. N. B., & Nugroho, B. S. A. (2025). Unionized Workforce and Employee Well-Being: A Comparative Study of Psychological Safety in Unionized vs. Non-Unionized Organizations. Jurnal Informatika Ekonomi Bisnis, 7(2), 438-443. https://doi.org/10.37034/infeb.v7i2.1144
  • ACM
  • ACS
  • APA
  • ABNT
  • Chicago
  • Harvard
  • IEEE
  • MLA
  • Turabian
  • Vancouver
Download Citation
  • Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)
  • BibTeX
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.



Indexing and Abstractions:

Published:

       Creative Commons License
       This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC BY 4.0).