A Discriminant Validity Study of Aggregate-Level Constructs and Measures of Local Union Formalization, Centralization, and Innovation

Abstract

Aggregate-level constructs and measures of local union structure pertaining to centralization, formalization, and innovation were developed and evaluated with ratings by local officers (N = 153) representing 56 locals. Officers exhibited high agreement with respect to the structure of their local. Confirmatory factor analyses performed with LISREL (K. G. Jöreskog & D. Sörbom, 1991) on the aggregate covariance matrix (N = 56) provided support for a 3-factor model and discriminant validity. Correlational analyses indicated that local formalization was negatively related to local centralization and that local centralization was negatively related to local innovation. An important finding was that local formalization was positively related to local innovation, suggesting that union and nonunion organizations may differ in terms of this structural relationship.