Whither Strategic Choice: Do Managerial IR Ideologies Matter?

Abstract

Following the emphasis on managerial ideologies in the Kochan, Katz, and McKersie strategic choice model, this study employs survey data from 293 Canadian firms to explore the extent to which managerial ideologies about unions, participation rights, and employment involvement (EI) programs explain managerial actions and outcomes independently of context variables. It finds that they do matter, but are generally of secondary importance to context variables. There is thus need to marry strategic choice with more structural theories of variation.