A study was conducted to compare the perceptions of executives who man
age organizations that have unions versus those that do not. 254 respo
ndents indicated on a survey of organizational practice to what extent
they observed activities indicative of success concerning employees'
participation, work teams, total quality, core competencies, and human
capital strategies. Analysis indicated that executives who manage fir
ms affiliated with unions rated significantly higher items representin
g employees' participation, core competencies, work teams, and human c
apital strategies. No differences were found for the dimension of tota
l quality. Results and implications are discussed.