Trade union research and cross-national comparison

This article is concerned with problems of comparative research and analysi s in industrial relations, and in particular with cross-national comparison of trade unions. Comparison is of both practical and theoretical importanc e, but is fraught with difficulties, in part because of the paradox involve d in attempting to generalize concerning national instances which are in so many respects unique. The author considers three different approaches to a nalysis, in terms respectively of institutions, functions and issues. In co nclusion, the article emphasizes the iterative nature of research and analy sis and insists that even if the goal of satisfactory cross-national compar ison may be unattainable, its pursuit is both necessary and valuable.