Theorizing collective action—Instrumental collectivism as a key concept for explaining workplace collective action

Abstract

This article addresses workplace collective action. Through a discussion of instrumental and norm‐driven motivations for workers' collective action, it is argued that most workers are driven mainly by instrumental motivations—meaning, that they aim to achieve certain outcomes. Consequently, the theoretical concept of instrumental collectivism from Alan Fox is utilized to explain and understand collective action. Finally, six conditions facilitating workplace collective action, including an ideational and hence constructivist element, are identified and discussed providing a more nuanced theoretical framework of workers' collective action that allows for workers' agency and refutes that instrumentalism per se leads to individualized behavior.