The Chess Match of Union Avoidance

For managers considering union avoidance strategies, it is easy to lose the forest for the trees. Excessive focus on the tactics of union prevention can lead to a loss of strategy. Without a proper understanding and application of strategy, such tactics can become shallow and ineffective. Therefore, in this issue of Management Report we are taking a few minutes to discuss strategy. And what better way to have that discussion than by drawing an analogy to one of the world's most strategic endeavors: playing chess. There are many similarities—and one compelling difference—between modern‐day union prevention and this centuries‐old game.