The role of unions as agents of professional knowledge is seldom addressed in studies on working life relations. This article investigates how unions with different degrees of professionalization conceptualize members’ interests and influence in the workplace. Two unions of professionals and one general union in the Norwegian public sector are compared. The data consist of union documents, speeches, and interviews with 12 workplace representatives. A ‘union logic’ and ‘professional association logic’ are developed and applied as analytical ideal types, and the unions’ conceptualizations and combinations of these institutional logics are analyzed. The article finds similarities and differences between the unions and interesting differences between the unions’ micro and macro levels. Further, a distinct hybrid logic is identified as a ‘union of professionals logic’, with professional influence and the agency of elected representatives as key aspects. Introducing perspectives from the study of professions, the article contributes to a reconceptualization of the study of unions within the Nordic model – and beyond.

中文翻译：

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工会对会员职业兴趣和工作场所影响的概念化

在工作生活关系研究中很少讨论工会作为专业知识的推动者的作用。本文研究具有不同专业化程度的工会如何概念化成员在工作场所的利益和影响。比较了挪威公共部门的两个专业工会和一个总工会。数据包括工会文件，演讲和对12位工作场所代表的访谈。开发了“工会逻辑”和“专业协会逻辑”并将其用作分析理想类型，并对工会的概念化和这些制度逻辑的组合进行了分析。本文发现了工会之间的异同，以及工会的微观和宏观层面之间的有趣差异。进一步，一个独特的混合逻辑被识别为“专业逻辑的联盟”，其中专业影响力和民选代表的代理是关键方面。在介绍专业研究的观点时，本文有助于对北欧模式内外的工会研究进行重新概念化。