In this article we examine the industrial relations practices of three large European food retailers when they transfer the hypermarket format to other countries. We ask, first, how industrial relations in hypermarkets differ from those in other food retailing outlets. Second, we examine how far the approach characteristic of each company's country-of-origin (Germany, France and the UK) shapes the practices adopted elsewhere. Third, we ask how they respond to the specific industrial relations systems of each host country (Turkey, Poland, Ireland and Spain).

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reconstruct the development of industrial relations (IR) in Spain since the democratic transition and analyses the current dilemmas of its social and political actors in the context of the long-lasting economic downturn. Design/methodology/approach Combining a political economy, identifying Spain as a particular variety of modern capitalism, and actor-centred historical institutionalism approach, outlining the formation and strategies of the main social actors, the paper draws on the broad range of research on IR in Spain and its theoretical debates, including proper research in the field. Findings The legacies of the latecomer industrialisation and the semi-peripheral development model still shape the Spanish economy and IR. The impact of the current economic and political-institutional crisis affects the entire institutional IR system and its actors shifting power towards the individual employer thus weakening trade unions, labour rights and collective bargaining. Regarding the theoretical debate on corporatism, the Spanish case provides ambiguous results. The lack of a coherent institutional system and efficient political administration limits the effectiveness of corporatist arrangements and reduces them to contingent concertation strategies. Spain confirms that IR still largely depend on the specific national variety of capitalism that condition economic development and resources for political exchange. Originality/value The paper presents an original, theoretical-informed reconstruction of the Spanish IR and allows an understanding of the current institutional transformations and strategic dilemmas in the light of historical legacies. Additionally, the theoretical debates on neo-corporatism and semi-peripheral development are enriched through its application to the Spanish case.

Résumé de l'article Notre but est d'analyser les stratégies de renouveau syndical qui ont obtenu du succès ailleurs et qui sont susceptibles d'en avoir en Espagne. Dans le cadre de ces nouvelles pratiques, le « syndicalisme de mouvement social » se centre sur des alliances avec d'autres groupes sociaux afin d'accroître son efficacité. À l'intérieur de cet article, nous étudions la possibilité d'appliquer les principes du « syndicalisme de mouvement social » au contexte particulier de l'Espagne. Étant donné les transformations de l'économie espagnole et de ses lois du travail orientées de plus en plus vers une déréglementation, les syndicats du pays ont dû réagir. L'émergence de nouveaux mouvements sociaux, tels les indignés (Indignados) et les Mareas Ciudadanas (marées citoyennes visant la démocratie participative) ainsi que la diminution de la confiance dans les unions par la population d'Espagne, ont rendu pertinente cette approche nouvelle.Dans cet article, nous nous attarderons à certains aspects du débat sur le renouveau du syndicalisme et les comparerons avec les principales théories sur les nouveaux mouvements sociaux. Nous désirons appliquer ces approches à une étude spécifique de cas : la viabilité de la coopération entre les grandes centrales syndicales espagnoles et les récents mouvements sociaux émergent des mouvements d'indignés (Indignados).À cette fin, nous utiliserons des données secondaires sur le mouvement syndical ainsi que des transcriptions d'entrevues effectuées avec des syndicalistes et des activistes des nouveaux mouvements sociaux. En prenant en considération la totalité de ces éléments, nous conclurons en soulevant tant les facteurs peu propices, que les conditions favorables au développement d'un « syndicalisme de mouvement social » pour les acteurs concernés.

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Spanish trade unions are going through a process of transformation with uncertain outcomes. The Spanish trade union movement is having to face up to problems and challenges such as globalization, offshoring, and technological and organizational restructuring, while operating in a somewhat different situation to many of its European counterparts. The particular development of the Spanish industrial relations system since Spain’s transition to democracy, the structure of the Spanish economy and the 15-year (1994—2008) boom in start-ups and employment all shape the background to current union strategies. Following a short outline of the current situation the article focuses on the problems of recruiting and integrating new membership groups from a wide range of previously untapped sectors, and new trends in collective bargaining related to these new sectors.

RESUMENEl término innovación ha adquirido un carácter casi omnipresente en el contexto de la intensificación competitiva que acompaña a la globalización. El fomento de la capacidad innovadora figura entre los principales objetivos de los gestores públicos y privados. Sin embargo, se carece de un concepto académico debidamente elaborado de innovación, más allá de los enunciados genéricos y estrechos comúnmente manejados en los ámbitos económicos y de negocio. El artículo explora un conjunto de fuentes que podrían utilizarse para elaborar un concepto sociológico de innovación susceptible de ser incorporado a las actuales teorías sobre organización económica y cambio institucional. Para ello, se revisan tres corrientes de reflexión teórica sobre innovación, que se integran en un mismo paradigma de la innovación: las aportaciones de la Economía Política de Marx y Schumpeter; las contribuciones de la Economía Evolutiva; y la Economía Política del Desarrollo. A partir de ellas, se propone una re-conceptualización sociológica de la idea de innovación ajustada a la teoría socioeconómica de instituciones dinámicas. PAlAbRAS clAvEInnovación, conocimiento, competitividad, cambio institucional, sociología económica..

Trade union membership in Spain has undergone several transformations during the long employment boom (1994–2007) and the following crisis. New generations of workers with different attitudes towards trade unionism, the incorporation of female workers and immigrants have changed the forms and contents of the workers' organisations in Spain.

PurposeThis article aims to develop an original conceptual approach for the research and analysis of European works councils (EWCs) through a critical examination of the theoretical debate on the Europeanization of industrial relations and the main results of the huge body of quantitative and qualitative empirical studies of these transnational bodies for effective worker participation.Design/methodology/approachStarting from the authors' own experiences in qualitative case‐study research, they summarise the main developments of EWCs as the most advanced institutional piece in the emerging dimension of European industrial relations and discuss the strength and weakness of the different approaches employed in EWC research.FindingsFrom a perspective of “political economy of European integration” the development of EWCs shows the changing power constellations at the micro‐ and meso‐level of transnational firm complexes. More than 800 EWCs councils with thousands of workers' representatives generate hope for an emergent system of industrial relations, but globalization, economic crisis, intensification of regime competition or the consequences on employment of relocation, restructuring and downsizing are threatening advances in this fundamental piece of the European social project.Originality/valueThe paper offers not only a comprehensive state of the art of theoretical debate and empirical research on EWCs, but develops an original and innovative analytical approach for future research. In a meso‐political perspective, linking together micro‐politics with the interaction of the firm with other collective actors, namely public authorities, trade unions and employers' associations at different levels, transnational industrial relations at company level are best analysed as dynamic networks of actors embedded in the framework of the transnational corporation, conceived as a political complex with different actors struggling for increasing their influence on corporate decision‐making processes.