Nonunion Employee Representation: Theory and the German Experience With Mandated Works Councils

Jirjahn, Uwe; Smith, Stephen C.

doi:10.1111/apce.12191

Cited by 45 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 123 publications

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“…Works councils can be implemented by employees irrespective of union membership to coordinate a collective voice. Two arguments hypothesize a relationship between works councils and collective bargaining participation (Jirjahn and Smith ): First, works councils can express the employees’ collective interest for remuneration by a collective contract. Second, empirical studies show that works councils are more effective in fostering productivity in the presence of a collective bargaining contract (Hübler and Jirjahn ), which should be of the employer's interest.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Rise in Orientation at Collective Bargaining Without a Formal Contract

Bossler

2018

Industrial Relations

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While firm participation in collective bargaining between unions and employers’ associations has been decreasing in Germany over the last two decades, orientation at collectively bargained wages has increased in popularity. Orientation implies that employers claim to set wages according to collective agreements but they are not formally bound by the respective bargaining contract, and in fact, I observe that they pay significantly lower wages than firms that are formally covered. Dynamic nonlinear panel estimation applied to establishment‐level data shows that this orientation is a stepping stone into formal participation. However, the decline in formal participation and the opposing rise in orientation are mostly due to a changing establishment composition rather than to behavioral transitions.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Rise in Orientation at Collective Bargaining Without a Formal Contract

Bossler

2018

Industrial Relations

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“…We also examine whether the relationship between works councils and WHP depends on circumstances and type of firm. Previous research on the productivity effects of works councils has shown that the functioning of establishment-level codetermination can depend on moderating factors (Jirjahn and Smith 2018a). However, usually only one single factor is considered whereby the moderating factor analyzed varies across studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Economists have shown strong interest in German works councils. This is documented by a rapidly growing literature of econometric studies on the consequences of this institution (Jirjahn and Smith 2018a). The econometric studies have examined the influence of works councils on outcome variables such as wages, personnel turnover, job satisfaction, productivity, profitability, and innovation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Works councils and workplace health promotion in Germany

Jirjahn

Mohrenweiser

Smith

2021

Economic and Industrial Democracy

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From a theoretical viewpoint, there can be market failures and organizational failures resulting in an underprovision of occupational health and safety. Works councils may help mitigate these failures. Using establishment data from Germany, the empirical analysis in this article confirms that the incidence of a works council is significantly associated with an increased likelihood that the establishment provides more workplace health promotion than required by law. This result also holds in regressions accounting for the possible endogeneity of works council incidence. Furthermore, analysing potentially moderating factors such as collective bargaining coverage, industry, type of ownership, multi-establishment status and product market competition, the article finds a positive association between works councils and workplace health promotion for the various types of establishments examined. Finally, this study goes beyond the mere incidence of workplace health promotion and shows that works councils are positively associated with a series of different measures of workplace health promotion.

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“…Auf der anderen Seite kann der Betriebsrat danach streben, die Unternehmensgewinne zugunsten der Arbeitnehmer umzuverteilen. Das kann zu Konfl ikten führen (Stettes, 2010;Jirjahn und Smith, 2017). Empirische Untersuchungen für Deutschland kommen zu dem Ergebnis, dass die betriebliche Mitbestimmung für Unternehmen wie Arbeitnehmer zu einem Mehrwert (Winwin-Situation) führen kann.…”

Section: Betriebliche Mitbestimmung Und Partizipation Heuteunclassified

“…Empirische Untersuchungen für Deutschland kommen zu dem Ergebnis, dass die betriebliche Mitbestimmung für Unternehmen wie Arbeitnehmer zu einem Mehrwert (Winwin-Situation) führen kann. Das hängt allerdings entscheidend davon ab, ob das Management der Institution "Betriebsrat" aufgeschlossen gegenübersteht und beide Seiten miteinander kooperieren (Jirjahn und Smith, 2017). Wichtig ist dabei, Probleme frühzeitig zu lokalisieren und einen Konsens mit dauerhaften Lösungen herzustellen (Niedenhoff, 2020, 53).…”

Section: Betriebliche Mitbestimmung Und Partizipation Heuteunclassified

100 Years of the Works Council Act and Current Participation of Employees in Germany

Lesch

2020

Wirtschaftsdienst

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ZusammenfassungAm 4. Februar 1920 trat in Deutschland das erste Betriebsrätegesetz in Kraft. Nachdem es 1934 ausgesetzt worden war, führte der Alliierte Kontrollrat die betriebliche Mitbestimmung 1946 wieder ein. Nach mehreren Reformen hat sich die Mitbestimmung etabliert. Während aber in Großunternehmen die betriebliche Mitbestimmung fest verankert ist, wird im Mittelstand eher auf weniger institutionalisierte Beteiligungsformen gesetzt. Der Wandel der Arbeitsorganisation durch Crowdworking, Telearbeit und Solo-Selbständigkeit stellt allerdings die betriebliche Zusammenarbeit vor neue Herausforderungen. Derzeit ist noch nicht erkennbar, dass die Betriebsräte darauf nicht mithilfe der bereits in der Betriebsverfassung angelegten Befugnisse angemessen reagieren können. Das Jubiläum sollte Anlass dafür sein, intensiver über die Zukunft der deutschen Betriebsverfassung und über die alternativ praktizierten Partizipationsformen zu forschen und zu diskutieren.

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Nonunion Employee Representation: Theory and the German Experience With Mandated Works Councils

Cited by 45 publications

References 123 publications

The Rise in Orientation at Collective Bargaining Without a Formal Contract

The Rise in Orientation at Collective Bargaining Without a Formal Contract

Works councils and workplace health promotion in Germany

100 Years of the Works Council Act and Current Participation of Employees in Germany

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