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Determinants of Trade Union Membership in Western Germany: Evidence from Micro Data, 1980-2000

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Author Info
Schnabel, Claus (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)
Wagner, Joachim () (University of Lueneburg, HWWA Hamburg and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

An empirical analysis of various waves of the ALLBUS social survey shows that union density fell substantially in West Germany from 1980 to 2000. Such a negative trend can be observed for men and women and for different groups of the workforce. Repeated crosssectional analyses suggest that a number of personal, occupational and attitudinal variables such as sex, occupational status, firm size and political orientation play a role in the unionization process, although the influence of many variables is not robust over time. While the results are consistent with cost-benefit considerations on the sides of employees and unions, individualization theory and social custom theory is not consistently supported by our estimations.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 708.

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Length: 26 pages
Date of creation: Jan 2003
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp708

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Related research
Keywords: trade union membership; Germany; micro data;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Bulkley, G. & Myles, G.D., 1996. "Individually Rational Union Membership," Discussion Papers 96/12, University of Exeter, School of Business and Economics.
    Other versions:
  2. Naylor, Robin & Cripps, Martin, 1993. "An economic theory of the open shop trade union," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 1599-1620, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Naylor, Robin, 1990. "A social custom model of collective action," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 201-216, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Monroe Berkowitz, 1954. "The economics of trade union organization and administration," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 7(4), pages 575-578, July.
  5. Neumann, George R & Rissman, Ellen R, 1984. "Where Have All the Union Members Gone?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(2), pages 175-92, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Corneo, Giacomo G., 1997. "The theory of the open shop trade union reconsidered," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 71-84, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2003. "Trade Union Membership in Eastern and Western Germany: Convergence or Divergence?," IZA Discussion Papers 707, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  8. Addison, John T. & Bellmann, Lutz & Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2002. "German Works Councils Old and New: Incidence, Coverage and Determinants," IZA Discussion Papers 495, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  9. Booth, Alison L & Chatterji, Monojit, 1993. "Reputation, Membership and Wages in Open Shop Trade Union," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 45(1), pages 23-41, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Booth, Alison L & Chatterji, Monojit, 1995. "Union Membership and Wage Bargaining When Membership is Not Compulsory," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 105(429), pages 345-60, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  11. Nicola-Maria Riley, 1997. "Determinants of Union Membership: A Review," LABOUR, CEIS, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini and Blackwell Publishing Ltd, vol. 11(2), pages 265-301, 06. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Naylor, Robin & Raaum, Oddbjorn, 1993. "The Open Shop Union, Wages, and Management Opposition," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 45(4), pages 589-604, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Wagner, Joachim, 1990. "Gewerkschaftsmitgliedschaft und Arbeitseinkommen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Eine ökonometrische Analyse mit Individualdaten," Diskussionspapiere der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Hannover dp-155, Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
  14. Booth, Alison L, 1985. "The Free Rider Problem and a Social Custom Model of Trade Union Membership," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 100(1), pages 253-61, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Moreton, David, 1999. "A Model of Labour Productivity and Union Density in British Private Sector Unionised Establishments," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 51(2), pages 322-44, April.
  16. Jones, Stephen R G & McKenna, C J, 1994. "A Dynamic Model of Union Membership and Employment," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 61(242), pages 179-89, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. John H. Pencavel, 1971. "The demand for union services: An exercise," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 24(2), pages 180-190, January.
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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2008. "The Aging of the Unions in West Germany, 1980–2006," IZA Discussion Papers 3661, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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