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Training and Product Quality in Unionized Oligopolies

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  • Emanuele Bacchiega
  • Antonio Minniti

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="ecca12148-abs-0001"> In this paper we analyse the private and public incentives towards skill acquisition when the skill level of workers determines the quality level of goods, and both labour and product markets are non-competitive. We show that both ‘pure’ (set by either firms or unions only) and ‘mixed’ (set by firms and unions) training scenarios may emerge at equilibrium. We show that firms have generally greater training incentives than unions, resulting in a higher product quality. Our welfare analysis shows that both unions and firms underinvest in training in comparison with the social optimum.

Suggested Citation

  • Emanuele Bacchiega & Antonio Minniti, 2015. "Training and Product Quality in Unionized Oligopolies," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 82, pages 1261-1301, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:82:y:2015:i::p:1261-1301
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    Cited by:

    1. Patrice Cassagnard & Tendai Espinosa, 2022. "From boycott to buycott: is activism from the North good for the South?," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 158(4), pages 1107-1135, November.
    2. Patrice Cassagnard & Tendai Espinosa, 2019. "From Boycott to Buycott: Is Activism from the North Good for the South?," Working Papers hal-02623685, HAL.
    3. John S. Heywood & John G. Sessions & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2023. "Quality competition and worker training," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(4), pages 935-943, October.
    4. Patrice CASSAGNARD & Tendai ESPINOSA, 2019. "From Boycott to Buycott: Is Activism from the North Good for the South?," Working Papers 2019-2020_3, CATT - UPPA - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, revised Dec 2019.
    5. Bilanakos, Christos & Heywood, John S. & Sessions, John & Theodoropoulos, Nikolaos, 2018. "Does demand for product quality increase worker training?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 159-177.
    6. Christos Bilanakos & John S. Heywood & John Sessions & Nikolaos Theodoropoulos, 2014. "Worker Training and Competing on Product Quality," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 08-2014, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.
    7. Bilanakosa, Christos & Heywood, John S. & Sessions, John & Theodoropoulos, Nikolaos, 2017. "Worker Training and Quality Competition," GLO Discussion Paper Series 137, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    8. Patrice Cassagnard & Tendai Espinosa, 2019. "From Boycott to Buycott: Is Activism from the North Good for the South?," Working papers of CATT hal-02623685, HAL.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects

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