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Institutions, unionization and voice: The relative impact of context and actors on firm level practice

Author

Listed:
  • Chris Brewster

    (University of Reading, UK)

  • Geoffrey Wood

    (Warwick Business School, UK)

  • Marc Goergen

    (University of Cardiff, UK)

Abstract

Trade unions provide a voice in the way firms are run, an input into reward systems and increased security of employment. But these vary with national context. Using transnational survey evidence, this article explores the relative impact of setting, and of unions and collective bargaining, on these issues. It is found that, irrespective of context, organizations are significantly more likely to make use of compulsory redundancies in the absence of unions and collective bargaining. However, in other areas, the impact of unions appeared less pronounced than that of the wider context. The article explores the reasons behind this, and the broader policy implications thereof.

Suggested Citation

  • Chris Brewster & Geoffrey Wood & Marc Goergen, 2015. "Institutions, unionization and voice: The relative impact of context and actors on firm level practice," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 36(2), pages 195-214, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:36:y:2015:i:2:p:195-214
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X13501004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chris Brewster & Geoff Wood & Richard Croucher & Michael Brookes, 2007. "Are Works Councils and Joint Consultative Committees a Threat to Trade Unions? A Comparative Analysis," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 28(1), pages 49-77, February.
    2. Marsden, David, 1999. "A Theory of Employment Systems: Micro-Foundations of Societal Diversity," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198294221.
    3. La Porta, Rafael & Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1997. "Legal Determinants of External Finance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(3), pages 1131-1150, July.
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    6. Peter Haynes & Peter Boxall & Keith Macky, 2005. "Non-Union Voice and the Effectiveness of Joint Consultation in New Zealand," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 26(2), pages 229-256, May.
    7. Marie-Laure MORIN, 2005. "Labour law and new forms of corporate organization," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 144(1), pages 5-30, March.
    8. Bruce E. Kaufman, 2004. "What Unions Do: Insights from Economic Theory," Journal of Labor Research, Transaction Publishers, vol. 25(3), pages 351-382, July.
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    11. Djankov, Simeon & La Porta, Rafael & Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Shleifer, Andrei, 2008. "The law and economics of self-dealing," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(3), pages 430-465, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wen Wang & Mark Cook & Roger Seifert, 2021. "Foreign ownership and job insecurity during the recession: The moderating effect of union density in the UK," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 42(3), pages 785-804, August.
    2. Shabneez Bhankaraully, 2019. "Contested firm governance, institutions and the undertaking of corporate restructuring practices in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 40(3), pages 511-536, August.
    3. Chris Brewster & Michael Brookes & Geoffrey Wood, 2025. "Disaggregating the liberal market economies: Institutions and HRM," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 46(1), pages 199-221, February.

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