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The strange non-death of employer and business associations: An analysis of their representativeness and activities in Western European countries

Author

Listed:
  • Bernd Brandl

    (Durham University Business School, UK)

  • Alex Lehr

    (Radboud University, Institute for Management Research, Department of Political Science, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Against the background that corporatism is on the decline in recent decades, one could expect that the representativeness of employer and business associations is also declining. In this article it is argued and shown that, contrary to this expectation, this decline is not observable for employer and business associations. So the question arises as to whether employer and business associations are simply relics of a different era with no longer any purpose. Using a cross-national approach it is shown that by adapting their organizational structure as well as their activities to the changing needs of business, employer and business organizations are as ‘strong’ and active nowadays as ever.

Suggested Citation

  • Bernd Brandl & Alex Lehr, 2019. "The strange non-death of employer and business associations: An analysis of their representativeness and activities in Western European countries," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 40(4), pages 932-953, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:40:y:2019:i:4:p:932-953
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X16669842
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Schnabel, Claus, 2025. "Unions and employers' associations in Germany: a survey of their membership, density and bargaining coverage," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 59, pages 1-007.
    2. Danat Valizade & Jo Ingold & Mark Stuart, 2023. "Employer Participation in Active Labour Market Policies in the United Kingdom and Denmark: The Effect of Employer Associations as Social Networks and the Mediating Role of Collective Voice," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 37(4), pages 991-1012, August.
    3. Thomas Breda, 2024. "Empirical challenges in the study of employer associations and their representativeness," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 62(2), pages 483-510, June.
    4. Wolfgang Günther & Martin Höpner, 2023. "Why does Germany abstain from statutory bargaining extensions? Explaining the exceptional German erosion of collective wage bargaining," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(1), pages 88-108, February.
    5. Petr Mezihorak & Annalisa Murgia & Paolo Borghi & Mathilde Mondon-Navazo, 2023. "Representing Solo Self-Employed Workers: The Strengthening of Relations between Traditional and New Collective Actors in Industrial Relations," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 37(4), pages 1013-1031, August.
    6. Garaudel, Pierre, 2024. "Membership in meta-organizations between organizational membership and inter-organizational relationship : a three-logics model to assess the heterogeneity of meta-organizations and variations among them," MPRA Paper 124607, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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