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Profit-Sharing, Employment Stability, and Wage Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Omar Azfar
  • Stephan Danninger

Abstract

The authors conjecture that profit-sharing reduces turnover and thus increases expected returns to firm-specific human capital investments, so that the optimal levels of skill acquisition and investment in firm-specific skills rise and ultimately increase productivity. Empirical evidence from NLSY data on white men in nonunion jobs between 1988 and 1994 supports this hypothesis. Employees participating in profit-sharing plans were less likely than non-participants to separate from their jobs. They also received training more frequently and for longer durations. Finally, the authors show that profit-sharing was related to higher wage growth, indicating a faster rate of skill accumulation.

Suggested Citation

  • Omar Azfar & Stephan Danninger, 2001. "Profit-Sharing, Employment Stability, and Wage Growth," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 54(3), pages 619-630, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:54:y:2001:i:3:p:619-630
    DOI: 10.1177/001979390105400305
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Michelle Brown & John S. Heywood, 2006. "Investigating the Cause of Death: Industrial Relations and Plant Closures in Australia," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 59(4), pages 593-612, July.
    2. Jones, Derek C. & Kalmi, Panu & Kato, Takao & Mäkinen, Mikko, 2017. "Worker separation under performance pay : Empirical evidence from Finland," Research Discussion Papers 33/2017, Bank of Finland.
    3. Colin P. Green & John S. Heywood, 2016. "Don't Forget the Gravy! Are Bonuses Just Added on Top of Salaries?," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 490-513, July.
    4. Kurt LOESS & Van V. MILLER & David YOSKOWITZ, 2008. "Offshore employment practices: An empirical analysis of routines, wages and labour turnover," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 147(2-3), pages 249-273, June.
    5. Douglas L. Kruse & Richard B. Freeman & Joseph R. Blasi, 2010. "Do Workers Gain by Sharing? Employee Outcomes under Employee Ownership, Profit Sharing, and Broad-Based Stock Options," NBER Chapters, in: Shared Capitalism at Work: Employee Ownership, Profit and Gain Sharing, and Broad-based Stock Options, pages 257-289, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Kornelius Kraft & Julia Lang, 2013. "Profit Sharing and Training," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 75(6), pages 940-961, December.
    7. Anne C. Gielen, 2011. "Profit Sharing for Increased Training Investments," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(4), pages 643-665, December.
    8. Colin P. Green & John S. Heywood, 2011. "Profit Sharing, Separation and Training," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(4), pages 623-642, December.
    9. Gilberto Tadeu Lima, 2010. "Profit Sharing, Capacity Utilization and Growth in a Post-Keynesian Macromodel," Chapters, in: Mark Setterfield (ed.), Handbook of Alternative Theories of Economic Growth, chapter 17, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Leila Baghdadi & Rihab Bellakhal & Marc-Arthur Diaye, 2012. "Do French firms use financial participation to transfer more risk to their workers?," Documents de recherche 12-10, Centre d'Études des Politiques Économiques (EPEE), Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne.
    11. Kauhanen, Antti & Piekkola, Hannu, 2002. "Profit Sharing in Finland: Earnings and Productivity Effects," Discussion Papers 817, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    12. Leila Baghdadi & Rihab Bellakhal & Marc-Arthur Diaye, 2016. "Financial Participation: Does the Risk Transfer Story Hold in France?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(1), pages 3-29, March.
    13. René Böheim & Martina Zweimüller, 2013. "The Employment of Temporary Agency Workers in the UK : For or Against the Trade Unions?," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 80(317), pages 65-95, January.
    14. Kauhanen, Antti & Piekkola, Hannu, 2002. "Rent Sharing as Part of Incentive Payments and Recruitment," Discussion Papers 793, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    15. Harbaugh, Rick, 2005. "The effect of employee stock ownership on wage and employment bargaining," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 565-583, September.
    16. John S. Heywood & Uwe Jirjahn, 2014. "Variable Pay, Industrial Relations and Foreign Ownership: Evidence from Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 52(3), pages 521-552, September.
    17. Joseph Blasi & Richard Freeman & Douglas Kruse, 2016. "Do Broad-based Employee Ownership, Profit Sharing and Stock Options Help the Best Firms Do Even Better?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(1), pages 55-82, March.
    18. Noélie Delahaie & Richard Duhautois, 2019. "Profit‐Sharing and Wages: An Empirical Analysis Using French Data between 2000 and 2007," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 57(1), pages 107-142, March.
    19. Victor Y. Haines III & Patrice Jalette & Karine Larose, 2010. "The Influence of Human Resource Management Practices on Employee Voluntary Turnover Rates in the Canadian Non Governmental Sector," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 63(2), pages 228-246, January.
    20. Kornelius Kraft & Julia Lang, 2016. "Just a Question of Selection? The Causal Effect of Profit Sharing on a Firm's Performance," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 444-467, July.
    21. Piekkola, Hannu, 2002. "Transferability of Human Capital and Job Switches," Discussion Papers 794, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.

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