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The Shortfall in Formal Employee Participation at the European Workplace

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  • John T. Addison
  • Paulino Teixeira

Abstract

Cross-country data are used to establish perceived shortfalls in employee involvement based on the responses of employee representatives in EU establishments with formal workplace employee representation. The desire for greater involvement is smaller where workplace representation is via works councils than union bodies, a finding that also obtains across country clusters. However, the favorable influence of the works council institution, if not information provision, does not carry over to situations in which management is adjudged uncooperative and untrustworthy. Whether the views of these respondents are representative of the workforce and hypothetically of a workforce currently without representation is also considered.

Suggested Citation

  • John T. Addison & Paulino Teixeira, 2018. "The Shortfall in Formal Employee Participation at the European Workplace," CESifo Working Paper Series 7399, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7399
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    File URL: https://www.cesifo.org/DocDL/cesifo1_wp7399.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Forth, John & Bryson, Alex & George, Anitha, 2016. "Explaining Cross-National Variation in Workplace Employee Representation," IZA Discussion Papers 9963, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Addison John T. & Teixeira Paulino, 2019. "Workplace Employee Representation and Industrial Relations Performance: New Evidence from the 2013 European Company Survey," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 239(1), pages 111-154, January.
    3. VAN DEN BERG, Annette & GRIFT, Yolanda & VAN WITTELOOSTUIJN, Arjen & BOONE, Christophe & VAN DER BREMPT, Olivier, 2013. "The effect of employee workplace representation on firm performance. A cross-country comparison within Europe," ACED Working Papers 2013016, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
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    8. Addison, John T. & Teixeira, Paulino, 2017. "Strikes, Employee Workplace Representation, Unionism, and Trust: Evidence from Cross-Country Data," IZA Discussion Papers 10575, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    formal workplace employee representation; works councils; union agencies; information; consultation; participation deficits; union density; country heterogeneity; industrial relations quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence
    • J58 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Public Policy
    • J83 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Workers' Rights

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