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Workplace Employee Representation and Industrial Relations Performance: New Evidence from the 2013 European Company Survey

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  • Addison John T.

    (Department of Economics, Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, 1014 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA)

  • Teixeira Paulino

    (Faculdade de Economia, Universidade de Coimbra, CeBER, Coimbra, Portugal)

Abstract

Using cross-country data from the European Company Survey, we investigate the relationship between workplace employee representation and management perceptions of the climate of industrial relations, sickness/absenteeism, employee motivation, and staff retention. For a considerably reduced subset of the data, a fifth indicator – strike activity – is also considered alongside the other behavioral outcomes. From one perspective, the expression of collective voice through works council-type entities may be construed as largely beneficial, especially when compared with their counterpart union agencies either operating alone or in a dominant position. However, if heightened distributional struggles explain these differential outcomes in workplace employee representation, it should not go unremarked that the influence of formal collective bargaining is seemingly positive.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:239:y:2019:i:1:p:111-154:n:1
    DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2017-0146
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    Cited by:

    1. Addison, John T. & Teixeira, Paulino, 2018. "What Do Workers Want? The Shortfall in Employee Participation at the European Workplace," IZA Discussion Papers 11506, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. John T. Addison & Paulino Teixeira, 2020. "Trust and Workplace Performance," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(4), pages 874-903, December.
    3. John T. Addison & Paulino Teixeira, 2018. "The Shortfall in Formal Employee Participation at the European Workplace," CESifo Working Paper Series 7399, CESifo.
    4. Mohrenweiser, Jens, 2022. "Works Councils," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1103, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    employee representation; works councils; union agencies; labor organization; collective bargaining; strikes; industrial relations climate; employee motivation and retention;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • J52 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Dispute Resolution: Strikes, Arbitration, and Mediation
    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence
    • J83 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Workers' Rights

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