IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nms/mamere/1861-9908_mrev_2005_01_singe.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

US Multi-Nationals and the German Industrial Relations System

Author

Listed:
  • Ingo Singe

    (Hamburg University)

  • Richard Croucher

    (Senior Research Fellow, Human Resource Research Centre, Cranfield School of Management)

Abstract

This paper critically reviews literature on the behaviour of US-based Multi National Companies (MNCs) in Germany in relation to the historic institutions of the German labour market: works councils and industry wide collective bargaining. The German system is becoming increasingly company-rather than sectorally centred, and US-based companies have reinforced a wing of German employer opinion seeking to further these developments. Surveys show US-based companies generally accepting works councils and sectoral bargains but case study evidence also shows them seeking to weaken links with parts of the system external to the company. A typology is proposed and it is argued that many US-based companies appear to follow a ?formal compliance/content avoidance dichotomy? tending to exacerbate the system?s existing tendencies towards disarticulation. They also tend to explore all options available to them within the existing system. A research agenda is suggested.

Suggested Citation

  • Ingo Singe & Richard Croucher, 2005. "US Multi-Nationals and the German Industrial Relations System," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 16(1), pages 123-137.
    • Handle: RePEc:nms:mamere:1861-9908_mrev_2005_01_singe
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/10.5771/0935-9915-2005-1-123
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Streeck, Wolfgang & Rehder, Britta, 2003. "Der Flächentarifvertrag: Krise, Stabilität und Wandel," MPIfG Working Paper 03/6, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    2. Anne Tempel, 2002. "Multinational Companies, Institutional Environments and the Diffusion of Industrial Relations Practices," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Mike Geppert & Dirk Matten & Karen Williams (ed.), Challenges for European Management in a Global Context — Experiences from Britain and Germany, chapter 6, pages 143-164, Palgrave Macmillan.
    3. William N. Cooke & Deborah S. Noble, 1998. "Industrial Relations Systems and US Foreign Direct Investment Abroad," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 581-609, December.
    4. Anke Hassel, 1999. "The Erosion of the German System of Industrial Relations," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 37(3), pages 483-505, September.
    5. Matthias Kipping, 1997. "Consultancies, Institutions and the Diffusion of Taylorism in Britain, Germany and France, 1920s to 1950s," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(4), pages 67-83.
    6. Oecd, 2002. "Access for Business," OECD Digital Economy Papers 67, OECD Publishing.
    7. Anke Hassel, 2002. "The Erosion Continues: Reply," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 40(2), pages 309-317, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sang-Woo Lee, 2010. "A Comparison of the British and the German Industrial Relations and its Implications," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 13(1), pages 167-182, March.
    2. Anthony Ferner & Jacques Bélanger & Olga Tregaskis & Michael Morley & Javier Quintanilla, 2013. "U.S. Multinationals and the Control of Subsidiary Employment Policies," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 66(3), pages 645-669, May.
    3. Johannes Meuer & Marlies Kluike & Uschi Backes-Gellner & Kerstin Pull, 2018. "Using expatriates for adapting subsidiaries' employment modes to different market economies: a comparative analysis of US subsidiaries in Germany, the UK and Switzerland," Working Papers 372, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    4. Tüselmann, Heinz-Josef & Cao, Qi & Dörrenbächer, Christoph & Meißner, Heinz-Rudolf, 2020. "Mitbestimmungsverhalten und Arbeitsbeziehungen in ausländischen Unternehmen in Deutschland: Ergebnisse einer vergleichenden Management- und Betriebsräteumfrage," Study / edition der Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf, volume 127, number 444, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dr Alex Bryson, 2011. "Change and Persistence in the German Model of Collective Bargaining and Worker Representation," National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers 382, National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
    2. 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.
    3. John T Addison & Paulino Teixeira & André Pahnke & Lutz Bellmann, 2017. "The demise of a model? The state of collective bargaining and worker representation in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 38(2), pages 193-234, May.
    4. Addison, John T. & Bryson, Alex & Teixeira, Paulino & Pahnke, André & Bellmann, Lutz, 2010. "The State of Collective Bargaining and Worker Representation in Germany: The Erosion Continues," IZA Discussion Papers 5030, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. John T. Addison & Paulino Teixeira & Katalin Evers & Lutz Bellmann, 2016. "Is the Erosion Thesis Overblown? Alignment from Without in Germany," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 415-443, July.
    6. Kathleen Thelen, 2009. "Institutional Change in Advanced Political Economies," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 47(3), pages 471-498, September.
    7. Addison, John T. & Teixeira, Paulino & Evers, Katalin & Bellmann, Lutz, 2012. "Is the Erosion Thesis Overblown? Evidence from the Orientation of Uncovered Employers," IZA Discussion Papers 6658, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Addison, John T. & Teixeira, Paulino & Bryson, Alex & Pahnke, André, 2011. "The Structure of Collective Bargaining and Worker Representation: Change and Persistence in the German Model," IZA Discussion Papers 5987, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. John T. Addison & Paulino Teixeira & Alex Bryson & André Pahnke, 2013. "Collective Agreement Status and Survivability: Change and Persistence in the German Model," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 27(3), pages 288-309, September.
    10. Stefan Zagelmeyer, 2011. "Company-level collective agreements during the 2008-2010 crisis: four cases from Germany," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 17(3), pages 355-370, August.
    11. Schnabel, Claus, 2006. "Verbetrieblichung der Lohnfindung und der Festlegung von Arbeitsbedingungen," Arbeitspapiere 118, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf.
    12. Pereira, Pedro & Ribeiro, Tiago, 2011. "The impact on broadband access to the Internet of the dual ownership of telephone and cable networks," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 283-293, March.
    13. Kerstin Pull, 2003. "Der Einfluss personalpolitischer Flexibilität auf die Standortwahl Multinationaler Unternehmen: eine empirische Analyse," IAAEG Discussion Papers until 2011 200301, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    14. Vitor Braga, 2004. "Business networking for SMEs as a means to promote regional competitiveness: A Theoretical Framework," ERSA conference papers ersa04p455, European Regional Science Association.
    15. M. Kamil Kozan & Levent Akdeniz, 2014. "Role of Strong versus Weak Networks in Small Business Growth in an Emerging Economy," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-16, February.
    16. Silvia Teuber & Uschi Backes-Gellner, 2012. "How do companies adjust their organization to national institutions: evidence from matched-pair engineering companies," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0082, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW), revised Apr 2013.
    17. Junfu Zhang, 2011. "The advantage of experienced start-up founders in venture capital acquisition: evidence from serial entrepreneurs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 36(2), pages 187-208, February.
    18. Ian Greer & Thorsten Schulten & Nils Böhlke, 2013. "How Does Market Making Affect Industrial Relations? Evidence from Eight German Hospitals," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 51(2), pages 215-239, June.
    19. Ágnes Nemcsicsné Zsóka, 2007. "The role of organisational culture in the environmental awareness of companies," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 12(2), pages 109-131.
    20. Palmero, Alfredo Jiménez & Herrera, Juan José Durán & Sabaté, Juan Manuel de la Fuente, 2013. "The role of psychic distance stimuli on the East-West FDI location structure in the EU. Evidence from Spanish MNEs," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 18(1), pages 36-65.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    US Multinationals; Germany; Industrial Relations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence
    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nms:mamere:1861-9908_mrev_2005_01_singe. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nomos.de/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.