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Organizational determinants of wage moderation

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  • Baccaro, Lucio
  • Simoni, Marco

Abstract

This article contributes to the political economic literature regarding the effects of industrial relations institutions on national economic outcomes. Based on an econometric analysis of the determinants of wage moderation in sixteen industrialized countries between 1974 and 2000, it argues that the organizational characteristics of trade unions have a significant impact on wage dynamics. Controlling for a number of institutional and economic factors, the countries in which trade union confederations directly involve workers in the process of collective bargaining ratification have on average lower wage growth relative to productivity than others. The authors also find that collective bargaining coordination and contract ratification magnify each other's wage-dampening effect. Through case studies of Ireland and Italy, the article examines the causal mechanisms underlying the uncovered statistical regularities and concludes that, particularly at a time in which classic political exchange is waning, worker involvement in contract ratification allows confederation leaders to resolve conflicting claims inside their organizations at lower wage levels than are achieved by a less participatory governance process.

Suggested Citation

  • Baccaro, Lucio & Simoni, Marco, 2010. "Organizational determinants of wage moderation," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 33510, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:33510
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/33510/
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    Cited by:

    1. Bernd Brandl, 2012. "Successful Wage Concertation: The Economic Effects of Wage Pacts and Their Alternatives," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(3), pages 482-501, September.
    2. Braakmann, Nils & Brandl, Bernd, 2016. "The Efficacy of Hybrid Collective Bargaining Systems: An Analysis of the Impact of Collective Bargaining on Company Performance in Europe," MPRA Paper 70025, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Sung Ho Park & Kevin L Young, 2015. "Wage moderation in the public sector: The experiences of 11 EMU countries in the recent economic crisis, 2008–2010," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 36(4), pages 575-609, November.
    4. Alison Johnston, 2012. "European Economic and Monetary Union’s perverse effects on sectoral wage inflation: Negative feedback effects from institutional change?," European Union Politics, , vol. 13(3), pages 345-366, September.
    5. Fritz W. Scharpf, 2011. "Monetary Union, Fiscal Crisis and the Preemption of Democracy," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 36, European Institute, LSE.
    6. Thommen, Yann, 2022. "Reforms of collective bargaining institutions in European Union countries: Bad timing, bad outcomes?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    7. Laust Høgedahl & Christian Lyhne Ibsen & Flemming Ibsen, 2024. "Public sector wage bargaining and the balanced growth model: Denmark and Sweden compared," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 30(1), pages 55-75, March.
    8. Fritz W. Scharpf, 2011. "Monetary Union, Fiscal Crisis and the Preemption of Democracy," Europe in Question Discussion Paper Series of the London School of Economics (LEQs) 6, London School of Economics / European Institute.
    9. Scharpf, Fritz W., 2011. "Monetary union, fiscal crisis and the preemption of democracy," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 53448, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Patrick Lunz, 2013. "What's left of the left? Partisanship and the political economy of labour market reform: why has the social democratic party in Germany liberalised labour markets?," Europe in Question Discussion Paper Series of the London School of Economics (LEQs) 5, London School of Economics / European Institute.
    11. Scharpf, Fritz W., 2011. "Monetary union, fiscal crisis and the preemption of democracy," MPIfG Discussion Paper 11/11, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    12. Bernd Brandl & Christian Lyhne Ibsen, 2017. "Instability and Change in Collective Bargaining: An Analysis of the Effects of Changing Institutional Structures," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 55(3), pages 527-550, September.
    13. Christian Lyhne Ibsen & Lisa Sezer & Virginia Doellgast, 2023. "Coordination versus organization: Diverging logics of firm cooperation in Denmark and Sweden," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 61(3), pages 526-549, September.
    14. Huo, Jingjing, 2015. "How Nations Innovate: The Political Economy of Technological Innovation in Affluent Capitalist Economies," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198735847.
    15. Chris Minns & Marian Rizov, 2015. "Institutions, history and wage bargaining outcomes: international evidence from the post-World War Two era," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(3), pages 358-375, April.
    16. Patrick Lunz, 2013. "What's left of the left? Partisanship and the political economy of labour market reform: why has the social democratic party in Germany liberalised labour markets?," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 65, European Institute, LSE.
    17. Christian Lyhne Ibsen, 2016. "The Role of Mediation Institutions in Sweden and Denmark after Centralized Bargaining," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(2), pages 285-310, June.
    18. Johnston, Alison, 2011. "The revenge of Baumol's cost disease?: monetary union and the rise of public sector wage inflation," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 53280, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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