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Trade union research and cross-national comparison

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  • Hyman, Richard

Abstract

This article is concerned with problems of comparative research and analysis in industrial relations, and in particular with cross-national comparison of trade unions. Comparison is of both practical and theoretical importance, but is fraught with difficulties, in part because of the paradox involved in attempting to generalise concerning national instances which are in so many respects unique. The author considers three different approaches to analysis, in terms respectively of institutions, functions and issues. In conclusion the article emphasises the iterative nature of research and analysis and insists that even if the goal of satisfactory cross-national comparison may be unattainable, its pursuit is both necessary and valuable.

Suggested Citation

  • Hyman, Richard, 2001. "Trade union research and cross-national comparison," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 757, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:757
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/757/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard Rose & W. J. M. Mackenzie, 1991. "Comparing Forms of Comparative Analysis," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 39(3), pages 446-462, September.
    2. Wallerstein, Michael, 1989. "Union Organization in Advanced Industrial Democracies," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 83(2), pages 481-501, June.
    3. Richard M. Locke & Kathleen Thelen, 1995. "Apples and Oranges Revisited: Contextualized Comparisons and the Study of Comparative Labor Politics," Politics & Society, , vol. 23(3), pages 337-367, September.
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    5. Hibbs, Douglas A., 1978. "On the Political Economy of Long-Run Trends in Strike Activity," British Journal of Political Science, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(2), pages 153-175, April.
    6. Golden,Miriam A., 1997. "Heroic Defeats," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521484329.
    7. Wolfgang Streeck, 1987. "The Uncertainties of Management in the Management of Uncertainty," International Journal of Political Economy, M.E. Sharpe, Inc., vol. 17(3), pages 57-87, October.
    8. Richard Hyman, 1994. "Theory and Industrial Relations," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 32(2), pages 165-180, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrea Signoretti, 2021. "Workplace processes and employment opportunities for vulnerable social groups," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 27(1), pages 77-92, March.
    2. McGuire, Donna & Scherrer, Christoph, 2010. "Developing a Labour Voice in Trade Policy at the National Level," GLU Working Papers 8, Global Labour University (GLU).
    3. Christian Dufour & Adelheid Hege, 2013. "Special Issue. Edited by: Gregor Murray, Christian Lévesque, Christian Dufour and Adelheid Hege," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(4), pages 355-372, July.
    4. Sophie Pochic & Cécile Guillaume, 2021. "Understanding women’s under representation in union leadership roles: the contribution of a ‘career’ methodology," Post-Print hal-03446856, HAL.
    5. Sukti DASGUPTA, 2002. "Attitudes towards trade unions in Bangladesh, Brazil, Hungary and Tanzania," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 141(4), pages 413-440, December.
    6. Emma Hughes & Tony Dobbins, 2021. "Frontier of control struggles in British and Irish public transport," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 27(3), pages 327-344, September.
    7. Giannakopoulos, Nicholas & Nicolitsas, Daphne, 2022. "Employers' associations and trade unions: co-existence or more?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1140, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    8. Torsten Geelan, 2013. "Responses of trade union confederations to the youth employment crisis," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 19(3), pages 399-413, August.
    9. Jörg Flecker & Franz Schultheis & Berthold Vogel, 2016. "A ‘Problem of Fairness’ in the Making: The Transformation of Public Services from the Perspective of Postal Workers," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(4), pages 768-789, December.
    10. Gregory Jackson & Sarosh Kuruvilla & Carola Frege, 2013. "Across Boundaries: The Global Challenges Facing Workers and Employment Research 50th Anniversary Special Issue," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 51(3), pages 425-439, September.

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    More about this item

    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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