IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iso/educat/0233.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Works Councils and Apprenticeship Training: Heterogeneous Works Councils, Heterogeneous Effects?

Author

Listed:
  • Kathrin Weis
  • Samuel Muehlemann
  • Harald Pfeifer

Abstract

In Germany, works councils possess co-determination rights concerning apprenticeship training, which may influence training outcomes in firms. While the literature commonly assumes homogeneous effects of works councils, this study reveals considerable heterogeneity in their involvement in training-related decisions. Using representative German firm-level data, we explore two dimensions of works councils' heterogeneity: their participation in various decisions and their success in enforcing agendas. We document the extent to which works councils influence decisions on hiring apprentices, determining the number of apprentices, and retention after training. Our findings indicate that works council participation is associated with higher training propensity and retention rates, but no significant effect on the number of apprentices hired. However, the number of apprentices is notably higher in firms with collective bargaining agreements. Interestingly, works councils that are rated as successful are associated with lower retention rates, highlighting potential conflicts between representing the interests of apprentices and those of other worker groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Kathrin Weis & Samuel Muehlemann & Harald Pfeifer, 2024. "Works Councils and Apprenticeship Training: Heterogeneous Works Councils, Heterogeneous Effects?," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0233, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    • Handle: RePEc:iso:educat:0233
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://repec.business.uzh.ch/RePEc/iso/leadinghouse/0233_lhwpaper.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Simon Jäger & Shakked Noy & Benjamin Schoefer, 2022. "The German Model of Industrial Relations: Balancing Flexibility and Collective Action," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 36(4), pages 53-80, Fall.
    2. Askildsen, Jan Erik & Jirjahn, Uwe & Smith, Stephen C., 2006. "Works councils and environmental investment: Theory and evidence from German panel data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 346-372, July.
    3. John T. Addison & Paulino Teixeira & Lutz Bellmann, 2020. "Management Practices and Establishment Performance under Non-Union Workplace Representation," CESifo Working Paper Series 8599, CESifo.
    4. Ellguth, Peter & Kohaut, Susanne, 2022. "Tarifbindung und betriebliche Interessenvertretung: Ergebnisse aus dem IAB-Betriebspanel 2021," WSI-Mitteilungen, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 75(4), pages 328-336.
    5. Christian Dustmann & Uta Schönberg, 2009. "Training and Union Wages," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 91(2), pages 363-376, May.
    6. Christian Pfeifer, 2011. "The Heterogeneous Economic Consequences of Works Council Relations," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 131(1), pages 59-71.
    7. Ben Kriechel & Samuel Muehlemann & Harald Pfeifer & Miriam Schütte, 2014. "Works Councils, Collective Bargaining, and Apprenticeship Training – Evidence From German Firms," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 199-222, April.
    8. Jens Mohrenweiser & Uschi Backes‐Gellner, 2010. "Apprenticeship training: for investment or substitution?," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(5), pages 545-562, August.
    9. Akanksha Negi & Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2021. "Revisiting regression adjustment in experiments with heterogeneous treatment effects," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(5), pages 504-534, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Mohrenweiser, Jens, 2022. "Works Councils," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1103, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Uwe JIRJAHN & Stephen C. SMITH, 2018. "Nonunion Employee Representation: Theory And The German Experience With Mandated Works Councils," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(1), pages 201-233, March.
    3. Pardesi, Mantej, 2024. "Productivity convergence and firm’s training strategy," ROA Research Memorandum 003, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    4. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2021. "Works councils and organizational gender policies in Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(4), pages 1020-1048, December.
    5. Samuel Muehlemann & Harald Pfeifer & Bernhard Wittek, 2020. "The effect of business cycle expectations on the German apprenticeship market: Estimating the impact of Covid-19," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0171, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    6. Uwe Jirjahn, 2013. "Der Beitrag der Arbeitsmarktökonomik zur Erforschung von Gewerkschaften und Tarifvertragsbeziehungen in Deutschland," Research Papers in Economics 2013-03, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    7. Carolin Linckh & Caroline Neuber-Pohl & Harald Pfeifer, 2023. "The employment effects of raising negotiated minimum wages for apprentices," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0202, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    8. repec:bla:annpce:v:89:y:2018:i:1:p:201-233 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Verena Dill & Uwe Jirjahn, 2017. "Foreign owners and the quality of industrial relations in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 38(1), pages 5-25, February.
    10. Uwe Jirjahn, 2015. "Research on Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining in Germany: The Contribution of Labor Economics," Research Papers in Economics 2015-10, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    11. Jens MohrenweiserBy & Gabriele Wydra-Somaggio & Thomas Zwick, 2020. "Information advantages of training employers despite credible training certificates," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 72(3), pages 651-671.
    12. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2013. "Active Owners and the Failure of Newly Adopted Works Councils," Research Papers in Economics 2013-04, University of Trier, Department of Economics.
    13. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser, 2016. "Owner-Managers and the Failure of Newly Adopted Works Councils," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(4), pages 815-845, December.
    14. Pardesi, Mantej, 2024. "Productivity Convergence and Firm’s Training Strategy," Research Memorandum 003, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    15. Bhaskar, V & Holden, Steinar, 2002. "Wage Differentiation via Subsidised General Training," Economics Discussion Papers 8851, University of Essex, Department of Economics.
    16. Uwe Jirjahn & Jens Mohrenweiser & Stephen C Smith, 2022. "Works councils and workplace health promotion in Germany," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 43(3), pages 1059-1094, August.
    17. Pfeifer, Christian & Janssen, Simon & Yang, Philip & Backes-Gellner, Uschi, 2010. "Training Participation of an Aging Workforce in an Internal Labor Market," Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-447, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.
    18. Undral Byambadalai & Tatsushi Oka & Shota Yasui, 2024. "Estimating Distributional Treatment Effects in Randomized Experiments: Machine Learning for Variance Reduction," Papers 2407.16037, arXiv.org.
    19. Peter Jacobebbinghaus & Jens Mohrenweiser & Thomas Zwick, 2009. "Wie kann die durchschnittliche Ausbildungsquote in Deutschland korrekt gemessen werden?," AStA Wirtschafts- und Sozialstatistisches Archiv, Springer;Deutsche Statistische Gesellschaft - German Statistical Society, vol. 3(4), pages 225-240, December.
    20. A. van den Berg & Y.K. Grift & A. van Witteloostuijn & C. Boone & O. van der Brempt, 2013. "The effect of employee workplace representation on firm performance: A cross-country comparison within Europe," Working Papers 13-05, Utrecht School of Economics.
    21. Burdin, Gabriel & Dughera, Stefano & Landini, Fabio & Belloc, Filippo, 2023. "Contested Transparency: Digital Monitoring Technologies and Worker Voice," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1340, Global Labor Organization (GLO).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Works council heterogeneity; apprenticeship training; training quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General
    • J53 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Labor-Management Relations; Industrial Jurisprudence
    • M53 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Training

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:iso:educat:0233. 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: Sara Brunner (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/isuzhch.html .

    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.