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From collectivism towards segmentalism: Institutional change in German vocational training

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  • Thelen, Kathleen Ann
  • Busemeyer, Marius R.

Abstract

This paper argues that the German system of vocational training is undergoing subtle but significant changes from a mainly collectivist system to a more segmentalist one. To make the argument, the paper first discusses the two logics of collectivism and segmentalism, and how the German system is characterized by longstanding tensions between competing collectivist and segmentalist interests. In the empirical section, recent trends in the German system are portrayed to show that the system's segmentalist dimension has been strengthened at the expense of its collectivist dimension. These trends can be seen from developments in the participation of firms in training and from the changing politics of vocational training reform. To buttress our argument, we present three case studies on the debate over the modularization and Europeanization of vocational training, on the (re)introduction of two-year apprenticeships and on the unfolding conflict on vocational exams respectively. Before we conclude, we highlight parallels in contemporary trends in vocational training and changes in other realms of the German political economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Thelen, Kathleen Ann & Busemeyer, Marius R., 2008. "From collectivism towards segmentalism: Institutional change in German vocational training," MPIfG Discussion Paper 08/13, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:mpifgd:0813
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lynch, Lisa M. (ed.), 1994. "Training and the Private Sector," National Bureau of Economic Research Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226498102, September.
    2. Thelen,Kathleen, 2004. "How Institutions Evolve," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521837682, September.
    3. Cusack, Thomas R. & Iversen, Torben & Soskice, David, 2007. "Economic interests and the origins of electoral systems," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Institutions, States, Markets SP II 2007-07, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    4. Lisa M. Lynch, 1994. "Training and the Private Sector: International Comparisons," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number lync94-1.
    5. Thelen,Kathleen, 2004. "How Institutions Evolve," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521546744, September.
    6. Bernard Casey, 1991. "Recent Developments in the German Apprenticeship System," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 29(2), pages 205-222, June.
    7. Cusack, Thomas R. & Iversen, Torben & Soskice, David, 2007. "Economic Interests and the Origins of Electoral Systems," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 101(3), pages 373-391, August.
    8. David Soskice, 1994. "Reconciling Markets and Institutions: The German Apprenticeship System," NBER Chapters, in: Training and the Private Sector: International Comparisons, pages 25-60, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Finegold, David & Soskice, David, 1988. "The Failure of Training in Britain: Analysis and Prescription," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 4(3), pages 21-53, Autumn.
    10. Hassel, Anke & Rehder, Britta, 2001. "Institutional change in the German wage bargaining system: The role of big companies," MPIfG Working Paper 01/9, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
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    Cited by:

    1. Busemeyer, Marius R., 2011. "Varieties of cross-class coalitions in the politics of dualization: Insights from the case of vocational training in Germany," MPIfG Discussion Paper 11/13, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    2. Jones, Chris & Temouri, Yama, 2016. "The determinants of tax haven FDI," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 237-250.
    3. Marius R. Busemeyer, 2012. "Business as a Pivotal Actor in the Politics of Training Reform: Insights from the Case of Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(4), pages 690-713, December.
    4. Eichhorst, Werner & Marx, Paul, 2009. "From the Dual Apprenticeship System to a Dual Labor Market? The German High-Skill Equilibrium and the Service Economy," IZA Discussion Papers 4220, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. 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.

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