TY - UNPB
T1 - The effect of employee workplace representation on firm performance: A cross-country comparison within Europe
AU - van den Berg, A.
AU - Grift, Y.K.
AU - van Witteloostuijn, A.
AU - Boone, C.
AU - van der Brempt, O.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - In this paper, we contribute to the extant Industrial Relations literature, which is almost completely confined to estimating the effects of worker participation within a single country, by conducting a comparative multi-country study using unique data from the European Company Survey 2009. We compare representation regimes within the European Union. We categorize the EU Member States into five clusters with similar participation characteristics: the Germanic, French, Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian and transition cluster. Across these clusters, we first estimate the effects of the presence of what we refer to as an information and consultation body on firm performance, measured by economic performance of the establishment as assessed by managers-respondents. Second, we estimate the effects of managerial attitudes on performance, as we assume – and find – that only taking into account the mere presence of a worker representation is insufficient, as mutual understandings between management and employee representatives affect the functioning of the employee representation body, and hence firm performance.
AB - In this paper, we contribute to the extant Industrial Relations literature, which is almost completely confined to estimating the effects of worker participation within a single country, by conducting a comparative multi-country study using unique data from the European Company Survey 2009. We compare representation regimes within the European Union. We categorize the EU Member States into five clusters with similar participation characteristics: the Germanic, French, Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian and transition cluster. Across these clusters, we first estimate the effects of the presence of what we refer to as an information and consultation body on firm performance, measured by economic performance of the establishment as assessed by managers-respondents. Second, we estimate the effects of managerial attitudes on performance, as we assume – and find – that only taking into account the mere presence of a worker representation is insufficient, as mutual understandings between management and employee representatives affect the functioning of the employee representation body, and hence firm performance.
KW - employee representation
KW - works councils
KW - firm performance
KW - international comparison
KW - Europe
KW - ECS2009
M3 - Working paper
T3 - Discussion Paper Series / Tjalling C. Koopmans Research Institute
BT - The effect of employee workplace representation on firm performance: A cross-country comparison within Europe
PB - UU USE Tjalling C. Koopmans Research Institute
CY - Utrecht
ER -