European Integration and Industrial Relations Multi-Level Governance in the Making

by Marginson, Paul; Sisson, Keith

• ISBN13: 9780333968666
• ISBN10: 0333968662
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-10-01
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

This book explores the impact of the Single European Market (SEM) on the institutions of industrial relations and their outcomes after ten years of operation. The authors consider two competing hypotheses: "Europeanization" and "Americanization", and find that both are true up to a point. They show how the SEM is bringing about a measure of cross-border convergence between companies within sectors whilst simultaneously leading to a greater within-country diversity between companies in different sectors. Based on the results generated by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council's 'One Europe or Several?' program, this book provides a multi-disciplinary and truly cross-national approach dealing with the both the theory and practice of industrial relations in the SEM.

Author Biography

Paul Marginson is Principal Research Fellow, IRRU, University of Warwick Business School, UK.

Keith Sisson is Emeritus Professor of Industrial Relations, IRRU, University of Warwick Business School, UK.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	x
List of Tables	xi
List of Abbreviations	xiii
Preface	xv
1 Introduction: Contested Terrain	1	(27)
EMU and its implications - threats and opportunities?	3	(5)
EMU and industrial relations - competing perspectives?	8	(9)
Wider considerations	17	(7)
Multi-level governance in the making?	24	(4)
2 The Starting Point:Three Key Dimensions	28	(26)
The economic dimension - a regional bloc within a global economy	28	(6)
The political dimension - a developed political space	34	(3)
The social dimension - a mix of EU framework and national systems	37	(15)
Summary and conclusion	52	(2)
3 Multi-Level Governance in the Making: Introducing the Key Processes	54	(27)
Collective bargaining - traditional process in a state of flux?	55	(8)
Coordinated bargaining - not necessarily second best?	63	(7)
The rise of benchmarking	70	(6)
Coping with common constraints: the informal processes of 'isomorphism'	76	(2)
Conclusion: complementary rather than alternative processes?	78	(3)
4 Industrial Relations at EU Community and Sector Levels: a Glass Half Full as Well as Half Empty?	81	(37)
The acquis communautaire	82	(10)
Wages, employment and 'open coordination' - benchmarking towards 'Europeanization'?	92	(5)
The sector dimension - encountering variable terrain	97	(18)
Conclusions and implications	115	(3)
5 National 'Social Pacts':A Case of 'Re-nationalization' and 'Europeanization'?	118	(25)
Key features	120	(10)
A common logic?	130	(5)
'Regime competition' or 'regime collaboration'?	135	(3)
Future prospects	138	(3)
Conclusions and implications	141	(2)
6 National Sector Agreements: The Foundations under Threat?	143	(31)
A contested logic?	144	(9)
EMU exacerbates the pressures	153	(8)
The challenge of unorganized activities	161	(2)
Reform, erosion or abolition? A range of responses	163	(9)
Conclusions and implications	172	(2)
7 The Changing Balance between Sector and Company Bargaining: Two Sectors Compared	174	(42)
The countries and sectors in focus	176	(4)
Further decentralization: the changing role of sector agreements	180	(6)
Pull-down as well as top-down: the nature and extent of company-level bargaining	186	(4)
The role of large companies: reform rather than revolution?	190	(10)
Handling new and reconfigured business activities: a choice point	200	(4)
The cross-border dimension	204	(4)
Converging divergencies	208	(4)
Conclusions and implications	212	(4)
8 The Euro-Company: Focal Point for the Europeanization of Industrial Relations?	216	(30)
Social dumping: the worst excesses avoided?	219	(4)
Two dimensions of cross-border management practice	223	(5)
European Works Councils - providing the platform for 'Europeanization'?	228	(14)
Conclusions and implications	242	(4)
9 Wage Developments in a Multi-Level System: A Case of 'Convergence Without Coordination'?	246	(25)
Aggregate wages	248	(13)
The sector dimension - a case of 'converging divergences'?	261	(8)
Conclusions	269	(2)
10 Working Time Patterns: Confirming the Significance of the Sector	271	(18)
The duration of working time	274	(3)
The flexibility of working time	277	(10)
Conclusions	287	(2)
11 'One Europe' and 'Several Europes'? A Review of the Findings	289	(17)
The genesis of Europe's multi-level system	290	(3)
The effects of Europe's multi-level system	293	(8)
The impact of enlargement: more of the same or an unravelling of the balance?	301	(5)
12 Implications	306	(13)
Policy and practice - promoting 'regime collaboration'	306	(5)
Theoretical implications	311	(8)
Appendix: The Research Base	319	(8)
References	327	(21)
Index	348