Works council 'disaffection' and establishment survivability. (17th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Addison, John T.; Teixeira, Paulino; Grunau, Philipp; Bellmann, Lutz
• Is Part Of: Scottish journal of political economy. Volume 70:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 38
• Page End: 67
• Publication Date: 2022-07-17
• Subjects: collective bargaining regime -- dissonance -- plant closings -- rent seeking -- works councils; Great Britain -- Economic conditions -- 1945-1964 -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Economic conditions -- 1964-1979 -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Economic conditions -- 1979-1997 -- Periodicals; 330.9411005
• DOI: 10.1111/sjpe.12330
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0036-9292

Abstract

Abstract: This article investigates the association between a measure of works council heterogeneity and plant closings in Germany, 2006–2015. Two datasets are used to identify failed establishments, while institutional heterogeneity is captured by management perceptions of the role of the works council in managerial decision making and also by allowing for works council learning. The potential moderating role of sectoral collective bargaining is also examined. We report that works councils per se are not associated with plant closure. Rather, it is establishments with disaffected councils that display higher rates of closure. The latter result does not obtain where such establishments are covered by sectoral agreements; an outcome that is consistent with the literature on the mitigation of rent‐seeking behaviour, and one that also receives support from our finding that plants with dissonant councils are more likely than their consensual counterparts to transition into sectoral bargaining coverage. On the other hand, there is only limited evidence of works council learning.