Few discussions in modern social science have occupied as much attention as the changing nature of welfare states in Western societies. Gosta Esping-Andersen, one of the foremost contributors to current debates on this issue, here provides a new analysis of the character and role of welfare states in the functioning of contemporary advanced Western societies. Esping-Andersen distinguishes three major types of welfare state, connecting these with variations in the historical development of different Western countries. He argues that current economic processes, such as those moving toward a postindustrial order, are shaped not by autonomous market forces but by the nature of states and state differences. Fully informed by comparative materials, this book will have great appeal to all those working on issues of economic development and postindustrialism. Its audience will include students of sociology, economics, and politics."

The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism

A Theory of Capitalist Regulation: The U.S. Experience

This paper investigates the interaction between establishment-level codetermination and industry-level collective bargaining in Germany. Based on a simple bargaining model we derive our main hypothesis: In establishments covered by collective bargaining agreements works councils are more likely to be engaged in productivity enhancing activities and less engaged in rent seeking activities than their counterparts in uncovered firms. Using data from German manufacturing establishments, our empirical analysis confirms this hypothesis. The presence of works councils exerts a positive impact on productivity within the covered industrial relations regime but not within the uncovered industrial relations regime. In contrast, the presence of works councils has a positive effect on wages within the uncovered industrial relations regime but not to the same degree within the covered industrial relations regime.

Works Councils and Collective Bargaining in Germany: The Impact on Productivity and Wages

Works councils are the most important pillar of workplace industrial relations in Germany but little is known of their economic effects. The paper uses a modern, large-scale dataset to examine this issue. Consonant with recent applied theoretical conjectures, it is found that works councils are associated with reduced labour fluctuation, higher productivity (in larger establishments only), and no reduction in innovative activity. Yet they are also associated with lower profitability and higher wages. This concatenation of results, although not inconsistent with efficiency, underscores the need for closer investigation of the institution given actual and prospective EU works council mandates.

Works Councils in Germany: Their Effects on Establishment Performance

The present review retraces the steps of the industrial and agriculture revolution that have taken place up to the present day, giving ideas and considerations for the future. This paper analyses the specific challenges facing agriculture along the farming supply chain to permit the operative implementation of Industry 4.0 guidelines. The subsequent scientific value is an investigation of how Industry 4.0 approaches can be improved and be pertinent to the agricultural sector. However, industry is progressing at a much faster rate than agriculture. In fact, already today experts talk about Industry 5.0. On the other hand, the 4.0 revolution in agriculture is still limited to a few innovative firms. For this reason, this work deals with how technological development affects different sectors (industry and agriculture) in different ways. In this innovative background, despite the advantages of industry or agriculture 4.0 for large enterprises, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often face complications in such innovative processes due to the continuous development in innovations and technologies. Policy makers should propose strategies, calls for proposals with aim of supporting SMEs to invest on these technologies and making them more competitive in the marketplace.

https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/7/1/36/pdf

Revolution 4.0: Industry vs. Agriculture in a Future Development for SMEs

Germany: From Collective Voice to Co-management

Soziologie der industriellen Beziehungen : eine Einführung

Konfliktpartnerschaft: Akteure und Institutionen der industriellen Beziehungen

"The Anglo-Saxon terminology, going back to S. and B. Webb will be compared with the German vocabulary of Wirtschaftsdemokratie and co-determination." - from introduction in a Special Issue: Industrial Democracy.

https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/79001/1/756832780.pdf

Walther Müller-Jentsch

Papers

Germany: From Collective Voice to Co-management

Soziologie der industriellen Beziehungen : eine Einführung

Germany: From Collective Voice to Co-management

Konfliktpartnerschaft: Akteure und Institutionen der industriellen Beziehungen

Industrial Democracy: Historical Development and Current Challenges **