Putting a number on it : a latent profile approach to the typology of European Works Councils

Purpose: Identify the different types of experiences of European Works Council (EWC) members based on the four fields of interaction of EWCs and evaluate their relative presence. Design/methodology/approach: Latent profile analysis using survey data of over 1600 EWC representatives from more than 300 EWCs. Findings: Five different types of EWC experience are identified (marginalized, dominated, spearhead, participative and transnational forum). After 22 years of experience with EWCs, only a small minority of EWC representatives consider their EWC to be a participative structure. While trade union support and training increase the value of belonging to a well-functioning EWC type, they are not enough to circumvent structural obstacles. Additionally the analysis shows that domination by some countries in the functioning of an EWC is not always negative as this experience is present in both well- and ill-functioning EWC types. Research limitations/implications: The article argues that research should focus more on the moments of regression which EWCs face; and take a more nuanced approach to the domination by some countries of how EWCs function. Social implications: The article adds to the growing body of evidence that argues for structural intervention to improve EWC functioning. Originality/value: This article uses insights from comparative case study research to cross-validate the findings using quantitative methods.