This paper analyzes the role of works councils as gatekeepers safeguarding employee's interests in the adoption of monitoring practices. We first introduce a formal model predicting that (i) the introduction of monitoring practices leads to a stronger increase (or weaker decrease) in job...

Many citizens are relatively dissatisfied with the democratic regimes they live in, which can be a threat to political stability. This paper reports empirical evidence that workers in firms with works councils are on average significantly more satisfied with the democracy as it exists in Germany...

A series of studies show that unions and works councils have an influence on workers' political activities and attitudes. However, at issue are the transmission channels through which worker representation impacts workers' political activities and attitudes. This article discusses from a...

A series of studies show that unions and works councils have an influence on workers' political activities and attitudes. However, at issue are the transmission channels through which worker representation impacts workers' political activities and attitudes. This article discusses from a...

Servant leadership has been identified as extremely important for organizational performance and success; therefore, much focus is placed on developing and maintaining leaders' positive attitudes and behaviors toward their subordinates. Different servant models have been put out by earlier...

Betriebsräte sind nur noch in 7 Prozent der Betriebe anzutreffen. Der Verbreitungsgrad ist im langfristigen Trend deutlich gesunken. Dies ist jedoch nicht mit fehlenden angemessenen Partizipationsmöglichkeiten gleichzusetzen. Vielerorts existieren alternative Formen der Interessenvertretung...

Digitalisation in the public sector presents both opportunities and challenges, impacting working conditions, work organisation and social dialogue, yet research on its effects remains limited, especially in Germany. In particular, the role of digitalisation in shaping work dynamics, workload...

This paper investigates one aspect of the structured management practices literature which has argued that exogenous legislative changes leading to reductions in union power (identified with the passage of RTW laws) serve to increase the use of management incentives practices often resisted by...

A series of studies show that unions and works councils have an influence on workers' political activities and attitudes. However, at issue are the transmission channels through which worker representation impacts workers' political activities and attitudes. This article discusses from a...

The objective of the article is to determine the prospects for the development of BLER (board-level employee representation) in the new EU countries. To achieve this goal, a critical analysis of the literature on the subject and relevant legal regulations was used. In the old countries of the...

This study examines the interplay of co-determination law and board gender quotas using novel board-director panel data for Norway. We present descriptive evidence suggesting that boards with employee representatives on boards of directors were more gender diverse before the gender quota....

The working paper uses the example of digitalization to showcase how European Works Councils can further develop their participation practices in companies and their various locations. There is both room and need for improvement in organizing decent digital work and in the use of information and...

We present an experimental test of a procedurally fair co-determination mechanism where group members reduce their value uncertainty before submitting bids for a joint project. The results suggest a relatively efficient mechanism, with unprofitable projects being largely rejected and profitable...

We give an overview of the "German model" of industrial relations. We organize our review by focusing on the two pillars of the model: sectoral collective bargaining and firm-level codetermination. Relative to the United States, Germany outsources collective bargaining to the sectoral level,...

This chapter reviews the economic effects of employee representation with statutory consultation and information rights at the workplace, the works councils. The chapter summarises the international literature which is heavily skewed towards the German case. This review focuses, first, on the...

In 2013, mandatory worker representation on French corporate boards was enacted. We examine the way employee directors have been incorporated within the board machinery. Our empirical results indicate that employee representatives have a limited access to board committees. This result casts...

Using a unique dataset of establishments in Germany surveyed during the Covid-19 pandemic, this study investigates whether personnel adjustments during the crisis differed between establishments with and without a works council. Our regression analyses show that the hiring and dismissal rate as...

The aim of this study is to analyse the challenges posed by artificial intelligence based worker management (AIWM) systems in relation to psychosocial risks and the role of worker participation structures in identifying, assessing, preventing and mitigating psychosocial risks arising from AIWM....

From a theoretical viewpoint it is not clear whether or not works councils contribute to workplace democracy. This study is the first to provide systematic evidence that employees in establishments with a works council experience more democracy at work than the ones in establishments without a...

We study the descriptive and substantive representation of workers through worker representatives, focusing on the selection of German works council representatives and their impact on worker outcomes. Becoming a professional representative leads to substantial wage gains for the elected,...