Tackling the Crisis through Concession Bargaining: Five Company Cases from Germany

S.J. Zagelmeyer

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    13 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Purpose – This paper aims to present an analysis of the nature and drivers of company‐level concession bargaining during the financial crisis 2008‐10 in Germany. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on five company case studies. Data collection methods include document analysis and semi‐structured interviews. Findings – Using the five cases, it was possible to identify different ways in which companies were affected by the financial crisis itself, by various company‐level adjustment strategies, and by various implications of the crisis and the collective agreements resulting from it. The author found that company‐level social partners, supported by public policies, were able to avoid redundancies and keep employees in work, while helping the company to survive. Practical implications – The findings show that social partners at company level are able to agree on cooperative solutions to reduce labour costs in order to ensure the company's viability. Originality/value – The findings are important for understanding key aspects of the German “job miracle” both during and after the global financial crisis.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)232-251
    JournalInternational journal of manpower
    Volume34
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2013

    Keywords

    • METIS-280492
    • IR-89722

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Tackling the Crisis through Concession Bargaining: Five Company Cases from Germany'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this