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A Critical Assessment of the Theoretical and Empirical Research on German Works Councils
Author(s) -
Frege Carola M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
british journal of industrial relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.665
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-8543
pISSN - 0007-1080
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8543.00230
Subject(s) - german , politics , democracy , political science , empirical research , public administration , ontology , sociology , public relations , epistemology , law , history , philosophy , archaeology
The article reviews the existing English‐ and German‐speaking literature on the German works council. Three major research topics are discussed: the ontology and typologies of works councils; their current practice and transformation; and their economic outcomes. Although much research has been conducted on the internal functioning of the works council–management relationship, it is clear that we still know little about the determinants of different workplace relations and their outcomes. The article concludes by advocating a reviving research interest in the link between codetermination and political democracy.