Neocorporatist Employment Relations

Question 1

Neo-corporatist traditions

Answer 1

Maintaining equality of influence between regulated interest associations represented by individual free thinkers

Question 2

Characteristics of neo-corporatist traditions (2)

Answer 2

1. Believe in the participation of interest associations but only under political regulations
2. Prevents certain interest groups from gaining too much power and having too much influence over society

Question 3

Summary of neo-corporatist traditions (3)

Answer 3

A system that holds interest associations in check with other guarantees a political environment that makes decisions reflecting the most logical and best argued course of action instead of decisions that are merely requests of the most powerful interest association

1. holds interest associations in check with others
2. decisions reflect the most logical and best argued
3. not requests of the most powerful interest association

Question 4

3 Overarching theories of interest associations

Answer 4

1. Republican (Unitarist) traditions
2. Liberal (Pluralist) traditions
3. Corporatist traditions

Question 5

Republican (Unitarist) traditions characteristics (4)

Answer 5

1. No interest groups at all
2. Perceived as threats to core principle of democracy: individual free-thought
3. Interest associations force individuals to pick between a small collection of popular thought and removes the right of each person to express “only his own opinion”
4. The ability to act freely comes with individuals’ ability to instill harm and conflict within a society and challenge those above them

Question 6

Liberal (pluralist) traditions (3)

Answer 6

1. Interest associations are an essential source of liberty
2. Interests become the driving factor behind socio-political change and people stop using artificially drawn out moral justifications for their actions
3. The state should not interfere with any level with peoples’ interest associations or the relative power of groups

Question 7

Liberal (pluralist) traditions summary (3)

Answer 7

Individuals ability to freely organize into interest organization helps perpetuate a series of checks and balances within a political system where conflicting interests associations are challenged and these same associations have the ability to further test political regimes that may become too powerful

1. Perpetuate checks and balances
2. Conflicting interest associations are challenged
3. Can contest any political regime that may become too powerful

Question 8

Pre-conditions to Neo-Corporatism (5)

Answer 8

1. Employer association and union confederations that represent entire sectors are recognized and controlled by state
2. Membership in ER association and unions are compulsory. Free riders can undermine interest associations power and ability to organize collectively
3. A social democratic government that intervenes and balances the power relationship between business associations and union confederations. When power is balanced, the parties are forced to talk
4. ERs and unions have the responsibility of implementing policy, not just the government
5. A centralized structure that coordinates entire labor movement

Question 9

What are examples of Neocorporatism

Answer 9

1. Codetermination

2. Multi-employer bargaining

Question 10

Codetermination

Answer 10

Is a concept that involves the right of workers to participate in the management of companies they work for

Question 11

Codetermination and neo-corporatism implication (4)

Answer 11

1. Workers can not protest as much because the union becomes a part of management to an extent
2. When unions have high strike leverage, membership rights, and CB power; they may view codetermination a burden to their existing position
3. Unions in UK were skeptical of corporatist practices up until their decline in the 1980s
4. Workers cannot blame employers for redundancies as they are part of management team

Question 12

Neo-corporatism and government (4)

Answer 12

1. Labor politics are now a part of central politics
2. Governments increase their control over economic activity
3. Multi-employer bargaining allows for the state to more easily analyze economic trends and adjust their interest rates accordingly
4. Multi-employer wage bargaining can reduce income inequity and wage gaps between similar professions. This standardization of wages decreases conflict amongst workers. Therefore, government need to implement less restrictions on labor markets