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Helena Schneider / Oliver Stettes / Sandra Vogel IW-Trends No. 3 31. October 2019 Industrial Relations and Transformation Processes: An Empirical Analysis Based on the IW Personnel Panel

As digitalisation of the economy and society as a whole progresses, fears have been expressed that this rapid and sometimes disruptive technological change might prevent works councils from adequately representing employees and their concerns to management.

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An Empirical Analysis Based on the IW Personnel Panel
Helena Schneider / Oliver Stettes / Sandra Vogel IW-Trends No. 3 31. October 2019

Industrial Relations and Transformation Processes: An Empirical Analysis Based on the IW Personnel Panel

IW-Trends

German Economic Institute (IW) German Economic Institute (IW)

As digitalisation of the economy and society as a whole progresses, fears have been expressed that this rapid and sometimes disruptive technological change might prevent works councils from adequately representing employees and their concerns to management.

However, an analysis of the results of the IW Personnel Panel finds no significant connection between the degree of digitalisation in a company and the existence of a works council. A works council exists in a good 10 per cent of the highly digitalised companies implementing Industry 4.0. The same applies to 9.7 per cent of the far less technologically advanced Industry 3.0 firms. Nor are negative developments currently discernible in the willingness of managements and works councils to cooperate. In 2018, for example, over 90 per cent of management boards either agreed with the works council from the outset or, in the event of differences, was ultimately able to negotiate a joint solution. Concerns that digitalisation might lead to the erosion of co- determination or to a deterioration in relations between works councils and management thus appear to have little foundation. In view of this, no extension of co-determination rights is needed.

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An Empirical Analysis Based on the IW Personnel Panel
Helena Schneider / Oliver Stettes / Sandra Vogel IW-Trends No. 3 31. October 2019

Helena Schneider / Oliver Stettes / Sandra Vogel: Betriebliche Arbeitsbeziehungen und Transformationsprozesse – Eine empirische Analyse auf Basis des IW-Personalpanels

IW-Trends

German Economic Institute (IW) German Economic Institute (IW)

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Solo Self-employed and Contract Workers as Catalysts of Digital Transformation in German Companies
Oliver Stettes IW-Trends No. 1 14. April 2023

Solo Self-employed and Contract Workers as Catalysts of Digital Transformation in German Companies

In 2021, around one in four companies in Germany had solo self-employed workers or employees of outside companies working for them under contract.

IW

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Andrea Hammermann / Jörg Schmidt / Oliver Stettes IW-Analyse No. 149 27. July 2022

Labour turnover in Germany

Labour turnover in Germany tends to be relatively constant over time but decreases slightly in times of economic crisis, such as the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009 or the Covid-19 pandemic.

IW

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