«Social Dialogue» and Varieties of Capitalism: A Long-term Analysis
This article presents a study that aimed to test, over an extended period, the hypothesis that there has been a convergence in industrial relations in developed countries. Taking into account the enduring debate on this point, in particular in relation to the current crisis and the diversity of underlying conceptions, it aimed to start with an object of comparison that was not predetermined by any prior orientation, namely, “social dialogue.” However, this concept, used in particular within the International Labour Office (ILO), remains quite vague and needs to be developed further. In addition to information, consultation and collective bargaining practices, practices that are less often considered were also explored, relating to joint management, codetermination, and state intervention, with the latter potentially strengthening or, on the contrary, constraining social dialogue. Empirically dealing only with collective bargaining, codetermination and state intervention practices, this study examined the development in 19 OECD countries of six indicators from 1985 to 2011. The importance of each indicator was not weighted beforehand and the data were analyzed based on the main components, followed by a classification by dynamic groups. The result yielded five fairly stable groups of countries, in which the transformations over time were studied. Lastly, the social and economic performance of the groups of countries was examined based on their GDP growth and evolving unemployment rates. Unconstrained by any a priori orientation, the following groups—traditionally brought out by comparative analyses—were found: “Anglo-Saxon,” “Continental,” “Nordic” and “Mediterranean” groups, as well as a last group formed by Switzerland and Japan. Our study concluded that diversity regarding “social dialogue” has been persistent, including for the recent period marked by the crisis.