What Does Co-Determination Do? What Can We Learn from Research?

Was leistet die Mitbestimmung: Was sagt die Wissenschaft?
2. Biennale-Konferenz

This event follows up on the 2016 conference on scientific perspectives on co-determination, which took place on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the German co-determination law. The conference offers an opportunity for researchers to examine the contribution of co-determination to economic democracy and the social market economy in the context of internationalization, liberalization and digitalization. The event is jointly organized by the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and the Hans Böckler Foundation. The core sessions of this conference will focus on new research with relevance for co-determination and its future development. Contributions from a variety of fields including sociology, political science, industrial relations, economics and law will address the following questions:

• What economic and social impact have laws on co-determination at the company and establishment level had (in Germany and other countries)?
• What kind of “voice” do workers want at the individual, plant and company level?
• What role does co-determination play in relation to business ethics, corporate responsibility and corporate governance?
• What are the main economic, social and legal challenges facing co-determination?
• What impact has European legislation had (including the European Company)?
• How can the results of research be communicated to the public and practitioners?

Keynote addresses and a panel discussion will also focus on the main challenges and avenues for future research on co-determination.

The conference language is English, with simultaneous translation into German for the introductory and concluding sessions and panels 1 and 5.

Please register here until May 25, 2018:
https://www.boeckler.de/veranstaltung_112512.htm

Conference Program

9:00 Registration

(Lobby, 3rd floor)

9:30

Greeting and Introduction (German/English)

Prof. Jutta Allmendinger, Ph.D.

President of the WZB Berlin Social Science Center

Dr. Norbert Kluge

Abteilungsleiter Mitbestimmungsförderung, Hans Böckler Foundation

9:45

What Does Co-Determination Do in Germany and in Europe? Results from Two Projects

Co-Determination and Sustainable Companies in Germany (Presentation, PDF)

Sigurt Vitols, Ph.D. (WZB)

Workers’ Voice in Europe (Presentation, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Anke Hassel (WSI)

10:30 Coffee Break

11:00

1st set of Parallel Sessions (in English, except for Panel 1 in German/English)

Panel 1: Co-Determination and Gender
(Room A 300)

The Relationship between Gender Diversity and Employee Representation at the Board Level and Non-Financial Performance – A Cross-Country Study (Abstract, Paper, Presentation, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Kerstin Lopatta (University of Oldenburg)
Katarina Böttcher (University of Oldenburg)
Prof. Dr. Sumit K. Lodhia (University of South Australia)
Dr. Sebastian Tidemann (University of Oldenburg)

Women Directors between the Glass Ceilings: Assignments to Senior Board Positions and Gender (Abstract, PDF)

Viktor Bozhinov, Prof. Dr. Christopher Koch, Prof. Dr. Thorsten Schank (all Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

Co-Determination and Gender Diversity on Boards – A Comparative Analysis for Germany and Norway (Abstract, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Astrid Kunze (Norwegian School of Economics)
Dr. Katrin Scharfenkamp (University of Duisburg-Essen)

Moderation: Dr. Anja Kirsch (Freie Universität Berlin)

Panel 2: Challenges in Promoting Co-Determination in Different National Settings
(Room A 305)

Co-Determination in Slovenia: An Analysis of Economic, Social and Legal Challenges (Abstract, Paper, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Valentina Franca (University of Primorska)

The Impact of German Co-Determination in the Context of Italian Industrial Relations (Abstract, PDF)

Dr. Volker Telljohann (IRES Emilia-Romagna)

The Long Way to Co-Determination in France: Obstacles and Achievements (Abstract, PDF)

Dr. Udo Rehfeldt (IRES France)

Moderation: Lisa Basten (WZB)

Panel 3: Board-Level Employee Representation Outside of Germany
(Room B 001)

Board-Level Employee Representation and Firms’ Responses to Crisis (Abstract, Paper, Presentation, PDF)

Prof. Aleksandra Gregorič, Ph.D. (Copenhagen Business School)
Prof. Dr. Marc S. Rapp (Philipps-Universität Marburg)

Productivity Effects of Worker Representation on the Board (Abstract, PDF)

Prof. Derek C. Jones, Ph.D., Prof. Jeffrey Pliskin, Ph.D. (both Hamilton College)

Employee Directors at the Board: Representing Interest, Interest Representation? (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Inger M. Hagen, Ph.D. (Fafo)

Moderation: Prof. Gregory Jackson, Ph.D. (Freie Universität Berlin)

Panel 4: Attitudes towards Co-Determination
(B 002)

A Typology of Different Forms of Support for Employee Participation. Results of a Qualitative Study (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Werner Nienhüser , Dr. Heiko Hoßfeld, Esther Glück (all University of Duisburg-Essen)

What Does the 2013 European Company Survey Tell Us about the Nature and Operation of Formal Employee Representation at the Workplace? (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Prof. John T. Addison, Ph.D. (University of South Carolina)
Prof. Paulino Teixeira, Ph.D. (University of Coimbra)

Works Councils and Employer Attitudes toward the Incentive Effects of HRM Practices (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Uwe Jirjahn (University of Trier)

Moderation: Anne-Marie Kortas (Hertie Foundation)

12:30 Lunch

13:30

2nd Set of Parallel Sessions (in English, except for panel 5 in German/English)

Panel 5: Co-Determination at the Establishment Level
(Room A 300)

Supporting Shop Stewards with Communities of Practice (CoP) (Abstract, Paper, Presentation, PDF)

Dr. Ulrich Schönbauer (Chamber of Labor)

How to Combine Social and Economic Impact of Works Councils? Lessons about Opportunities of the Dutch Advisory Right (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Jan E. Wigboldus (Wigboldus Consulting)

Employee Participation in a Voluntarist and Non-Adversarial Context: The Swiss Experience (Abstract, Paper, Presentation, PDF)

Heinz Gabathuler (University of Zurich)

Moderation: Julia Bartosch (Freie Universität Berlin)

Panel 6: The Impact of Board-Level Employee Representation in German Firms
(Room B 001)

Parity Co-Determination at the Board Level and Labor Investment Efficiency – Evidence of German Listed Firms (Abstract)

Prof. Dr. Kerstin Lopatta (University of Oldenburg)
Katarina Böttcher (University of Oldenburg)
Prof. Dr. Sumit K. Lodhia (University of South Australia)

Generic Strategies and Performance – An Empirical Analysis for German Listed Companies and Possible Effects for Co-Determination (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Marc Eulerich, Dr. Anna Eulerich, Raphael Kopp (all University of Duisburg-Essen)

Labor Representation in Governance as an Insurance Mechanism (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Prof. E. Han Kim, Ph.D. (University of Michigan)
Prof. Ernst Maug, Ph.D. (University of Mannheim Business School)
Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider (Tilburg University)

Moderation: Prof. Carola Frege, Ph.D. (London School of Economics)

Panel 7: Meeting New Challenges to Co-Determination
(Room A 305)

Continuous Qualification of Workers’ Representatives as a Social Challenge Facing Co-Determination (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Manfred Wannöffel (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

Leveraging Labor Institutions Abroad: Why Employers Sometimes Support Labor Activists in Host-Countries (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Prof. Marissa Brookes, Ph.D. (University of California)
Prof. Dr. Sabrina Zajak (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

Moderation: Dr. Carina Sprungk (WZB)

Panel 8: Co-Determination in Multinational Companies
(Room B 002)

Industrial Relations in Foreign Owned Subsidiaries in Germany: Integrated Results of a Three-Way Empirical Investigation (Abstract, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Christoph Dörrenbächer (Berlin School of Economics and Law)
Prof. Heinz-Josef Tüselmann (Manchester Metropolitan University)
Dr. Qi Cao (UNCTAD)
Dr. Heinz-Rudolf Meißner (Berlin School of Economics and Law)

Beyond Restructuring: The Role of Workers’ Participation in Addressing Intensified Cross-Border Standardization and Centralization in Multinational Companies (Abstract, PDF)

Prof. Dr. Christoph Dörrenbächer (Berlin School of Economics and Law)
Prof. Dr. Mike Geppert (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)
Aline Hoffmann, Ph.D. (European Trade Union Institute)
Daniel Pastuh (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)
Prof. Dr. Matthias Tomenendal (Berlin School of Economics and Law)

Europeanization of Co-Determination: The Experience of Employee Representatives in International Boards of European Companies (SE) (Abstract, Presentation, PDF)

Dr. Sophie Rosenbohm (Institute for Work Skills and Training, University of Duisburg-Essen)
Sara Lafuente Hernández (European Trade Union Institute)
Mona Aranea, Ph.D. (Cardiff University)

Moderation: Dr. Robert Scholz (WZB)

15:00 Coffee Break

15:30

What Are the Implications of Recent European Court of Justice Decisions and EU Legislation for Co-Determination in Europe?
(Room A 300, German/English)

Kerstin Jerchel (Head of Co-Determination Department, ver.di)
Christophe Clerc (Descartes Legal and Sciences Po, Paris)
Dr. Leif Böttcher (Notar und Universität Bonn)
Séverine Picard (Legal Advisor, ETUC)

Chair: Dr. Aline Hoffmann (European Trade Union Institute)

17:00

Closing Remarks Followed by a Reception