Summary

This is a comparison of labour relations in two countries that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of both systems. The book combines perspectives from industrial relations, human resource management, and political economy to provide a comparative analysis of employment relations in the free market environment of the United States and the social market environment of Germany, then builds on this comparative analysis to consider implications for skill training, the role of human resource departments, and the nature of collective bargaining in both countries. The book employs extensive field-based research with a thorough literature review to characterize the American and German models of employment relations, and brings together specific German institutional features with certain American organizational strategies, to suggest a mix of public and private sector policies that can capitalize on the strengths of both approaches to industrial adjustment and change. An outline of policy recommendations for both countries is established in the text.