|
Web edition (pdf - 32MB) * More publications on this subject
The Norwegian case offers an opportunity to tell a different story of
occupational welfare. Opposed to what is conventionally perceived, this
works argues that occupational welfare plays an important role in the Norwegian
welfare state and that, in certain periods, the growth of these arrangements
has been a precondition for an expansion of public social policy programs.
The study offers an analysis of the historical development of occupational
welfare and its interplay with public programs as well as an analysis of
why such benefits are offered by private sector companies. Among the conclusions
drawn are:
- Employee benefits that can be closely linked to social policy schemes
(i.e. occupational welfare) show increasing importance as a form of remuneration
and do form a distinct part of indirect remuneration
- The provision of occupational welfare benefits is determined by factors
internal to the firm, such as the organizations of labor relations, the
system of wage bargaining and personnel policies. Employers tend to adjust
their welfare strategies when unions enter the picture
- The relationship between private and public welfare provision has been
far from mechanical in the way that traditional theories of substitution
could lead one to think. The substitution effect is to a large extent dependent
on the nature of labor market institution
This analysis of occupational welfare indicate a revised understanding
of how the Norwegian welfare state came to be far from a heroic version
of welfare state development as a result of a grand strategic plan in which
a homogenous labor movement consolidates its political power and quite
simply legislates the “new society”.
Contents
Preface
PART 1 Introduction and theoretical perspectives
Chapter 1 Introduction _ trade unions, industrial relations, and
occupational welfare
1.1 The research problem
1.2 Defining occupational welfare
1.3 Locating occupational welfare in the framework of welfare state and
industrial relations research
1.4 The welfare state concept
1.5 Research design and data.
Chapter 2 Perspectives on the public_private mix in welfare state
research
2.1 The puzzle: Understanding the logic of welfare state development
2.2 The logic of industrialism and capitalism
2.3 The social democratic model
2.4 Politics matters _ Alternative interpretations
2.5 Welfare State Regimes
2.6 Welfare Pluralism
2.7 Welfare State Research and the Public_Private Interplay
Chapter 3 Trade unions and social policy choices _ exit, voice and
loyalty
3.1 Introduction _ the gap between micro_ and macro_ explanations.
3.2 Historical context _the political and economic effects of unionism?
3.4 Macro_oriented perspectives on union action
3.5 Micro_ oriented approaches to unionism
3.6 Unions and social policy _ the value of loyalty.
PART 2 The public - private interplay
Chapter 4 The development of occupational welfare in Norway
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The private_public mix in the early phases of modern social policy
4.3 Occupational welfare after the war
4.4 The development of occupational welfare 1954 _ 1988
4.5 Bargaining against markets
4.6 Conclusion _ dynamic social policy
Chapter 5 Do public pension systems influence the growth of private
pensions?
A comparison of Denmark and Norway
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Specifying the research question
5.3 The structure of public pensions
5.5 Conclusion
Chapter 6 Trade unions and three crossroads of Norwegian pension
politics
6.1 Introduction: A broadening of the analytical perspective.
6.2 Crossroad 1: The fight over universalism
6.3 Crossroad 2: Income relation and social inequality
6.4 Crossroad 3: Early retirement pensions _ Bargaining or politics?
6.5 Conclusion: Dynamic social policy
PART 3 The nature of employee benefit provision
Chapter 7 The invisible handshake _ Perspectives on occupational
welfare provision
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Does the firm matter?
7.3 Internal labor markets and employee benefits.
7.4 A closer look at employer motives
7.5 Employee demand
7.6 Can unions boost benefit provision?
7.7 Elements of the invisible handshake.
7.8 A methodological note
Chapter 8 Employee benefits in the Norwegian labor market - There
is more than meets the eye
8.1 Introduction
8.2 The welfare menu
8.3 Recent developments
8.4 Voluntary or contractual schemes?
8.5 Identifying dimensions of employee benefits
8.6 Conclusion
Chapter 9 The social policy of the Norwegian firm - explaining the
variation in benefit provision
9.1 Introduction
9.2 A methodological note
9.3 The distributional pattern
9.4 Explaining company welfare benefit provision in private companies
9.5 A mutual underlying logic in benefit provision?
9.5 Conclusion _ the social policy of the Norwegian firm
Chapter 10 Attitudes on occupational welfare arrangements and union
strategies
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The value and quality of pension rights
10.3 Information and control
10.4 Policy strategies
10.5 Conclusion
PART 4 Conclusion
Chapter 11 Conclusion
11.1 Politics, bargaining and Solidarity
11.2 The six research questions and the Norwegian story
11.3 Can general conclusions be drawn?
11.4 A comment on policy implications
Appendix
Bibliography
|
