7 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1 Is the labour market a market, and are there any universal rules which govern
its operation?
2 If market forces are impersonal, why are men and women so commonly treated
differently in employment?
3 Is there such a thing as a European social model, and can it be made compati-
ble with competitive success?
4 Is globalisation a myth or a reality?
8 FURTHER READING
- Albert, M. (1993) Capitalism against Capitalism. London: Whurr.
A popularly written account of the differences between ‘Anglo-American’ and ‘Rhineland’
models of capitalism, and the ways in which the increasing openness of cross-national
competition may be undermining what the author considers to be the superior model. - Crouch, C. (1993) Industrial Relations and European State Traditions. Oxford:
Clarendon Press.
Difficult at times (especially the first chapter) but a valuable account of how national employ-
ment regimes in Europe have evolved over the centuries. The final section is particularly
stimulating. - Dore, R. (2000) Stock-Market Capitalism, Welfare Capitalism: Japan and Germany
versus the Anglo-Saxons. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
A very readable account which contrasts Japan, ‘a society of long-term commitments’, and to
a lesser extent Germany with Anglo-American capitalism. Dore concludes that while globali-
sation may undermine the German model, Japanese distinctiveness is more likely to persist. - Katz, H. and Darbishire, O. (2000) Converging Divergences: Worldwide Changes in
Employment Systems. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press.
An overview based primarily on two cross-national projects studying employment relations in
telecommunications and motor manufacturing. It argues that national systems are becoming
increasingly differentiated internally, as major companies develop their own distinctive regimes,
but that overall cross-national differences are diminishing. - Polanyi, K. (1957) The Great Transformation. Boston, MA: Beacon.
A classic study which argues that the whole idea of a competitive market for labour, associated
with the industrial revolution, was deeply flawed: labour is a ‘fictitious commodity’ and work is
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