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DP4079
Unionization Structures and Innovation Incentives
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Publication Date:
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October 2003
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Link to this Page:
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www.cepr.org/pubs/dps/DP4079.asp
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This Paper examines how different unionization structures affect firms' innovation incentives and industry employment. We distinguish three modes of unionization with increasing degree of centralization: (1) ‘decentralization’ where wages are determined independently at the firm-level, (2) ‘coordination’ where one industry union sets individual wages for all firms, and (3) ‘centralization’ where an industry union sets a uniform wage rate for all firms. While firms' investment incentives are largest under ‘centralization’, investment incentives are non-monotone in the degree of centralization: ‘decentralization’ carries higher investment incentives than ‘coordination’. Labour market policy can spur innovation by decentralizing unionization structures or through non-discrimination rules.
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