Voice at Work

Arbeitspapier

We estimate the effects of worker voice on job quality and separations. We leverage the 1991 introduction of worker representation on boards of Finnish firms with at least 150 employees. In contrast to exit-voice theory, our difference-in-differences design reveals no effects on voluntary job separations, and at most small positive effects on other measures of job quality (job security, health, subjective job quality, and wages). Worker voice slightly raised firm survival, productivity, and capital intensity. A 2008 introduction of shop-floor representation had similarly limited effects. Interviews and surveys indicate that worker representation facilitates information sharing rather than boosting labor’s power.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CESifo Working Paper ; No. 8936

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Corporate Finance and Governance: General ; Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs: General ; Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining: General ; Labor Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs ; Firm Organization and Market Structure
• Subject: worker representation ; job separation ; job quality ; wages ; firm survival ; productivity ; capital intensity

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Harju, Jarkko ; Jäger, Simon ; Schoefer, Benjamin
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute (CESifo)
• (where): Munich
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/235306
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET