Edward Elgar Publishing International Handbook of Trade Unions

This Handbook is an authoritative and invaluable reference tool, uniquely analysing the forces governing unionism, union behaviour and union impact from a variety of perspectives, both theoretical and empirical. The 14 chapters are written in an accessible style by acknowledged leading specialists from the fields of economics and industrial relations. They offer a truly international perspective on this important subject.This superbly comprehensive Handbook examines the determinants of union membership, models of union behaviour and the economics of strikes, as well as the effects of unions on wages, pay inequality and firm performance (to include innovation). It also analyses trade unions as political actors and their impact on macroeconomic performance. Institutional detail is added in specific chapters documenting recent developments in the US and the UK, and prospects for a Europeanization of collective bargaining. A review of union density in more than 100 nations, is also provided.The Handbook is suited to a range of courses and is aptly designed to meet the needs of students - from undergraduates upwards - and academics in the fields of economics, industrial relations, human resources management, as well as general labour scholars. Review 'The editors have successfully drawn together leading authorities and experts in the field to outline some key aspect within the modern international trade union movement. . . Each contribution is well-researched with clearly expressed arguments set in context to ensure the reader is able, not just to follow the lines of thought, but also to develop and pursue further inquiry. . . There is a strong international dimension that runs through a number of chapters. There is an excellent index and the references and endnotes are to a high standard. This book is essential for contextual reading in any major university and will be of particular relevance to those studying economics or the social sciences.' About the Author Edited by John T. Addison, Hugh C. Lane Professor of Economic Theory, University of South Carolina, Columbia, US and Professor of Economics, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK and Claus Schnabel, Professor of Economics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany