The Dynamics and Dimensions of Industrial Relations Change: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This paper summarises the conclusion of an OECD-based study on the nature and dynamics of change in industrial relations. A number of industrialised market countries are examined, six of which — Australia, Japan, Britain, the United States of America, West Germany and Sweden — are the focus of a detailed study. Successive parts of the paper examine the experience of change, the agents of change, factors facilitating change, and barriers to change. The paper concludes with several generalised propositions about the macro change process drawn from the experience of the countries reviewed, and a review of policy options.