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An Analysis of the Economic Democracy Reforms in Sweden

Author: 
Year:
Pages:342
ISBN:0-7734-6476-X
978-0-7734-6476-6
Price:$219.95
Explores the background to, and impact made by, one of the most ambitious and controversial policy innovations ever attempted in Sweden, namely the economic democracy reforms. The Wage-Earner Funds proposal, advanced to strengthen the celebrated Rehn-Meidner economic model, in addition to promoting employee influence over their working lives, encouraged theoretical and predictive texts. This book draws upon a substantial Swedish-language literature, together with over fifty interviews with leading actors involved with the issue. It further evaluates the concept of collective funds as a policy instrument to meet multiple objectives, and comments upon the future viability of this approach.

Reviews

“This book constitutes one of the few attempts to chronicle and analyse this major economic development. It provides an exhaustive study of both the theoretical underpinnings and empirical analysis of the Swedish economic democracy reforms. The author utilizes a comprehensive research strategy of primary and secondary data. In particular, the former consists of a series of interviews with those who possess first-hand experience of both the development and implementation of this initiative. This is supplemented by a wealth of empirical information relating to both general economic performances and that of the WEFs. This book is a unique and comprehensive examination of key episode in both economic theory and policymaking which deserves such an enthusiastic and scholarly analysis.” – Dr. Mark Baimbridge, Senior Lecturer in Economcs, University of Bradford

“The topic is of contemporary interest and is likely to attract an even greater attention in the future. Moreover, the author approaches the subject in an objective way; a considerable achievement given the passions it arouses in Sweden.” – Dr. Brian Burkitt, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Bradford

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface by Rudolf Meidner
Introduction
Section One: Economic Democracy Reforms
1. Background to the Economic Democracy Reform Agenda
2. The Theory of Economic Democracy and the Meidner Report
3. The Struggle for Economic Democracy Section Two: Analysis of the Economic Democracy Initiative
4. Economic Performance
5. Financial Results
6. Democratic Influence
7. Evaluation and Company Characteristics Section Three: What future for the Economic Democracy Agenda?
8. The End of the Experiment
9. A New Beginning?
Conclusion
Bibliography; Index