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Why consult, why consent? Employers in concertation platforms facing welfare state expansion in the Netherlands, 1920–1960
in the early twentieth century. Recent literature has evolved from an emphasis on
power to an emphasis on preferences. Moving away from the traditional view that
unions and social democrats forced social laws on employers, recent scholars suggest
that firms saw specific advantages in the introduction of social laws.However, I show
that the attitudes of Dutch business representatives, rather than seeking these specific
advantages, merely reflected a willingness to consult, inspired by their macroeconomic
view. Employers expressed the wish to attain an organized form of capitalism
and accepted regulated forms of codetermination. Once the consultative platforms
were in place, employers pursued strategic goals, such as labor peace and disciplining
the unions. This paved the way for accepting welfare state expansion. In sum, midtwentieth
century business interests were strongly...Show moreThis article analyzes the attitudes of Dutch employers toward social policy
in the early twentieth century. Recent literature has evolved from an emphasis on
power to an emphasis on preferences. Moving away from the traditional view that
unions and social democrats forced social laws on employers, recent scholars suggest
that firms saw specific advantages in the introduction of social laws.However, I show
that the attitudes of Dutch business representatives, rather than seeking these specific
advantages, merely reflected a willingness to consult, inspired by their macroeconomic
view. Employers expressed the wish to attain an organized form of capitalism
and accepted regulated forms of codetermination. Once the consultative platforms
were in place, employers pursued strategic goals, such as labor peace and disciplining
the unions. This paved the way for accepting welfare state expansion. In sum, midtwentieth
century business interests were strongly oriented toward coordinated
capitalism.
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- All authors
- Touwen, L.J.
- Date
- 2023-03-01
- Journal
- Journal of Policy History
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 254 - 280