The micro-politics of collective bargaining: The case of gender equality

Abstract

What are the drivers of collective bargaining to achieve gender equality in companies? Although much research has been done on this question, answers tend to focus exclusively on the institutional perspective and to neglect the social and power relations at work. We address this deficiency in this article by taking a micro-political perspective. We trace the trajectory of a collectively bargained gender equality policy in a French company over 14 years and examine how management and unions contribute to the process. Our results show that the construction of a coalition between management and unions around gender equality, as well as the form taken by the bargained policy, are closely linked to the capabilities that these actors possess and mobilise. This study contributes to the understanding of gender equality bargaining and, more generally, to the micro-politics of collective bargaining. In doing so, it aims to connect organisation studies and industrial relations.