From `Welfare Capitalism' to `Market Capitalism';A Comparative Review of Trends towards Employment Flexibility in the Labour Markets of Three Major European Societies
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online November, 1989
From `Welfare Capitalism' to `Market Capitalism';A Comparative Review of Trends towards Employment Flexibility in the Labour Markets of Three Major European Societies
The article adopts a systematic historical and cross-national perspective to examine changes in employment policy and practice from a period of welfare capitalism to the current period of market capitalism. The trends towards employment flexibility in Britain, West Germany and France are documented in some detail, and both the role of the state and the practices of employers are examined. An attempt is made to assess the significance of the flexibility trends in the three societies and to explain their emergence/intensification in the 1980s. Finally, the article considers the impact of flexible employment practices on the quantity and quality of employment of various social groups.
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