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Unions and innovative activity in Germany

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Abstract

This study is the first attempt to investigate the influence of unions on innovative activities in Germany at the industry level. Econometric models estimated by a highly robust method and submitted to a number of specification tests indicate that trade unions do not have a negative impact on innovative activity which is measured by either the percentage of revenues spent on R&D or the percentage of employees working in R&D. This finding is consistent with evidence on the influence of unions on productivity in Germany and with considerations about the German system of industrial relations.

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Schnabel, C., Wagner, J. Unions and innovative activity in Germany. Journal of Labor Research 13, 393–406 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02685529

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