Shielding competitiveness: Germany's wage policy during the inflation shock years in comparative perspective

We analyse wage developments in Germany during the inflation shock years of 2021–2023 from three perspectives: cost of living, supply-side cost pressure, and relational. With an export-led growth model, Germany is dependent on a favourable real effective exchange rate. Because of its above-average exposure to the energy crisis and low unemployment, Germany was particularly vulnerable to strong wage demands, putting at risk its cost competitiveness. In response to the inflation crisis, moderate collective bargaining outcomes have resulted from widespread use of one-off payments, longer duration of collective agreements, and ‘zero-month’ clauses, which have delayed wage increases. As in all other eurozone countries, employees have suffered real wage losses, but nominal wage increases at the lower end of the labour market fared better than average. Major competitiveness shifts have occurred in the eurozone, particularly to the detriment of Eastern European countries and the Baltics, but not Germany

Between legitimacy and cost: freedom of association and collective bargaining rights in global supply chains

Scholars and practitioners have advocated for freedom of association and collective bargaining (FOA/CB) rights as a key mechanism to improve labor compliance in global supply chains. Drawing on a longitudinal data set comprising 6,500 Better Work factory assessments across seven countries from 2015 to 2021, the authors compare violations of various FOA/CB elements to provide a general picture of the progress and problems of FOA/CB in supplier workplaces. They argue that suppliers are likely to selectively comply with FOA/CB elements that afford them some legitimacy but will violate the elements that impose significant costs on them. Specifically, the authors find fewer violations of union formation rights, in contrast to higher violations of union operation rights and of collective bargaining rights. Yet, when these latter rights are respected, they are associated with better compliance with other employment standards, with effective collective bargaining having the strongest effect

Public perceptions on net zero energy houses in Japan

For Japan, which has not operated nearly all of its nuclear power plants since 2011 and is dependent on thermal power generation, the introduction of renewable energy into homes is extremely important for the future formation of a sustainable society. However, the introduction of net zero energy house (ZEH) in detached houses, which account for 55% of all dwellings in Japan, has not progressed. To promote the introduction of ZEH, this study clarified the awareness of owners of detached houses regarding ZEH. We analyzed factors that influence such perception of solar photovoltaics (PV) technology using a 1000-sample online survey questionnaire. The survey was conducted in late January 2020 and included questions examining the public perception of solar installation and factors that were found to be important in previous research. We found that Japanese respondents who live in detached houses generally lack an understanding of renewables and that the level of interest in installing solar PV for the ZEH is low. We also found that awareness of renewables, such as knowing new energy policy and searching information on solar PV, is the critical factor of installing renewables. At the same time, most socio-demographic and neighborhood variables seem not to influence installing solar PV or other technologies for ZEH. This research will contribute to the Japanese government’s goal of strengthening education on renewable energy to promote ZEH

Abolishing the two-child benefit limit would be a great investment

Thirty per cent of children in the UK live in poverty. Nicholas Barr argues that abolishing the Two-Child Benefit limit and overall Benefit Cap is good policy not just for ethical reasons but – less widely realised – because investment in children has a very high payoff and should therefore be a part of the Government’s growth agenda

Can the conversation about Netflix's Adolescence produce meaningful change?

Netflix’s series Adolescence has been hailed as a landmark television show for exploring the impact of misogynistic online content being viewed by schoolboys. But it will take more than public conversation to meaningfully tackle misogyny, writes Kayleigh Gibson

A review of K-12 international education in Arab countries (1995–2022): patterns and trends

This chapter aims to systematically collect, document, and critically analyze available research examining international education, with a particular focus on K-12 context in Arab countries between 1995 and 2022. The Arab countries encompass a group of 22 nations united by their use of Formal Arabic, albeit with distinct dialects, while simultaneously grappling with significant political, economic, and socio-cultural challenges. Based on a systematic search on Web of Science (WoS) and SCOPUS, this study follows the process identified by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement (PRISMA): data source identification, search, data collection, eligibility criteria selection, data selection, and data analysis. Findings show emerging themes related to international school leadership, international schools’ curriculum, identity, student belonging, and parental involvement. This analysis allowed us to identify policy, strategy and research patterns, trends, geographic origins, and the scope of scholarship affecting international education in Arab contexts. Conclusions and implications for future research and practice are presented and discussed