The export of national varieties of capitalism: the cases of Wal-Mart and Ikea

Using the cases of Wal-Mart and IKEA, this paper takes a productive systems approach to examine ‘varieties of capitalism’ from the perspective of the ways by which production and market relations are structured and prioritised. It considers the nature of these relations and their interaction within the domestic economy and the ways that firms and national systems interact with each other in the global economy. It examines the processes by which trading standards are transported via supply chain relationships, which ultimately become embedded in products and recognized by consumers at various stages. In this analysis, the cases of Wal-Mart and IKEA provide insight into the ways by which national systems extend themselves globally, their contrasting effects on the business environments in host localities, and the impact of the resulting supply chain relations on organizational performance

Contested resources: unions, employers, and the adoption of new work practices in US and UK telecommunications

The pattern of adoption of high-performance work practices has been explained in terms of strategic contingency and in terms of union presence. We compare the post-deregulation/privatization changes in work practice at AT&T, Bell Atlantic and British Telecom. On the basis of these cases, we argue that the choice of new work practices should be understood as a consequence not only of the company's resources or changes in its environment, nor of a simple union presence, but also as a consequence of the practices' effects on union power, the nature of the union's engagement, and the union's strategic choices

Minimum Wage Channels of Adjustment

Industrial Relations, forthcoming Abstract: The effects of minimum wage increases in 2007-2009 are analyzed using a sample of restaurants from Georgia/Alabama. Store-level payroll records provide precise measures of compliance costs. Examined are multiple adjustment channels. Exploiting variation in compliance costs across restaurants, we find employment and hours responses to be variable and in most cases statistically insignificant. Channels of adjustment to wage increases and to changes in non-labor costs include prices, profits, wage compression, turnover, and performance standards

The export of varieties of capitalism: the cases of Wal-Mart and IKEA

Book synopsis: In response to global and technological challenges, this important book highlights the continuing diversity of national institutional reconfigurations and policy reforms from an institutional economics perspective. The distinguished contributors offer a fresh and critical appraisal of three interconnected fields of research; varieties of capitalism, the new economy and new institutional deals. They discuss comparative institutional systems, institutional state and policy reform strategies, and the further development of evolutionary-institutional economic theory.This work illustrates that capitalist market economies remain persistently diverse, in spite of similar global, technological, informational, and organisational challenges. The complex character of socio-economies thus has come to the fore and, the contributors argue, causes path-dependent, open-ended and diverse reconfigurations. Dual typologies of 'market-led' vs. 'coordinated' economies, therefore, seem to be too general to reflect these different patterns. Also, diverse firms' forms, particularly MNEs as international cultural diffusion mechanisms, and 'empire' type systems are explored. This book will undoubtedly become a benchmark for the analysis of comparative institutional systems. Its appeal will be to heterodox, institutional and evolutionary economists as well as practitioners interested in policy and institutional reforms

The export of national varieties of capitalism: the cases of Wal-Mart and IKEA

'This is an excellent compendium of the ongoing research into global retailing across a range of disciplines within the social sciences. . . the collection deserves a place on the bookshelf of academics who research and teach this interesting and rapidly emerging research field.' – Steve Wood, Business History ‘Coe and Wrigley have assembled a most impressive collection of key writings on the globalization of retailing. It will be of great value to students, researchers and policymakers in this rapidly growing, and extremely important field.’ – Peter Dicken, University of Manchester, UK and author of Global Shift This path-breaking collection, edited by two leading scholars in the field, brings together seminal contributions from the burgeoning multidisciplinary literature on the globalization of retailing. In addition to focusing on the retail corporations and their expansionary strategies, it explores the multi-faceted impacts of retail globalization on host economies and profiles the store and sourcing dimensions of transnational retail activity

Global reproduction of national capitalisms: the cases of Wal-Mart and IKEA

'All too often, orthodox economics presumes economic laws to be timeless and universal, while paying scant attention to real world institutions. Wolfram Elsner and Hardy Hanappi have assembled seventeen papers by a diverse international collection of recognized scholars and rising stars that dispense with the cookie-cutter approach and get down to the important work of identifying the institutional and cultural specificities that characterize capitalism in the 21st century. Successful policies for real development depend crucially on the kinds of analyses found in this most welcome volume.' – Mathew Forstater, University of Missouri-Kansas City, US In response to global and technological challenges, this important new book highlights the continuing diversity of national institutional reconfigurations and policy reforms from an institutional-economics perspective. The distinguished contributors offer a fresh and critical appraisal of three interconnected fields of research; ‘varieties of capitalism’, the ‘new economy’ and ‘new institutional deals’. In so doing, this book will undoubtedly become a benchmark for the analysis of comparative institutional systems and for the further development of institutional-economic theory, and state and policy reform

Transitioning to Telehealth during COVID-19: Experiences and Insights from Diabetes Prevention and Management Program Providers in Los Angeles County

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 accelerated the efforts of several organizations providing the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) and the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program to rapidly transition from in-person service delivery to program administration via telehealth. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 National DPP and DSMES experts and providers in Los Angeles County to gain a better understanding of the challenges and benefits associated with this transition. Interviews were completed during June to October 2021. Thematic analyses were performed using the Social-Ecological Model as a guiding framework. The analyses revealed several factors that influenced the transition, including at the individual (e.g., technology and health behaviors), interpersonal (e.g., social connections and support), organizational (e.g., provider workload and program enrollment and retention), community (e.g., recruitment), and policy (e.g., government support and reimbursement for telehealth services) levels. Findings suggest that the transition to telehealth was challenging for most National DPP and DSMES providers. However, because of its lower cost, ability to reach long distances virtually, and potential efficiency when employed as part of a hybrid approach, this delivery modality remains viable, offering benefits beyond the traditional program models

Si, Se Puede: Organizing Latino Immigrant Workers in South Omaha’s Meatpacking Industry

Community-based organizing, Immigrant labor, Undocumented immigrants, Unionization, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, US labor movement,

Are Rich Earners Time-Privileged in Taiwan? The Evidence from 1981 to 2006

Taiwan, Time-privileged, Working hours,