Wage inequality in workers’ cooperatives and conventional firms

The author evaluates the effects of democratic worker participation on the income distribution within firms. Wage inequality in French workers’ cooperatives (called SCOPs) versus traditional firms is measured using the 2001-2012 panel DADS dataset which includes all French firms. The author finds si...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Nathalie Magn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Università Carlo Cattaneo LIUC 2017-12-01
Series:The European Journal of Comparative Economics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ejce.liuc.it/18242979201702/182429792017140207.pdf
Description
Summary:The author evaluates the effects of democratic worker participation on the income distribution within firms. Wage inequality in French workers’ cooperatives (called SCOPs) versus traditional firms is measured using the 2001-2012 panel DADS dataset which includes all French firms. The author finds significantly lower inequality in SCOPs, in line with the previous empirical literature. Going into more detail, it appears that inequality is reduced at the top of the distribution and specifically regarding qualification-based inequalities; the gender gap and the advantage of senior workers are not lower in SCOPs. These findings contribute to the literature on Labor-Managed Firms, as well as to the broader debate on rising wage inequality in developed countries.
ISSN:1824-2979