The conditions promoting compromise in the workplace

A previous article developed a framework to understand workplace cooperation. We now elaborate on the key structuring conditions (technology, product markets and institutional regulation) generating different patterns and illustrate from field research how these different workplace regimes develop. Conditions generating positive and sustainable outcomes for both capital and labour are feasible but rare; stronger 'beneficial constraints' are needed if they are to be made more frequent. This article provides an alternative to current interpretations of labour-management co-operation in the industrial relations literature.