Can deunionization lead to international outsourcing?

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Lommerud, Kjell Erik; Meland, Frode; Straume, Odd Rune
• 署名单位: University of Bergen; Universidade do Minho
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-1996
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2008.09.008
• 发表日期: 2009
• 页码: 109-119
• 关键词: International outsourcing; Deunionization; GLOBALIZATION

摘要

We analyze unionized firms' incentives to outsource intermediate goods production to foreign (low-cost) subcontractors. Such outsourcing leads to increased wages for the remaining in-house production. We find that stronger unions, which imply higher domestic wages, reduce incentives for international outsourcing. Though somewhat surprising, this result provides a theoretical reconciliation of the empirically observed trends of deunionization and increased international outsourcing in many countries. We further show that globalization - interpreted as either market integration or increased product market competition - will increase incentives for international outsourcing. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.