Workers, Power and Society Power Resource Theory in Contemporary Capitalism

Chapter 1: Power resource theory for contemporary society: A research framework

Jens Arnholtz and Bjarke Refslund

Part 1: The five power resources

Chapter 2: The structural power of workers under capitalism: A marketization approach

Ian Greer

Chapter 3: Associational Power Resources: How organisational properties matter for the power of workers

Christian Lyhne Ibsen

Chapter 4: Institutional Power Resources: A Critical Analysis

Sean O’Brady

Chapter 5: Ideational Power Resources

Colm McLaughlin and Chris F. Wright

Chapter 6: Coalition Power Resources

Amanda Tattersall

Part 2: Empirical applications

Chapter 7: Why varieties of power resources matter

Guglielmo Meardi

Chapter 8: Workers’ power in supply chains and global production networks – resources, contexts and agency

Jörg Flecker

Chapter 9: Leveraging power resources for a decent minimum wage

Damian Grimshaw and Mat Johnson

Chapter 10: Power resource theories and the case of trade unions and migrant labour in increasingly fragmented labour markets

Stefania Marino and Miguel Martínez Lucio

Chapter 11: Power resources in the public sector employment relations

Laust Høgedahl and Paul Jonker-Hoffrén

Chapter 12: Conclusion - Power resource theory: where are we at, where should we go and what challenges lay ahead

Jens Arnholtz and Bjarke Refslund

Biography

Jens Arnholtz is an associate professor at the Employment Relations Research Centre (FAOS), Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen. His research interests are in the field of employment relations, with a special focus on cross-border labour mobility, posting of workers, Europeanization of national labour markets and power resource theory.

Bjarke Refslund is an associate professor in sociology at Aalborg University. He holds a PhD degree in political science from Aalborg University. His main research areas include industrial relations, labour migration, and labour market sociology, and he has been working on collectivism and unions, organising migrant workers, precarious employment, public regulation and Europeanisation of labour markets amongst others.

“This meticulously crafted book delves deep into the heart of power resources and labour, offering a comprehensive journey through the past, present, and future of the power of workers and unions.”
Valeria Pulignano, Professor in Sociology at the Centre for Sociological Research (CESO) - KU Leuven

“Power resources have long been, and continue to be, a core determinant of living standards, economic security, capabilities, work conditions, and inequality in the rich democratic countries. This book digs into the details of what those resources are, when they matter, and in what ways. It's an agenda-setting contribution, and a very valuable one.”
Lane Kenworthy, Professor of Sociology and Yankelovich Chair in Social Thought, University of California, San Diego

“There are great differences within and between countries in the effectiveness of workers’ collective efforts to defend their interests. This volume makes an important contribution in demonstrating the continuing significance of power, and power resources, as analytical instruments for understanding these variations. The book also provides illuminating empirical illustrations of how power resources are deployed. It will be a valuable resource for students of collective action.”
Richard Hyman, Emeritus Professor of Industrial Relations