How institutions evolve : the political economy of skills in Germany, Britain, the United States, and Japan

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Title:

Author:

Thelen, Kathleen Ann.

ISBN:

9780521837682

9780521546744

Personal Author:

Thelen, Kathleen Ann.

Publication Information:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Physical Description:

xv, 333 p. ; 24 cm.

Series:

Cambridge studies in comparative politics

Series Title:

Cambridge studies in comparative politics

Contents:

1. The political economy of skills in comparative-historical perspective -- 2. The evolution of skill formation in Germany -- 3. The evolution of skill formation in Britain -- 4. The evolution of skill formation in Japan and the United States -- 5. Evolution and change in the German system of vocational training -- 6. Conclusions, empirical and theoretical.

Abstract:

"The institutional arrangements governing skill formation are widely seen as constituting a key element in the institutional constellations that define distinctive "varieties of capitalism" across the developed democracies. This book explores the origins and evolution of such institutions in four countries - Germany, Britain, the United States, and Japan. It traces cross-national differences in contemporary training regimes back to the nineteenth century and, specifically, to the character of the political settlement achieved among employers in skill-intensive industries, artisans, and early trade unions. The book also tracks evolution and change in training institutions over a century of development. It uncovers important continuities through putative "breakpoints" in history, but also - more important perhaps - it provides insights into modes of institutional change that are incremental but cumulatively transformative.

The study underscores the limits of the most prominent approaches to institutional change, and it identifies the political processes through which the form and functions of institutions can be radically reconfigured over time."--BOOK JACKET.

Subject Term:

Employees -- Training of -- Europe -- Case studies.

Employees -- Training of -- United States -- Case studies.

Employees -- Training -- Japan -- Case studies.

Occupational training -- Europe -- Case studies.

Occupational training -- United States -- Case studies.

Occupational training -- Japan -- Case studies.

Electronic Access:

Sample text http://www.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam051/2004040785.html

Copies:

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Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168020382293	331.2592 T379H 2004	1	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The institutional arrangements governing skill formation are widely seen as a key element in the institutional constellations defining 'varieties of capitalism' across the developed democracies. This book explores the origins and evolution of such institutions in four countries - Germany, Britain, the United States and Japan. It traces cross-national differences in contemporary training regimes back to the nineteenth century, and specifically to the character of the political settlement achieved among employers in skill-intensive industries, artisans, and early trade unions. The book also tracks evolution and change in training institutions over a century of development, uncovering important continuities through putative 'break points' in history. Crucially, it also provides insights into modes of institutional change that are incremental but cumulatively transformative. The study underscores the limits of the most prominent approaches to institutional change, and identifies the political processes through which the form and functions of institutions can be radically reconfigured over time.