Kathleen Thelen Bücher

This book examines contemporary changes in labor market institutions in the United States, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

Union of Parts examines one of the central puzzles in the economic and political successes of West Germany (FRG). In the decades between world war and reunification with the East, the FRG provided a model for combining high rates of unionization and substantial labor peace--indeed, for collaboration between organized labor and organized capital as both groups faced the dislocations involved in adjusting to a changing global marketplace.

This book tracks change in training institutions in four democracies over a century of development.

The book examines the rise of large American retailers like Walmart and Amazon, highlighting how they thrived in a regulatory environment that favored their growth. It traces the evolution of retail capitalism from the late nineteenth century, illustrating how these companies formed powerful political coalitions to resist regulation. By comparing the U.S. experience with that of retailers in the UK, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, it reveals how American firms leveraged judicial leniency and government support to dominate the market, often at the expense of suppliers and workers.