Swedish economic model of social collaboration reveals the benefits of trust in employer-union relations

September 12, 2024

The TRUE Project brought preliminary results from interviews about the role of trust between employee and employer representatives in social partner relationships. They were already presented at the European Sociological Association conference.

Based on a background study, theoretical framework, and excerpts from interviews, Swedish colleagues Bengt Larsson, Ylva Ulfsdotter Eriksson, and Glenn Sjöstrand from Linnaeus University covered themes of personal trust at the sectoral and local levels in employer-union relations.

They focused on personal-, process-based trust, institutionally based trust, as well as examples of what hinders and breaks trust, and, finally, on the consequences of trust in employer-union relations, according to respondents.

An overall preliminary finding is that the Swedish model, with its variety of collaborations between social partners, is beneficial for building and maintaining trustful relations.

“We received some interesting responses and questions. Among them were: How can we relate the mechanisms of trust across different levels (local, sectoral, institutional)? Or, what is the role of power between negotiating parties at the same or different levels in the formation and reproduction of trust?” commented Glenn Sjöstrand on the preliminary results.

We look forward to gaining more such inspiring insights from the preliminary results of other partners and countries in our research project!

Join us on this journey as we work to shape the future of Europe’s labour landscape.

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