Pluralistic Corporate Governance Model and Industrial Relations in Germany

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03900
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Management
• Research Institution: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: KAZAMA NOBUTAKA 明治大学, 研究・知財戦略機構(駿河台), 研究推進員(客員研究員) (60130803)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): H・R Bungsche 関西学院大学, 国際学部, 教授 (10434903) ; 清水 一之 明治大学, 経営学部, 専任教授 (80515081)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 多元的企業統治 / 共同決定 / 監査役会 / 労使関係 / 経営協議会 / 機関投資家 / 自動車産業 / DX・EV

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Analyzing the most recent data and by conducting own interview surveys in Germany, our research sought to clarify if and how Germany's traditional pluralistic corporate governance model has changed. With this respect specifically the increasing influence of institutional investors on the German stock market and the rise of "shareholder-oriented management" are to be mentioned. As a result of our research, we were able to show that despite the indeed increased influence of the stock market that can be observed also in Germany over the last decades, the pluralistic corporate governance model is still maintained and evolves diversity in Germany. In particular, the most outstanding characteristic of this model, which is the strong influence of labor both at the corporate level, as well as on the shopfloor level, where the works councils play the most important part, remained unchanged and will still be decisive for the future of the “German Model”.

Free Research Field

経営学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

我が国の「新しい資本主義」の模索は、従来の株主価値偏重の企業統治への反省の下で始まっており、その際に多様なステイクホルダー（利害関係者）の諸利害に配慮した「多元的企業統治」モデルの有効性が注目されてきた。しかし、これは[高度成長期」に展開された従業員重視の企業統治とは異なるものとの理解が一般的である。
この点で伝統的に日本と類似したドイツの多元的企業統治の最近の変容についての実態解明は大きな学術的・社会的意義を有する。また本研究がドイツ自動車産業を中心に電動化・デジタル化の取り組みに労使関係や多元的企業統治モデルが及ぼす影響力を明らかにしてきた点も大きな社会的意義を持つ。