TY - JOUR T1 - Trade Union Research and Cross-National Comparison JF - European Journal of Industrial Relations Y1 - 2001 A1 - Richard Hyman KW - analysis KW - comparative research KW - cross-national comparison KW - industrial relations KW - trade union rearch AB -

This article is concerned with problems of comparative research and analysis in industrial relations, and in particular with cross-national comparison of trade unions. Comparison is of both practical and theoretical importance, but is fraught with difficulties, in part because of the paradox involved in attempting to generalize concerning national instances which are in so many respects unique. The author considers three different approaches to analysis, in terms respectively of institutions, functions and issues. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the iterative nature of research and analysis and insists that even if the goal of satisfactory cross-national comparison may be unattainable, its pursuit is both necessary and valuable.

VL - 7 L2 - eng UR - http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/757/1/IRES.pdf CP - 2 ER -