Book Review: Sławomir Czech, Od konfliktu do kooperacji [From conflict to cooperation]

Abstract

This is a review of a book by Sławomir Czech titled 'Od konfliktu do kooperacji: Instytucjonalizacja konfliktu interesów zbiorowych w szwedzkim modelu gospodarczym' [From conflict to cooperation: Institutionalisation of the conflict of collective interests in the Swedish economic model]. The book deals with the so-called 'Swedish model' of the economy. The author claims that while the significance of trade unions is usually magnified in its construction, the role of business organisations is underestimated. He analyses pivotal conflicts between the Swedish Social Democratic Party, the trade unions and the employers' organisation. In the book he puts forward a hypothesis that constructing Swedish economic institutions in concordance with the principles of cooperation and seeking a compromise between the most important pressure groups fostered solutions that were beneficial in terms of economic growth.