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Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- Abbreviations -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- References -- Chapter 2: Social Inequalities at the National and European Level -- 2.1 Boundary Building and Internal Structuring at National and European Level -- 2.2 The Europeanisation of Social Inequalities -- References -- Chapter 3: Data and Methods -- References -- Chapter 4: Between Convergence and Agglomeration. Economic and Technological Disparities in the EU -- 4.1 Convergence through Economic Integration? -- 4.2 Between Agglomeration and Diffusion of Technological and Economic Capabilities -- 4.3 Peripheral Trajectories in Southern and Eastern Europe -- 4.3.1 Barriers to Modernisation, the Euro and Growth Models. Three Explanations -- 4.3.2 Debt, Labour Market and Economic Structures and Institutions. Determinants of Peripheral Trajectories in Europe -- 4.3.3 Two Trajectories -- 4.4 Summary and Outlook -- References -- Chapter 5: European Labour Markets between Segmentation and Activation -- 5.1 Inclusive and Exclusive Employment Regimes in Europe -- 5.2 Determinants of Labour Force Participation -- 5.3 The Segmentation of Labour Markets in the Euro Crisis -- 5.3.1 Monetary Union and Labour Markets -- 5.3.2 Labour Market Risks in Europe -- 5.4 Long-Term Unemployment. The Achilles´ Heel of the European Social Model -- 5.5 Summary: Labour Market Inequalities within and Between European Countries -- References -- Chapter 6: Wage Inequalities in the EU -- 6.1 Wages as Essential Dimension of Social Inequality -- 6.2 Wages in the European Integration Process -- 6.3 The Evolution of Wage Inequalities across Europe -- 6.4 National Wage Inequalities in Europe -- 6.5 Group-Specific Wage Differences and Low Wages in Europe -- 6.6 Conclusion -- References.

Soziale Ungleichheiten auf nationaler und europäischer Ebene -- Daten und Methoden -- Zwischen Konvergenz und Agglomeration. Wirtschaftliche Disparitäten in der EU -- Europäische Arbeitsmärkte zwischen Segmentierung und Aktivierung -- Lohnungleichheiten in der EU -- Europäisierung der Einkommensungleichheit vor und während der Krise in der Eurozone: inter-, supra- und transnationale Perspektiven -- Kumulierung und Konzentration von Armut und Ausgrenzung -- Bildung, Qualifikationen und soziale Mobilität -- Der gesellschaftliche Zusammenhalt in Europa. Zwischen europaweiter Konvergenz und sozialer Spaltung -- Anhang: Die verwendeten Variablen, ihre Operationalisierung und ihre Quellen.

This book examines social inequalities in Europe, especially those caused by economic factors. It starts with the paradox of European inequality, where on the one hand, even total income inequality in Europe is significantly lower than in most parts of the world; but on the other, Europe is also characterised by profound and durable inequalities within the continent. It discusses inequalities caused by the exclusion of marginalised groups from the labour market, with considerable and sometimes increasing differences between central and peripheral regions, pronounced wealth and labour market inequalities, and significant rates of persistent poverty, deprivation, educational poverty, low wages and unemployment. The book also discusses broader territorial inequalities, which are the basis for divisions between Northern and Southern Europe, East and West, between qualified and unqualified employees, younger and older people, men and women, and migrants and non-migrants. The book raises questions about the winners and losers of the social transformations linked to the introduction of the Euro, the Eastern enlargement of the EU, and the financial and Eurozone crises. It is based on a comprehensive analysis of a European-wide microdata set on income and living conditions (EU-SILC). The empirical research material, which is the first to deploy this data in a comprehensive manner, consists of detailed empirical analyses of social divisions and Europeanisation processes in 30 European countries. It analyses and explains the transformation of the previously dominant national spaces into a European social space. This topical book is of interest to academics and students in the fields of sociology and comparative social sciences, along with those studying European regional geography, anthropology, international relations, and international politics.

European integration has transformed the social life of European citizens. Daily life and work no longer take place primarily in a local and national context, but increasingly in a European and transnational frame – a process of 'horizontal Europeanisation' which, while increasing the life chances of European citizens, also brings about conflicts among them. This book focuses on processes of Europeanisation in the academic, bureaucratic, professional and associational field, as well as on the Europeanisation of solidarity, networks and social inequalities. Drawing on detailed empirical studies and attending to the reinforcement of centre‐periphery structures in Europe, it analyses the dynamics of horizontal Europeanisation processes, highlighting the crucial role of national practices and perceptions in a transnational context, as well as the related conflicts between the winners and losers in this process. As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology and political science with interests in European integration, social change and social stratification.

Europe has become a dominant frame for the generation, regulation and perception of social inequalities. This trend was solidified by the current economic crisis, which is characterized by increasing inequalities between central and peripheral countries and groups. By analysing the double polarization between winners and losers of the crisis, the segmentation of labour markets and the perceived quality of life in Europe, this book contributes to a better understanding of patterns and dynamics of inequality in an integrated Europe. --

Multinational companies are crucial actors in a global knowledge-based economy, combining the advantages of global and locally coordinated production and innovation strategies with specific regional and national factors. This book questions how MNCs can best exploit institutionally embedded knowledge, explores the utilization of external institutionally embedded knowledge in corporate innovation processes, and addresses the challenges of embeddedness. -- The expert contributors draw on managerial, economic, geographic and sociological perspectives to explore the essential roles of regional and national knowledge infrastructures and the cultural and political environment of MNCs. They build upon, update, and extend the discussion on the regional and national embeddedness of MNCs with new country case studies and comparative analyses, focussing on the relationship between innovation in companies and regional studies. Significantly, the book also establishes a link between two important debates that have hitherto been largely disconnected: Regional studies and international business studies separately address issues that fall within the scope of the book, but do not provide an integrated analysis of the embeddedness of MNCs. -- 'This wonderful volume brings together contributions mainly from the innovation literature, whose findings are in a sense quite familiar, but which in this collection are juxtaposed in such a way as to highlight their common institutional underpinnings. This is very much due to the efforts of the editor, whose insightful introduction and editorial vision brings out several interesting and emerging themes from this collection of papers. I think this volume breaks new ground in highlighting the embeddedness of MNE subsidiaries in multiple contexts, and it will be of considerable interest to scholars engaged with institutional analysis. However, I also believe that researchers interested in regional embeddedness, the geography of innovation, and knowledge management will find new angles to their work in this collected volume.' (Sarianna M. Lundan, University of Bremen, Germany).

The crucial actors of a global knowledge-based economy are multinational enterprises (MNEs). MNEs depend on the embeddedness in an institutional framework; their competitive advantage depends on the cross-border utilisation of regional and national capabilities. The innovativeness of a company is therefore based also on regional innovation systems. Multinational Enterprises and Innovation contributes to a better understanding of the interconnectedness between organisational and regional learning. On the basis of case studies in Germany and France, this volume investigates how MNEs cope with technical, economic and institutional uncertainties by drawing upon the complementary strengths of organisational and regional networks in national and European contexts. The book links two theoretical debates which are currently still largely disconnected -- the debate on learning processes in MNEs and the debate on the regional bases of innovativeness and competitiveness -- answering the question of how the internationalisation of R & D is reconciled with regional competences.

Long description: Durch die Erweiterung und Vertiefung der EU werden soziale Ungleichheiten zunehmend auf europäischer Ebene erzeugt und reguliert, Klassen- und Schichtungsstrukturen beschränken sich nicht mehr nur auf den nationalen Raum. Der Band beschreibt diesen innereuropäischen Strukturwandel und diskutiert dessen Bedeutung für Theorie und Praxis der Sozialforschung. Mit Beiträgen von Gabriele Bischoff, Sebastian Büttner, Jan Delhey, Jürgen Gerhards, Marco Härpfer, Max Haller, Martin Heidenreich, Ulrich Kohler, Christian Lahusen, Steffen Mau, Richard Münch, Angelika Poferl, Johannes Schwarz und Roland Verwiebe.

1. Einleitung -- 2. Informationssysteme zwischen Formalisierung und Deregulierung -- 2.1 Informationstechnologien im Spiegel industriesoziologischer Studien -- 2.2 Informatisierung, Politik und Kultur: Zur Entwicklung eines eigenen Ansatzes -- 2.3 Resümee -- 3. Höhere Steuerungsanforderungen und die »Ironien der Informatisierung« -- 3.1 Jenseits von Massenproduktion und flexibler Spezialisierung -- 3.2 Diversifizierungsstrategien und härtere Budgetbedingungen -- 3.3 Qualitätssicherung und veränderte Steuerungsanforderungen -- 3.4 Produktinnovation und veränderte Steuerungsanforderungen -- 3.5 Vernetzte Produktionsstrukturen und die Grenzen informatisierter Steuerungskonzepte -- 3.6 Resümee -- 4. Die Deregulierung und Individualisierung betrieblicher Leistungspolitiken -- 4.1 Delegation von Verantwortung und neue Führungsstile -- 4.2 Organisatorische Fähigkeiten und Kenntnisse -- 4.3 Resümee -- 5. Fertigungssteuerungskonzepte zwischen Meister-, Global- und Kontextsteuerung -- 5.1 Situative, globale und Kontextsteuerung -- 5.2 Zwischen Global- und Kontextsteuerung: Drei Fallbeispiele -- 5.3 Konzeptionskonkurrenzen -- 5.4 Branchentypische und nationale Muster betrieblicher Informatisierungsprozesse -- 5.5 Resümee -- 6. Die Entwicklung und Einführung von Steuerungssystemen -- 6.1 Informatisierungsprozesse zwischen expertokratischen, partizipativinkrementalen und kommunikativen Einführungsmodellen -- 6.2 Die Ambivalenzen expertokratischer, partizipativer und kommunikativer Informatisierungskonzepte: Drei Fallbeispiele. -- 6.3 Projektgruppen zwischen kommunikativer Rationalisierung und arbeitspolitischem Beharrungsvermögen -- 6.4 Nationale und branchentypische Informatisierungsmuster -- 7. Nationale Muster betrieblicher Informatisierungspolitiken: Ein Erklärungsversuch -- 7.1 Nationale Arbeitskulturen als »eiserner Käfig« und »Werkzeugkasten« -- 7.2 Nationale Strukturierungsprinzipien technischen Wissens -- 7.3 Industrielle Beziehungen und nationale Muster betrieblicher Informatisierungsprozesse -- 7.4 Resümee -- 8. Zusammenfassung und Ausblick -- 8.1 Informatisierung, Politisierung, Subjektivierung und soziokulturelle Prägung -- 8.2 Sozialintegration zwischen Fremd- und Selbstzwängen -- Anhang: Das Untersuchungsdesign und die untersuchten Betriebe -- 1. Das Untersuchungsdesign -- 2. Die untersuchten Bekleidungs- und Elektronikunternehmen -- 3. Interviewleitfaden für Mitarbeiter der Produktionssteuerung -- Personenregister.

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