Global Journal of Business Management

ISSN 2736-1721

Global Journal of Business Management ISSN 6731-4538 Vol. 2 (10), pp. 001-008, October, 2008. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Social dialogue in areas and times of depression: Evidence from regional Greece

Theodoros Koutroukis1* and Lefteris Kretsos2

1University of Aegean, Chios, Greece.

2Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK.

Accepted 16 August, 2008

Abstract

Social Dialogue (SD) constitutes one of the most popular tools for establishing effective cooperation between social partners and one of the most highlighted formulas for resolving social conflicts and disputes in nowadays. Nevertheless, the progress, which has been made so far, was not always encouraging and it seemed that the euphemism around the term is greater than the results of its implementation. In many cases stakeholders and partners could not overcome their traditional stances on certain issues and as a result they could not consolidate their positions to mutual and genuinely participatory governance schemes. Such cases were examined here. In essence the article examines the distinct nature of SD at the local level and the pressures exerted to SD procedures by broader economic restructuring exercises and reforms.

Key words: Social Partnership, Social Dialogue, Local Partnership Schemes, Participants.