The European Union Implication with the Whole World of Industrial Relations - Literature review Example

The European Union Implication with the Whole World of Industrial Relations [Student’s Name] [Institution Affiliation] Introduction Over the past 50 years, the European Union has achieved much success in international integration and it has been an effective way of achieving peace, prosperity, and security. Over this period, the EU has introduced a common currency, developed common policies, and harmonized some national legislation. The economic benefits of this integration have been widely documented. The integration has created new trading opportunities and larger market whilst lowering prices for the customers because increased competition. Key Issues Farrell (2009) identified the type of learning which has occurred after EU departure in external policy and evaluates the effect of learning on the outcomes and productivity. The three issues discussed in this article literature review are policy learning, EU promotion of Regional Integration and EU-Africa Relations. These issues informs the current study as well as its research questions as they demonstrate the way the EU is connected with the rest of the world with its policies and laws and the implication of this integration on industrial relations. For instance, one of the evident issue is “the interconnected of EU policies and action plans with stipulated outcomes and specified outcomes in Africa in areas such as trade and regional integration, peace and security, democratic governance and human rights.” In the joint EU-Africa plan, the key element is the regional integration, which links the African countries and the European Union through Economic Partnership Agreements, as well as regional integrations among the African countries. Cameron (2010) focussed on the EU as a model of regional integration and pointed out that it is the leading example of other efforts aiming for regional integration. In the Literature review, Cameron focused on the EU model, other regional integration groups, and lastly the state of the EU. These issues inform this study as they reveal why the EU has succeeded in regional integration while other groups have failed. The EU integration process suggests a lesson for the other groups when they reach the later stages of the integration process. The issues also cover the challenges that the EU faces and which threaten integration, for instance there it a serious challenge for the balance between euro zone countries and Germany. France and Germany are still divided on the issues of economic governance and questions linger over the final EU eastern borders. This calls for a form of economic governance in Europe as the weak central institutions in the euro zone as well as inadequate regulation of the energy and financial markets relentlessly weaken the EU. Normunds and Rozite (2012) assessed the regional policy of the EU at the local municipalities in chosen neighborhoods in Riga, Latvia. The three issues covered in the literature review were the national development plans by the EU regional policy, evaluation of the EU regional policy and the EU funded activity in Riga City. These issues influences the current study as they point to the fact that the regions EU needs to reevaluate its distribution process policies when it comes to fund allocation in various regions. In Riga cities, the areas with little or no real estate investment from the EU lagged behind in terms of cohesion. Dullen (2009) focused on the evolution as well as the current level of productive integration in the EU using a German Perspective. The three key issues, which the author focused on in the literature review, are productive integration in EU, the role of Germany and actors and policies behind EU productive integration. The issues inform the current study and the research question as they point to the fact that the integration process has benefitted both the poorer and richer countries especially through the lately formed production networks. The issue of proximity and geographical proximity is brought out in countries of Mercosur: productive integration between countries might not be easy given the immense differences between countries and legal and physical barriers to trade between the Mercosur member states further aggravate this problem. Lamping and Steffen (2009) focused on the various components of the EU health policy and systematized the numerous ways in which the European integration affects the apparent exclusive national realm of the health policy. The three issues that the authors focused on in the literature review are the supranational level public health governance, which led to regulatory regimes after a crises, the regulatory state in force evident in consumer protection and single market, and healthcare across borders; regulating the social security and single market perspectives. These issues support the current study as well as its research questions as they bring out the point the capacity of the EU to influence on the health systems of its member states go far beyond its rather reserved capability in the health field. The EU holds a clear command and it actively engages in building institutions. Bandelow (2008) focused on descriptive aptitudes of policy learning: reasons why various governments choose to amend their policies towards EU integration whilst other countries carry on using the German and British Perspectives. The three key issues, which the author focussed on in the literature review, were theoretical consideration in collective government learning, collective government learning in consensus democracies, and the impediment for collective government learning in most of the democracies. These issues inform the research study and the research questions as they explain the change in the attitudes and beliefs in Germany about central matters regarding EU integration. Data Collection and Analysis Methods Farell (2009) “adopted a policy learning approach to research the exit from external policy by the European Union and to recognize the descriptive ability of group learning for the important preferences, convictions, as well as policy mechanisms, which the European officials eventually adopt.” Farell also applied the policy-learning framework in analyzing the way that the EU promotes regional integration. Cameron (2010) determined the validity of the EU model by focusing on secondary literature on EU model, other regional groupings, and the state of the EU. Normunds and Rozite (2012) used a case study approach in data collection- they focussed on the City of Riga and analyzed whether the funding by the EU has been invested in regions which lag behind in Riga and hence attempted to answer whether the EU objectives of area policy are realized at a local municipality level. They used empirical analysis to demonstrate the actual performance of EU funds in the City. Dullen (2009) used a case study method-German point of view to show productive integration in the EU. In the analysis, the author looked at the forces behind the networks formation- Germany, Austria as well as the new member states, which became part of the first accession wave in 2004. Lamping and Steffen (2010) used the method of public policy analysis and the authors identified the main policies as well as their developments. The two authors analyzed their results by determining the importance of the EU governance in the health sector. Bandelow (2008) used the case study methodology founded on background reviews, literature analysis, as well as analysis of statements and documents of German and British governments. The analysis was based on the case studies of the two governments. Who was Studied in the Research? Farell (2009) studied the EU policies in different countries. Normunds and Rozite (2012) studied the city of Riga in Latvia- real estate investments. Cameron (2010) studied the EU model and other similar groups which attempt to promote regional integration. Dullien (2009) studied productive integration in German. Lamping and Steffen (2009) focused on the EU health policy. Bandelow (2008) studied the German and British European Policies. Findings Farell (2009) found that more diverse representation enhance the possibility for policy learning and also the institutional and political capacity of the EU limit learning to a varied extent. Cameron (2010) found that the EU has an outstanding record of recovering from crisis and to move ahead even stronger than before because of its political will and hence other groups with the goal of regional integration should learn from the EU model. Normunds and Rozite (2012) found that to a certain extent, Eu funding increase the chance of investment in real estate Riga City because of increase territory competitiveness. Nonetheless, the investment spatial distribution presented lacked a clear link to the European Union funds invested in various neighborhoods or territories. Dullien (2009) found that the productive integration within the Eu is very high between Germany, Austria as well as the new member states and this has increased more robustly across the countries in the last decade. Lamping and Steffen (2009) found that the growing EU healthy policy is characterized by novel, intricate, as well as often overlapping responsibilities between suprantioanal and national levels. It is usually a multiple, differential and often accidental procedure with very systematic impacts. Bandelow (2008) found that government learning is possible; the probability of change depend on the prospect of government proposals realization and prospects of amends to the government proposals. Political systems also have an impact on the possibility of a collective government. How has this Research Study Contributed to the Knowledge on this Topic? Farell (2009) showed that EU promotes regional integration and contributes to comprehension of policy learning dynamics in the external relations perspective; the EU-Africa inter-regional policy illustrates this. Cameron (2010) showed the factors underlying the success of the EU in regional integration. The EU models presented resounds the need for genuine investment by member states in the regional integration goals. Normunds and Rozite (2012) showed that there is need to reduce the social, economic, as well as region disparities between EU regions by investing in regions lagging behind. The study showed that investing in well-developed areas causes disparities. Dullien (2009) presented the factors, which influence productive integration through formation of productive networks. Lamping and Steffen (2009) demonstrated the importance of the EU health policy integration as it offer opportunities for countries, which have “Frozen”, care systems and also enables the purchasers and government the chance to profit from EU-wide competition. Bandelow (2008) presented factors, which cause governments to change their policies towards EU integration and the ones, which cause nations to carry on. Suggestions for Future Research Four of the reviewed articles on EU integration used secondary materials to reach their conclusion; there is need to use primary methods for ascertaining the EU and connections with its policies and laws. There are also fewer studies on the topic and hence researchers should invest more in the area. Conclusion EU plays a major role in regional integration through its policies and laws, for instance the health care policy. It has drastically influenced international relations between countries in the continent and has offered a scale of cooperation in political, economic, social, environmental, legal, educational, and other areas of public life, which has improved the member citizen welfare. This has also strengthened the individual governments of the member states as well as their interests at the new governance level where collective and national interest unite. References Bandelow, N. (2008). Government Learning in German and British European Policies. Journal of Common Market Studies, 46 (4), 743-764. Cameron. F. (2010). The European Union as a Model for Regional Integration, CFR Working Paper. London: Council on Foreign Relations. Dullien, S. (2009). Productive Integration in the EU: A German Perspective. Social Europe Journal, 156–219 Farrell. M. (2009). EU Policy towards other Regions: Policy Learning in the External Promotion of Regional Integration. Journal of European Public Policy, 16 (8), 1165-1184 Lamping, W., & Steffen, M. (2009). European Union and Healthy Policy: The “Chaordic” Dynamics of Integration. Social Science Quarterly, 90(5); 1361-1379. Normunds, S., & Rozite, M. (2012) Assessment of European Union’s Regional Policy at the Level of Local Municipality: Case study of Selected Neighborhoods in Riga. European Integration Studies, 6, 168-176. Read More