Globalization, Workers, and Industrial Relations Institutions in Southeast Asia

Abstract

[Excerpt] Much of my research focuses on industrial relations (the relationship between managers and labor - mostly represented by trade unions). Thus, typically l study the impact of changes in the environment (be it economic, social, political, or legal environments) on the goals and strategies of employers and workers. In writing this article, I am using a particular case to provide readers with a flavor of the research that I conduct. Currently, there is much interest in how globalization (change in the economic environments) is affecting Southeast Asia. On this note, I'd like to briefly examine how the Asian financial crisis (arguably deepened by the integration of financial markets globally) has affected workers in selected Southeast Asian countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines). I will also attempt to explain why workers in some of these countries fared better than workers in others.