Worker and shareholder protection in six countries: A longitudinal analysis

In this article the authors utilise leximetric analysis, which involves the numerical coding of the strength of formal legal protections, to document changes in the level of worker protection and shareholder protection in six countries (Australia, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States) for the period 1970-2005. Both worker and shareholder protection increased in five of the six countries and in the sixth country (Australia) shareholder protection increased and the level of worker protection in 2005 was similar to the level of protection in 1970. The results of statistical tests show that increased formal legal protection for shareholders is not obtained at the expense of formal protection for workers. Implications of this finding are explored by the authors.