An important query for the book Nordic Management-Labour Relations and Internationalization is whether there has been any convergence towards the American or Anglo-Saxon neo-liberal model for management-labour relations or not, model which is rather hostile to corporative industrial relations in general and trade unions in particular. The result, however, is that although private and public management have introduced different flexibility reforms and international human resource management (HRM) models in all Nordic countries, the strong management-union cooperation has remained relatively intact, both centrally and locally.

Contrary to many other countries unions and employees have often been positive to competence development, participation and flexible assignments, which were part of unions' co-determination policy of the 1970s aiming for workers to act as equal partners. The book covers different aspects and themes of the global influence on Nordic working life:

­ A theoretical introduction to convergence versus divergence regarding industrial relations and Nordic management-labour relations; ­ Influence of international HRM policies in Nordic multinational companies and on national IR systems studied in four chapters: in Norway; in Sweden; in Malaysia and Singapore; in European Works Councils; ­ Flexibility strategies and consequences for industrial relations in Sweden; ­ Individualization of salaries in the Danish public sector; ­ Industrial relations and occupational health and safety; ­ Increasing male-female employee difference regarding IR strategies.