Labour–management relations and employee involvement in lean production systems in different national contexts: A comparison of French and Swedish aerospace companies

Existing research has found heterogeneity in the implementation of Lean and its outcomes terms employee involvement across countries. This article explores potential role labour–management relations. It relies on in-depth company case studies carried out aerospace industry France Sweden. The study finds significant variations – higher Swedish than French cases. Managerial orientations did play a role, as ‘technocratic’ form echoed more unilateral top-down conception management, while managers appeared receptive to ‘involvement-enhancing’ paradigm. But attitudes behaviours unions were also crucial factor, very effective impinging at workplace level, their counterparts, often divided, adopted defensive stance, lacking expertise implication promotion high-involvement work organisations.