6533b7defe1ef96bd1275cac

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Dans les coulisses de la négociation des plans de suppression d'emplois

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Labour negotiations usually take place during formal, official and visible meetings. Meanwhile, they can also be hidden, when negotiators decide or accept to meet away from sight of management and employees. In this article, we draw upon Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective (Goffman, 1959) applied to labour bargaining (Friedman, 1994) to shed light upon the hidden part of the negotiation of downsizing programmes. During these episodes, the outcome of the bargaining process is uncertain. In this context, the role played by secret encounters in achieving a satisfying agreement appears crucial.