The new concept of acceptability

Abstract

1993 was a year of change — a year characterised by a newfound courage to take on board new ideas, try out different approaches, face up to awkward decisions. It was a year which saw the introduction of new developments such as the 4-day week and other innovative approaches to work organisation. The key concept of “acceptability” swept aside the rigid divisions and taboos which had hindered the finding of solutions to the employment crisis at Volkswagen. Few people imagined it would be possible to break away from the traditional response to problems whereby a minority was sacrificed in order to save the majority — which in labour market terms always means dismissing a small section of the workforce in order to be able to guarantee full employment to the remainder.

In the long term, the only safe jobs are competitive ones — and the challenges are increasingly taking on global proportions. Jobs in Germany will only survive if they can be put on a new basis. We need to view our own situation in a new light and find different solutions by changing our frame of reference. A new concept of “acceptability” offers a way for traditional industries in high-cost locations to survive the future.