Explaining the Prevalence of Illegitimate Wage Practices in Southern Europe: An Institutional Analysis

Author (Person) ,
Series Title
Series Details Vol.20, No.2, June 2016, p203-221
Publication Date June 2016
ISSN 1360-8746
Content Type

Abstract:

This paper proposes that the prevalence of illegitimate wage practices in Southern European societies results from the discord between the formal rules (formal institutions) and the socially shared unwritten rules that reflect citizens' beliefs (informal institutions).

To evaluate this, a 2013 survey is reported on whether employers in five Southern European countries fraudulently evade tax and social security payments by paying employees a portion of their salary off the books. A strong association is revealed between the extent of wage under-reporting and the degree of institutional asymmetry across these societies. The implications for theorising illegitimate wage practices are then explored.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13608746.2015.1013518
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Countries / Regions