"Employment opportunities and conditions of vulnerable social groups are affected by multiple agencies (including unions and employers) and labour market institutions. This study, drawing on iterative long-term research within workplaces, aims to discover the key interrelations among factors that are peculiar to different contexts. The research questions are pursued through a comparison of the treatment of women and migrants, respectively, in an Italian and a US car-manufacturing plant. Labour legislation is particularly important in the US case, whereas in the Italian context employers have more discretion. In both environments, unions have only a limited role."

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