Work and employment in creative industries: The video games industry in Germany, Sweden and Poland

Do the institutions of labour regulation hamper the development of 'new economy' industries in coordinated market economies? The article discusses the specific situation of the video games industry as a 'creative industry' and its work and employment model. It examines the development of the value chain structure and its consequences for risk distribution among companies. The results show a very high employment flexibility of video game development companies in Germany, Sweden and Poland. Regulative or institutional constraints on flexibility do not play an important role. The example of Sweden demonstrates that even union representatives are no obstacle to flexibility.