There is some quantitative evidence on the volume of substitution of traditionally qualified supervisors in industry by more highly qualified staff, but very little is known about which forms substitution takes, the basic conditions facilitating substitution policies and the company goals associated with it as well as the consequences of this policy. This study has tried to address this gap, drawing on case study research in the UK, France and Germany. Three case studies in two industries (mechanical engineering and chemical industry) have been conducted in each of the three countries covered. The large companies studied had been chosen because they had substitution policies in place. A comparison of the case study features with the national contexts revealed that the German case studies are more of an exception to national development than the UK and French ones.
