Work, Employment & Society current issue

Working without commitments: precarious employment and health

Lewchuk, W., Clarke, M., de Wolff, A. — 2008-09-04

Using cross-sectional data from a Canadian population-based questionnaire, this article develops a new approach to understanding the impact of less permanent forms of employment on workers' health. It concludes that employment relationships where future employment is uncertain, where individuals are actively searching for new employment and where support is limited are associated with poorer health indicators.

Non-regular employment in Japan: continued and renewed dualities

Keizer, A. B. — 2008-09-04

Previous analyses of Japanese employment practices have often focused almost exclusively on regular employment, relegating non-regular employment to a role as employment buffer. However, recent years have seen a rise in non-regular employment which requires a renewed analysis of its role and importance. This article provides such an analysis and presents two major findings. First, it argues that a renewed duality in the labour market indicates important advantages to non-regular employment, not just in terms of flexibility, as suggested by previous interpretations and dual labour market theories, but mostly in terms of costs. However, the importance of this advantage differs between industries. Second, the article discusses the consequences of this duality. It argues particularly that the duality constrains the employment opportunities for women in spite of regulatory changes to strengthen their position. The article concludes with general insights into labour market dualism.

Forms of capital, mixed embeddedness and Somali enterprise

Ram, M., Theodorakopoulos, N., Jones, T. — 2008-09-04

What form is small business activity taking among new migrants in the UK? This question is addressed by examining the case of Somalis in the English city of Leicester.We apply a novel synthesis of the Nee and Sanders' (2001) `forms of capital' model with the `mixed embeddedness' approach (Rath, 2000) to enterprises established by newly arrived immigrant communities, combining agency and structure perspectives. Data are drawn from business-owners (and workers) themselves, rather than community representatives. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were held with 25 business owners and 25 employees/`helpers', supplemented by 3 focus group encounters with different segments of the Somali business population.The findings indicate that a reliance solely on social capital explanations is not sufficient. An adequate understanding of business dynamics requires an appreciation of how Somalis mobilize different forms of capital within a given political, social and economic context.

An exploration of small firm psychological contracts

Atkinson, C. — 2008-09-04

It is argued here that more sophisticated frameworks of analysis than currently exist are required to support deeper understanding of small firm employment relationships. A psychological contract framework is adopted, presenting data on three small firm case studies and contrasting this with existing perspectives on small firm employment relationships. The degree of heterogeneity demonstrated in employment relationships in the small firm sector leads to the argument that a single typology of `small firm' employment relationships is not possible. While small firms may differ in nature to large firms, there is a range of forces in so heterogeneous a sector that go to create employment relationships and a narrow framework, especially one predicated upon notions of size, will not adequately reflect the complexities of the relationships under consideration. A broader, less deterministic, framework such as the psychological contract supports the development of more nuanced understandings of small firm employment relationships.

Guanxi networks and job searches in China's emerging labour market: a qualitative investigation

Xianbi Huang, — 2008-09-04

This article examines whether guanxi networks are still influential in China's emerging labour market in light of economic liberalization. In-depth interviews with 65 Chinese job searchers show that guanxi networks influence job search and acquisition in a considerably transformed state sector, when jobs are highly desirable or when jobs are `soft-skill' and thus job performance is hard to measure, quantify or monitor. The influence of guanxi networks is, however, limited, resisted or eliminated when large corporations, mostly in the non-state sector, adopt transparent and standardized procedures to screen and recruit the most qualified candidates. Guanxi ties and professional ties are also interconnected in employment processes and professional ties are potentially transformable into guanxi ties.These results are discussed from institutional and cultural perspectives to contribute to a social network approach to labour market research in Chinese and non-Chinese societies.

Mismatching of persons and jobs in the Netherlands: consequences for the returns to mobility

Gesthuizen, M., Dagevos, J. — 2008-09-04

This article answers three questions.To what extent do Dutch workers voluntarily change employers or positions within the firm, do objective and subjectively experienced job characteristics influence voluntary mobility, and does voluntary mobility result in changes in these job characteristics? Analyses show that voluntary mobility occurs quite often. Objective job characteristics do not predict the odds of voluntary mobility. The subjective evaluation of aspects of the job, such as for instance the job in general, the income, the job content and colleagues, and workload, however, do. The stronger this mismatch of persons and jobs, the more likely one is to be voluntarily mobile. Panel analyses furthermore show that this voluntary mobility improves objective job characteristics such as income and status, and reduces an unfavourable evaluation of the person—job fit. Clearly, an unfavourably experienced person—job fit pushes workers out of their jobs, and on average this step brings positive returns.

Highly educated immigrants in the Norwegian labour market: permanent disadvantage?

Brekke, I., Mastekaasa, A. — 2008-09-04

This article analyses earnings and employment differences between native Norwegians and immigrants over the period 1993—2003. Register data for the entire population of graduates from Norwegian universities 1992—2002 are used. Immigrants' earnings and employment rates are considerably lower than those of native Norwegians. The differences decline with time of residency. Keeping time of residency constant, however, earnings differences between native men and male immigrants tend to grow over the career.

Care strategies among high- and low-skilled mothers: a world of difference?

Debacker, M. — 2008-09-04

The aim of this article is to gain better insight into the care strategies of mothers with varying qualification levels. The analysis is focused on the determinants of work—care decisions in the Belgian region of Flanders. It hypothesizes that schooling level is a crucial factor. Additionally, given the intense debates in the care literature provoked by the work of Catherine Hakim, particular attention is devoted to how personal preferences interact with schooling level. The results reveal a more subtle effect of personal preferences than is suggested by Hakim. Personal preferences impact on the work—care choices of mothers with lower qualifications but not on the choices of high-skilled mothers. Moreover, low-skilled mothers remain constrained in their choices since they cannot afford full-time formal care. The results indicate that personal preferences, rather than being the most crucial factors, impact on the work—care choices of mothers within the boundaries of structural constraints.

Time, caring labour and social policy: understanding the family time economy in contemporary families

Maher, J. M., Lindsay, J., Franzway, S. — 2008-09-04

Book Review: L. Aguiar and Andrew Herod (eds) The Dirty Work of Neoliberalism: Cleaners in the Global Economy Oxford: Blackwell, 2006, {pound}19.00 pbk (ISBN 978--1--4051--5636--3), xi + 263 pp

Williams, G. — 2008-09-04

Book Review: P. Lewis and Ruth Simpson (eds) Gendering Emotions in Organizations Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 2007, {pound}26.99 pbk (ISBN: 978--0--230--00148--0), xiii + 208 pp

Bonner, F. — 2008-09-04

Book Review: Jieyu Liu Gender and Work in Urban China: Women Workers of the Unlucky Generation Oxford: Routledge Taylor & Francis, 2007, {pound}70.00 hbk, no price stated pbk, (ISBN: 978--0--415--39211--2), xiv + 178 pp

McVicar, O. — 2008-09-04

Book Review: Michael A. Witt Changing Japanese Capitalism: Societal Co-ordination and Institutional Adjustment Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006, {pound}50.00 hbk (ISBN: 10 0--521--86860--2), xiii + 221 pp

Nolan, J. — 2008-09-04

Book Review: Gary Paul Green Workforce Development Networks in Rural Areas: Building the High Road Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2007, {pound}45 hbk (ISBN: 978 1 84542 872 3), ix + 144 pp

Greer, I. — 2008-09-04

Books Received

2008-09-04