Job Insecurity And Work Intensification

Table of Contents List of illustrations List of contributors Acknowledgements Introduction 1 1 More pressure, less protection 8 2 Flexibility and the reorganisation of work 39 3 The prevalence and redistribution of job insecurity and work intensification 61 4 Disappearing pathways and the struggle for a fair day's pay 77 5 Job insecurity and work intensification: the effects on health and well-being 92 6 The intensification of everyday life 112 7 The organisational costs of job insecurity and work intensification 137 8 Stress intervention: what can managers do? 154 9 What can governments do? 172 Appendices 185 Notes 189 References 206 Index 222.

What is the reality of employment in the late 1990s? Using findings from the Job Insecurity and Work Intensification Survey (JIWIS), this study reports the experiences of employees in a wide range of industries and occupations in the public and private sectors, and takes in views from employers.

This book examines the new ways of working and their impact on employees’ well-being and performance. It concentrates on job demands and flexible work emanating from current economic and organizational change, and assesses impact on workers’ health and performance. The development of issues such as globalization, rapid technological advances, new management practices, organizational changes and new job skills are addressed. This book gives an overview and discusses the potential negative and positive effects of such new job demands and new forms of work.

The growing diversity of contemporary paid work has provoked increased interest in understanding and evaluating the quality of working lives. This Handbook provides critical reflections on recent research in the field, including examining the inextricable links between working life and well-being.

Precarity is a key theme in political discourse, in media and academic discussions of employment, and within the labour movement. Often, the prevailing idea is of an endless march of precarity, rendering work ever more contingent and workers ever more disposable. However, this detailed study of the UK labour force challenges the picture of rising precarity and widespread use of temporary employment, suggesting instead that employment tenure and the extent of temporary work have proved stubbornly stable over the past four decades. Choonara offers a new approach to labour markets, drawing on the theoretical underpinnings of Marxist political economy to interrogate research data from the UK. This book examines why, despite the deteriorating conditions in work, employment relations have remained stable, and offers insight into the extent of subjective insecurity among workers. Insecurity, Precarious Work and Labour Markets will be of use to students and scholars across the sociology of work, labour economics, industrial relations and political economy.

Since the early 1980s, a vast number of jobs have been created in the affluent economies of the industrialized world. Many workers are doing more skilled and fulfilling jobs, and getting paid more for their trouble. Yet it is often alleged that the quality of work life has deteriorated, with a substantial and rising proportion of jobs providing low wages and little security, or requiring unusually hard and stressful effort. In this unique and authoritative formal account of changing job quality, economist Francis Green highlights contrasting trends, using quantitative indicators drawn from public opinion surveys and administrative data. In most affluent countries average pay levels have risen along with economic growth, a major exception being the United States. Skill requirements have increased, potentially meaning a more fulfilling time at work. Set against these beneficial trends, however, are increases in inequality, a strong intensification of work effort, diminished job satisfaction, and less employee influence over daily work tasks. Using an interdisciplinary approach, Demanding Work shows how aspects of job quality are related, and how changes in the quality of work life stem from technological change and transformations in the politico-economic environment. The book concludes by discussing what individuals, firms, unions, and governments can do to counter declining job quality.

What s the point of studying business from a socialperspective? How can sociology aid my understanding of the big issues facingbusinesses today? Can thinking sociologically really equip me better for a careerin business? This book provides an indispensable introduction to business andorganizations from a social perspective. Using classic andcontemporary ideas and evidence, the book explores the connectionsbetween people, work, organizations and society. Carefullyillustrated with a range of up-to-date case studies, the book showshow sociology can shed light on current developments in thebusiness world. Drawing on their considerable experience of teaching sociologyto a range of audiences, the authors provide a straightforward butstill stimulating step-by-step guide to issues such as:discrimination and diversity in the workplace; trade unionism andindustrial disputes; the need for ethics and legislation; and thechanging roles of managers and employees. The book provides: Clearly-defined learning aims; Questions for discussion and reflection; Annotated suggestions for further reading; In-depth case studies linking sociological ideas to businessrealities. Written with the needs of students taking degrees outside thetraditional social sciences in mind, such as business studies,human resources and management, the book is suitable for thoseapproaching sociology for the very first time. Accessible andinspirational, it will help students to grasp new and excitingpossibilities for thinking about business in the contemporaryworld.

Drawing on a range of employee and employer surveys, this ambitious study presents a comprehensive examination of the conditions, attitudes, and experiences of British employees over the last twenty years. Based on the 'Future of Work' research programme this book will shape our understanding of employment in Britain for the foreseeable future.