Labour Productivity And Flexibility

This book is about two polemical issues in labour studies, namely, the notions and determinants of labour productivity and flexibility. This book attempts to develop the notion of labour input flexibility or the capacity of workers to adapt to changes in the environment and its relation with labour productivity. The role of institutions, employment practices, capital-labour relations and labour market policies in determining labour flexibility is emphasized. The chapters look at the experiences of industrialized countries (European countries, the USA, Canada and Japan) and three Latin American countries (Brazil, Chile and Mexico).

Looks at the relationship between employment flexibility and labour productivity across sectors. Finds positive correlations of part-time work, temporary work and self-employment, with employment flexibility.

Flexibility at Work shows you how to obtain the business benefits of flexibility whilst addressing the needs of both employer and employee. Peter Reilly breaks down flexibility into five different types, from functional through to financial. He introduces a model of how mutual flexibility might be developed and the preconditions necessary to make it successful. Along the way he cites much evidence of how employers are introducing alternative working arrangements that provide benefits to both parties.Flexibility can reduce costs, improve quality and service, increase productivity, hedge against change, and meet supply needs.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS 2021 In The 4 Day Week, entrepreneur and business innovator Andrew Barnes makes the case for the four-day work week as the answer to many of the ills of the 21st-century global economy. Barnes conducted an experiment in his own business, the New Zealand trust company Perpetual Guardian, and asked his staff to design a four-day week that would permit them to meet their existing productivity requirements on the same salary but with a 20% cut in work hours. The outcomes of this trial, which no business leader had previously attempted on these terms, were stunning. People were happier and healthier, more engaged in their personal lives, and more focused and productive in the office. The world of work has seen a dramatic shift in recent times: the former security and benefits associated with permanent employment are being displaced by the less stable gig economy. Barnes explains the dangers of a focus on flexibility at the expense of hard-won worker protections, and argues that with the four-day week, we can have the best of all worlds: optimal productivity, work-life balance, worker benefits and, at long last, a solution to pervasive economic inequities such as the gender pay gap and lack of diversity in business and governance. The 4 Day Week is a practical, how-to guide for business leaders and employees alike that is applicable to nearly every industry. Using qualitative and quantitative data from research gathered through the Perpetual Guardian trial and other sources by the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology, the book presents a step-by-step approach to preparing businesses for productivity-focused flexibility, from the necessary cultural conditions to the often complex legislative considerations. The story of Perpetual Guardian's unprecedented work experiment has made headlines around the world and stormed social media, reaching a global audience in more than seventy countries. A mix of trenchant analysis, personal observation and actionable advice, The 4 Day Week is an essential guide for leaders and workers seeking to make a change for the better in their work world.

Discusses five major topics: the meaning of the term "flexibility", the various forms which it takes in practice, its short-and long-term implications, the diverse forms it may assume in different national contexts, and finally its effectiveness as an instrument of economic and employment policy

"This title was first published in 2000. Workplace flexibility polarizes opinion; it is either a necessary prerequisite to survival in the global market or a means by which the rights of workers are eroded. The difference comes from a lack of shared understanding of the concept. Organizations need to get to grips with flexibility, not only to address business problems and cope with legal regulations, but also to respond to the pressures of workforce diversity and labour market tightness. Flexibility at Work brings clarity to this misunderstood subject. It will show you how to obtain the business benefits of flexibility through an approach which addresses the needs of both employer and employee. Peter Reilly breaks down flexibility into five different types, from functional through to financial. He introduces a model of how mutual flexibility might be developed and the preconditions necessary to make it successful. Along the way he cites much evidence of how employers are introducing alternative working arrangements that provide benefits to both parties. Flexibility can reduce costs, improve quality and service, increase productivity, hedge against change, and meet supply needs. Can you afford to ignore the benefits it will bring?"--Provided by publisher.

This book provides a new indicator for benchmarking labour-market policy, reviewing the flexibility available in its management throughout OECD countries.

Flexibility is an ambiguous concept. This book contributes to expounding the importance of clearer concepts in the debates on economic systems, labour markets and work organization. The authors place 'flexibility' in a new theoretical context as juxtaposed to 'stability'. Much terminological confusion and is resolved by this suggestion.