Logistics workers and global logistics: the heavy lifters of globalisation

Roger Sealey, null

doi:10.13169/workorgalaboglob.4.2.0025

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Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Volume 4, Issue 2

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Logistics workers and global logistics: the heavy lifters of globalisation

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research-article

Author(s): Roger Sealey

Publication date (Print): Autumn 2010

Journal: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

This article examines the growing importance of logistics and logistics workers, the growth of offshoring and the changing balance between manufacturers and retailers in the post-Fordist era due in part to the bar code. It explores the interdependent relationship between technological innovation, globalisation and the expansion of the logistics sector and the impacts of time-space compression on logistics work, before examining the vulnerabilities created in global supply chains by these interdependencies. It concludes that the central place of distribution in a global economy confers a new strategic power on logistics workers.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.13169

Journal ID (publisher-id): workorgalaboglob

Title: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 1745641X

ISSN (Electronic): 17456428

Publication date (Print): Autumn 2010

Volume: 4

Issue: 2

Pages: 25-38

Article

Publisher ID: workorgalaboglob.4.2.0025

DOI: 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.4.2.0025

SO-VID: 03ecb4a3-0182-4424-85f4-b800e0223ac5

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Sociology,Labor law,Political science,Labor & Demographic economics,Political economics

References

Appelbaum, R. & N. Lichtenstein (2006) ‘A new world of retail supremacy: supply chains and workers' chains in the age of Wal-Mart’, International, Labor and Working-Class History No. 70, Fall:106–125
Bonacich, E. & J.B. Wilson (2008) Getting the Goods: Ports, Labor, and the Logistics Revolution , New York: Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press
Bradley, H. & M. Erickson, C. Stephenson & S. Williams (2000) Myths at Work , Cambridge: Polity Press
Brown, K. (2000) ‘Manufacturers prop up the dominoes: The fuel crisis has exposed how dependent British industry has become on “just-in-time” systems’ Financial Times , 22 September, 16
Castells, M. (2000) The Rise of the Network Society , Second Edition, Malden: Blackwell Publishing
Centre For Logisitics and Supply Chain Management (2003) Creating Resilient Supply Chains: a practical guide , Bedford: Cranfield School of Management
Ciscel, D. & B.E. Smith, (2005) ‘The impact of supply chain management on labor standards: the transition to incessant work’, Journal of Economic Issues , 39 (2):429–437
Coe, N. M., P. F. Kelly & H.W. C. Yeung, Economic Geography: a contemporary introduction , Oxford: Blackwell
Cole, S. (1996) Applied Transport Economics , London: Kogan Page
Giddens, A (1990) The Consequences of Modernity , Cambridge: Polity
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Grewal, D.S. (2008) Network Power: the social dynamics of globalization , New Haven: Yale University Press
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Hibbs, J. (2003) Transport Economics and Policy: A Practical Analysis of Performance, Efficiency and Marketing Objectives ., London: Kogan Page
Hill, A. (2000) ‘The quiet supply-chain revolution’, Financial Times , 9 Oct:18
International Transport Workers Federation (2001) ‘Giants that call door to door’, Transport 2:2001 , London: International Transport Workers' Federation
Kay, J. (2008) ‘No need to own the road: buy the tollbooth’, Financial Times , March 18 2008
Langley J.C. Jr. & Capgemini U.S. LLC. (2009). The State of Logistics Outsourcing in 2009 , USA: Capgemini. Accessed on May 18, 2010 from: http://3plstudy.com/
Leys, C. (2003) Market-Driven Politics: neoliberal democracy and the public interest , London: Verso
Lichtenstein, N. (2009) The Retail Revolution: how Wal-Mart created a brave new world of business , New York: Metropolitan Books
McKinnon, A. (2004) Life without Lorries: the impact of temporary disruption of road freight transport in the UK , Edinburgh:Heriot-Watt University (mimeo)
McKinnon, A. (2006) ‘Life without trucks: the effects of the disruption of road freight transport on a national economy’, Journal of Business Logistics , Vol 27 No 2
Roach S. (2008) ‘Watch out for aftershocks’, Financial Times , April 14
Robins K. & F. Webster (1988) ‘Cybernetic Capitalism: information, technology, everyday life’., V. Mosco & J. Wasko The Political Economy of Information , Madison: The University Of Wisconsin Press:44–75
Rosenberg J. (2005) ‘Globalization Theory: a post mortem’, International Politics , Vol 42:2–74
Seabright, P (2004) The Company of Strangers: a natural history of economic life , Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press
Sennett, R. (2006) The Culture of the New Capitalism , New Haven and London: Yale University Press
Smith, B.E, M. Mendoza & D. Ciscel (2005) ‘The world on time: flexible labor, new immigrants, and global logistics’, J. Peacock, L. Watson, L. Harry & C.R. Mathews, The American South in a Global World , Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press: 2005
Tharakan, P K M. (2007). ‘Time to honour the architects of India and China's transformation’, Financial Times , October 19^th
Tiffin, J & C. Kissling (2007) Transport Communications: understanding global networks, enabling transport services , London: Kogan Page
Ward, A. (2005) ‘The battle for parcel supremacy’, Financial Times , March 8

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Appelbaum, R. & N. Lichtenstein (2006) ‘A new world of retail supremacy: supply chains and workers' chains in the age of Wal-Mart’, International, Labor and Working-Class History No. 70, Fall:106–125

[2] Bonacich, E. & J.B. Wilson (2008) Getting the Goods: Ports, Labor, and the Logistics Revolution , New York: Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press

[3] Bradley, H. & M. Erickson, C. Stephenson & S. Williams (2000) Myths at Work , Cambridge: Polity Press

[4] Brown, K. (2000) ‘Manufacturers prop up the dominoes: The fuel crisis has exposed how dependent British industry has become on “just-in-time” systems’ Financial Times , 22 September, 16

[5] Castells, M. (2000) The Rise of the Network Society , Second Edition, Malden: Blackwell Publishing

[6] Centre For Logisitics and Supply Chain Management (2003) Creating Resilient Supply Chains: a practical guide , Bedford: Cranfield School of Management

[7] Ciscel, D. & B.E. Smith, (2005) ‘The impact of supply chain management on labor standards: the transition to incessant work’, Journal of Economic Issues , 39 (2):429–437

[8] Coe, N. M., P. F. Kelly & H.W. C. Yeung, Economic Geography: a contemporary introduction , Oxford: Blackwell

[9] Cole, S. (1996) Applied Transport Economics , London: Kogan Page

[10] Giddens, A (1990) The Consequences of Modernity , Cambridge: Polity

[11] Gray, J. (2009) Gray's Anatomy , London: Allen Lane

[12] Grewal, D.S. (2008) Network Power: the social dynamics of globalization , New Haven: Yale University Press

[13] Harvey, D. (1990) The Condition of Postmodernity , Malden: Blackwells Publishing

[14] Hibbs, J. (2003) Transport Economics and Policy: A Practical Analysis of Performance, Efficiency and Marketing Objectives ., London: Kogan Page

[15] Hill, A. (2000) ‘The quiet supply-chain revolution’, Financial Times , 9 Oct:18

[16] International Transport Workers Federation (2001) ‘Giants that call door to door’, Transport 2:2001 , London: International Transport Workers' Federation

[17] Kay, J. (2008) ‘No need to own the road: buy the tollbooth’, Financial Times , March 18 2008

[18] Langley J.C. Jr. & Capgemini U.S. LLC. (2009). The State of Logistics Outsourcing in 2009 , USA: Capgemini. Accessed on May 18, 2010 from: http://3plstudy.com/

[19] Leys, C. (2003) Market-Driven Politics: neoliberal democracy and the public interest , London: Verso

[20] Lichtenstein, N. (2009) The Retail Revolution: how Wal-Mart created a brave new world of business , New York: Metropolitan Books

[21] McKinnon, A. (2004) Life without Lorries: the impact of temporary disruption of road freight transport in the UK , Edinburgh:Heriot-Watt University (mimeo)

[22] McKinnon, A. (2006) ‘Life without trucks: the effects of the disruption of road freight transport on a national economy’, Journal of Business Logistics , Vol 27 No 2

[23] Roach S. (2008) ‘Watch out for aftershocks’, Financial Times , April 14

[24] Robins K. & F. Webster (1988) ‘Cybernetic Capitalism: information, technology, everyday life’., V. Mosco & J. Wasko The Political Economy of Information , Madison: The University Of Wisconsin Press:44–75

[25] Rosenberg J. (2005) ‘Globalization Theory: a post mortem’, International Politics , Vol 42:2–74

[26] Seabright, P (2004) The Company of Strangers: a natural history of economic life , Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press

[27] Sennett, R. (2006) The Culture of the New Capitalism , New Haven and London: Yale University Press

[28] Smith, B.E, M. Mendoza & D. Ciscel (2005) ‘The world on time: flexible labor, new immigrants, and global logistics’, J. Peacock, L. Watson, L. Harry & C.R. Mathews, The American South in a Global World , Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press: 2005

[29] Tharakan, P K M. (2007). ‘Time to honour the architects of India and China's transformation’, Financial Times , October 19^th

[30] Tiffin, J & C. Kissling (2007) Transport Communications: understanding global networks, enabling transport services , London: Kogan Page

[31] Ward, A. (2005) ‘The battle for parcel supremacy’, Financial Times , March 8