Consent and content: effects of value chain restructuring on work and conflict in highly skilled workforces

Pamela Meil, null

doi:10.13169/workorgalaboglob.6.2.0008

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Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Volume 6, Issue 2

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Consent and content: effects of value chain restructuring on work and conflict in highly skilled workforces

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Author(s): Pamela Meil

Publication date (Print): Autumn 2012

Journal: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

Examinations of the effects of globally distributed work and the creation of new international divisions of labour often focus on quantifiable or structural issues such as challenges to the employment relationship, formal working conditions, contracts, working time, or wage regulation. However, the content of work, however, may also be affected by the restructuring of value chains; but this is difficult to track and to regulate, and may have both objective and subjective dimensions. This paper addresses these issues, drawing on 58 case studies of four different economic sectors in 13 European countries as well an international study on multinational strategies of outsourcing and offshoring to India and China. It analyses the processes leading to segmentation and fragmentation and looks at how employees' consent is obtained for these changes and explanations for the extent to which workers accept the changes brought about by value chain restructuring or find ways to resist them.

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 2012

Volume: 6

Issue: 2

Pages: 8-23

Article

Publisher ID: workorgalaboglob.6.2.0008

DOI: 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.6.2.0008

SO-VID: deec975d-9a56-4d1a-bbeb-bc7a51adbe9f

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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/.

History

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

References

Altmann, N. & M. Deiss (1998) ‘Productivity by systemic rationalisation: good work, bad work, no work?’, Economic and Industrial Democracy , 29(1):137–160.
Arora, A. (2006) ‘The Indian software industry and its prospects,’ working paper, Heinz School of Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University. Accessed on June, 21, 2012 from: http://ssrn.com/abtract=964457.
Atkinson, J. (1984) ‘Manpower strategies for flexible organisations’, Personnel Management , 16(8):28–31.
Barley S.R. & G. Kunda (2004) Gurus, Hired guns, and Warm Bodies: Itinerant Experts in a Knowledge economy , Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Dahlmann S. (2007a), ‘Organisational case study on IT service providers in public administration – UK’ , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.
De Bruyn T. & M. Ramioul (2007) ‘Export the export – restructuring of logistics in a global company in the beverage industry. Organisational case study on logistics in the food industry – Belgium.’ Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.
Doellgast V. & I. Greer (2007) ‘Vertical Disintegration and the Disorganisation of German Industrial Relations’, British Journal of Industrial Relations 45(1):55–76.
Dossani R. & M. Kenney (2006) ‘The relocation of service provision to developing nations: the case of India’, J. Zysman & A. Newman (eds) How revolutionary was the digital revolution , Stanford: Stanford University Press:193–216.
Flecker J. & A. Schönauer (2007) ‘Messenger – Cross-border software development. Organisational case study on software development in the IT industry – Austria’ , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.
Flecker J. & S. Kirschenhofer (2002) Jobs on the Move: European case studies in relocating eWork . IES Report 386, Brighton: Institute for Employment Studies.
Flecker, J. & P. Meil (2010) ‘Organisational restructuring and emerging service value chains – implications for work and employment’, Work, Employment and Society , 4 (24):680–698.
Flecker, J., U. Holtgrewe, A. Schönauer, W. Dunkel & P. Meil (2008) ‘Restructuring across value chains and changes in work and employment – case study evidence from the clothing, food, IT and public sector’. WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.
Gereffi, G. & M. Korzeniewicz. (eds.) (1994) Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism , Westport: Greenwood.
Holtgrewe, U. & P. Meil (2008): Not ‘one best way’ of offshoring. Software development, In: Restructuring across value chains and changes in work and employment, case study evidence from the Clothing, Food, IT and Public Sector , WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies:47–64.
Huws, U., S. Dahlmann, J. Flecker, U. Holtgrewe, A. Schönauer, M. Ramioul & K. Geurts (2009) Value Chain Restructuring in Europe in a Global Economy , WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.
Huzzard T. (2010), Corporate Governance and Work Organisation – Conditions for Better Jobs , Paper presented at the 28th International Labour process Conference, Rutgers Univ, 15–17 March, 2010.
Krings B.-J., M. Bechmann & L. Nierling L. (2007a), Business Software. Organisational case study on software development in the IT industry – Germany , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.
Lynn, L. P. Meil & H. Salzman (2012): ‘Reshaping global technology development: innovation and entrepreneurship in China and India’, Journal of Asia Business Studies , 6 (2):143–159.
Marchington M., D. Grimshaw, J. Rubery & H. Willmott (eds) (2005) Fragmenting work. Blurring organisational boundaries and disordering hierarchies , Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Meil, P., P. Tengblad & P. Doherty (2009): Value chain restructuring and industrial relations: the role of workplace representation in changing conditions of employment and work , WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.
Muchnik M. (2007), Squeezed between research and market? – Restructuring of R&D in a big ICT company in France. Organisational case study on research and development in the information and communication technology sector – France , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.
Porter M. (1985) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance , New York: Simon & Schuster.
Rubery, J. (2006) Segmentation theory thirty years on . Discussion paper, Manchester: European Work and Employment Research Centre, University of Manchester.
Sauer, D., M. Deiss, V. Döhl, D. Bieber, D. & N. Altmann. (1992) ‘Systemic Rationalisation and Inter-Company Divisions of Labour’, N. Altmann, C. Köhler & P. Meil (eds), Technology and Work in German Industry , London and New York: Routledge.
Smith C. (2010), ‘Go with the flow: labour power mobility and labour process theory’, P. Thompson & C. Smith, (eds) Working Life – renewing labour process analysis , Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
Sturgeon T. (2001) ‘How do we define value chains and production networks?’ IDS Bulletin , 32 (3):9–18.
Torvatn H., K.S. Anthun & C. Dahl-Jørgensen (2007), Comp A Technologies Norway. Effects of changes in value chain on an IT R&D unit. Organisational case study on research and development in the information and communication technology sector – Norway’ , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.
Valenduc, G., P. Vendramin, B.-J. Krings & L. Nierling (2008) Occupational case studies synthesis report and comparative analysis , WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Altmann, N. & M. Deiss (1998) ‘Productivity by systemic rationalisation: good work, bad work, no work?’, Economic and Industrial Democracy , 29(1):137–160.

[2] Arora, A. (2006) ‘The Indian software industry and its prospects,’ working paper, Heinz School of Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University. Accessed on June, 21, 2012 from: http://ssrn.com/abtract=964457.

[3] Atkinson, J. (1984) ‘Manpower strategies for flexible organisations’, Personnel Management , 16(8):28–31.

[4] Barley S.R. & G. Kunda (2004) Gurus, Hired guns, and Warm Bodies: Itinerant Experts in a Knowledge economy , Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.

[5] Dahlmann S. (2007a), ‘Organisational case study on IT service providers in public administration – UK’ , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

[6] De Bruyn T. & M. Ramioul (2007) ‘Export the export – restructuring of logistics in a global company in the beverage industry. Organisational case study on logistics in the food industry – Belgium.’ Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

[7] Doellgast V. & I. Greer (2007) ‘Vertical Disintegration and the Disorganisation of German Industrial Relations’, British Journal of Industrial Relations 45(1):55–76.

[8] Dossani R. & M. Kenney (2006) ‘The relocation of service provision to developing nations: the case of India’, J. Zysman & A. Newman (eds) How revolutionary was the digital revolution , Stanford: Stanford University Press:193–216.

[9] Flecker J. & A. Schönauer (2007) ‘Messenger – Cross-border software development. Organisational case study on software development in the IT industry – Austria’ , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

[10] Flecker J. & S. Kirschenhofer (2002) Jobs on the Move: European case studies in relocating eWork . IES Report 386, Brighton: Institute for Employment Studies.

[11] Flecker, J. & P. Meil (2010) ‘Organisational restructuring and emerging service value chains – implications for work and employment’, Work, Employment and Society , 4 (24):680–698.

[12] Flecker, J., U. Holtgrewe, A. Schönauer, W. Dunkel & P. Meil (2008) ‘Restructuring across value chains and changes in work and employment – case study evidence from the clothing, food, IT and public sector’. WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

[13] Gereffi, G. & M. Korzeniewicz. (eds.) (1994) Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism , Westport: Greenwood.

[14] Holtgrewe, U. & P. Meil (2008): Not ‘one best way’ of offshoring. Software development, In: Restructuring across value chains and changes in work and employment, case study evidence from the Clothing, Food, IT and Public Sector , WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies:47–64.

[15] Huws, U., S. Dahlmann, J. Flecker, U. Holtgrewe, A. Schönauer, M. Ramioul & K. Geurts (2009) Value Chain Restructuring in Europe in a Global Economy , WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

[16] Huzzard T. (2010), Corporate Governance and Work Organisation – Conditions for Better Jobs , Paper presented at the 28th International Labour process Conference, Rutgers Univ, 15–17 March, 2010.

[17] Krings B.-J., M. Bechmann & L. Nierling L. (2007a), Business Software. Organisational case study on software development in the IT industry – Germany , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

[18] Lynn, L. P. Meil & H. Salzman (2012): ‘Reshaping global technology development: innovation and entrepreneurship in China and India’, Journal of Asia Business Studies , 6 (2):143–159.

[19] Marchington M., D. Grimshaw, J. Rubery & H. Willmott (eds) (2005) Fragmenting work. Blurring organisational boundaries and disordering hierarchies , Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[20] Meil, P., P. Tengblad & P. Doherty (2009): Value chain restructuring and industrial relations: the role of workplace representation in changing conditions of employment and work , WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

[21] Muchnik M. (2007), Squeezed between research and market? – Restructuring of R&D in a big ICT company in France. Organisational case study on research and development in the information and communication technology sector – France , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

[22] Porter M. (1985) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance , New York: Simon & Schuster.

[23] Rubery, J. (2006) Segmentation theory thirty years on . Discussion paper, Manchester: European Work and Employment Research Centre, University of Manchester.

[24] Sauer, D., M. Deiss, V. Döhl, D. Bieber, D. & N. Altmann. (1992) ‘Systemic Rationalisation and Inter-Company Divisions of Labour’, N. Altmann, C. Köhler & P. Meil (eds), Technology and Work in German Industry , London and New York: Routledge.

[25] Smith C. (2010), ‘Go with the flow: labour power mobility and labour process theory’, P. Thompson & C. Smith, (eds) Working Life – renewing labour process analysis , Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

[26] Sturgeon T. (2001) ‘How do we define value chains and production networks?’ IDS Bulletin , 32 (3):9–18.

[27] Torvatn H., K.S. Anthun & C. Dahl-Jørgensen (2007), Comp A Technologies Norway. Effects of changes in value chain on an IT R&D unit. Organisational case study on research and development in the information and communication technology sector – Norway’ , Internal Working Paper, WORKS Project, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.

[28] Valenduc, G., P. Vendramin, B.-J. Krings & L. Nierling (2008) Occupational case studies synthesis report and comparative analysis , WORKS Project Report, Leuven: Higher Institute of Labour Studies.