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Books > Business & Economics > Economics > Labour economics > General
Migration - both within and between countries - is increasingly one of the world's most important policy issues. The faster the Indian economy grows, the larger will be the geographical redistribution of the workforce from localities of low to those of high employment growth. Thus, territorial mobility is fundamental both to realizing the full economic potential of India's people and to allowing the population to escape from rural poverty. The book analyses the decisive factors in labour migration. Based upon a thorough and robust examination of migrants to three slum localities of Delhi stretching over four decades, the author examines why people migrate, the circumstances of their decision and their experience at their destination. He investigates the myths of urban policy - that "rural development" will reduce migration to the cities, that "growth poles" can be created to divert migrant flows, and that government has the power to influence significantly migration scales and directions while pursuing essentially unpredictable market-driven economic growth. Testing the essential theoretical basis for urban policy in India, the book is of interest to academics studying migration of labour and urbanization, and those interested in South Asian Studies.
Recent decades have seen the EU grappling with a major struggle between the securitization of its external borders and demand for exploitable and disposable cheap workforce in various sectors. As a result, the EU has multiplied its borders by pushing them both outwards and inwards, and the distinction between migrants' status as regular and irregular, legal and illegal, citizen and non-citizen, has been continuously portrayed as black and white. This produces and sustains an analytical, political and practical divide that often obscures commonalities in workers' dispossession and is an obstacle to unified struggles to secure workers' rights. This volume moves beyond a perspective of migrants' exclusion and inclusion as solely a product of migration processes. It contextualizes migration in the larger transformations of the local, national and transnational labour markets and relations that point to the ongoing precarization of working lives. These processes of inclusion are methodologically approached through exclusion at macro, micro and meso levels. This positions the ethnographically documented experiences of immigrant labourers in the challenges of contemporary labour and migratory regimes, and traces new forms of collective response and contestation emerging in these reconfiguring contexts.
The book presents a new approach towards the promotion of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). Over three decades there have been controversies in development policy circles on whether SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa have the potential to create and sustain employment, generate income, alleviate poverty, and contribute to economic growth. The concerns were due to the worsening employment crisis in the region, increasing poverty, structural weakness and increasing globalisation pressure. Several theoretical approaches with respect to promoting Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the region are discussed in the book, notably the view that certain internal and external constraints are limiting the growth of SMEs, and the view that specific obstacles, such as access to finance, local and global markets, entrepreneurship and management, human resources and training, information, innovation, and access to networks and technological capability have been extensively investigated.
Governance structures are the institutional elements of labour markets. They provide the rules for the employment relationship. In principle, this relationship may be governed by individual regulation, by collective bargaining, or by legal regulation. Despite the importance of governance structures, we still have only a rudimentary understanding of the way in which they emerge and evolve. This book analyses the determinants of governance structures for the employment relationship in Britain. It begins with an evolutionary framework for the analysis of governance structures, based on decisions taken about governance structure constitution by the parties to industrial relations. In the long run, these structures need to survive institutional competition. A comprehensive discussion of the potential determinants of governance structures is followed by an empirical analysis, drawing on historical accounts, case-study evidence, and the quantitative data provided by the Workplace Industrial/Employee Relations Survey series. The individual employer's role and perspective provide the main focus of the book. This study provides a comprehensive micro-foundation for the analysis of governance structures. In addition, it throws light on the discussion of optimal governance structures for the employment relationship and the labour market.
This timely volume features essays from an international group of economists which address issues relating to the objective of securing full employment. The contributors adopt a politicP>As well as offering a detailed empirical investigation of the unemployment experience in advanced countries, the book makes a critical evaluation of New Right economic policy making in the UK and the US, and examines the main international and domestic obstacles to the achievement of full employment, the prospects for job creation in the UK, and the impact of technological change.
In the alarming contemporary context of widespread corruption and fraudulence in the overseas labour recruitment system in India, this book attempts to understand the institution of emigration governance and recruitment practices in the country with a focus on the unskilled and semi-skilled sectors. It brings together the results of research in the major emigration hubs of India with the aid of quantitative and qualitative tools, drawing from all the major stakeholders -intending emigrants, recruiting agents, return emigrants, emigrant households, Protector of Emigrants, foreign employers, foreign recruiting agents, Indian missions and emigrant workers at the destination countries. The book unravels the underlying discriminatory rationality of the existing system of emigration governance, its logical and structural incoherencies and the consequent inefficacy in protecting the most vulnerable sections of workers leaving India for overseas employment, resulting in unaffordable levels of transaction and social costs. By outlining the institutional failure, the volume outlines the fundamental principles of a new institution which would facilitate orderly, safe and secure emigration, economically sustainable beneficial expatriate life and social protection after the emigrants return. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology, law, economics, demography, anthropology, history, gender studies, cultural studies, Diaspora studies, migration studies and international relations, apart from policy-makers and administrators of transnational migration and NGOs working in the field of migration.
This book analyzes the adverse effects of globalization and liberalization - acutely manifest in the increased financialization of capital and the concomitant global financial crisis of 2008-09 - on the labour force, especially in the developing countries. Drawing upon case studies from several countries including India, Columbia, Malawi, Brazil and Thailand, it highlights the worsening plight of working class as a whole and informal labour in particular. The essays examine issues such as down-sizing, lowering of wages, insecurity and erosion of labour rights, and show how labour is grappling with the situation. The volume critically re-assesses varied aspects of the growing informal sector: its dubious credential as an employment provider during crises; its non-adherence to internationally recognized standards of decent work; the problems and potential of workers' unions; and the need for a regulatory regime. It also discusses changes in the Indian labour market induced by business environment and technology as well as its future dynamics. Presenting a historical review of labour markets, the work explores the deregulation wave under the globalization of 1980s and the interactions between existing unstable asset markets and labour markets. The book will prove especially useful to students and scholars in economics, labour studies and sociology, and those engaged in public policy and governance.
As the Indian economy integrates into global circuits of production, exchange and accumulation, the burdens of adjustment are shared unequally by different sectors, classes and regions. This study unravels the livelihood strategies and living conditions of labour in the tea gardens of Assam. The tea sector has been undergoing a crisis since the 1990s, with stagnant production, decline in exports, and closures of many tea gardens leading to large-scale retrenchments in the labour force. Based on a detailed analysis of secondary data and primary field research, the study examines the extent, types and implications of inter-generational occupational mobility (or immobility) among tea garden labourers in Assam. In the process, it reflects on how even a sector that had brought capital and labour from outside and contributed significantly to the country's export earnings failed to create dynamic growth linkages within the local economy. The experience of the labour force in the Assam tea sector, the authors argue, is important for making sense not only of the development dynamics of the region, but of the contradictory ways in which forces of globalisation and neo-liberal reforms have been reshaping the worlds of labourers in the margins. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of labour studies, development studies, management studies, and studies of north-east India, as well as to policy-makers and those in the tea industry.
Organizing Matters demonstrates the interplay between two distinct logics of labour's collective action: on the one hand, workers coming together, usually at their place of work, entrusting the union to represent their interests and, on the other hand, social bargaining in which the trade union constructs labour's interests from the top down. The book investigates the tensions and potential complementarities between the two logics through the combination of a strong theoretical framework and an extensive qualitative case study of trade union organizing and recruitment in four countries - Austria, Germany, Israel and the Netherlands. These countries still utilize social-wide bargaining but find it necessary to draw and develop strategies transposed from Anglo-American countries in response to continuously declining membership. Trade unionists and scholars will find this a compelling story of organizing, narrated in the voice of organizers, trade union officials and local observers. This is a source for reflection on the daily hardship and strategic goals of organizing. Theorists will be able to utilize the two logics for explaining ongoing challenges for trade unions' revitalization worldwide.
The current shift in demographics - aging and shrinking populations - in many countries around the world presents a major challenge to companies and societies alike. One particularly essential implication is the emergence and constant growth of the so-called "graying market" or "silver market", the market segment more or less broadly defined as those people aged 50 and older. Increasing in number and share of the total population while at the same time being relatively well-off, this market segment can be seen as very attractive and promising, although still very underdeveloped in terms of product and service offerings. This book offers a thorough and up-to-date analysis of the challenges and opportunities in leveraging innovation, technology, product development and marketing for older consumers and employees. Key lessons are drawn from a variety of industries and countries, including the lead market Japan.
First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was enacted in India with the multiple objectives of providing employment in a rights-based framework, addressing rural poverty, checking migration, and building rural infrastructure. As such, every year around 15-20 per cent of households in India overall and 30 per cent in rural India receive some form of employment share under the MGNREGA programme. This volume looks at various aspect of the scheme, its linkage with employment, agricultural wages, livelihood and food security, gender issues, and migration in rural India. It also discusses challenges in implementation, hurdles and the relative successes of the scheme. Based on primary survey data from 16 major states in the country, the findings of the study provide key insights into MGNREGA and assess the implications for other welfare-oriented programmes. Rich in empirical data, this volume will be useful to scholars and researchers of political economy, economics, agriculture, rural development and sociology, as well as policymakers and nongovernmental organisations.
This study is based on a wide range of business sources as well as newspapers, journals, novels and oral history, allowing Heller to put forward a new interpretation of working conditions for London clerks, highlighting the ways in which clerical work changed and modernized over this period.
This book explores how far existing networks of overseas Chinese and new flows of migrants act as drivers of economic relations between China and the host countries. It considers migration, trade, the flow of capital, and foreign direct investment, includes both skilled and unskilled migrants, and outlines the complex different waves of migration flows. It includes detailed case studies, based on extensive original research, on the position in a range of European countries, and concludes with policy-oriented analysis and with an overall assessment of how far the Chinese diaspora matters in stimulating increased bilateral economic activity and stronger bilateral economic relationships.
Creativity has become part of the language of regeneration experts, urban planners and government policy makers attempting to revive the economic and cultural life of cities in the 21st century. Concepts such as the creative class, the creative industries and bohemian cultural clusters have come to dominate thinking about how creativity can contribute to urban renewal. Spaces of Vernacular Creativity offers a critical perspective on the instrumental use of arts and creative practices for the purposes of urban regeneration or civic boosterism. Several important contributions are brought into one volume to examine the geography of locally embedded forms of arts and creative practice. There has been an explosion of interest in both academic and policy circles in the notion of creativity, and its role in economic development and urban regeneration. This book argues for a rethinking of what constitutes creativity, foregrounding non-economic values and practices, and the often marginal and everyday spaces in which creativity takes shape. Drawing on a range of geographic contexts including the U.S., Europe, Canada and Australia, the book explores a diverse array of creative practices ranging from art, music, and design to community gardening and anticapitalist resistance. The book examines working class, ethnic and non-elite forms of creativity, and a variety of creative spaces, including rural areas, suburbs and abandoned areas of the city. The authors argue for a broader and more inclusive conception of what constitutes creative practice, advocating for an approach that foregrounds economies of generosity, conviviality and activism. The book also explores the complexities and nuances that connect the local and the global and finally, the book provides a space for valuing alternative, marginal and displaced knowledges. Spaces of Vernacular Creativity provides an important contribution to the debates on the creative class and on the role of value of creative knowledge and skills. The book aims to contribute to contemporary academic debates regarding the development of post-industrial economies and the cognitive cultural economy. It will appeal to a wide range of disciplines including, geography, applied art, planning, cultural studies, sociology and urban studies, plus specialised programmes on creativity and cultural industries at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels.
What is the economic justification of advertising? Is it a vital energizing force in industry, or does it represent a serious waste of money and effort? The great increase in the volume of publicity in modern times is causing people to wonder what its final outcome will be, and whether it is a development to be welcomed or regarded with suspicion. First published in 1934.
The last available census estimated around 10 per cent of total urban working women in India are concentrated in the low paid domestic services such as cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the children and the elderly. This is found to be much higher in certain parts of India, emerging as the single most important avenue for urban females, surpassing males in the service since the 1980s. By applying an imaginative and refreshing mix of disciplinary approaches ranging from economic models of the household, empirical analysis and literary conventions, this book analyses the changing labour economy in post-partition West Bengal. It explains how and why women and girl children have replaced this traditionally male bias in the gender segregated domestic service industry since the late 1940s, and addresses the question of whether this increase in vulnerable individuals working in domestic service, the growth of the urban professional middle class in the post liberalization period, and the increasing incidences of reported abuses of domestics, in urban middleclass homes in the recent years, are related. Covering five decades of the history of gender and labour in India, this book will be of interest to scholars working in the fields of gender and labour relations, development studies, economics, history, and women and gender studies.
Asia has undergone rapid transformation over the past several decades as many countries have embraced new technologies and the processes of globalisation. Over this period the inflow of foreign capital into the region, the level of trade amongst these countries, and trade with other parts of the world has increased substantially. The ensuing economic growth has led to some significant changes in labour markets and the demand for skilled employees and their deployment within organisations. Focusing on a number of developed and developing Asian economies, this book explores the dynamics of workforce development and skill formation, and considers questions of both skills shortages and skills gaps. The book assesses the current state of training in the selected Asian economies, the weaknesses and strengths of their various training approaches, and what the present state of training means for the future economic development of these economies.
This supplementary volume to Beveridge's important work Voluntary Action sets out some of the important material on which the Report is based, and amplifies it by giving views and statements of fact submitted by many experts in the fields covered by his Inquiry.
The editors have chosen substantial extracts to illustrate the major themes and ideas in Beveridge's writing over a period of more than four decades, ranging from his book Unemployment, published in 1909, to the Beveridge Report of 1942 and beyond. Sections cover his social philosophy; the crucial role he attributed to social insurance as a technique of welfare; his relation to economics; and the stress he placed on voluntary action in a free society. Each theme is introduced by a full editorial commentary which explains its place in Beveridge's thought, as well as outlining his position and offering critical guidance to the reader. The return of mass unemployment and continuing debate on the role of the welfare state has revived interest in Beveridge's work and this reader brings his ideas.
Beveridge defined full employment as a state where there are slightly more vacant jobs than there are available workers, or not more than 3% of the total workforce. This book discusses how this goal might be achieved, beginning with the thesis that because individual employers are not capable of creating full employment, it must be the responsibility of the state. Beveridge claimed that the upward pressure on wages, due to the increased bargaining strength of labour, would be eased by rising productivity, and kept in check by a system of wage arbitration. The cooperation of workers would be secured by the common interest in the ideal of full employment. Alternative measures for achieving full employment included Keynesian-style fiscal regulation, direct control of manpower, and state control of the means of production. The impetus behind Beveridge's thinking was social justice and the creation of an ideal new society after the war. The book was written in the context of an economy which would have to transfer from wartime direction to peace time. It was then updated in 1960, following a decade where the average unemployment rate in Britain was in fact nearly 1.5%.
For this insightful collection, Professor Reich has selected some of the most significant published articles on labor mobility and segmented markets. This book investigates the development of this important field from the pioneering papers on labor market segmentation analysis of the 1970s, through the early debates to the later theoretical models and econometric evidence. The second volume offers an overview of the evolution from segmentation to flexibility in labor markets up to the present day and explores topics such as the growth of temporary jobs in Europe, the influence of gender, immigration and race, later econometric controversies and the phenomenon of flexicurity. The volumes will be an essential resource for students and for scholars wishing to investigate this important area.
Drawing on over 30 years of consulting experience and a multi-disciplinary background, Philip Grant challenges conventional wisdom on managing performance in organizations. The topics that he addresses include job and organizational design, employee motivation, the integration of behavioral and economic theories, the diagnosis of performance problems, and the synthesis of operations management models. Each chapter focuses on a particular innovative aspect of his model while the appendix provides information for the practical application of the ideas presented in the text. Innovations in Management Thinking will enlighten readers and give them the tools for individual and organizational success.
Worker Displacement in the US/Mexico Border Region provides a comprehensive analysis of the social and economic impact of worker displacement in border communities. The contributors - experts from a variety of fields - evaluate the consequences of displacement on individuals, families and communities from various interdisciplinary perspectives. Issues that arise as a result of job displacement, such as health, training and education, are explored in-depth. The US/Mexico border region is one of the poorest areas of the United States. As such, it is of great interest to those looking for approaches that can be adopted to help this and similar populations reduce their poverty. The book provides a rich picture of the policy challenges involved in addressing the needs of border communities. Also examined is the role of, and effects on, the US economy. This volume will be of particular interest to students, researchers and policymakers concerned with gaining a better understanding of the health, training and education needs of the US/Mexico border population. Anyone interested in international trade, economics, labor or migration will find the interdisciplinary nature of the book appealing.
First Published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company. |
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