A representative organizational diversity metric: a dashboard measure for executive action

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-232
Author(s):  
E. Holly Buttner ◽  
William Latimer Tullar
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Markets ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Organizational Diversity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hr Management ◽  
Legal Perspective ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Executive Action ◽  
Representative Work

Purpose Workforce analytics is an evolving measurement approach in human resource (HR) planning and strategy implementation. Workforce analytics can help organizations manage one of their most important resources: their human capital. The purpose of this paper is to propose a diversity metric, called the D-Metric, as a new tool for HR planning. The D-Metric can be used to assess the demographic representativeness of employees across skill categories of an organization’s workforce compared to its relevant labor markets. Design/methodology/approach The authors present a real example and discuss possible applications of the D-Metric in HRM strategic planning and diversity research. Findings The D-Metric is a statistic useful in assessing demographic representativeness in the occupational categories of an organization’s workforce compared to the demographics of its relevant labor markets. The methodology could be implemented to assess an organization’s work force representativeness on dimensions such as race, sex, age and pay levels. When the labor market is unitary, without measurable variance, a substitute metric, the U-Metric also presented in this paper, can be used. Research limitations/implications Use of the D-Metric requires publicly available labor market data with variance across labor market segments. Originality/value There currently is no published metric that evaluates the representativeness of an organization’s work force relative to its relevant labor markets. Many organizations seek a demographically representative workforce to better understand their diverse customer segments. Monitoring the representativeness of an organization’s work force, as captured in Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO-1) forms in the USA, for example, is an important component of HR management strategy. From a legal perspective, the D-Metric or the alternative U-Metric, could be useful in showing progress toward a demographically representative work force.

scholarly journals Day labor, informality and vulnerability in South Africa and the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 807-823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nik Theodore ◽  
Derick Blaauw ◽  
Catherina Schenck ◽  
Abel Valenzuela Jr. ◽  
Christie Schoeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Markets ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
The United States ◽  
Day Laborers ◽  
Day Labor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Surveys ◽  
The Usa

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare conditions in informal day-labor markets in South Africa and the USA to better understand the nature of worker vulnerabilities in this market, as well as the economic conditions that have contributed to the growth of day labor. The conclusion considers interventions that are underway in the two countries to improve conditions in day-labor markets. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on national surveys of day laborers in South Africa and the USA. A random sample of day laborers seeking work at informal hiring sites was undertaken in each country. The paper presents key findings, compares conditions in South Africa and the USA, and analyzes the relationship between economic change, labor-market dynamics, and worker vulnerability. Findings – Day-labor work is characterized by low pay, hazardous conditions on the job, and tremendous income insecurity. The day-labor markets in South Africa and the USA perform somewhat different functions within regional economies. Within South Africa, day labor can be regarded as a survival strategy. The growth of day labor in South Africa over the past decade is a manifestation of a formal labor market that is incapable of absorbing the structurally unemployed. Here, day labor is the employment of last resort, allowing workers to subsist on the fringes of the mainstream economy, but offering few pathways into the formal sector. In the USA, the day labor workforce is a largely undocumented-immigrant workforce. Workers seek work at informal hiring sites, maintaining a tenuous hold on jobs in the construction industry. There is evidence of some mobility into more stable and better paying employment. Practical implications – This paper documents the need for policies and programs to increase employment opportunities for day laborers and to better enforce labor standards in the informal economy. Originality/value – This paper summarizes findings from the only two national surveys of day laborers that have been conducted, and it compares for the first time the dynamic within growing day-labor markets in a developed- and emerging-market context.

The impact of labor freedom on geographic cost of living differentials

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-395
Author(s):  
Richard Cebula ◽  
James E. Payne ◽  
Donnie Horner ◽  
Robert Boylan
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Annual Data ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Cost Of Living ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of labor market freedom on state-level cost of living differentials in the USA using cross-sectional data for 2016 after allowing for the impacts of economic and quality of life factors. Design/methodology/approach The study uses two-stage least squares estimation controlling for factors contributing to cost of living differences across states. Findings The results reveal that an increase in labor market freedom reduces the overall cost of living. Research limitations/implications The study can be extended using panel data and alternative measures of labor market freedom. Practical implications In general, the finding that less intrusive government and greater labor freedom are associated with a reduced cost of living should not be surprising. This is because less government intrusion and greater labor freedom both inherently allow markets to be more efficient in the rationalization of and interplay with forces of supply and demand. Social implications The findings of this and future related studies could prove very useful to policy makers and entrepreneurs, as well as small business owners and public corporations of all sizes – particularly those considering either location in, relocation to, or expansion into other markets within the USA. Furthermore, the potential benefits of the National Right-to-Work Law currently under consideration in Congress could add cost of living reductions to the debate. Originality/value The authors extend the literature on cost of living differentials by investigating whether higher amounts of state-level labor market freedom act to reduce the states’ cost of living using the most recent annual data available (2016). That labor freedom has a systemic efficiency impact on the state-level cost of living is a significant finding. In our opinion, it is likely that labor market freedom is increasing the efficiency of labor market transactions in the production and distribution of goods and services, and acts to reduce the cost of living in states. In addition, unlike previous related studies, the authors investigate the impact of not only overall labor market freedom on the state-level cost of living, but also how the three sub-indices of labor market freedom, as identified and measured by Stansel et al. (2014, 2015), impact the cost of living state by state.

Monitoring of regional labor markets and the main trends of labor underutilization in Russia

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena V. Sibirskaya ◽  
Maria V. Volkova ◽  
Lyudmila V. Oveshnikova ◽  
Natalia A. Shchukina ◽  
Paweł Lula
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Markets ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Normative Documents ◽  
Regional Labor ◽  
Labor Underutilization

PurposeIn the recent two decades, a model of the labor market formed in Russia; it differs from the model that is peculiar for most developed countries. Its specific feature consists in the fact that adaptation to the fluctuations of the economic situation takes place by means of changes in the labor price, not by means of changes in employment and unemployment.Design/methodology/approachSuch model ensures high and stable level of employment and low level of unemployment with significant pro-cyclic fluctuations of wages. Changes that take place in the sphere of employment of population in labor markets and gradual implementation of collection of information in view of the forms of labor activities into the practices of different countries led to the necessity for reconsidering the previously adopted international standards.FindingsThis is due to the fact that the normative documents present the treatment of unemployment without the criterion “job search,” and new indicators of measuring potential labor force and incomplete employment were adopted. The authors analyze the situation of labor underutilization, which is important for characterizing a region of the Russian Federation by the indicator of unmet need for employment.Originality/valueThe offered information could be used for wider monitoring of the labor market, studying the volume and tendencies in the sphere of unemployment, evaluating the problems of integration in the labor market, studying the connection between employment and poverty and forecasting the tendencies.

scholarly journals Bridging the gap between geographic concept and the data we have: The case of labor markets in the USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 1395-1414
Author(s):  
Christopher S Fowler ◽  
Leif Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Markets ◽  
Research Question ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Regional Bias ◽  
Regional Variations ◽  
Research Outcomes ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Over Time

A broad literature has made it clear that geographic units must be selected with care or they are likely to introduce error and uncertainty into results. Nevertheless, researchers often use data “off the shelf” with the implicit assumptions that their observations are consistent with the geographical concept relevant for their research question, and that they are of uniformly high quality in capturing this geographic identity. In this paper, we consider the geographical concept of “labor market” and offer a template for both clarifying its meaning for research and testing the suitability of extant labor-market delineations. We establish a set of metrics for comparing the quality of existing labor-market delineations with respect to the diverse meanings that researchers apply to the concept. Using the fit metrics established here, researchers can explore how delineations vary geographically, how they vary over time, and how this variation may shape research outcomes. Our assessment is that the quality of the extant delineations is relatively high overall. However, we find that different delineations vary significantly in the types of labor markets they represent, and that regional variations in fit within any given delineation may introduce noise or regional bias that merits consideration in any analysis conducted with these units. More broadly, the kinds of metrics we propose here have applicability for many other geographic entities where boundaries and scale can be only imperfectly defined.

The long run impact of immigration on labor market in an advanced economy

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 356-367
Author(s):  
Faridul Islam ◽  
Saleheen Khan
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Advanced Economy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Relationship ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the dynamic relationship among immigration rate, GDP per capita, and and real wage rates in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The paper implements the Johansen-Juselius (1990, 1992) cointegration technique to test for a long-run relationship; and for short-run dynamics the authors apply Granger causality tests under the vector error-correction model. Findings – The results show that the long-run causality runs from GDP per capita to immigration, not vice versa. Growing economy attracts immigrants. The authors also find that immigration flow depresses average weekly earnings of the natives in the long-run. Originality/value – The authors are not aware of any study on the USA addressing the impact of immigrants on labor market using a tripartite approach by explicitly incorporating economic growth. It is therefore important to pursue a theoretically justified empirical model in search of a relation to resolve on apparent immigration debate.

scholarly journals Sense of security when new at work: a thematic analysis of interviews with young adult retail workers in Sweden

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Wall ◽  
Sven Svensson ◽  
Anna Berg Jansson
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Working Life ◽  
Safety Training ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sense Of Security

PurposePositive examples of situations in which young adults new at work experience feeling secure in the role as novice in the work force are here focused. The aim is to analyze how young adults who are new to the labor market express having a sense of security in the workplace. The long-term goal is to strengthen the conditions for the health and wellbeing of workers entering the retail labor market.Design/methodology/approachThirteen individual in-depth telephone/video-interviews were conducted with young adults (aged 18–28) working within the retail sector in Sweden. Using a thematic interview schedule, the interviews focused how the interviewees contextualizing stories on being novice at the labor market. The study is based on those parts of the material in which stories on feeling secure was expressed.FindingsThe analysis resulted in two themes: A sense of security is related to carrying out work safely and a sense of security is related to receiving support. The first theme illuminates how work is structured and safety training respectively contributes to a sense of security and the latter reveal how social support from a variety of sources (managers, colleagues and others outside the work environment) contributes to a sense of security when new at work.Originality/valueUsing a health promoting perspective, the study complements the existing perspectives of challenges faced by novices as they enter working life. Also, the study highlights the importance of including relations outside the workplace when searching for the understanding of the experiences of being new at work. The study indicates that focusing on the sense of security by well-structured work, safety training and social support might contribute to the strive for a sustainable working life for young adults.

When more is better

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 507-524
Author(s):  
Marcus A. Valenzuela ◽  
Guowei Jian ◽  
Phillip M. Jolly
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Deep Level ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Organizational Diversity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Coworker Relationships ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how organizational diversity may be associated with immigrants’ quality of coworker relationships. More specifically, this paper examines how immigrants’ perceived deep-level similarity and perceived workplace ethnic diversity may be associated with their quality of coworker relationships. Design/methodology/approach A final sample of 347 immigrant employees were surveyed. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. Findings Immigrants’ quality of coworker relationships is positively associated with their perceived deep-level similarity with other coworkers. In addition, perceived workplace ethnic diversity moderates this relationship such that the relation is stronger as perceived workplace ethnic diversity increases. Research limitations/implications The study and analyses are based on cross-sectional and single-source data and cannot determine causality. The study is also restricted to immigrants in the USA. Practical implications Findings provide evidence that increased levels of ethnic diversity and deep-level similarity in the workplace may improve immigrants’ quality of relationships, helping them integrate more successfully in organizations. Thus, managers seeking to benefit from diversity should strive for the creation of truly multicultural organizations or workgroups and focus on fostering similarities in deep-level attributes to maximize their potential. Originality/value Immigrants are an important asset for organizations, but research about their inclusion in organizations is limited, especially when examining their integration in their workplaces. This study addresses some of these limitations by looking at the effect of diversity in organizations.

Sheepskin effects in Japan

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 320-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas K. Bauer ◽  
Patrick J. Dross ◽  
John P. Haisken‐DeNew
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Admission Policy ◽  
Large Firms ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Recruitment System

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the role of sheepskin effects in the return to education in Japan.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides a short description of the Japanese schooling and recruitment system. It then describes the data set and the empirical approach. Estimation results are presented for the various specifications. The baseline specification closely follows existing studies for the USA to facilitate comparability across the two countries. The paper further investigates whether there are significant firm‐size differences in the estimated sheepskin effects and whether sheepskin effects disappear with increasing job tenure.FindingsThe estimation results indicate that sheepskin effects explain about 50 percent of the total returns to schooling. The paper further finds that education as a signal is only important for workers in small firms with the size of these effects being similar to comparable estimates for the USA. Finally, the estimated degree effects decrease with firm tenure, in particular for small firms. These results could be explained by the particular recruitment system of large firms in Japan, which makes university diploma as a screening device unimportant for large firms and the admission policy of Japanese universities.Originality/valueBy investigating the role of sheepskin effects in a labor market that differs substantially from the labor market in the USA, the paper provides additional insights to the human capital theory‐screening hypothesis debate.

“Diversity,” immigration, and the new American multi-racial hierarchy

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myrtle P. Bell ◽  
Dennis Marquardt ◽  
Daphne P. Berry
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Differential Treatment ◽  
Organizational Diversity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Racial Hierarchy ◽  
The Usa ◽  
History Of ◽  
Government Data ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze the new multi-racial hierarchy in the USA. The authors propose that despite increasing diversity, a multi-racial hierarchy of privilege and disadvantage continues to exist. Due to the history of anti-Black discrimination and stereotyping in the USA, employers prefer native and immigrant non-Blacks to native and immigrant Blacks, and use non-Blacks to claim organizational diversity success. Design/methodology/approach – The authors propose that a multi-racial hierarchy, ordered as Whites, Non-White Non-Blacks, and Collective Blacks now exists, and use history, relevant theory, existing research, and government data to support their ideas. Findings – Evidence suggests that despite increased diversity, Whites remain most privileged, Blacks least privileged, and Asians and Hispanics tend to comprise the middle of the hierarchy. Even in organizations that are “diverse,” a multi-racial hierarchy results in different compensation, promotion, and layoff rates and differential treatment across groups. Research limitations/implications – Diversity within and across different racial and ethnic groups should be investigated. Employers' apparent diversity success may obscure the continued dominance of Whites, disadvantage of Blacks, and a color-based multi-racial hierarchy. Practical implications – Analyses of human resources data could help organizations identify and avoid discrimination and inequality even in “diverse” organizations. Originality/value – This paper focuses on the meaning of a new multi-racial hierarchy in ways that have not been previously considered.

The impact of training on productivity and wages in Tunisia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naouel Ben Jemaa Cherif
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Labor Markets ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Wage Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Returns To Training ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of training on labor productivity and wages in order to examine how the benefits from training are shared between employers and employees.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes an industry panel covering all sectors of the Tunisian economy for the period 2000–2014. The panel structure of the data allows controlling for the endogeneity of training by using different panel data techniques.FindingsResults show that both employers and workers benefit from training since it has a positive and significant effect on productivity and wages. However, the effect of training on productivity is substantially higher than on wages, suggesting that employers obtain the largest part of the returns to training. This result is consistent with theories that explain firm-sponsored training by a compressed wage structure in imperfect labor markets.Originality/valueThis study, particularly showcasing the labor market in Tunisia, is one of the first to provide estimates for a developing country to assess the effects of training for both employer and employee. It is also among the few empirical works that analyzed the impact of training on labor productivity and wages simultaneously.

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