Precarious work, harassment, and the erosion of employment standards

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-348
Author(s):  
J. Adam Perry ◽  
Adriana Berlingieri ◽  
Kiran Mirchandani
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Employment Relationship ◽  
Canadian Province ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Precarious Work ◽  
Inquiry Approach ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Employment Standards ◽  
Market Practices ◽  
Precarious Jobs

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine experiences of harassment within the context of precarious work, which in Canada is shaped by subnational legislative frameworks. Design/methodology/approach A narrative inquiry approach to data collection and analysis was adopted. The paper draws from 72 interviews conducted with workers in precarious jobs from various industries in three cities in the Canadian province of Ontario, as well as 52 employment standards officers (ESOs) from 15 local Ministry of Labour offices in every region across the province. Placing workers’ stories in counterpoint to those of ESOs brings them into conversations about the law to which they would normally be left out. Findings The main finding of this paper is that harassment and employment standards (ES) violations are interrelated phenomena experienced as abuses of power and as tactics of control occurring within a context that is shaped by legislative frameworks. Originality/value This paper demonstrates that for workers in precarious jobs legislative frameworks and labor market practices in Ontario do not provide adequate redress for harassment and ES violations. In so doing, legislative frameworks render invisible the power imbalances within the employment relationship and obscure the interrelatedness of harassment and the wider erosion of workplace norms.

China's employment stabilization policies in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haomiao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Insurance ◽  
Employment Protection ◽  
Employment Relationship ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Employment Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stabilization Policies ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate China's employment stabilization policies in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to discuss the accessibility of these policies in practice. In addition, by focussing on the problems and dilemmas encountered during the implementation of these policies, this paper proposes some future directions for reforming employment protection and social insurance to adapt to the changing employment structure and mode in China.Design/methodology/approachThe design and methodology of this paper utilises open sources and documentary materials on China's employment stabilization policies, employment protection and social insurance measures.FindingsThe employment stabilization policies/measures launched during the COVID-19 pandemic were formulated under an initial policy framework designed only for employees in a definite employment relationship and do not match the current employment structure and model. As a result, the accessibility of employment stabilization policies/measures is limited because some worker groups that are the most affected are not covered by the policies.Originality/valueThis paper provides timely analysis on the China's employment stabilization policies and evaluates the accessibility of these policies.

scholarly journals Market practices in countercultural market emergence

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 1563-1588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Hietanen ◽  
Joonas Rokka
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Music ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Literature ◽  
Industrial Markets ◽  
Market Practices ◽  
Market Shaping ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the growing marketing literature that investigates markets as “configurations”, i.e. networks of market actors engaged in market-shaping practices and performances. As this pioneering work has been largely focused on established mainstream markets and industries driven by large multi-national companies, the present article extends practice-based market theorizing to countercultural market emergence and also to unconventional market practices shaping it. Design/methodology/approach – Insights are drawn from a four-year multi-sited ethnographic study of a rapidly expanding electronic music scene that serves as an illustrative example of emergent countercultural market. Findings – In contrast to mainstream consumer or industrial markets, the authors identify a distinctive dynamic underlying market emergence. Countercultural markets as well as their appeal and longevity largely depend on an inherent authenticity paradox that focal market actors need to sustain and negotiate through ongoing market-shaping and market-restricting practices. Practical implications – From a practitioner perspective, the authors discuss the implications for market actors wishing to build on countercultural authenticity. They highlight the fragility of countercultural markets and point out practices sustaining them, and also possibilities and challenges in tapping into them. Originality/value – The study contributes by theorizing the tensions that energize and drive countercultural market emergence. In particular, the authors address the important role of market-restricting practices in facilitating countercultural appeal that has not received explicit attention in prior marketing literature.

How do children make sense of food well-being? Food for thought for responsible retailers

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 605-622
Author(s):  
Valérie Hémar-Nicolas ◽  
Pascale Ezan
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Graphic Data ◽  
Food Retailers ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of what well-being means to children in the food context and to formulate recommendations about the way food retailers may take actions to promote children’s food well-being (FWB). Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study based on a child-centric perspective is conducted with 25 French children aged 6–11 years. The data collection and analysis use both verbal and graphic data methods including focus groups and drawings in order to help children express their feelings and thoughts. Findings The findings put forward that according to children, the concept of FWB relies on five dimensions: sensory taste, health, commensality, empowerment and altruistic behaviours. Their discourses suggest that food practices contributes to objective, hedonic, eudaemonic and social well-being on the short and long term. Practical implications Based on children’s intrinsic needs for pleasure and empowerment, our recommendations highlight how food retailers might rethink their own-label offering, retail environment and communication to take into account young consumers’ FWB. Originality/value Drawing upon the concept of FWB and positive psychology, the authors do not only examine children’s food representations through a nutritional lens, but enlarge the scope to show how physical, emotional, psychological and social factors, involved in food context, contribute to different aspects of well-being.

scholarly journals Am I worth it? Gifting myself with luxury

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannele Kauppinen-Räisänen ◽  
Johanna Gummerus ◽  
Catharina von Koskull ◽  
Åke Finne ◽  
Anu Helkkula ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Topic ◽  
The Self ◽  
Luxury Brands ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Sample Data ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Consumers gift themselves with luxury fashion brands, yet the motives for self-gifting are not well understood. Whereas traditionally, self-gifting is defined as self-orientated in nature, luxury brands are seen as social statements, and self-gifting of luxury fashion brands that combine these two controversial areas is an interesting research topic. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue by exploring the self-gifting behaviour of consumers, in particular focusing on the personal motives of gifting oneself with luxury fashion brands. Design/methodology/approach – The study takes a multi-qualitative approach involving a small (n=19) but rich sample. Data collection and analysis were triangulated to reduce researcher biases. Findings – The study provides key dimensions for understanding consumers’ perceptions of luxury fashion brands and self-gifting motives (self and socially orientated). The findings reveal that reflections from others are part of the self-gifting phenomenon. It appeared that although self-orientated benefits and personally orientated motives trigger the self-gifting act, the act of actually purchasing explicitly luxury brands for oneself as a gift may be triggered by other-orientated benefits and socially orientated motives. The findings also imply that luxury holds a self-orientated aspect; luxury brands are not only purchased for socially orientated reasons but also for reasons related to oneself. In addition, the findings discuss the act of shopping, where the act can be perceived as a luxury experience and overrun the importance of the brand. Practical implications – The findings provide insights to consumers’ gifting behaviour that may be valuable for retailers and fashion marketers as they plan for marketing activities related to their customers’ self-gifting. Originality/value – Self-gifting represents a view of gifting that remains under-researched. This study uncovers the motives for gifting oneself with luxury fashion brands, a further sub-area in need for more investigation.

Transformation of do-it-yourself from altruistic to utilitarian tendency: DIY entrepreneurs and sustainable practices in shared economy market conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-143
Author(s):  
Elif Üstündağlı Erten ◽  
Ebru Belkıs Güzeloğlu
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Market Condition ◽  
Transformation Mechanism ◽  
Market Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Do It Yourself ◽  
Market Practices ◽  
A Minor

PurposeIn this study, it is aimed to examine do-it-yourself (DIY) practices from sustainable and entrepreneurship perspectives and to understand how transformation mechanism works in between altruistic and utilitarian tendencies in shared economy market conditions. Meaning, material and competency of practice theory will be indicative in explaining transformation of existing practices, how practice is transformed and diffused in market ecosystem through the introduction of new objects and opportunities to better understand how values and meanings change.Design/methodology/approachThis study is a phenomenological research interested in explaining contingency of sustainability in between altruistic and market conditions in shared economy ecosystem through DIY practices. The sample of this study is made up of 15 participants actively carrying out DIY activities. Data is analysed with MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2018 program through grounded coding technique.FindingsDIYers' relationship with market results them to create roles subject to their dependence on altruistic values of sustainability and their stance to anti-consumption in between alternative and mainstream economy. When they converge to the market, DIY activities turn into medium of marketing activities. When they diverge from the market, they become “transformers” embracing principles of shared economy. Contingency appears depending on three conditions: one is related with active participation in DIY or market practices. Second is related with occupation status that DIYers have. Third is related with competence that active DIYers have.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is aimed only at active participants. Therefore, it is possible to see the effects of altruistic and market behaviour more clearly. However, this group represents a minor group that will make it possible to comment on a small group. This is one of the limitations of this study.Originality/valueIn the study, proximity and distance to mainstream market condition are taken as the basis and market structure is taken as an agent. By this way, DIYers' activities evaluated not only from social and economical perspective but also their transformation compared to capitalist market conditions challenging altruistic values of DIY, sustainability and sharing economy. Thus, this study is evaluating sustainability, shared economy and DIY not as an entity but as a process.

Information behaviors of elite scholars in the context of academic practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 953-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Falciani-White
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Academic Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Behaviors ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the information behaviors in which scholars regularly engage, in participants’ own words wherever possible, and discuss how those behaviors function in the broader landscape of scholars’ academic practice. Design/methodology/approach Scholars’ information behaviors were investigated using semi-structured interviews, along with document analysis. Three scholars recognized for significant contributions to their fields were identified from each of the three major divisions of academia (humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences) using intensity sampling, for a total of nine participants. Interviews asked each participant to describe a recent research project from conceptualization to completion, focusing on how scholars engaged with ideas, information resources, tools, and processes. Findings Information behaviors were found to permeate scholars’ work from conceptualization through publication, and included behaviors such as skimming, reading, data collection and analysis, and writing. Of particular interest are the specific information behaviors that fall into the broader category of information use. Originality/value This study uses established definitions of information behaviors to broaden the information behaviors conversation to include the entirety of academic practice. The study shows how scholars from across the academy engage with information throughout the course of their academic work, not just when they are engaged in more traditional information seeking activities.

Extent of employee turnover in Nigerian SMEs

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 967-985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tejumade Omowumi Siyanbola ◽  
Mark W. Gilman
Keyword(s):  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Employment Relationship ◽  
First Century ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the magnitude of employee turnover (E-turnover) in Nigerian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with particular focus on the manufacturing and service firms adjudged as central to the growth and development of Nigerian economy. Design/methodology/approach Data from 602 employees and 94 owner/managers of SMEs located in three Southwestern Nigerian states were collected through survey questionnaire and analysed quantitatively. Findings Employees’ and management’s responses indicated that E-turnover still pervades the Nigerian SMEs surveyed with most employees leaving their jobs in less than a year of employment. Multiple exits also occurred; additionally, employees were more prone to exiting if they were male, older, had a smaller family size and/or worked in the manufacturing rather than service SMEs. Research limitations/implications More needs to be done to comprehend owner-managers’ apparent deliberate disguise of employee over-casualisation in the SMEs studied, an act that appeared to limit the interpretation of status-related turnover extent among employees. Practical implications Twenty-first century businesses need to stimulate sustainable cost-effective employment relationship capable of thwarting the threat accompanying high E-turnover in businesses. Originality/value Through this research, extant global E-turnover literature (largely on western businesses) is enriched by dedicated empirical data on Nigerian SMEs that this study offers.

The employment effects of offshoring: evidence from Korean manufacturing

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-34
Author(s):  
Sang-Chul Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Method Of Moments ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Employment Relationship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trade Specialization ◽  
Employment Effects ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
First Time

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the offshoring-employment relationship under globalization in Korean manufacturing for the period from 1998 to 2010 using industry-level panel data and Generalized Method of Moments. Design/methodology/approach – For the first time in the literature the type of trade specialization is taken into account, distinguishing manufacturing between export-specialized and import-specialized industries. Findings – There is evidence that materials and services offshoring have a significantly negative effect on employment in export-specialized industries. In contrast, there is a non-significant association in import-specialized industries. Research limitations/implications – These results may cast new light on the offshoring-employment relationship. Originality/value – Major contribution of this paper is that it sheds new light on the effect of offshoring on employment by distinguishing export-specialized industries from import-specialized industries.

Making inconsistent worlds: a conceptual framework for co-competition

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-263
Author(s):  
Jacob L. Hiler ◽  
Laurel Aynne Cook ◽  
William Magnus Northington
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Naturalistic Inquiry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inquiry Approach ◽  
Role Playing Game ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
Creative Forces

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the phenomenon of co-competition, within service-dominant logic, whereby multiple parties with mutually exclusive goals compete for the rights to co-create with a firm. Design/methodology/approach Within the context of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, the paper uses a naturalistic inquiry approach guided by the core objectives of qualitative research provided by Belk et al. (2012). These objectives include understanding the construct of study, the antecedents and consequences of what is being studied and, finally, the process used by the consumer during the phenomena. Additionally, the results are presented within an idiographic framework. Findings This study finds that co-competition arises when heterogeneous segments of consumers attempt different co-creation strategies with the firm, an overlooked dark side of co-creation and co-production of value. Additionally, the study finds evidence that co-competition may have led to co-destruction of value for both consumer parties and the firm. Originality/value The outcomes of this process could have significant financial and reputational impacts for the firm resultant from alienating both types of consumers competing for the rights to co-create. The conceptual framework established here provides a guide through which further investigation of co-creative forces can occur.

scholarly journals Mother, researcher, feminist, woman: reflections on “maternal status” as a researcher identity

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nollaig Frost ◽  
Amanda Holt
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Research Topic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Researcher Identity ◽  
Maternal Status ◽  
Interview Setting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the ways in which a researcher's maternal status as “mother” or “non-mother/child-free” is implicated in the research process. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the experiences as two feminist researchers who each independently researched experiences of motherhood: one as a “mother” and one as a “non-mother/child-free”. The paper draws on extracts from the original interview data and research diaries to reflect on how research topic, methodology and interview practice are shaped by a researcher's maternal status. Findings – The paper found that the own maternal identities shaped the research process in a number of ways: it directed the research topic and access to research participants; it drove the method of data collection and analysis and it shaped how the authors interacted with the participants in the interview setting, notably through the performance of maternal identity. The paper concludes by examining how pervasive discourses of “good motherhood” are both challenged and reproduced by a researcher's maternal status and question the implications of this for feminist research. Originality/value – While much has been written about researcher “positionality” and the impact of researcher identity on the research process, the ways in which a researcher's “maternal status” is implicated in the research process has been left largely unexamined. Yet, as this paper highlights, the interaction of the often-conflicting identities of “mother”, “researcher”, “feminist” and “woman” may shape the research process in subtle yet profound ways, raising important questions about the limits of what feminist social research about “motherhood” can achieve.

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