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THE EFFECTS OF INSTITUTIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS ON WORK FORCE FLEXIBILITY: EVIDENCE FROM CALL CENTERS IN THREE LIBERAL MARKET ECONOMIES.
- Source :
- ILR Review; Jul2009, Vol. 62 Issue 4, p573-601, 29p, 12 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2009
-
Abstract
- This comparative study examines survey data from 464 call centers in the United States, 167 in the United Kingdom, and 387 in Canada to explore two questions: whether institutional differences shape employers' choices of ways to improve work force flexibility, both numerical and functional; and whether strategies for numerical flexibility and functional flexibility are related. The results suggest that institutional differences across these liberal market economies--specifically, in dismissal regulations and union strength--did affect how employers chose to achieve work force flexibility. For example, the use of part-time workers was more common in countries with more stringent rules regulating dismissals. Organizational characteristics also mattered, with outsourced firms being more likely than in-house firms to use part-time workers. Evidence also suggests that managers used numerical flexibility and functional flexibility strategies as substitutes: higher employee job discretion was associated with both lower dismissal rates and a lower likelihood of temporary use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- CALL centers
LABOR supply
COMPARATIVE studies
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00197939
- Volume :
- 62
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- ILR Review
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 42213674
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/001979390906200406