Summaries
An International comparison of labour mobility
J.C. van Ours
In the Netherlands there is a discussion whether or not the Dutch labour market is inflexible. One of the elements in this discussion refers to the question if Dutch labour mobility is (too) low. This article contributes to this discussion by comparing labour mobility in the Netherlands with labour mobility in the United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Japan. The main conclu sion of this study is that especially job mobility differs between countries due to differences in unemployment rates and employment growth rates. There are however also structural diffe rences involved: job mobility in the Netherlands is structurally lower than in the United King dom, France and Sweden, but higher than in Japan.
New biotechnology and employment
Jan Laurier
The notion that technological prominent and innovative firms contribute significantly to the dynamics of the economy, became very popular in the eighties with national as well as local authorities. Leiden is one of the cities which in the wake of this notion had tried to attract firms active in new biotechnology. In this article local policy on this point is evaluated. New high tech- nolgy firms have led to the growth of employ ment. In absolute terms still small, in relative proportions however there is a substantial growth which had been beneficial especially to those with higher and secondary technical educaton. In the future, when the accent shifts from R&D to production, this situation can change, but probably the share of the primary
and vocational educated employees will stay low. On the long run it looks as if those with a secundary technical education seem to profit most by the growth of the amount of jobs in the new biotechnology.
Job Evaluation, Women’s work and Equal Employment Opportunity Law
A.G. Veldman
Wage differences between men and women in the Netherlands are still approximately 25%. Differences in individual qualifications or disparate treatment of men and women account only partly for this pay gap. Ones attention is therefore drawn to the factor of occupational segregation and to evaluation of female typed jobs and male typed jobs. At this point the question is raised if there is any relation be tween job evaluation schemes and sex based wage discrimination. In this view a case study is performed on the structure and application of two types of job evaluation plans. The structure as well as the application of both plans show a disparate impact on the evaluation of female typed jobs or job characteristics. Continuous research is recommended in the interest of equal pay.
Improving the quality of working life in the building-trade. A survey into the consequences for the well-being and health of workers in the building-trade
V.C. van Vuuren
This surveys subject is the relationship between the quality of working life of construction workers and their well-being and health. In
Summaries
order to determine the quality of working life the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic aspects according to Herzbergs Motivation Theory of Work had been useful as a supple ment of the Sociotechnical Systems Approach and the Labour Process Approach.
The research reveals that the intrinsic aspects of the quality of working life, the job-content and the local industrial relations, correlate positively with the worksatisfaction. The extrin sic aspects, the working and the employment conditions, do not correlate with the worksatis faction, while these extrinsic aspects of the quality of working life have a major influence on the health of the construction workers.
Influence and participation after ten years of no-nonsense management
J. Pool, P.L. Koopman en A.A. Mijs
As follow-up to a research project on Industrial Democracy in Europe (IDE) in the mid-70’s, a replication study was recently conducted. Eleven of the sixteen companies originally participating in the Dutch substudy continued their involve ment, as did five out of fourteen hospitals. Analysis of the data shows only modest changes in the influence distribution in companies and hospitals. A certain trend can be noticed to wards more hierarchical influence relations in metal firms and towards more egalitarian relations in insurance companies. In hospitals decision making power seems to have shifted more inside the hospital, in which the top (executive board and department heads) have gained a stronger position. Although the total influence of workers and Works Councils remained almost equal, the WC - especially in insurance companies and hospitals - gained more influence on strategic decisions. Addi tionally the Councils have acquired increased independence and more clearly circumscribed competencies. Taken together this leads to a picture of the WC as a more accepted and mature body in organizations.
Workers’ interests and integrated logistical management. Stating the problem.
A. van de Camp
Trade-unions and workers-councils are more and more faced with the social impacts of the implementation of integrated logistical manage ment. They are prompted to formulate a strate gic answer to this new type of business manage ment. Integrated logistical management is the integration of the planning, operation and control of the flows of goods, from initial supply untill final delivery at the customers. The new element in this management approach is its drive towards system integration in time and space of the different elements and factors, including the labour force.
Most conceptions are technology-fixed. And hence attention is focussed on the material integration. This contradicts the process of social integration, which is crucial for workers’ motivation, concern and inventivity at the work place. In this article is contended that trade unions and workers councils in fact need to reformulate their strategies to be able to influ ence the process of logistical renewal and system integration. Workers’ interests in this process are identified. And the problem of labour’s strategy toward integrated logistical management is stated.
