Work in the new economy : flexible labor markets in Silicon Valley / Chris Benner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Benner, Chris.

Series:

Information Age series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Labor market--California--Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara County).

Labor market.

Manpower policy--California--Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara County).

Manpower policy.

High technology industries--Employees--Supply and demand.

High technology industries--Employees.

California--Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara County).

Job security--California--Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara County).

Job security.

Employment agencies--California--Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara County).

Employment agencies.

High technology industries--Employees--Supply and demand--California--Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara County).

High technology industries.

Physical Description:

xvii, 293 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Malden, MA : Blackwell Pub., 2002.

Summary:

The rise of the information economy is dramatically transforming work and employment conditions around the globe. Who does the work, how it is done, and the results it produces for individuals and their families, for organizations and for society, is undergoing fundamental change.This book contributes to our understanding of the transformation of work in the information economy, through a detailed examination of labor markets in Silicon Valley. It provides an original and insightful analysis of flexible labor including growing volatility in work demands and increasingly tenuous employment relations. In shaping this context of rapid change, it examines the increasingly important role of labor market intermediaries. These new labor dynamics, shaped by flexibility and intermediation, create difficult and contradictory conditions for workers. Some workers clearly thrive in this vibrant context, but many face high levels of insecurity amidst growing inequality.

Contents:

Flexibility 3

Intermediaries 5

Careers 7

Research Data 9

Part I Flexibility and the Transformation of Work and Employment 11

1 Understanding Flexibility 13

Labor Markets in the Information Economy 15

Flexible Work and Flexible Employment 21

2 Silicon Valley: Changing Industry Structure and Employment Practices 37

Flexible Work and Employment Practices 39

Economic Change and Flexibility 49

Conclusion: Flexibility and Volatility 76

Appendix 2.1 Industry Cluster Analysis 77

Part II Flexibility and Intermediaries 81

3 Flexibility and Intermediation 83

Labor Market Intermediaries 86

Intermediation and Markets 89

Intermediation and Flexible Labor Markets 92

Conclusion: Increasing Intermediation 97

4 Labor Market Intermediaries

Private Sector 99

Temporary Help Agencies 102

Consultant Brokerage Firms 110

Web-based Intermediaries 117

Employer of Record 123

Professional Employer Organizations 125

Conclusion: The Labor Market as Business Opportunity 128

5 Labor Market Intermediaries

Membership-based 130

Blurring Boundaries 132

Silicon Valley Membership-based Intermediaries 138

Conclusion: Building Community-based Careers 175

6 Labor Market Intermediaries

Public Sector 177

Workforce Development System 179

Education-based Intermediaries 187

Non profit/Community-based Initiatives 197

Conclusion: Workforce Development Challenges 198

Part III Flexibility and Careers 201

7 Careers in Silicon Valley 203

Growing Inequality 206

Factors Contributing to Inequality 216

Flexibility and Labor Market Outcomes 220

Intermediaries and Labor Market Outcomes 226

Conclusion: Significant Problems Exist 231

Appendix 7.1 Silicon Valley Wage Data 232

8 Flexibility and Security 234

New Concepts for Labor Markets in the Information Economy 238

Intermediaries and Labor Market Policy 247

Labor Flexibility and a New Employment Contract 250.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [262]-280) and index.

ISBN:

0631232494

0631232508

OCLC:

48494406