A theory of employment systems : micro-foundations of societal diversity / David Marsden.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Marsden, David.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Job analysis.

Occupations--Classification.

Occupations.

Diversity in the workplace.

Physical Description:

xvi, 298 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1999.

Summary:

A Theory of Employment Systems provides an analysis of employment systems in leading industrialized countries at both macro and micro levels. In doing so, the author reviews the major theories of the firm in management studies and economics, and links these to company level employment practices. The book offers a clear framework for classifying employment systems and will be essential reading for advanced students of Human Resource Management and IndustrialRelations.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Part I: A Theory of Employment Systems

1. The Employment Relationship

Employment Systems

Incompleteness of the Employment Contract

Defining the 'Acceptable Set' of Tasks

Use of Classification Criteria to Assign Tasks to Jobs

The Function of Job Classification Systems

Two Potential Objections to the Argument

Insights from the Historical Rise of the Employment Relationship

Conclusion

2. The Limits of Managerial Authority

Introduction

Transaction Rules and the Employment Relation

Examples of Each Type of Task Allocation Rule

How each Rule Deals with Different Kinds of Opportunism

3. Diffusion and Predominance of Employment Rules

Task Allocation Rules as Partial 'Evolutionarily Stable Strategies'

Predominance of Individual Transaction Rules

The Need for Inter-firm Institutions

Conclusion: Evolutionarily Stable Strategies and Labour Institutions

4. Classification Rules and the Consolidation of Employment Systems

A Theory of Job Classification

Some Lessons from Occupational Classifications used in Earnings Statistics

Labour Market Conventions and Job Classifications

Some Comparative Evidence on Classifications and their Diffusion

The Role of Institutions in Diffusing Classification Rules

Employment Systems: Integrating Transaction Rules and Inter-firm Institutions

Part II: Evidence and Personnel Management Implications

5. Societal Diversity of Employment Systems: Comparative Evidence

Some Evidence of Inter-country Differences in Employment Systems

Production Versus Training Approach: Key Indicators

Task-oriented versus Function-oriented Approach: Key Indicators

Diffusion of Main Employment Systems

6. Performance Management

Introduction.

The Inherent Difficulties of Performance Measurement

Mutual Distrust and Performance Management

Some Conventionally Used Performance Criteria

How the Contractual Constraints Shape Performance Criteria

Moral Hazard, Transaction Rules and Performance Criteria

Conclusion: Societal Influences on Performance Criteria

Appendix 1 Some Examples of Criteria Used in Performance Appraisal

Appendix 2 Transaction Rules and Performance Standards

7. Pay and Incentives

A Theory of Pay and Classifications

Price as a Rule and 'Rate for the Job'

Rate-for-the-Job Classification and Pay for Performance

Hierarchical versus Occupational Classifications and Pay Structures

8. Skills and Labour Market Structure

Effects of the Production and Training Approaches on Labour Market Structure

Approaches to Enforceability and Functional Flexibility

Institutionalization of Transaction rules by OLMs and ILMs

Monopsony and Secondary Labour Markets

Employment and Self-employment

Conclusions

Part III: Conclusions

9. Employment Systems and the Theory of the Firm: Societal Diversity

Transaction Costs, Opportunism and Knowledge

Flexibility, Productivity and Skills

The Quality of Trust and Cooperation within the Firm

The Role of Inter-firm Institutions

Societal Diversity of Employment Systems

References

Index

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Z.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. [274]-290) and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

019152221X

9780191522215

0-19-152221-X

1-281-97068-9

9786611970680

0-19-829422-0

0-19-159661-2

OCLC:

191827400