A Theory of Employment Systems: Micro-Foundations of Societal Diversity

by David Marsden

Overview

A Theory of Employment Systems considers why there are such great international differences in the way employment relations are organized within the firm. Taking account of the growing evidence that international diversity persists despite 'globalization', it sets out from the theory of the firm first developed by Coase and Simon, and explains why firms and workers should use the employment relationship as the basis for their economic cooperation. The originality of the employment relationship lies in its flexibility. It gives managers the authority to organize work, but it also establishes limits on employees' obligations. The nature of these limits is fundamental to our understanding of the employment relationship and its international diversity. The author argues that they are provided by four basic types of employment rule. Which one predominates in a given environment is the source of international diversity in employment relations. Drawing upon evidence from the US, Japan, France, Germany, and Britain, the theory is developed to show why such diversity extends deep into key areas of human resource management, such as performance management, incentive pay, and skill development. It also explains why the open-ended employment relationship continues to dominate work despite the growth of market-mediated work relations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191522215
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	09/16/1999
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

David Marsden is Professor of Industrial Relations at the London School of Economics. His career has also taken him to Aix-en-Provence, Trier, and Rome as a Visiting Professor. He has researched extensively on comparative industrial relations and labour markets, and he has worked with the ILO, the OECD, the European Commission, and the World Bank. At present, he also acts as a member of a team of advisors to European Commissioner Edith Cresson on education and training policies in the EU.

Table of Contents

Part I: A Theory of Employment Systems1. The Employment Relationship2. The Limits of Managerial Authority3. Diffusion and Predominance of Employment Rules4. Classification, and the Consolidation of Employment SystemsPart II: Evidence and Personnel Management Implications5. Employment Systems: comparative evidence6. Performance Management7. Pay and Incentives8. Skills and Labour Market StructurePart III: Conclusions9. Employment Systems and the Theory of the Firm: societal diversityReferences

Editorial Reviews

"It is in his consideration of theory, apart form its links with policy and practice, that marsden's thinking is most original, intriguing and comprehensive." Industrial And Labor Relations Review.

From the Publisher