The Sexual Division of Labour in Process Manufacturing: Economic Restructuring, Training and `Women's Work'

Abstract

It is widely assumed that the development of enhanced skills appropriate to advanced technologies is an important means of increasing the employability of the socially excluded. This article tests this assumption through case studies in the food industry in Austria, Germany and Britain. The findings indicate that organizational restructuring, technological change and redeployment of labour have very different consequences for women and for men. In all three countries the restructuring of work and skills increased the marginalization of women, reinforcing gender cleavage.Skills and qualifications have become important topics in both the literature and the political discussion on labour market issues. Skill enhancement is becoming the central focus of labour market concerns and is commonly perceived as a panacea for the social exclusion of disadvantaged groups. It is also stressed that the existence of a certain level of skills makes those forms of work Organization possible that are necessary for enhanced competition on the global marketplace.Research in this genre often examines training Systems as a manifestation of institutional arrangements in a particular country or region and then studies their effects on organizational form and economic success. A number of European comparisons have revealed differences in both organizational efficiency and levels of productivity and quality as a result of skill levels and categories (Maurice et al., 1986;Mason and Wagner, 1994). Recently both Soskice (1990) and Regini (1995) have found a relationship between patterns of human resource utilization and organizational strategies, or, as Regini calls them, product market strategies that predominate in various countries and regions.These approaches have had a pronounced influence on the current debate on the competitiveness of European industries and the future 0959-6801 [1998/03]4:1 ;7-34;003467

Feminism Facing Industrial Relations in Britain

“…Women, by contrast, are more likely to be found in occupations defined as low skilled where management continues to feel that competition on costs is the most viable option. This is confirmed by a recent crossnational comparison of the food industry, which found that the restructuring of work and skills increased the marginalization of women, reinforcing gender cleavage (Flecker et al 1998; see also Wood 1986). The lower-quality upskilling experienced by women and their lower degree of involvement than men in performance management systems may well be leading to a gender gap in the quality of performance (White 1999).…”

Employability perceptions: Nature, determinants, and implications for health and well-being

“…In some studies, men are found to have better options in the labour market, and are therefore viewed as more employable (McQuaid & Lindsay, 2005). Moreover, it has also been argued that the development of the labour market has gone in a direction that favours men's possibilities of finding employment (Flecker, Meil, & Pollert, 1998 …”

The concept employability: a complex mosaic

“…In the Anglo-Saxon literature in particular, a great deal of attention is paid to the employability of so-called 'underprivileged' groups. Examples of 'underprivileged' groups found in the literature on employability include unmarried mothers [14], young people [15,31], elderly people [42], disabled people [43][44][45], women [46] and ethnic minorities [47,48]. Much of this literature focuses on formulating policy recommendations to strengthen the labour market position of these groups.…”