Changes in the Contemporary Workplace

Paper Summary:

This paper investigates the way different forces have affected peoples working lives and attempts to identify some of the key changes in employee experiences of work in the contemporary workplace. The author presents one change at a time, discussing it in more depth and looking at the various factors causing and/or affecting it. In addition, the author discusses matters such as job security, employee skills, job autonomy and workplace stress.

Outline:
Job Insecurity
Skill Requirement
Work Intensification, Stress and Job Satisfaction
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"According to Elliot and Atkinson (1998) we now live in an 'age of insecurity' (cited in Doogan, 2001). This can be partly attributed to fear of becoming redundant, as redundancy, (the collective dismissal of employees), has become a popular means of instituting efficiency savings through labour cost cuts in a need for organizations to become more competitive. Williams and Smith (2006) state that 'losing one's job, or the threat of losing one's job, is perhaps the most unsettling of experiences for workers in contemporary employment relations' (p. 250).
"Moreover, the rise in perceptions of job insecurity is also linked to the growth of non-standard employment patterns, for example, temporary contract workers. Such patterns have been introduced in order to increase organizational flexibility and make the workforce more disposable (Williams and Smith, 2006). It is, therefore, not surprising that workers feel more vulnerable and insecure."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Roehling, V. M., Cavanaugh, M. A., Moynihan, L. M. & Boswell W. R. (2000). The Nature of the New Employment Relationship: A Content Analysis of the Practitioner and Academic Literatures. Human Resource Management. [online] 39 (4), 305-320. Available from: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/76506286/ PDFSTART [Accessed 5 April 08].
• Beardwell, I., Holden, B. & Clayton, T. (2004). Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach. 4th Ed. Harlow: Pearson.
• Ghost In the Shell (1989). Animated film. Directed by Mamoru Oshii. Japan: Production I.G.
• Doogan, K. (2001). Insecurity and Long-Term Employment. Work, Employment and Society. [online] 15 (3), 419-441. Available from: http://journals.cambridg e.org/download.php?file=%2FWES%2FWES15_03%2FS0950017001000290a.pdf&code=de81c87aa3687645a22b52fd9ff5084a [Acessed 5 April 08].
• Williams, S. & Smith, D. A. (2006). Contemporary Employment Relations: A Critical Introduction. Oxford: University Press.

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