Employment

Employment: A Key Idea for Business and Society introduces a topic that many of us take for granted yet is central to how we understand business and management. Most people work for the majority of their lives and, in recent years, employment has become a topic of popular debate, particularly asking what the future of work could be. Much of this has focused on the role of technology and automation, as well as the growth of the gig economy and new forms of work. This book provides new ways to think about our own experiences of work and debates on employment. The book covers the history of employment, key changes to work, and a global perspective. The major debates in employment are introduced, providing theories for readers to develop their own perspectives. In particular, the book reappraises management theory, the role of workers' agency in changing work, surveys the state of current research and methods, and sketches out the key changes on the horizon for employment. This book will provide students with a critical introduction to employment, equipping them with the resources to research, understand, and rethink the topic.

Dr Jamie Woodcock is a senior lecturer at the University of Essex and a researcher based in London. He is the author of The Fight Against Platform Capitalism (University of Westminster Press, 2021), The Gig Economy (Polity, 2019), Marx at the Arcade (Haymarket, 2019), and Working the Phones (Pluto, 2017). His research is inspired by workers' inquiry and focuses on labour, work, the gig economy, platforms, resistance, organising, and video games. He is on the editorial board of Notes from Below and Historical Materialism.

Introduction: What is Employment and Why Does it Matter? What is Employment? Chapter 1: A Critical History of Employment The Beginnings of Work The Industrial Revolution Exploitation Scientific Management Labour Process Theory Struggles Over Employment in Britain The Employment Relationship Today Chapter 2: The Global Division of Labour Employment Across the World Imperialism Reshaping Global Employment Unemployment Informal Work Unpaid Labour A Global View of Employment Chapter 3: The Management of Work Human Resource Management Recruitment and Selection Pay and Rewards Retention, Engagement, and Turnover Employee Voice Management in Practice Chapter 4: Key Dynamics of Contemporary Employment State Regulation and Employment Rights The Public Sector and the State as Employer Post-Industrial Employment Emotional Labour Precarious Work Platforms and the Gig Economy Trade Union Decline and Renewal Chapter 5: Researching Employment A Brief History of Researching Employment Research Questions for Understanding Employment Research Ethics Collecting Data Quantitative research Interviews Ethnography Why Research on Employment Matters Chapter 6: Future(s) of Employment The Different Futures of Work? Academic Exercises