Fully Funded PhD Project: Voice, job security and productivity - the relationships between the growth of insecurity, non-standard employment and productivity.

Research Group: Work, Organisation and Employment Relations Research Centre (WOERRC)

WOERRC is made up of researchers from across Sheffield University Management School and the Faculty of Social Sciences who have interests relating to work, employment and the labour market. The aim of the centre is to generate and disseminate high-quality research that has the potential to inform and shape academic debates and influence policy and practice. WOERRC facilitates collaboration between researchers from different academic fields and disciplines and in so doing aims to promote theoretical and methodological innovation, provide fresh analytical insights and strengthen the evidence base.

Project Description

This theme clearly relates to the activities of the ESRC-funded Productivity Insights Network supporting research in an area that is a current government priority and of considerable concern to social partners and other stakeholders.

The organisation of work, the terms on which workers are hired and the quality of worker-manager relationships are of fundamental importance to productivity. These issues are at the heart of this theme. Some studies (e.g. Michie and Sheehan 2003, 2005) have found that ‘flexible’ employment forms are negatively associated with product and process innovation and that productivity improvements are most likely to occur where standard employment relationships and continuity of employment are emphasised (Rubery 2016; Wang and Heyes 2017). If so, growth in ‘non-standard’, insecure jobs (including zero hours contracts) may be an important contributor to the UK’s ongoing productivity malaise. Furthermore, an emphasis on cost adjustment via ‘external’ flexibility might reduce incentives for firms to develop ‘internal’ flexibility by developing the skills and capabilities of their employees (Colombo and Stanca, 2014). In addition, some studies have shown that collective bargaining and worker voice may encourage firms to innovate (Fakhfakh et al. 2010), perhaps by discouraging the adoption of routes to profitability based on low-wages and labour-intensive production practices (Nolan 1989).

The project aims to explore the relationships between the growth of insecurity, non-standard employment and productivity.

Application Process:

Applicants should submit a 1000 word research proposal which directly addresses the theme and/or specific topic to which they are applying. The proposal should contain a brief background to the topic, which demonstrates knowledge of existing work in the field, and potential contributions to knowledge. It should also explain the proposed research methods and include a plan of the research, and a timeline.

Closing date for applications is 17.00 (UK time) on Friday 14 December 2018. Interviews will be in early January 2019.

Proposed Supervision Team:

The supervisory team may include two of the following academics: Professor Jason Heyes, Professor Kirsty Newsome, Dr Dragos Adascalitei and Dr Jo Grady. The selection of supervisors would depend on which project(s) is pursued and staff availability.