Centre for Employment Studies Research - CESR

Employment restructuring, equality and diversity

Public policy in the UK emphasises a need for greater labour market flexibility in order to meet the challenges of globalisation and rapid technological change.

The HRM literature proposes ways in which organisations can restructure to achieve numerical flexibility yet sustain the commitment of 'core' employees. However, these studies underplay the challenges of managing a differentiated workforce. An issue for policy makers has been how to reconcile employers' interest in flexibility with social justice objectives, including greater equality of opportunity in employment.

CESR studies of non-standard work and contingent employment interrogate the claims that such arrangements benefit groups hitherto disadvantaged in the labour market. The research examines the characteristics and experiences of unorganised workers in low paid sectors such as hotels and catering - 'the old economy' - where there has been strong employment growth and increased use of migrant labour.

Engaging with the idea that economic activity is becoming increasingly 'knowledge intensive', CESR research also examines 'new economy' employment, including call centre work, and the gendering of job hierarchies here as in the traditional economy.

A further area of work, conducted in collaboration with researchers at Warwick University, focuses on the graduate labour market and asks whether widening participation in higher education is achieving greater equality of access to 'graduate jobs'.

Professor Anna Pollert

Professor Stephanie Tailby

Dr Nick Wilton