From formal to informal: executives who migrated to flexible work

Abstract

Purpose -Given the changes occurred in the organization and work, flexible employment contracts are generally associated with a search for more productive employees. The purpose of this research is to understand the behavioral changes needed by executives to face up to the reality of these new flexible models of work.Design/methodology/approach -This paper presents the study that was undertaken in the city of São Paulo (SP -Brazil) with 30 executives who migrated from formal employment contracts/job positions to more flexible formats.Findings -The results showed that the interviewees use various terms for describing themselves: consultant, independent, franchised, businessperson, councilor, among others, and suggested that they have to change their self-perceptions to be adapted to flexible work.Originality/value -This study shows that the narratives that these executives use to illustrate their professional trajectories are related to how they deal with time, with their network and how they should change their mentality and behavior in order to achieve success. Lastly these professionals must display competence; even they are sometimes betrayed by their listless gestures, voice and look.

Employment Relationships and Meaning of Work: A Research With Higher Education Professors

“…The Brazilian labor market was also affected by downsizing efforts and the adoption of more flexible work arrangements (Piccinini, Oliveira, & Rübenich, 2006). Workers who were once full-time employees became self-employed, outsourced, associated with colleagues in cooperatives, constituted legal entities, among other alternatives (Azevedo & Tonelli, 2014;Campos, 2016;Kim, Tonelli, & Silva, 2017). Besides that, informal labor, with no legal guarantees, has always been a part of our reality and accounts for a significant amount of jobs (Noronha, 2003).…”

“…According to the authors, both organizations and workers are unprepared to deal with such disparities. In another study with executives who migrated from formal to flexible work arrangements, Kim et al (2017) identified that the notion of a "real job" is associated with a formal employment contract, protected by the labor law (CLT).…”

Estratégias de Enfrentamento Utilizadas por Trabalhadores em Situação de Desemprego: Uma Revisão Integrativa

“…Em outros séculos, o sujeito não tinha escolha sobre suas atividades de trabalho, ele iria trabalhar onde havia um emprego, como na época da escravidão colonial, período no qual já nascia destinado a exercer determinada atividade ou mais tarde, nas atividades em fábricas, apenas desenvolvia o que era determinado para sua classe econômica (Oliveira et al, 2014;Tolfo & Piccinini, 2007). Na atualidade, devido às diversas mudanças econômicas, trabalhistas, sociais, entre outras, se reconhece os trabalhadores autônomos, informais e terceirizados (Kim et al, 2017). Irigaray et al (2019) afirmam que diversos trabalhadores estão migrando para outras formas de trabalho, diminuindo o número de trabalhadores assalariados e aumentando o número de autônomos e terceirizados, e os que optam por criar uma empresa jurídica e prestar serviços, possuindo uma maior autonomia de seu trabalho.…”