Flexible Employment in Hong Kong: Trends and Patterns in Comparative Perspective

Chiu, Stephen; So, Alvin Y.; Tam, May

doi:10.1525/as.2008.48.4.673

Cited by 21 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Existing literature on Hong Kong focuses on the characteristics of precarious/nonstandard employment, its trend of expansion, and its social and economic roots. Chiu and his colleagues (Chiu et al 2008) depicted the trend of flexible employment in Hong Kong: while it has always been an important employment type in Hong Kong, its weight further increased after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. This was driven by employers' demands for reducing costs, which can be explained by institutional factors such as Hong Kong's colonial tradition, minimal government intervention in labor relations and the underdevelopment of a labor movement.…”

Section: Existing Literature On Precarious Work In Mainland China Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Precarious work and labor market segmentation: a comparative study on mainland China and Hong Kong

2019

J. Chin. Sociol.

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The worldwide growth of precarious work has created a new type of labor market segmentation and calls for cross-society comparison study. Mainland China and Hong Kong facilitate such a comparison, since the two societies operated in quite different socioeconomic institutions have experienced the same change of employment relations. By analyzing two representative and comparable survey data, this research has found similarity as well as discrepancy regarding occurrence and segmentation of precarious work in the two labor markets. In general, precarious work distributes in more economic sectors in mainland China than it does in Hong Kong, while it engenders less segmentation in the former labor market. This is closely related to the institutional and practical differences in labor market regulation of the two societies.

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Section: Existing Literature On Precarious Work In Mainland China Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Precarious work and labor market segmentation: a comparative study on mainland China and Hong Kong

2019

J. Chin. Sociol.

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“…Chiu, So, and Tam (2008) gave details of the way the survey was conducted. With regard to self-arranged training, respondents were asked whether they had, out of their own initiative, taken any work-related training courses in the previous year.…”

Section: Method Data and Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This preference in training is a corollary of the generally high degree of job mobility and short job tenure of Hong Kong employees. Chiu, So, and Tam (2008) noted that the average job tenure of Hong Kong employees had shortened between 1995 and 2004, and was shorter than those in a number of advance western economies. Government surveys on job-changing and labour mobility also show that switching between different employing organisations is common amongst Hong Kong employees (Census and Statistics Department Various years).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

It is not just a matter of having the time: job-related training participation of Hong Kong employees

Tam

2013

Journal of Education and Work

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Participation in job-related training as part and parcel of lifelong learning is widely advocated. While many empirical research about job-related training of employees are about advanced western economies, little is known about advanced Asian economies. To fill this void in the literature, this study applies the human capital, institutional and cultural approach to examine the pursuit of job-related training of Hong Kong employees. The characteristics of the labour market institutions (unions, employers' organisations and government regulations) in Hong Kong are important contextual factors for understanding job-related training which local employees arrange for themselves. Analyses of survey data collected from a random sample of employees show that time constraints due to long working hours and heavy family responsibilities were not crucial in affecting training participation. Instead, higher education level, experiences of new skills requirements at work and intrinsic job values have positive effects on whether or not employees arranged training for themselves. The training undertaken involved generic rather than firm-specific workskills. We argue that the pursuit of training and the preference for generic workskills need to be understood against the labour demand situation and the relatively free labour market in Hong Kong. The paper ends with theoretical and policy implications of the study.

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“…The provision of part‐time work in Singapore has continued to trend upwards over the past decade, up from 20.1% in 2007 to 36% in 2014, making it the most prevalent FWA (Singapore Ministry of Manpower ). While these figures are encouraging, Chiu, So, and Tam () found that Singapore employees utilise part‐time work options less commonly than their counterparts in western and Asian advanced economies. In 2004, part‐timers accounted for only 4.5% of the Singapore workforce, compared to 25.4% in the UK, 18% in the US, 14.2% in Japan, and 13.3% in Hong Kong (Chiu, So, and Tam ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While these figures are encouraging, Chiu, So, and Tam () found that Singapore employees utilise part‐time work options less commonly than their counterparts in western and Asian advanced economies. In 2004, part‐timers accounted for only 4.5% of the Singapore workforce, compared to 25.4% in the UK, 18% in the US, 14.2% in Japan, and 13.3% in Hong Kong (Chiu, So, and Tam ). The incidence of part‐time workers in Singapore varies widely across industries (Singapore Ministry of Manpower ), reflecting differing business and organisational needs and supporting findings elsewhere (e.g., Higgins, Duxbury, and Johnson ) that managerial and professional work remains largely the territory of the full‐time working class.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing the implementation gap in flexiwork policies: the case of part‐time work in Singapore

Straughan

Tadai

2016

Asia Pac J Human Res

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This article addresses the implementation gap in the provision of work-life policies in Singapore. While both employers and government in principle endorse the ideology of flexibility in the work place, this has not yet translated into widely adopted policies. This study examines barriers and facilitators to part-time work, and highlights organisational and managerial factors contributing to the implementation gap. It is imperative in ageing societies with declining fertility rates that flexibility be mainstreamed to encourage optimum labour force participation. For both married women with childcare responsibilities and older adults, flexiwork is central to their continued economic participation. In particular, part-time work enables mothers to meaningfully integrate work and family responsibilities, and allows older adults to reap the benefits of economic engagement postretirement.

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Flexible Employment in Hong Kong: Trends and Patterns in Comparative Perspective

Cited by 21 publications

References 10 publications

Precarious work and labor market segmentation: a comparative study on mainland China and Hong Kong

Precarious work and labor market segmentation: a comparative study on mainland China and Hong Kong

It is not just a matter of having the time: job-related training participation of Hong Kong employees

Addressing the implementation gap in flexiwork policies: the case of part‐time work in Singapore

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