Managerial control and the limits to employee participation in retail work spaces: evidence from a <scp>UK IKEA</scp> store

Bilsland, Karen; Cumbers, Andrew

doi:10.1111/ntwe.12110

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(55 reference statements)

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“…Thompson and Smith (2009: 923–924) state that there is a ‘need for a temporal and spatial dynamic to be introduced back into the LPT [and]… a requirement to see how ICTs decentre work from a single physical site and open to working to any space’ (see also Rainnie et al ., 2010; Coe, 2015). Baldry’s call to reintegrate the working environment ‘into analysis as part of both the objective conditions of the labour process and the subjective mechanisms of control and subordination’ (1999: 536) was followed by research dedicated to the topic (Baldry et al ., 1998; Barnes, 2007; Baldry and Barnes, 2012; Bilsland and Cumbers, 2018). In these seminal analyses, space is not a neutral container, but is constructed purposefully with the intention of control.…”

Section: Theory Of Labour and Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

Controlling space, controlling labour? Contested space in food delivery gig work

Heiland

2021

New Technol Work Employ

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The article investigates the control of the platform labour process by means of the digital production of space and how workers resist it. The segment of German platform‐mediated food delivery is examined via qualitative interviews and auto‐ethnography. It is shown how the platforms create different spaces to efficiently coordinate and control mobile delivery gig work. Steered by geolocalisation and geofencing, the couriers operate autonomously in spatial corridors defined by the platforms. The agency of the riders is thus limited, but they are occasionally able to undermine the platforms’ spatial control and reinterpret it. The article shows that space is a central but contested instrument for controlling labour.

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Section: Theory Of Labour and Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

Controlling space, controlling labour? Contested space in food delivery gig work

Heiland

2021

New Technol Work Employ

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“…The results point that the expansion of autonomy in internships appears as a control tool, as it induces self-management and engagement beyond the internship scope (Bilsland & Cumbers, 2018). The speeches reveal that dysfunctional experiences are resignified based on the perception of autonomy, contributing to overshadowing the level of the students' voluntarism (McCabe, 2011) in their internships.…”

Section: Results Analysis and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The analysis suggests that the speeches that value autonomy and professional development operate as a form of control insofar they lead students to engage in deviations voluntarily, detaching the internship from its educational purpose and consolidating a distorted view of autonomy (Bilsland & Cumbers, 2018; Weiskopf & Loacker, 2018).…”

Section: Results Analysis and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, all management techniques are control mechanisms, regardless of whether they are flexible, democratic or even "fun" (Bilsland & Cumbers, 2018). These forms are composed of more subtle arrangements that seek the workers' consent and engagement with the current work dynamics, building a space where particular characteristics and personal attributes could be expressed more freely and instrumentalized by the organization (Bolton & Houlihan, 2009).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“School of precariousness”: the production of consent to precarious work in administration internships

Fuzyama

Lemos²,

Silva³

2022

REGE

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PurposeThis study aims to understand the production of consent to precarious working conditions in administration students' internship experiences.Design/methodology/approachA total of 13 students of an undergraduate program in Business Administration in a private university were interviewed. The students' perceptions about the dynamics of the internship and their engagement in this experience were explored through thematic analysis.FindingsInternships became more than spaces to learn about the world of work. They are also the locus of professional socialization toward precarious work. The detachment of internships from their educational scope is mediated by neonormative control mechanisms that subjectively mobilize the interns, producing the institutionalization and appreciation of the precarious experience, resignified as something that leads to autonomy, learning and a job position.Practical implicationsThe article can help students, universities and companies to assess the role of internships in training future professionals.Social implicationsThe research problematizes the internship as a form of professional socialization toward precarious work and its detachment from the original educational purpose. The article critically contributes to the debate about the current professional socialization process of young students.Originality/valueThe article highlights the subjective dimension that supports students' consent to dysfunctional internships, discussing both the experience of work precariousness and exploitation, and the terms of the students' engagement in such dynamics, bridging consent to neonormative controls.

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“…In this rapidly developing industrial society, it is vital to devise a new order that can reconcile the needs of social justice and industrial freedom along with industrial development and technology, hence complementing each other (Benn et al , 2015; Bilsland and Cumbers, 2018; Uribetxebarria et al , 2020). Thus, one of the essential steps in this direction is WPM (Park, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manager’s perspective on workers’ participation in management: a scenario-based study on Indian organizations

Mahindru

2023

MRR

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Purpose This paper aims to gain insight into managers' perspectives on the concept and practice of workers' participation in management (WPM) in Indian organizations. WPM is a critical ingredient in organizational effectiveness. However, the most fundamental aspects of WPM, such as the attitudes, expectations of managers and the factors facilitating or hindering the participation process, are less explored. This paper attempts to answer those questions concerning WPM in the context of Indian organizations. Design/methodology/approach The study uses data from 138 managers of Indian public and private sector organizations. Data were collected through an online survey as well as through semi-structured interviews. The study explores potential benefits, roadblocks and supporters from the managers' perspective. Further, to test the hypothesis, the author used multiple regression analysis. Findings The paper demonstrates managers' perception of workers' participation at the board level as the most beneficial and supportive compared to joint consultation and joint decision-making; however, at the same time, it is the one having the most roadblocks in the present Indian Labour laws. Workers, unions and managers' lack of legislative support and intention fuel the fire. The study also found that implementation of WPM is primarily based on statutory norms, and public sector managers are more willing to take the workers on board than managers of private sector organizations. Practical implications This research is of practical significance as it extracts new visions for policymakers in India already planning to implement four new labor codes, namely, wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety, health and working conditions. The data from the study will facilitate the Indian labor ministry to lay down policy decisions concerning WPM. Further, the government can acclimatize this analysis to plug the ambiguities in the present WPM system. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to give insights into the manager's perspective regarding the WPM using a scenario-based approach. In addition, this paper offers valuable suggestions for policymakers to restructure and streamline the country's existing and overlapping labor laws.

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Managerial control and the limits to employee participation in retail work spaces: evidence from a UK IKEA store

Cited by 5 publications

References 41 publications

Controlling space, controlling labour? Contested space in food delivery gig work

Controlling space, controlling labour? Contested space in food delivery gig work

“School of precariousness”: the production of consent to precarious work in administration internships

Manager’s perspective on workers’ participation in management: a scenario-based study on Indian organizations

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