Outsourcing, Occupational Restructuring, and Employee Well‐Being: Is There a Silver Lining?

Abstract

TiivistelmäTutkimuksessa tarkastellaan toimintojen ulkoistamisen ja tehtävärakenteiden muutosten vaikutuksia työntekijöiden itsensä kokemiin työoloihin. Työoloja mitattiin useilla eri mittareilla. Tulokset perustuvat poikkeuksellisen rikkaaseen yhdistettyyn aineistoon. Tarkastelu osoittaa, että ulkoistaminen ulkomaille lisää työtehtävien häviämistä yrityksissä. Tämän ulkomaille ulkoistamisen suoran vaikutuksen lisäksi eriteltiin myös ulkoistamisen epäsuoria vaikutuksia niihin työntekijöi-hin, jotka onnistuvat säilyttämään työpaikkansa sellaisessa yrityksessä, joka on ulkoistanut toimintojaan. Ulkoistamisen epäsuorat vaikutukset ovat tulosten valossa suoria vaikutuksia huomattavasti heikompia. Tämän lisäksi epäsuorat vaikutukset työntekijöiden kokemaan hyvinvointiin eivät ole yksioikoisen negatiivisia. Ulkoistaminen toisiin teollisuusmaihin esim. parantaa selvästi suomalaisten työntekijöiden mahdollisuuksia edetä urallaan.

International company restructuring and the effects on high-skilled employees in lead companies

“…Within the ICT sector, offshoring affects certain areas very negatively. This confirms previous results regarding the effects of vertical disintegration on ERs, and that high-skilled undertaking more standardized jobs are vulnerable to offshoring (Bo¨ckerman and Maliranta, 2013;Doellgast and Greer, 2007;Gomez et al, 2013;Hummels et al, 2014;Norlander et al 2015). However, also within medico, where new jobs are created abroad, does managements' use of new pools of skilled workers abroad result in pressure on the bargaining position of the high skilled in the home company.…”

“…However, while offshoring resulted in a lower demand for low-skilled employees, the demand for the highly skilled workers increased due to technological development and knowledge intensification (Bo¨ckerman and Maliranta, 2013;Crino´, 2009;Munch, 2010). During the 1990s offshoring gained momentum in services.…”

“…Research has demonstrated how international company restructuring in the form of offshoring in manufacturing from the 1980s resulted in rising wage inequality between skilled and unskilled workers and more employment volatility through an increasing risk of job loss among the low skilled (Crinó, 2009; Munch, 2010). However, while offshoring resulted in a lower demand for low-skilled employees, the demand for the highly skilled workers increased due to technological development and knowledge intensification (Böckerman and Maliranta, 2013; Crinó, 2009; Munch, 2010). During the 1990s offshoring gained momentum in services.…”

“…On national level, research has mainly identified high-skilled workers as the winners of the global competition in terms of jobs and wages (Crinò, 2009; OECD, 2007). Furthermore, while restructuring processes have had negative effects on employee wellbeing, it is the remaining skilled employees who suffer the least (Böckerman and Maliranta, 2013). Nevertheless, at company level employment relations (ER) research disclose more variation in effects on wage and working conditions (Doellgast and Greer, 2007; Flecker, 2009; Flecker and Meil, 2010; Huws et al., 2009).…”

Estimating the Wage Premium to Supervision for Middle Managers in Different Contexts: Evidence from Germany and the UK

“…These variables have been adopted in empirical research and refer explicitly to the skill level required for the job (Böckerman and Maliranta, 2013; Ortega, 2009; Pemner and Lawrence, 2004), ranging from the relatively low-level skills needed to perform simple and routine physical or manual tasks (level 1) to those necessary to perform such tasks as operating machinery and electronic equipment (level 2) to higher-level skills required for professionals, legislators and senior officials (level 3) and, finally, high-level skills such as literacy, numeracy and excellent communication (level 4).…”