Santanu Sarkar

PurposeWe were intrigued by the question of whether the convergence of businesses across nations in search of flexibility to survive economic crisis led to a convergence of the annual rate of change of union membership. The question emerged because the convergence theory was controverted, especially when the neo-capitalist idea failed to withstand the test of time during the economic crisis.Design/methodology/approachBy adopting the model from Bain and Elsheik (1976) and using time-series data from 1990 to 2014 for Finland and India that survived economic crisis during this period, whereby union membership remained steady in Finland but declined in India, we assessed the empirical distinction between the changes in union membership.FindingsWe argued that when hit by an economic crisis, different nations had divergent responses and chose different means of economic recovery because of which the countries have not withstood the crisis in one specific way/direction that at all times, m...

ABSTRACT Considerable scholarly attention has been paid to the growing incidence of workplace violence and homicide in India. In seeking to understand the cause of this workplace mayhem, most commentators regard employer repression as playing an important role. This article revisits four recent episodes of workplace homicide and analyses the anecdotal information available in the public domain on these cases, using a multi-level analytical framework. It argues that these incidents can best be understood within a perspective that takes into account not only factors in the specific workplace environment in the context of neoliberal low road employment policies but also the broader social-economic environment of a developing country where rapid industrialisation and migration are taking place in newly urbanised sites characterised by sharp social and economic polarisation.

... A spokesperson from the IT major Tata Consultancy Services observed candidly: "There is no need to set up a union in this sector." Almost similar sentiments have been expressed by DK Chawdhury, MD, Skytech Solutions, when he said: "Here there is hardly any difference ...

In this paper we reviewed a case of closed mine in India where we looked at the deficiencies, challenges and eventual failure of the attempt by a group of separated mine workers to reopen the closed mine by establishing a co-operative, in response to their company’s decision to shut down the quarry. The present study, carried out in an eastern Indian state during 2009-10, has its focus on assessing the functional dimensions of a workers’ co-operative that has hitherto not started and identifying obstacles to success. Evaluation of the case has revealed several deficiencies in its plan, the major ones being the relations of its members with the means of production and allocational efficiency, its failure to generate interests among ex-executives in working for the interests of co-operative, its failure to manage distribution relations, and its poor grasp of financial feasibility and fiscal compatibility. The company being a large central public sector unit over protected by governmen...

ABSTRACT This study has two fold objectives: (a) to present the history of trade union (1) movement in India (2), largely narrating the changing relationships among unions, employers and the state, and (b) to elaborate and explain the conditions that were instrumental in the growth of nonpolitical 'independent' unions in the country. Flanders (1970) pointed out that there is no such animal as a non-political union, and in a situation where most unions owe allegiance to a political party, it is even more difficult to speak of nonpolitical unions (Ramaswamy 1983). However, the points that emerge out of the case discussion signify a trend where independent rank-and-file led union (that came into existence owing to owing to a variety of reasons) has proven its collective strength time and again. With the advent of economic and political reforms, the state-dominated pluralism and the state-controlled unionism gradually perished with a new ray of hope rising with the 'independent' unions.

Drawing on data from a survey of 252 unionized full-time employees from large Indian organizations, this study examined whether individual level job related variables and individual cultural value dimensions of individualism–collectivism (I–C) were predictive of employees’ attitudes toward union membership. Using regression analysis, the author found that over and above the effects of demographic and job-related variables, work situation dissatisfaction

The transformation from industrial social work to corporate social responsibility points out a definite shift in the realm of social work vis-à-vis goal, objective and priorities of business. Over the past several decades social workers around the world have successfully been able to ...

ABSTRACT Purpose ‐ To measure the effects of work-sharing arrangements on participants' subsequent labor market outcomes in Taiwan such as full-time employment rates, working hours of women and men and the difference in scale effect and effect of substitution between hours and employment for women and men. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Using the data from Manpower Utilization Survey, we applied the differences-in-differences estimation method to test the effects of work-sharing arrangements on working hours, wage and employment. Multinomial logit was used to measure the effects of work sharing on full-time employment. In order to correct the simultaneity and selectivity problems, we followed the Heckman two-stage selection procedures to solve the selection bias, and used weighted least squares to solve heteroskedasticity in the wage and hour equations. The instrumental variable (IV) method was used to avoid simultaneity bias in the hour equation. Findings ‐ This paper found the restrictions enforced by law on working hours have negative effects on employees' working conditions in certain industries in Taiwan. After controlling the working hours, we found the wages paid to women and men have increased subsequent to the enforcement of law. However, compared to men the net wage earned by women has increased to a lesser extent. It was further observed that with enactment of work-sharing law, the employment rate of women has considerably declined since 2001. Main findings assimilating the results for hour, wage and full-time employment suggest that a country like Taiwan (with work-sharing arrangements implemented by law) has witnessed a smaller gap between women's and men's working time and wages during 2001-2002. However, for the period of 2003-2006 the amendment that introduced compressed work week brought a larger gender gap in working hours as well as wages. In other words, the implementation of work-sharing law has reduced the gender gap in hours and wages during 2001-2002, but the prevailing gender gap in hours as well as wages has worsened after the introduction of compressed work week during 2003-2006. Practical implications ‐ An in-depth analysis of labor market effects of work-sharing law will be useful for the policymakers, especially those interested in understanding the impact of their policies on labor market outcomes like wage, hour and employment, and finding out whether policies were effective at reducing the gender gap in given outcomes. Originality/value ‐ Findings of the present study should not only provide the broad lessons for policymakers in Taiwan, but the results that have emerged from the country case study may be referred by other Asian countries who want to bring a change in working and employment conditions for their labor by implementing work-sharing law.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is thriving in India but before the IteS market can ... HC, and VC) and organizational individualism and collectivism (OI and OC) are valid ... Author Keywords and Acronyms: Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), (trade) union, culture, ...

Abstract: Labor was a significant factor in Taiwanese politics. In history, some of the most important unions in Taiwan were built around a core of members resolutely loyal to a political ideology. However, with time many tenets of labor and political history have undergone a ...

ABSTRACT We assess the impact of national cultural differences at individual level and job-related factors on employees’ attitudes towards unions, drawn from a survey of full-time employees in large and mid-sized organisations in India and Taiwan. Preliminary analyses showed attitudinal differences in perceived work stress, work-situation dissatisfaction and leadership style of managers, whereas perceived job autonomy was found to be a distant cause of (un)favourable attitudes of both samples towards unions. We based our predictions about the attitudes of Indian and Taiwanese employees on their respective classifications as horizontal and vertical collectivists. Our analysis showed that, independent of cultural background, horizontal and vertical individualism–collectivisms influence employee attitudes and are significant and positive predictors of attitudes of both Indian and Taiwanese employees. This implies that collectivist ideological beliefs and feelings play a profound role in creating favourable attitudes towards unions among employees in both nations. However, we found differences concerning the role of individualism in predicting such attitudes: Indian employees with pro-union attitudes were more concerned about achievement (vertical individualist), whereas Taiwanese employees’ greater need for independence (horizontal individualist) were more associated with pro-union attitudes. To conclude, the results of our study confirm cross-national variation in employees’ attitudes towards unions.

Abstract Drawing on data from a survey of 342 employees from three BPO organizations in Mumbai (India), this study examined whether cultural variables of individual cultural orientation and organizational culture, and their interaction were predictive of employees' attitudes toward union ...

PurposeWe were intrigued by the question of whether the convergence of businesses across nations in search of flexibility to survive economic crisis led to a convergence of the annual rate of change of union membership. The question emerged because the convergence theory was controverted, especially when the neo-capitalist idea failed to withstand the test of time during the economic crisis.Design/methodology/approachBy adopting the model from Bain and Elsheik (1976) and using time-series data from 1990 to 2014 for Finland and India that survived economic crisis during this period, whereby union membership remained steady in Finland but declined in India, we assessed the empirical distinction between the changes in union membership.FindingsWe argued that when hit by an economic crisis, different nations had divergent responses and chose different means of economic recovery because of which the countries have not withstood the crisis in one specific way/direction that at all times, m...

ABSTRACT Considerable scholarly attention has been paid to the growing incidence of workplace violence and homicide in India. In seeking to understand the cause of this workplace mayhem, most commentators regard employer repression as playing an important role. This article revisits four recent episodes of workplace homicide and analyses the anecdotal information available in the public domain on these cases, using a multi-level analytical framework. It argues that these incidents can best be understood within a perspective that takes into account not only factors in the specific workplace environment in the context of neoliberal low road employment policies but also the broader social-economic environment of a developing country where rapid industrialisation and migration are taking place in newly urbanised sites characterised by sharp social and economic polarisation.

... A spokesperson from the IT major Tata Consultancy Services observed candidly: "There is no need to set up a union in this sector." Almost similar sentiments have been expressed by DK Chawdhury, MD, Skytech Solutions, when he said: "Here there is hardly any difference ...

In this paper we reviewed a case of closed mine in India where we looked at the deficiencies, challenges and eventual failure of the attempt by a group of separated mine workers to reopen the closed mine by establishing a co-operative, in response to their company’s decision to shut down the quarry. The present study, carried out in an eastern Indian state during 2009-10, has its focus on assessing the functional dimensions of a workers’ co-operative that has hitherto not started and identifying obstacles to success. Evaluation of the case has revealed several deficiencies in its plan, the major ones being the relations of its members with the means of production and allocational efficiency, its failure to generate interests among ex-executives in working for the interests of co-operative, its failure to manage distribution relations, and its poor grasp of financial feasibility and fiscal compatibility. The company being a large central public sector unit over protected by governmen...

ABSTRACT This study has two fold objectives: (a) to present the history of trade union (1) movement in India (2), largely narrating the changing relationships among unions, employers and the state, and (b) to elaborate and explain the conditions that were instrumental in the growth of nonpolitical 'independent' unions in the country. Flanders (1970) pointed out that there is no such animal as a non-political union, and in a situation where most unions owe allegiance to a political party, it is even more difficult to speak of nonpolitical unions (Ramaswamy 1983). However, the points that emerge out of the case discussion signify a trend where independent rank-and-file led union (that came into existence owing to owing to a variety of reasons) has proven its collective strength time and again. With the advent of economic and political reforms, the state-dominated pluralism and the state-controlled unionism gradually perished with a new ray of hope rising with the 'independent' unions.

Drawing on data from a survey of 252 unionized full-time employees from large Indian organizations, this study examined whether individual level job related variables and individual cultural value dimensions of individualism–collectivism (I–C) were predictive of employees’ attitudes toward union membership. Using regression analysis, the author found that over and above the effects of demographic and job-related variables, work situation dissatisfaction

The transformation from industrial social work to corporate social responsibility points out a definite shift in the realm of social work vis-à-vis goal, objective and priorities of business. Over the past several decades social workers around the world have successfully been able to ...

ABSTRACT Purpose ‐ To measure the effects of work-sharing arrangements on participants' subsequent labor market outcomes in Taiwan such as full-time employment rates, working hours of women and men and the difference in scale effect and effect of substitution between hours and employment for women and men. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Using the data from Manpower Utilization Survey, we applied the differences-in-differences estimation method to test the effects of work-sharing arrangements on working hours, wage and employment. Multinomial logit was used to measure the effects of work sharing on full-time employment. In order to correct the simultaneity and selectivity problems, we followed the Heckman two-stage selection procedures to solve the selection bias, and used weighted least squares to solve heteroskedasticity in the wage and hour equations. The instrumental variable (IV) method was used to avoid simultaneity bias in the hour equation. Findings ‐ This paper found the restrictions enforced by law on working hours have negative effects on employees' working conditions in certain industries in Taiwan. After controlling the working hours, we found the wages paid to women and men have increased subsequent to the enforcement of law. However, compared to men the net wage earned by women has increased to a lesser extent. It was further observed that with enactment of work-sharing law, the employment rate of women has considerably declined since 2001. Main findings assimilating the results for hour, wage and full-time employment suggest that a country like Taiwan (with work-sharing arrangements implemented by law) has witnessed a smaller gap between women's and men's working time and wages during 2001-2002. However, for the period of 2003-2006 the amendment that introduced compressed work week brought a larger gender gap in working hours as well as wages. In other words, the implementation of work-sharing law has reduced the gender gap in hours and wages during 2001-2002, but the prevailing gender gap in hours as well as wages has worsened after the introduction of compressed work week during 2003-2006. Practical implications ‐ An in-depth analysis of labor market effects of work-sharing law will be useful for the policymakers, especially those interested in understanding the impact of their policies on labor market outcomes like wage, hour and employment, and finding out whether policies were effective at reducing the gender gap in given outcomes. Originality/value ‐ Findings of the present study should not only provide the broad lessons for policymakers in Taiwan, but the results that have emerged from the country case study may be referred by other Asian countries who want to bring a change in working and employment conditions for their labor by implementing work-sharing law.