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Workforce nationality composition and workplace flexibility in Britain

Philip B. Whyman (Lancashire Institute for Economic and Business Research (LIEBR), Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK)
Alina Ileana Petrescu (Lancashire Institute for Economic and Business Research (LIEBR), Lancashire Business School, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK)

International Journal of Manpower

ISSN: 0143-7720

Article publication date: 26 August 2014

1468

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper, with an organisational focus, is to offer a novel examination of the association between workforce nationality composition and workplace flexibility practices (WFPs), an under-researched topic with high potential benefits at microeconomic and macroeconomic level.

Design/methodology/approach

British data are used, as the UK has experienced significant immigrant flows and has a relatively high level of labour market flexibility. The Workplace Employee Relations Survey 2011, sampling 2,500 British workplaces, offers for the first time data on workforce nationality. Via zero-inflated regressions, the number of non-UK nationals employed in a workplace is assessed against a wide range of numerical, functional and cost WFPs.

Findings

There are significant links between WFPs and the employment of non-UK nationals, and these are distinct for non-UK nationals from the European Economic Area (EEA) when compared to non-UK nationals from outside the EEA. The former are more likely to be in “good” employment, with job security, working from home, job autonomy and training. Yet, both types of non-UK nationals are more likely to be employed in workplaces making high use of causal contracts. The implications of these results are discussed.

Originality/value

The paper addresses the need to research migration from a relatively new perspective of WFPs while also taking into account the diversity of non-UK nationals. The topic is of importance to organisations, as well as to labour market and migration policymakers. Timely results are of value in view of heightened interest in migration.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) as the originators of the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Survey data, and the UK Data Service as the distributor of the data. Primary research and analysis was carried out by the WERS Research Team. None of these organisations or people bears any responsibility for the authors’ analysis and interpretations of the data.

Citation

B. Whyman, P. and Ileana Petrescu, A. (2014), "Workforce nationality composition and workplace flexibility in Britain", International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 35 No. 6, pp. 776-797. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-06-2013-0133

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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