Rifeness of Casualization of Labour in The Retail Sector: A Stratagem for Business Sustainability from Selected Supermarkets in Zimbabwe

The prevalence of casualization of labour in the retail sector in Zimbabwe is unprecedented. This coincides with the Zimbabwean economy’s fragile state and businesses in general struggling to survive, and the retail sector in particular seeking to minimise their operational costs through curtailing labour costs. Against this backdrop, the study aimed at establishing the nature and the extent to which casualization of labour in the retail businesses helps organisations to be viable and therefore deduct its effectiveness as a stratagem to ensure business sustainability. The study utilized a qualitative approach and case study design. In-depth interviews were conducted with managerial staff. Open-ended questionnaires were utilised to gather data from casual employees. The study established that casualization of labour is very high in the retail sector and retailers are considering it as a stratagem to minimise business expenses. The study also established that in as much as labour casualization is effective as a business viability stratagem; it is marred by high turnover intentions as employees perceive job insecurity. As such, the study recommends provision of decent work to circumvent high labour turnover intentions of these workers which is attributed to job insecurity. In light of the research findings, a further study on championing the relationship between the job insecurity and employee engagement is recommended.