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Motives for accepting temporary employment: a typology

Author

Listed:
  • Jeroen de Jong
  • Nele De Cuyper
  • Hans De Witte
  • Inmaculada Silla
  • Claudia Bernhard‐Oettel

Abstract

Purpose - This paper aims to offer a typology of temporary workers, based on their motives for accepting their work arrangement, which includes voluntary, involuntary and stepping‐stone motives, and relate this typology to various individual and work‐related variables. Design/methodology/approach - Latent class analysis of 645 European workers was used to construct a typology of temporary workers. Variation of individual and work‐related variables between types of temporary workers was analyzed using ANOVA. Findings - The analyses suggest that there are three types of workers: involuntary temporary workers highlight the involuntary motive and the stepping‐stone motive; the stepping‐stone type stresses the stepping‐stone motive only, and the non‐involuntary group disagrees with all three motives. Moreover, the groups differed significantly on important work‐related variables such as occupational position, tenure, employability, and work‐involvement. However, differences in individual variables were limited. Research limitations/implications - The research puts forward a more complex typology of temporary workers than is usually suggested. Moreover, the study shows a non‐involuntary group for which temporary employment can become a trap, and hence these workers should be targeted by future policy and interventions. Originality/value - The research offers a typology of temporary workers, which is founded on motivation theory, and existing research on motives for accepting temporary employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeroen de Jong & Nele De Cuyper & Hans De Witte & Inmaculada Silla & Claudia Bernhard‐Oettel, 2009. "Motives for accepting temporary employment: a typology," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 30(3), pages 237-252, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijmpps:v:30:y:2009:i:3:p:237-252
    DOI: 10.1108/01437720910956745
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Struffolino, Emanuela, 2019. "Navigating the early career: The social stratification of young workers’ employment trajectories in Italy," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 63, pages 1-17.
    2. Struffolino, Emanuela & Raitano, Michele, 2020. "Early-career complexity before and after labour-market deregulation in Italy: Heterogeneity by gender and socio-economic status across cohorts," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 151(1), pages 231-257.
    3. Sílvia Lopes & Maria Chambel, 2014. "Motives for Being Temporary Agency Worker: Validity Study of One Measure According to The Self-Determination Theory," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(1), pages 137-152, March.
    4. Cheryl Carleton & Mary T. Kelly, 2016. "Alternative Work Arrangements and Job Satisfaction," Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics Working Paper Series 32, Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics.
    5. Leandro Iván Canzio & Felix Bühlmann & Jonas Masdonati, 2023. "Job satisfaction across Europe: An analysis of the heterogeneous temporary workforce in 27 countries," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(3), pages 728-754, August.
    6. Chris Dawson & Michail Veliziotis & Gail Pacheco & Don J Webber, 2014. "Is temporary employment a cause or consequence of poor mental health?," Working Papers 20141409, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol.
    7. Filipa Sobral & Maria José Chambel & Filipa Castanheira, 2021. "The Temporary Agency Worker’s Motivation Profile Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, June.
    8. Carlo Gianelle & Giuseppe Tattara, 2014. "Vacancy chains and the business cycle. Stringing together job-to-job transitions in micro data," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 35(8), pages 1212-1235, October.
    9. Dawson, Chris & Veliziotis, Michail & Pacheco, Gail & Webber, Don J., 2015. "Is temporary employment a cause or consequence of poor mental health? A panel data analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 50-58.
    10. Gail Pacheco & Don Webber & Dominic Page, 2015. "Temporary Versus Permanent Employment: Does Health Matter?," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 18(2), pages 169-186.

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