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The different faces of international posting: Why do companies use posting of workers?

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  • Dries Lens
  • Ninke Mussche
  • Ive Marx

Abstract

The importance of the posting of workers across EU borders has grown considerably in the past decade, causing concern regarding its impact on labour standards in Europe. This article asks why posting has taken such a flight. Building on quantitative analysis and in-depth interviews set against other sources, we shed light on employer motives for deploying posted workers. We develop a typology of posting which shows that while cost minimization is a crucial motive, especially in sectors where labour cost is an important competitive concern, a much wider set of motives are at play. Skill shortages across all levels of the skills spectrum play a crucial role in every sector. In addition, companies use sub-contracting for highly specialized temporary work as well as for routine tasks. Posting is also used for career development, especially of high potentials. Based on the wide array of employer motives for the use of posting, our typology distinguishes between ‘competition posting’, ‘specialisation posting’ and ‘expert posting’. The article discusses some implications for EU policy vis-a-vis posted work.

Suggested Citation

  • Dries Lens & Ninke Mussche & Ive Marx, 2022. "The different faces of international posting: Why do companies use posting of workers?," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 28(1), pages 27-45, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:eurjou:v:28:y:2022:i:1:p:27-45
    DOI: 10.1177/09596801211023262
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ines Wagner & Nathan Lillie, 2014. "European Integration and the Disembedding of Labour Market Regulation: Transnational Labour Relations at the European Central Bank Construction Site," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 403-419, March.
    2. Jens Arnholtz & Søren Kaj Andersen, 2018. "Extra†Institutional Changes under Pressure from Posting," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(2), pages 395-417, June.
    3. Virginia Doellgast & Ian Greer, 2007. "Vertical Disintegration and the Disorganization of German Industrial Relations1," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(1), pages 55-76, March.
    4. Ines Wagner, 2015. "Rule Enactment in a Pan-European Labour Market: Transnational Posted Work in the German Construction Sector," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 53(4), pages 692-710, December.
    5. Tonia Novitz & Rutvica Andrijasevic, 2020. "Reform of the Posting of Workers Regime – An Assessment of the Practical Impact on Unfree Labour Relations," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(5), pages 1325-1341, September.
    6. Streeck, Wolfgang, 2018. "European social policy: Progressive regression," MPIfG Discussion Paper 18/11, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joanna Bednarz & Carola Schuster & Martin Rost, 2023. "Impact of Industry 4.0 Technology on International Posting of Workers," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440231, March.

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