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Changing Patterns of Task Discretion in Britain

Author

Listed:
  • Duncan Gallie

    (Nuffield College, Oxford, UK, duncan.gallie@nuf.ox.ac.uk)

  • Alan Felstead

    (University of Leicester, UK, alan.felstead@leicester.ac.uk)

  • Francis Green

    (University of Kent, UK, g.f.green@ukc.ac.uk)

Abstract

Task discretion has held a central place in theories of work organization and the employment relationship. However, there have been sharply differing views about both the factors that determine it and the principal trends over time. Using evidence from three national surveys, this article shows that there has been a decline in task discretion since the early 1990s. This contrasts with an increase in other forms of employee involvement such as direct participation and consultative involvement. Many of the arguments in the literature about the factors that favour higher task discretion are supported by our evidence - in particular those emphasizing the importance of skill levels and the broader organizational ethos with respect to employee involvement. However, such factors do not account for the decline in task discretion, implying that existing theories fail to address some of the crucial determinants. It is tentatively suggested that it may be necessary also to take account of macro factors such as competitive pressure, public sector reform programmes and the growth of accountability structures.

Suggested Citation

  • Duncan Gallie & Alan Felstead & Francis Green, 2004. "Changing Patterns of Task Discretion in Britain," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 18(2), pages 243-266, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:18:y:2004:i:2:p:243-266
    DOI: 10.1177/09500172004042769
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gallie, Duncan & White, Michael & Cheng, Yuan & Tomlinson, Mark, 1998. "Restructuring the Employment Relationship," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198294412.
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    3. Rubery, Jill, 1978. "Structured Labour Markets, Worker Organisation and Low Pay," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 2(1), pages 17-36, March.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Schmidt, Angelika, 2013. "The Implications of Flexible Work: Membership in Organizations Revisited," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 24(3), pages 179-198.
    2. Francis Green, 2012. "Employee Involvement, Technology and Evolution in Job Skills: A Task-Based Analysis," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 65(1), pages 36-67, January.
    3. Bryson, Alex & Freeman, Richard, 2008. "How does shared capitalism affect economic performance in the UK?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 51596, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. David Marsden & Richard Belfield, 2010. "Institutions and the Management of Human Resources: Incentive Pay Systems in France and Great Britain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 48(2), pages 235-283, June.
    5. Andries De Grip & Inge Sieben & Fred Stevens, 2009. "Are More Competent Workers More Satisfied?," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 23(4), pages 589-607, December.
    6. Rocío Rodríguez-Rivero & Susana Yáñez & Celia Fernández-Aller & Ruth Carrasco-Gallego, 2020. "Is It Time for a Revolution in Work‒Life Balance? Reflections from Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-25, November.
    7. André Cieplinski, 2017. "Employee Control, Work Content and Wages," Department of Economics University of Siena 775, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    8. Andrew E. Clark, 2005. "Your Money or Your Life: Changing Job Quality in OECD Countries," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 43(3), pages 377-400, September.
    9. Josef Ringqvist, 2021. "How do union membership, union density and institutionalization affect perceptions of conflict between management and workers?," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 27(2), pages 131-148, June.
    10. William Brown & David Marsden, 2010. "Individualisation and Growing Diversity of Employment Relationships," CEP Discussion Papers dp1037, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    11. Ståle Østhus, 2007. "For better or worse? Workplace changes and the health and well-being of Norwegian workers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 21(4), pages 731-750, December.
    12. Michael Doherty, 2009. "When the working day is through: the end of work as identity?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 23(1), pages 84-101, March.
    13. Davide Consoli & Dioni Elche, 2013. "The evolving knowledge base of professional service sectors," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 477-501, April.
    14. Simon Eisele & Martin R. Schneider, 2020. "What Do Unions Do to Work Design? Computer Use, Union Presence, and Tayloristic Jobs in Britain," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(4), pages 604-626, October.
    15. Francis Green & Alan Felstead & Duncan Gallie & Golo Henseke, 2016. "Skills and work organisation in Britain: a quarter century of change [Fertigkeiten, Fertigkeitsanforderungen und Arbeitsorganisation in Grossbritannien: Trends über das letzten Vierteljahrhundert]," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 49(2), pages 121-132, October.
    16. Francis Green & Tarek Mostafa & Agnès Parent-Thirion & Greet Vermeylen & Gijs van Houten & Isabella Biletta & Maija Lyly-Yrjanainen, 2013. "Is Job Quality Becoming More Unequal?," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 66(4), pages 753-784, July.
    17. Eleftheria KOLOKYTHA & Georgios KOLOKYTHAS & Fotini PERDIKI & Stavros VALSAMIDIS, 2018. "Labour Job Digitalization: Myths And Realities," Scientific Bulletin - Economic Sciences, University of Pitesti, vol. 17(2), pages 3-18.
    18. Fabo, B., 2017. "Towards an understanding of job matching using web data," Other publications TiSEM b8b877f2-ae6a-495f-b6cc-9, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    19. Nicola Pensiero, 2022. "The effect of computerisation on the wage share in United Kingdom workplaces," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 33(1), pages 158-177, March.
    20. David Nash & Deborah Hann, 2020. "Strategic Conflict Management? A Study of Workplace Dispute Resolution in Wales," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 73(2), pages 411-430, March.
    21. Lorraine Ryan & Thomas Turner, 2021. "Does work socialisation matter? Worker engagement in political activities, attachment to democracy and openness to immigration," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 125-144, March.
    22. Giorgio Gosetti, 2017. "Sustainable Agriculture and Quality of Working Life: Analytical Perspectives and Confirmation from Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-23, September.
    23. Marta Valverde-Moreno & Mercedes Torres-Jiménez & Ana M. Lucia-Casademunt & Ana María Pacheco-Martínez, 2021. "Do National Values of Culture and Sustainability Influence Direct Employee PDM Levels and Scope? The Search for a European Answer," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-25, July.
    24. Francis Green & Alan Felstead & Duncan Gallie & Golo Henseke, 2022. "Working Still Harder," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 75(2), pages 458-487, March.
    25. André Cieplinski, 2018. "Supervision and Work Content: Industry level evidence," Department of Economics University of Siena 776, Department of Economics, University of Siena.

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