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Whose skill is it anyway?

Author

Listed:
  • Irena Grugulis

    (Bradford University, i.grugulis@bradford.ac.uk)

  • Steven Vincent

    (University of Leeds, sv@lubs.leeds.ac.uk)

Abstract

The skills that employers require are changing, with soft skills replacing technical ones. This article draws on two detailed case studies of outsourced public sector work, where these changes were particularly marked. Here, the new skills polarized the workforces. Highly skilled IT professionals were advantaged as soft skills gave them an additional dimension to their work, while benefit caseworkers with intermediate skills were disadvantaged since soft skills were presented as an alternative to technical competences. Women caseworkers suffered a double penalty, as not only were their technical skills devalued but many were confined to traditionally ‘feminine’ and unskilled work at the reception desk. Soft skills certainly aided the acknowledgement of women’s skills but they did nothing to increase their value.

Suggested Citation

  • Irena Grugulis & Steven Vincent, 2009. "Whose skill is it anyway?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 23(4), pages 597-615, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:23:y:2009:i:4:p:597-615
    DOI: 10.1177/0950017009344862
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andy Dickerson & Francis Green, 2002. "The Growth and Valuation of Generic Skills," Studies in Economics 0203, School of Economics, University of Kent.
    2. Brown, Phillip & Hesketh, Anthony, 2004. "The Mismanagement of Talent: Employability and Jobs in the Knowledge Economy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199269549.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bennett, Fidel & Escudero, Verónica & Liepmann, Hannah & Podjanin, Ana, 2022. "Using Online Vacancy and Job Applicants' Data to Study Skills Dynamics," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264023, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. Malabika Sahoo & Sumita Mishra & Sasmita Mishra, 2018. "Influence of Group Composition on Participant Reactions to Training: A Study in an Indian Power Transmission Organization," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 43(3), pages 141-155, August.
    4. Huajie Jiang & Qiguo Gong, 2022. "Does Skill Polarization Affect Wage Polarization? U.S. Evidence 2009–2021," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-17, October.
    5. Peter Ikeler, 2016. "Deskilling emotional labour: evidence from department store retail," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 30(6), pages 966-983, December.
    6. Ruth Woodfield, 2016. "Gender and the achievement of skilled status in the workplace: the case of women leaders in the UK Fire and Rescue Service," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 30(2), pages 237-255, April.
    7. Angela Knox & Chris Warhurst, 2018. "Occupations, the Missing Link? A New Theoretical and Methodological Approach to Product Markets, Skill and Pay," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 32(1), pages 150-168, February.
    8. Netta Avnoon, 2021. "Data Scientists’ Identity Work: Omnivorous Symbolic Boundaries in Skills Acquisition," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 35(2), pages 332-349, April.
    9. Yamada, Shoko, 2023. "Constructivist analysis of cross-sectional data on varieties of skills: Contextualities and generalities of skills packages and rewards to them in Ghana and Ethiopia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    10. Izabela Grabowska, 2018. "Social Skills, Workplaces and Social Remittances: A Case of Post-Accession Migrants," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 32(5), pages 868-886, October.
    11. Dennis Nickson & Robin Price & Hazel Baxter-Reid & Scott A Hurrell, 2017. "Skill requirements in retail work: the case of high-end fashion retailing," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 31(4), pages 692-708, August.
    12. Dragos-Paul Pop, 2014. "Online Tool For Soft Skills Evaluation And Employee Management," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 8(2), pages 410-419, December.

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