DOCSLIB.ORG

Workplace Bullying: an Exploratory Study in Australian Academia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Workplace Bullying: an Exploratory Study in Australian Academia Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 2017 Workplace Bullying: An exploratory study in Australian academia Manish Sharma Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses Part of the Human Resources Management Commons, Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons, and the Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons Recommended Citation Sharma, M. (2017). Workplace Bullying: An exploratory study in Australian academia. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2013 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2013 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. Workplace Bullying: An exploratory study in Australian Academia This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Manish Sharma School of Business & Law Edith Cowan University 2017 ABSTRACT Workplace bullying is a behaviour which adversely affects individuals, organisations and the community at large. While substantial research has been conducted on workplace bullying in different work settings, limited research exists on this behaviour at universities; no comprehensive studies have to date been conducted in the context of Australian academia. This study therefore contributes through breaking new ground by exploring bullying within the increasingly corporatised and competitive Australian higher education sector. New Public Management (NPM) practices, diminished government funding, and limited resources risk transforming this sector into a full-fledged industry focused on corporate objectives to achieve operational profitability. Universities’ primary commitment to further higher education and quality research may also be overshadowed by the bids to achieve revenue maximisation. The resultant competitive workplaces staffed by a more contingent workforce may also influence bullying experienced by both academic and professional staff in universities. While prior research has shown that competitive work environments can facilitate workplace bullying, no known previous study explored the bullying experiences of academic and professional staff in the Australian higher education sector. This study’s primary aim was therefore to explore the nature, influencing factors and consequences of workplace bullying for both academic and professional staff within Australian academia. Being an exploratory study, this research adopted a qualitative approach to gather a rich description of bullying experienced by both these distinct work- streams in universities. Individual accounts of being bullied at work were gathered by interviewing academic and professional staff from four Western Australian public universities. Thematic analysis of these confidential semi-structured interviews provided i insights into the interplay of various underlying factors which enable workplace bullying. While many of this study’s findings resonate with the established literature on the subject, others are unique to the two-tiered context of Australian higher education sector. This study’s participants, explicitly as well as implicitly, linked bullying behaviours in their workplaces to the volatile economic environment of the Australian higher education sector, and increased competition amongst its workforce. As the sector’s changing employment patterns have moved towards a more contingent workforce, the sense of insecurity amongst university employees has developed to a point where many may prefer to endure bullying rather than reporting it formally. One strong theme emerging from this study’s data was the role that organisational and individuals’ culture(s) played in the occurrence of workplace bullying. Participants identified their universities’ work culture as one which tolerated workplace bullying, despite the considerable impact on individual victims. Some participants also noted the differences in individuals’ cultural backgrounds as triggers for bullying. In light of this study’s findings, measures to ameliorate workplace bullying may include steps to spread awareness and respect about cultural differences amongst the universities’ workforce. Universities might also consider explicitly addressing these issues in its anti-bullying policies. This study’ findings also underlined the lack of consistently implemented, robust anti-bullying policies in universities to safeguard employees’ well- being. On an individual level, power was found to be at the core of bullying. The power differentials between the victims and the alleged perpetrators stemmed from the hierarchical organisational structures existing in the universities. Although hierarchies are set in universities to accomplish its objectives, these structures often result in power being concentrated with certain individuals who may misuse it to bully others. In some cases, it ii appeared that bullying was being used to counter a perceived threat that high performing individuals posed to the alleged perpetrators’ established power and organisational status. Data analysis also highlighted the adverse consequences of bullying for both individuals and organisations. Workplace bullying was found to have harmful effects on an individual’s psychological and physical health; its negative impacts extended beyond the workplace to victims’ home life with their family and friends. On an organisational level, workplace bullying resulted in lower levels of staff productivity and engagement, while increasing universities’ employee turnover and damaging institutional reputations. This study, therefore, highlights how the adverse consequences of bullying experienced by academic and professional staff may prove particularly detrimental to their universities. While the productivity losses due to workplace bullying may be less obvious in universities than in other organisations, they can impair the intellectual contribution these academic institutions make to society. Such contribution can be in the form of the quality of teaching and research outputs, as well as the provision of support services for the students and staff at these institutions. Since this study incorporated the inputs of both academic and professional staff, its findings may represent the views held by the larger workforce in the Australian higher education sector. This study also provides a base for further qualitative and quantitative studies of workplace bullying within and beyond Australian academia. iii DECLARATION I certify that this thesis does not, to best of my knowledge and belief: i. incorporate without acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any institution of higher education; ii. contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text of this thesis; or iii. contain any defamatory material; (Manish Sharma) 11.09.2017 iv ACKNOWLEDEGEMENTS Foremost, I would like to thank the almighty God, who gave me this opportunity to embark on this research journey and kept me through to its conclusion. This thesis is dedicated to my parents, Professor (Dr.) Mahesh Chandra Sharma and Dr. Shalini Sharma, who encouraged and supported me all through this research journey. They helped me keep focussed during the course of this study. Without their constant inspiration, I would not have been able to embark on this project, let alone conclude it. My sincere gratitude also goes to my uncle, Er. S.C. Tiwari and my sister, Ms. Ashima Sharma, who motivated me all along, despite being overseas. I would also like to lovingly thank my beloved wife, Dr. Stuti Sharma, who always cared for me and was there when I needed her the most. Her understanding has been one of my greatest strengths. A very loving thanks goes to my little son Master Rajat, whose smiles made me move forward, despite my not being able to spend much time with him. My family has been my rock all through this learning journey. I fall short of words to express my heartfelt gratitude to my principal supervisor Professor Maryam Omari, to whom I shall always remain highly indebted. She has been my mentor- my friend, philosopher and guide; all through this project. She not only guided me at every step of my research, but also sharpened my analytical thinking by inspiring me to dwell deeper into the subject; shaping this study and its findings. I have learnt the art of linear thinking from her, which helped me immensely in putting my thoughts into words.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Grim Consequences of Workplace Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying by Way of Mediation: a Case of Service Sector of Pakistan Mehwish Iftikhar , Loo-See Beh
    International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) ISSN: 2277-3878, Volume-8 Issue-2S, July 2019 Grim Consequences of Workplace Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying by Way of Mediation: A Case of Service Sector of Pakistan Mehwish Iftikhar , Loo-See Beh healthy workforce. Therefore, a healthy workforce is the Abstract: Various studies have been conducted to measure precondition of productivity and economic development bullying incidence and prevalence in multiple organizational (World Health Organization (WHO), 2007). Employee settings based on a variety of methods and research design. health plays a significant role in the efficiency of any Nonetheless, these studies indicate that bullying is a devastating organization. Accordingly, providing a healthy work and crippling problem that should be addressed in relation to its environment should be the leading priority of each adverse effects and implications. This study identified several organization. Every work environment is considered healthy gaps in the literature when expanded specifically to the service sector of Pakistan, where the problem of bullying is prevalent. if harmful working conditions are absent and This research endeavored to fill in the aforementioned gaps by health-promoting activities and actions are present. The precisely focusing on organizational climate as a cause of maintenance of occupational health is costly (i.e., to promote bullying (based on frustration–aggression theory and social and maintain the highest degree of physical, mental, and interaction approach), technology in relation to cyberbullying, emotional well-being of workers) and the burden of such cost and effects on employee health. Hence, this study contributes to is increasing. The WHO Factsheet (2014) indicated that a the emergent discussion in identifying the debilitating outcomes majority of countries faced an economic loss of 4% to 6% of of bullying.
    [Show full text]
  • Retrofitting Unemployment Insurance to Cover Temporary Workers Sachin Pandya University of Connecticut School of Law
    University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Faculty Articles and Papers School of Law 1999 Retrofitting Unemployment Insurance to Cover Temporary Workers Sachin Pandya University of Connecticut School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/law_papers Part of the Insurance Law Commons, Labor and Employment Law Commons, and the State and Local Government Law Commons Recommended Citation Pandya, Sachin, "Retrofitting Unemployment Insurance to Cover Temporary Workers" (1999). Faculty Articles and Papers. 78. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/law_papers/78 +(,121/,1( Citation: 17 Yale L. & Pol'y Rev. 907 1998-1999 Content downloaded/printed from HeinOnline (http://heinonline.org) Mon Aug 15 17:15:45 2016 -- Your use of this HeinOnline PDF indicates your acceptance of HeinOnline's Terms and Conditions of the license agreement available at http://heinonline.org/HOL/License -- The search text of this PDF is generated from uncorrected OCR text. -- To obtain permission to use this article beyond the scope of your HeinOnline license, please use: https://www.copyright.com/ccc/basicSearch.do? &operation=go&searchType=0 &lastSearch=simple&all=on&titleOrStdNo=0740-8048 Retrofitting Unemployment Insurance To Cover Temporary Workers Sachin S. Pandyat In 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act' and created the un- employment insurance ("UI") system. Although the state administer UI programs in different ways, the early state UI laws usually included a version of the Social Security Board's "declaration of policy": Economic insecurity due to unemployment is a serious menace to the health, morals, and welfare of the people of this state. Involuntary unemployment is therefore a subject of general interest and concern which requires appropri- ate action by the legislature to prevent its spread and to lighten its burden which now so often falls with crushing force upon the unemployed worker and his family.
    [Show full text]
  • SOCHUM-Modern-Day Slavery.Pdf
    Letter from Newton MUN's Secretary-General Dear Delegates and Faculty Advisors, Welcome to NewMUN 2019! Before anything, I would like to wish you the best of luck in this two-day conference which is going to bring together the best MUN delegates from Lima. I am sure that I will witness the highest level of debate at this conference. More than as a MUNer, but as a responsible citizen, I understand that the global issues in our world must be solved by the international community. I also understand that MUN delegates don't have the capabilities to take the decisions to change the world, but at least we have the capacity to outrage ourselves when seeing that something is not working for our well being. That capacity to go out and speak for your beliefs, to stand up and raise the flag of your country demanding for consensus, demanding for peace, demanding for the well being of everyone. That capacity is the only way in which countries can move forward, and it is the only way in which we will contribute to building a better world. Maybe a little visionary, but is the truth. This year, the Newton team has decided to increase the number of committees in order to have a MUN conference of the best quality. The topics that we have chosen tackle issues from the past, present, and future, therefore presenting a challenge for delegates to combine their knowledge and application to reach solutions. In many of the committees, Directors have been prepared to take the flow of the committee to a maximum moment of crisis in order to assess the networking and negotiating skill from delegates.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Temporary Help Agencies in Facilitating Temp-To-Perm Transitions
    IZA DP No. 2177 The Role of Temporary Help Agencies in Facilitating Temp-to-Perm Transitions Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes Miguel A. Malo Fernando Muñoz-Bullón DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES DISCUSSION PAPER June 2006 Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit Institute for the Study of Labor The Role of Temporary Help Agencies in Facilitating Temp-to-Perm Transitions Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes San Diego State University and IZA Bonn Miguel A. Malo Universidad de Salamanca Fernando Muñoz-Bullón Universidad Carlos III Madrid Discussion Paper No. 2177 June 2006 IZA P.O. Box 7240 53072 Bonn Germany Phone: +49-228-3894-0 Fax: +49-228-3894-180 Email: [email protected] Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the institute. Research disseminated by IZA may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit company supported by Deutsche Post World Net. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its research networks, research support, and visitors and doctoral programs. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character.
    [Show full text]
  • Temporary Employment in Stanford and Silicon Valley
    Temporary Employment in Stanford and Silicon Valley Working Partnerships USA Service Employees International Union Local 715 June 2003 Table of Contents Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………….1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..5 Temporary Employment in Silicon Valley: Costs and Benefits…………………………………..8 Profile of the Silicon Valley Temporary Industry.………………………………………..8 Benefits of Temporary Employment…………………………………………………….10 Costs of Temporary Employment………………………………………………………..11 The Future of Temporary Workers in Silicon Valley …………………………………...16 Findings of Stanford Temporary Worker Survey ……………………………………………….17 Survey Methodology……………………………………………………………………..17 Survey Results…………………………………………………………………………...18 Survey Analysis: Implications for Stanford and Silicon Valley…………………………………25 Who are the Temporary Workers?……………………………………………………….25 Is Temp Work Really Temporary?………………………………………………………26 How Children and Families are Affected………………………………………………..27 The Cost to the Public Sector…………………………………………………………….29 Solutions and Best Practices for Ending Abuse…………………………………………………32 Conclusion and Recommendations………………………………………………………………38 Appendix A: Statement of Principles List of Figures and Tables Table 1.1: Largest Temporary Placement Agencies in Silicon Valley (2001)………………….8 Table 1.2: Growth of Temporary Employment in Santa Clara County, 1984-2000……………9 Table 1.3: Top 20 Occupations Within the Personnel Supply Services Industry, Santa Clara County, 1999……………………………………………………………………………………10 Table 1.4: Median Usual Weekly Earnings
    [Show full text]
  • Working Families Task Force Final Report
    WORKING FAMILIES TASK FORCE Final Report 16 April 4th, 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY After passing an ordinance that will provide more than 400,000 Chicago workers with a raise over the next five years, Mayor Emanuel launched the Working Families Task Force to identify additional reforms to strengthen the protections in place for the city’s workers. In addition, nearly 82 percent of Chicago voters supported the adoption of paid sick days for workers citywide via a non-binding referendum held in February 2015. The Task Force examined three issue areas: (1) paid sick leave, (2) schedule predictability for shift workers, and (3) paid family and medical leave. After 6 months of research, community engagement, and deliberation, the task force is proposing a framework for expanding access to sick leave and family and medical leave while recommending further research and discussion on schedule predictability before any legislative action is taken. The following is a summary of Task Force recommendations: Paid Sick Leave The Task Force recommended a framework that would provide workers with paid sick leave while having a nominal impact on employer costs. This proposal would: • Allow workers to accrue and use up to 5 earned sick days over the course of 1 year. • Workers would earn sick time at a rate of 1 hour earned for every 40 hours worked. This approach ensures that employees earn and accrue sick time at a proportional rate based on hours worked. • Accrued sick leave could be used by new employees after an initial 6-month probationary period. • Allow employees to roll over up to 2.5 unused sick days to the following year.
    [Show full text]
  • "Don't Wake Me, My Desk Is Far Too Comfortable": an Autoethnography
    Eastern Washington University EWU Digital Commons EWU Masters Thesis Collection Student Research and Creative Works 2015 "Don't wake me, my desk is far too comfortable": an autoethnography of a novice ESL teacher's first year of teaching in Japan Delaney Holland Eastern Washington University Follow this and additional works at: http://dc.ewu.edu/theses Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, and the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Holland, Delaney, ""Don't wake me, my desk is far too comfortable": an autoethnography of a novice ESL teacher's first year of teaching in Japan" (2015). EWU Masters Thesis Collection. 292. http://dc.ewu.edu/theses/292 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research and Creative Works at EWU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in EWU Masters Thesis Collection by an authorized administrator of EWU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “DON’T WAKE ME, MY DESK IS FAR TOO COMFORTABLE”: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHY OF A NOVICE ESL TEACHER’S FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING IN JAPAN A Thesis Presented To Eastern Washington University Cheney, Washington In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language By Delaney Holland Spring 2015 Abstract This thesis explores and analyzes a first year ESL teacher’s experience teaching at an all-girl’s private school in Nishinomiya, Japan. Chapter 3 is divided into 15 sections that tell the teacher’s story of living and teaching in Japan.
    [Show full text]
  • Work-Life Balance As an Innovative Concept and Its Potential Influence on Japanese Family Life
    Research Note Work-Life Balance as an Innovative Concept and its Potential Influence on Japanese Family Life Tabea Bienek Freie Universität Berlin In this article, I systematically explore how Work-Life Balance (WLB) in recent years became a concept in Japan to focus on the solution of social problems like the declining birthrate or the balance of work and family. I will show how political measures have been implicated and if the intention of these measures has been fruitful to Japanese society regarding the potential WLB bears. The idea of WLB in Japan is focussed on the balance of work and family in order to make Japanese family life easier and bring family members together. It also aims to bring back women to the working force after giving birth. How is Japanese society corresponding to these ideas of WLB? Providing that measures will be implemented by the government and the working environment, WLB strategies in Japan can be used to change Japanese family life and life style. Although the aim is very high, WLB measures already do have a visible influence on family life. Keywords: Work-Life Balance, Japanese family, balance of work and family in Japan 1. Introduction Nowadays having both parents working seems to be normal for German children. According to the Federal Statistical Office there are more than 50% of double income households in Germany. This also does not seem to be unusual for Japanese families. But regarding the official statistics on working women this is a rather new development. If we talk about Japanese working women in the age range of 30 to 50 years one can see that in accordance with the Work and Life Balance Report 2012 especially the number of permanent female employees has been growing during the last twenty years.
    [Show full text]
  • Overcoming Hazards Unique to Temporary Workers
    Overcoming Hazards Unique to Temporary Workers Temporary Worker Program Workbook 4 Hour First Edition Rutgers School of Public Health Copyright © 2015 Rutgers School of Public Health All rights reserved Table of Contents Overcoming Hazards Unique to Temporary Workers Section One: Introduction The Temporary Worker Dilemma Section Two: Rights and Responsibilities All Workers, Permanent and Temporary have a Rights Responsibilities under the OSH Act: General Duty Clause A Right to Be Heard: Your Rights as a Whistleblower Limited Right to Refuse to Work Applicable Federal Code References Letters of Interpretations Section Three: What to Expect on YOUR FIRST DAY at a Workplace Introduction Exercise: Critical Assessment Temporary Workers’ Safety and Health Bill of Rights How Temporary Worker Programs fit into an employer’s safety process “O I F L I E S” Pre-Arrival Checklist Exercise Sample Pre-arrival Temporary Employee Form Section Four: Case Studies Section Five: Group Exercises Section Five: Debriefing Workshop 2 Federal Disclaimer This material was produced under grant number SH-26304-14-60-F-34 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 3 Rutgers School of Public Health Office of Public Health Practice (OPHP) Rutgers School of Public Health offers health and safety training throughout New York and New Jersey in construction, general industry, hazardous materials operation, occupational safety and industrial hygiene. Courses offered by OPHP lead to nationally recognized certifications in the asbestos, lead, hazardous waste, occupational health, construction, and other industries.
    [Show full text]
  • Unemployment Benefits: Types
    Unemployment Benefits: Types Regular Unemployment Benefits Most individuals receiving unemployment benefits receive “regular” unemployment benefits. They may qualify if they worked long enough for an employer that paid unemployment taxes, lost their jobs through no fault of their own, are able and available for work, and actively seek work. These conditions also apply to the following types of unemployment benefits. For more information, please see the “Unemployment Benefits: General Information” fact sheet at jfs.ohio.gov/factsheets/ucregular.pdf. Seasonal Claim Individuals who worked for employers whose businesses do not operate year-round may qualify for benefits without having worked the usual minimum number of weeks. However, benefits may be drawn only during the working season, not the off-season. For this purpose, “seasonal employment” does not include work for employers that operate all year but offer temporary work when workloads increase (for example, retailers during the holidays). School Claim Individuals who lose their jobs from educational institutions during scheduled school breaks and have a “reasonable assurance” of being employed again in the next school term are unlikely to be eligible for unemployment benefits. Interstate Claim Individuals who worked in Ohio during their “base period” (the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters) but now live in another state may file Ohio unemployment claims. Individuals who live in Ohio but worked in another state during their base period should file in the other state. Combined Wage Claim Individuals who worked in more than one state during their base period may qualify for unemployment benefits by combining wages from those states.
    [Show full text]
  • How the Unwritten Law Prevails in Japan
    WARRIORS BETRAYED: How THE "UNWRITTEN LAW" PREVAILS IN JAPAN Kiyoko Kamio Knapp* I. INTRODUCTION II. OVERVIEW OF KOosHi ("DEATH FROM OVERWORK") III. LEGAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH KAROSHI A. Failureof Work Hour Regulations B. Failureof the Workers' Compensation System 1. Overview 2. An Illustration of the System's Failure IV. WEAK ENFORCEMENT OF LAW IN JAPAN A. The Role of Law in the United States B. The Role of Law in Japan V. CORPORATE DOMINANCE IN JAPAN VI. RISE OF INDIVIDUALISM AMONG JAPANESE YOUTH VII. THE FIGHT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY A. The Need for More Forceful Laws B. Possibilitiesof Working Within the Existing System 1. Learning about Law 2. Participatingin the System VIII. CONCLUSION * LL.M. candidate in Asian and Comparative Law, University of Washington School of Law, 1997; J.D., Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College, 1996. The author wishes to dedicate this article, with appreciation, to the following people: her husband, Wayne Knapp, Professor Bill Williamson, Mr. Tadashi Matsumaru and many other Japanese lawyers who are working hard on behalf of karoshi victims and their families. Unless otherwise noted, the author is responsible for the accuracy of all Japanese translations. Japanese authors are cited as they appear on the publication. Some authors followed the traditional Japanese style of placing the author's surname first, followed by the first name; others follow the Western style. For authors in the former category, only surnames are used for subsequent abbreviated references. IND. INT'L & COMP. L. REV. [Vol. 6:3 [C]an't it be said that today's armies of corporate workers are in fact slaves in almost every sense of the word?' [T]he freedom of an individual to live and die naturally without being subjected to destruction by others is the foundation of all human rights.2 I.
    [Show full text]
  • Women in Non-Standard Employmentpdf
    INWORK Issue Brief No.9 Women in Non-standard Employment * Non-standard employment (NSE), including temporary employment, part-time and on-call work, multiparty employment arrangements, dependent and disguised self-employment, has become a contemporary feature of labour markets across the world. Its overall importance has increased over the past few decades, and its use has become more widespread across all economic sectors and occupations. However, NSE is not spread evenly across the labour market. Along with young people and migrants, women are often over-represented in non-standard arrangements. This policy brief examines the incidence of part-time and temporary work among women, discusses the reasons for their over-representation in these arrangements, and suggests policy solutions for alleviating gender inequalities with respect to NSE1. Women in part-time work Part-time employment (defined statistically as total employment, their share of all those working employees who work fewer than 35 hours per part-time is 57 per cent.2 Gender differences with week) is the most widespread type of non-standard respect to part-time hours are over 30 percentage employment found among women. In 2014, over 60 points in the Netherlands and Argentina. There is per cent of women worked part-time hours in the at least a 25 percentage point difference in Austria, Netherlands and India; over 50 per cent in Zimbabwe Belgium, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Niger, Pakistan, and Mozambique; and over 40 per cent in a handful and Switzerland. of countries including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mali, Moreover, marginal part-time work – involving Malta, New Zealand, Niger, Switzerland, and United less than 15 hours per week – features particularly Kingdom (figure 1).
    [Show full text]