IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v40y2008i6p1391-1415.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Flexibility in Action: The Temporary Staffing Industry in the Czech Republic and Poland

Author

Listed:
  • Neil M Coe
  • Jennifer Johns
  • Kevin Ward

Abstract

Since the 1990s the largest transnational temporary staffing agencies have progressively expanded the geographical extent of their operations. Moving beyond the established Dutch, French, UK, and US markets in which the majority are headquartered, and encouraged by supportive supranational and national reregulation, they have entered a number of countries in Southeast Asia, Southern Europe, and Latin America. Moreover, in the run-up to, and since, the accession often new member states to the EU on 1 May 2004, the leading transnational agencies have turned their attentions to establishing and expanding operations in Central and Eastern Europe. This paper offers an initial assessment of the state of temporary staffing and its regulation in two leading markets in the region, the Czech Republic and Poland. It explores how temporary staffing markets are being forged through the interactions between regulators, transnational agencies, local agencies, trade bodies, and inward investors. Both countries legalized temporary staffing in 2004, having begun the legalization process prior to accession. Rather than these developments heralding the start of a period of sustained growth, however, our research suggests that there are still significant constraints on expansion in markets where the pressure to neoliberalize labour markets intersects with postsocialist expectations, norms, and economic structures.

Suggested Citation

  • Neil M Coe & Jennifer Johns & Kevin Ward, 2008. "Flexibility in Action: The Temporary Staffing Industry in the Czech Republic and Poland," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(6), pages 1391-1415, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:40:y:2008:i:6:p:1391-1415
    DOI: 10.1068/a39165
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a39165
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a39165?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. M. Stare, 2001. "Advancing the Development of Producer Services in Slovenia with Foreign Direct Investment," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 19-34, January.
    2. M. Stare, 2002. "The Pattern of Internationalisation of Services in Central European Countries," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 77-91, January.
    3. Kevin Ward, 2004. "Going global? Internationalization and diversification in the temporary staffing industry," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(3), pages 251-273, June.
    4. Erika Nagy, 2005. "Transition and polarisation: advanced producer services in the emerging regional (market) economies," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 229-251, March.
    5. Nik Theodore & Jamie Peck, 2002. "The Temporary Staffing Industry: Growth Imperatives and Limits to Contingency," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 78(4), pages 463-493, October.
    6. Peter J. Taylor & Gilda Catalana & David Walker, 2004. "Multiple globalisations: regional, hierarchical and sectoral articulations of global business services through world cities," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 63-81, May.
    7. J V Beaverstock & P J Taylor & R G Smith, 1999. "The Long Arm of the Law: London's Law Firms in a Globalising World Economy," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 31(10), pages 1857-1876, October.
    8. Andrew Wood, 2004. "The Scalar Transformation of the U.S. Commercial Property-Development Industry: A Cautionary Note on the Limits of Globalization," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 80(2), pages 119-140, April.
    9. Andrew Burns & Przemyslaw Kowalski, 2004. "The Jobs Challenge in Poland: Policies to Raise Employment," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 414, OECD Publishing.
    10. Christian Schulz, 2005. "Foreign environments: The internationalisation of environmental producer services," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 337-354, April.
    11. James R Faulconbridge & Sarah J E Hall & Jonathan V Beaverstock, 2008. "New Insights into the Internationalization of Producer Services: Organizational Strategies and Spatial Economies for Global Headhunting Firms," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(1), pages 210-234, January.
    12. Metka Stare, 2003. "The scope for E-Commerce in central and eastern European countries' services trade," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 27-42, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Richard M. Locke & Ben A. Rissing & Timea Pal, 2013. "Across Boundaries: The Global Challenges Facing Workers and Employment Research 50th Anniversary Special Issue," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 51(3), pages 519-552, September.
    2. Jennifer Ferreira, 2016. "The German temporary staffing industry: growth, development, scandal and resistance," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 117-143, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Linda McDowell & Adina Batnitzky & Sarah Dyer, 2008. "Internationalization and the Spaces of Temporary Labour: The Global Assembly of a Local Workforce," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(4), pages 750-770, December.
    2. Zachary P. Neal & Ben Derudder & Peter J. Taylor, 2019. "Should I Stay or Should I Go: Predicting Advanced Producer Services Firm Expansion and Contraction," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 42(2), pages 207-229, March.
    3. Wen Chen & Xiao-Jiao Song & Yanping Li, 2021. "Factors Affecting the Sustainable Development of HRS in Transforming Economies: A fsQCA Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-19, February.
    4. James R Faulconbridge & Sarah J E Hall & Jonathan V Beaverstock, 2008. "New Insights into the Internationalization of Producer Services: Organizational Strategies and Spatial Economies for Global Headhunting Firms," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(1), pages 210-234, January.
    5. Ashley, Louise & Boussebaa, Mehdi & Friedman, Sam & Harrington, Brooke & Heusinkveld, Stefan & Gustafsson, Stefanie & Muzio, Daniel, 2023. "Professions and inequality: challenges, controversies, and opportunities," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 119522, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Antoine Guironnet, 2019. "Cities on the global real estate marketplace: urban development policy and the circulation of financial standards in two French localities," Post-Print halshs-02297204, HAL.
    7. Edwin Trevor-Roberts & Polly Parker & Jorgen Sandberg, 2019. "How uncertainty affects career behaviour: A narrative approach," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 44(1), pages 50-69, February.
    8. Frances Brill, 2020. "Complexity and coordination in London’s Silvertown Quays: How real estate developers (re)centred themselves in the planning process," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(2), pages 362-382, March.
    9. Jamie Peck & Nik Theodore, 2007. "Flexible recession: the temporary staffing industry and mediated work in the United States," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 31(2), pages 171-192, March.
    10. Raquel Carrasco & Ismael Gálvez-Iniesta & Belén Jerez, 2022. "Do Temporary Help Agencies Help? Temporary Employment Transitions for Low-Skilled Workers," Studies on the Spanish Economy eee2022-11, FEDEA.
    11. Lewin, Arie Y. & Volberda, Henk W., 2011. "Co-evolution of global sourcing: The need to understand the underlying mechanisms of firm-decisions to offshore," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 241-251, June.
    12. Jaworek, Małgorzata & Karaszewski, Włodzimierz & Szałucka, Małgorzata, 2021. "Ownership-Based Entry Mode Strategies and Limiting Factors of Foreign Direct Investment Undertaken by Polish Enterprises," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 26(3), pages 440-468.
    13. Donald McNeill, 2007. "Office Buildings and the Signature Architect: Piano and Foster in Sydney," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 39(2), pages 487-501, February.
    14. Michael, Bryane & Wojick, Dariusz & Arner, Douglas W. & Tong, Wilson & Lin, Chen & Zhao, Simon, 2015. "What Determines M&A Legal and Financial Advisors’ Competitiveness in an International Financial Centre: Using China’s Going Out Policy as a Natural Experiment," EconStor Preprints 110603, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    15. James Faulconbridge & Daniel Muzio, 2008. "Organizational professionalism in globalizing law firms," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 22(1), pages 7-25, March.
    16. Thierry Theurillat & Patrick Rérat & Olivier Crevoisier, 2015. "The real estate markets: Players, institutions and territories," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(8), pages 1414-1433, June.
    17. Sébastien Antoine & Cécile Sillig & Hilda Ghiara, 2017. "Advanced Logistics in Italy: A City Network Analysis," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(6), pages 753-767, December.
    18. James R Faulconbridge, 2007. "Exploring the Role of Professional Associations in Collective Learning in London and New York's Advertising and Law Professional-Service-Firm Clusters," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 39(4), pages 965-984, April.
    19. Michael Ekers & Charles Z. Levkoe & Samuel Walker & Bryan Dale, 2016. "Will work for food: agricultural interns, apprentices, volunteers, and the agrarian question," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(3), pages 705-720, September.
    20. Natacha Aveline-Dubach, 2017. "Embedment of “Liquid” Capital into the Built Environment:," Post-Print halshs-01563507, HAL.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:40:y:2008:i:6:p:1391-1415. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.