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Downsizing and Deknowledging the Firm

Author

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  • Craig R. Littler

    (University of London, Royal Holloway, UK C.Littler@rhul.ac.uk)

  • Peter Innes

    (Sunshine Coast University, Australia)

Abstract

Organizations in many OECD economies have undergone a decade of downsizing, restructuring and transition. For example, workforce reductions were a dominant feature of firm behaviour in Australia throughout the 1990s. These wide-ranging organizational transitions are expected to continue. What do the new organizational forms and new job structures mean in relation to skill trends? This article examines the changing paradigms for understanding long-term skill change and assesses their relevance by empirically examining the relationship between downsizing, deskilling/upskilling and contingent labour use in larger firms. The analysis is based on a comprehensive, longitudinal data set of 4153 companies. A key finding is that downsizing was used as a vehicle for a different form of `deskilling' across the 1990s. Alongside the `knowledge organization', there are processes of deknowledging the firm.

Suggested Citation

  • Craig R. Littler & Peter Innes, 2003. "Downsizing and Deknowledging the Firm," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 17(1), pages 73-100, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:17:y:2003:i:1:p:73-100
    DOI: 10.1177/0950017003017001263
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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, Decembrie.
    2. Craig R. Littler & Retha Wiesner & Richard Dunford, 2003. "The Dynamics of Delayering: Changing Management Structures in Three Countries," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 225-256, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Leo McCann & Jonathan Morris & John Hassard, 2008. "Normalized Intensity: The New Labour Process of Middle Management," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(2), pages 343-371, March.

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