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The rhetoric of the `good worker' versus the realities of employers' use and the experiences of migrant workers

Author

Listed:
  • Robert MacKenzie

    (Leeds University Business School, rfm@lubs.leeds.ac.uk)

  • Chris Forde

    (Leeds University Business School, cjf@lubs.leeds.ac.uk)

Abstract

The article examines the attitudes and strategies of a UK based employer as they developed their use of migrant labour in the latest manifestation of a strategy that targeted groups of vulnerable workers with lower labour market power. Management's celebration of the `good worker', based on the stereotyping of the perceived attributes of immigrant employees, resonated with the `business case' and `resource based view' debates within the human resource management literature.Yet terms and conditions of employment remained wedded to the bottom of the labour market. The article integrates analysis of the attitudes of employers with the views, experiences and aspirations of migrant workers. Micro level processes are also located in a wider analytical framework, incorporating the broader socio-economic context and key moments of regulatory intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert MacKenzie & Chris Forde, 2009. "The rhetoric of the `good worker' versus the realities of employers' use and the experiences of migrant workers," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 23(1), pages 142-159, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:23:y:2009:i:1:p:142-159
    DOI: 10.1177/0950017008099783
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kavita Datta & Cathy McIlwaine & Yara Evans & Joanna Herbert & Jon May & Jane Wills, 2007. "From Coping Strategies to Tactics: London's Low‐Pay Economy and Migrant Labour," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(2), pages 404-432, June.
    2. Grimshaw, Damian & Rubery, Jill, 1998. "Integrating the Internal and External Labour Markets," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 22(2), pages 199-220, March.
    3. Stephen Bach, 2007. "Going Global? The Regulation of Nurse Migration in the UK," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(2), pages 383-403, June.
    4. Patrick McGovern, 2007. "Immigration, Labour Markets and Employment Relations: Problems and Prospects," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(2), pages 217-235, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Janta, Hania & Ladkin, Adele & Brown, Lorraine & Lugosi, Peter, 2011. "Employment experiences of Polish migrant workers in the UK hospitality sector," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 1006-1019.
    2. Joppe, Marion, 2012. "Migrant workers: Challenges and opportunities in addressing tourism labour shortages," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 662-671.
    3. J. Félix Lozano & Teresa Escrich, 2017. "Cultural Diversity in Business: A Critical Reflection on the Ideology of Tolerance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 142(4), pages 679-696, June.

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