Introduction
In the ever changing business environment, employers are looking for the best strategies that can be used to reduce the costs of production. The factors of production such as labor, land, and capital have become expensive. However, employers have capitalized on reducing the costs of labor in order to reduce the costs that go into the production of goods and services. As indicated in the two empirical studies “Just a Temp: Experience and Structure of Alienation in Temporary and Clerical Employment” by Jackie Krasas Rogers and “The rhetoric of the `good worker' versus the realities of employers' use and the experiences of migrant workers” by Robert MacKenzie and Chris Forde, most of the present employers are capitalizing on the marginalized groups. According to the results of these research studies, it can be concluded that employers have identified the fact that these marginalized groups are vulnerable and have lower labor market power.
There are two perspectives underlying the reason that the immigrant and marginalized groups work under these devastating circumstances – the management and the employee perspectives. The managements believe that these employees are tools for reducing the costs of production. They believe that these employees can do the best for the companies to receive compensations, which they alternatively need for their survival. Studies reveal that immigrant and marginalized groups have a positive toward work as opposed to the locals in the United States and European nations (MacKenzie & Forde, 2009, p. 146). On the other hand, the “good workers” need these jobs to survive. In most cases, the working and labor conditions in their homes are worse than the working conditions in their destinations. Therefore, they fail to realize that they are being mistreated or unfairly compensated with longer working hours. The fact that most of the immigrant employees work on illegal basis also motivates the managers to use their authority to design organizational friendly policies (Krahn, Lowe & Hughes, pp. 207-211). The illegal immigrant, some of whom have run away from political conflicts in their countries and poor economic situations do not wish to return to their countries and opt to stay in these jobs, even though they might be treated unfairly.
Discussion
As opposed to the general idea of the Human Capital Theory, which indicates that workers salaries and compensation are determined by the set of skills and knowledge that they posses (Iacob & Andrei, 2011, p. 134), the study by Robert MacKenzie and Chris Forde reveals contradicting results. According to their study, employers in Europe are using migrant workers in lower paid jobs for which they are overqualified in terms of education and experience. According to this research study, the locals reject low paying jobs since they believe that they deserve higher salaries for their skills and experiences. However, the vulnerable immigrant groups including marginalized groups of women workers, ethnic minorities, and migrant workers are usually ready to take up these jobs at any rate since they are desperate and need immediate solutions to their problems, which are usually related to finance.
Similarly, the research study by Jackie Krasas Rogers revealed that like the aforementioned study, the ethnic minorities such as African Americans and women are usually engaged in temporary clerical employments. These employments have been devised to improve the ailing American economy and these disadvantaged groups usually bear the costs in the form of alienation from others, alienation from work, and alienation from self (Rogers, 1995, p. 152). In both studies, the Human Capital theory apply in the sense that, after recognizing that these disadvantaged groups have the skills and experiences required to assist in the production of goods and services, employers have insisted on employing them at low salaries and longer working hours. As opposed to the locals in the United States and Europe, the migrant workers and the African American women are more likely to be employed in sectors of the economy where trade unions have little or no influence (MacKenzie & Forde, 2009, p. 144). Trade unions fight for the rights of the employees and have the ability to negotiate for fair treatment of the employees including compensations and working hours. However, in some sectors, especially where these trade unions have limited or no influence, employers design the rules and the employees are obliged to follow these rules without question.
The labor market segmentation theory stems from the division of labor and specialization concepts of labor. In both cases, people differ in human capital - their investment in education and training, work skills, and experience – which implies that they also differ in tastes and preferences for professions (Dickens & Lang, 1992). Similarly, employees have different desires for positions in organizations and equitable pay for their skills and experiences. However, in the European labor markets, immigrants are not given equal pay for their human capital. As indicated earlier, immigrants are given jobs for which there are overqualified in terms of education and experience. Similarly, since employers are always looking for cheap labor and employees who are willing to work under discouraging work conditions, immigrant workers are often given jobs that are not even related to their qualifications (Hudson, 2007, pp, 301 – 307). In some cases, they are employed in low skilled positions, which might not require much training. In Rogers’ article, he discusses the employment of African American women in clerical positions in different sectors even though they might possess more qualifications. However, in some cases, employers looking for temporary employees usually look for experienced employees with job specific training, skills, and experiences to fill in the temporary positions. This is because in most cases, employers are looking for measures to improve production within the shortest period possible. Unrelated to this theory is the fact that these employers, like the European employers, subject the employees to longer working hours, which alienates them from the self.
The labor process theory has been used to explain the bargaining power of workers under the contemporary global capitalism (Thompson, 2010, pp. 9-11). This theory delves into how employees of different organizations work, who controls the work of these employees, the skills and experiences required to qualify for the positions in their organizations, and how these employees are compensated for their work. The basic position of this theory is that, under the new labor markets, especially the capitalistic markets, management steals skills from employees, reduce their pleasurable nature of work as well as the power that these workers have through controlling their skills, cutting their wages, and reducing the amount of exertion from workers (Rogers, 1995, p. 137).
In my opinion, after reading the two articles, “Just a Temp: Experience and Structure of Alienation in Temporary and Clerical Employment” by Jackie Krasas Rogers and “The rhetoric of the `good worker' versus the realities of employers' use and the experiences of migrant workers” by Robert MacKenzie and Chris Forde, I believe that the labor process theory best describes the experiences of the employees. In both cases, the employees in both cases are subjected to control of the managements of their organizations. In the European context, the employees, especially the migrant employees have little bargaining power and influence in the labor market due to their vulnerability. The vulnerable employees often accept the salaries as described by the management of the companies that offer them employment. This is because the employees do not have an option for survival. Additionally, the fact that these are marginalized groups makes them subject to the decisions of the labor market, which is at times not protected by the labor unions.
Management in the capitalistic market “steals skills from employees. In Jackie Krasas Rogers’ article, “Just a Temp: Experience and Structure of Alienation in Temporary and Clerical Employment,” African Americans and women in the United States as well as immigrants are mostly hired on temporary basis. Most of these immigrants come to the United States with their human capital and experience to look for better opportunities. Back in their homes, the immigrants cannot return due to several factors including political instability. According to this article, employers and managements are usually looking for these experienced employees, use their skills over a short period of time, and then “dump” these employees after accomplishing their organizational goals. In most cases, the immigrant workers are paid lower salaries than the local employees working in similar positions and in similar industries.
Simultaneously, Robert MacKenzie and Chris Forde’s article gives similar indications. In both articles, the temporary and immigrant employees are subjected to longer working hours, which alienate them from the self. These employees often have little time for their families, or even for themselves. This reduces the pleasurable nature of work for the employees. The satisfaction that comes with employment is not only in the financial aspect of the job, but satisfaction is also measured according to the ability of the employee to enjoy his or her work (Adams, 2010, p. 54). Working for longer hours, and with little compensations, coupled with the inability to influence decisions in the workplace implies that the employees do not enjoy their work. In the United States as well as in Europe as indicated in these articles, the employees find very little time to enjoy their salaries. Even the time that they spend in their workplaces is unpleasant since it consumes most of their energy and time.
Conclusion
Since managements have identified a loophole in the labor supply by the immigrants and marginalized societies in the United States and Europe, organizations have resorted to hiring these groups to reduce the costs of labor in production. Immigrants and other marginalized groups such as African Americans demand for little wages since they have little labor market power. They are also willing to work for longer hours and in temporary employment. Consistent with the labor process theory, employers are stealing skills from these vulnerable groups and controlling their skills, cutting their wages, and reducing the amount of exertion from workers. Labor unions have failed to cover all the sectors of the economies in these countries to universally defend these marginalized groups (Yates, Wayne & Paul, 2001. However, solving this problem would be difficult since some immigrants are working on illegal basis and they would not wish to return to their countries. Therefore, it would be impossible to convince them to join the labor unions for support.
References:
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